Mapping 0.1 Mile Radius Using Google Maps

Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 10:50 pm

I've been playing with something and it's now in it's early alpha test phases and I'm looking for user input. Please keep this in mind that it's very very basic to illustrate the concept currently.
http://webpages.charter.net/edmarks/GeocachingCircle.htm

Here's the concept - a visual tool to show the 0.1 radius around know caches that are "out of play"

The specifics:
1) Take a GPX (i.e. XML) file and plot the 0.1 mile radius around all the points.
2) Use Google Maps (via the API's) to display the data.
3) Include a marker with hover capability to display pertinent data

Input requested:
1) What file format (other than GPX) would you have your data in?
2) Does this appeal to anyone and should I continue work on it?
3) What information would be helpful (other than cache ID / name)? I'm thinking of using HTML popups similar to geocaching.com.

Planned enhancements:
1) Handling of puzzle / unknown types.
2) Child waypoints.
3) Configuration of color / opacity.

WGA Member Joined: 2007-12-27 Posts: 342 Location: Wausau

In the past I've used a GSAK macro to create a KML for Google Earth and that has been very useful. Your approach here is even more useful as it also does shading, has the center point (GZ), and a description. The macro JUST does circles.

I would use this.

GPX would be what I would use. I could see including the diff/terr levels in the info as well, or perhaps on the balloon popup that you mentioned. A link to the cache itself is also very handy. (Would of course only apply to caches, probably not child waypoints).

Would be cool to be able to make the map resizeable with the window.

Real nitpicky but I would prefer to have a crosshairs icon or "X" icon instead of the red Gmaps merker. The marker gets in the way IMHO and the crosshairs are cleaner and plainer.

And I assume this is a given - but a way to upload the relevant GPX file Smile

Looks cool, thanks for your work. Those google APIs are fun aren't they Smile

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:43 pm

Looks good. Would certainly be handy for puzzle locations.

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:17 pm

I do something similar with the Garmin RoadTrip program with local caches. The only thing is that I load and configure all of the caches manually.

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:03 pm

OK - Alpha Version 2 is now out there for some additional trials.
http://webpages.charter.net/edmarks/GeocachingCircle2.htm

Updates:
1) GPX/XML via user - Just copy / paste the entire text contents from a GPX/XML file into the box and click on the draw button.
2) Map extents are calculated based on the data in the GPX file and the map is recentered / resized to fit the data you supply.

Notes:
1) I've used data directly from geocaching.com pocket query GPX files, GSAK generated GPX files, and a GPX file generated by someone using IPhone / MAC tools. Success will all of these so far.
2) I need to ensure the data stays user specific (i.e. hidden) so that we don't give away any secrets (finals for puzzles / multis). I know some people use GSAK to store their final coordinates and the application needs to be sensitive to that.

Next Upgrades:
1) Allow file upload (instead of copy / paste).
2) User defined colors, marker type, etc.
3) User defined map size(s)
4) Options for handling "puzzle/unknown" caches that have fake / real coordinates.
5) Options for handling child waypoints.

Again - please continue providing feedback and I'll continue to refine the tool.

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:31 pm

OK, I have a small GPX file I created in GSAK. How do I cut and paste it?

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:44 pm

marc_54140 wrote:

OK, I have a small GPX file I created in GSAK. How do I cut and paste it?

Just open the file with Notepad (or similar). Then copy the entire contents and paste into this tool.

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 8:47 am

Works for me too. Plugged in my master S|S file and wow, that's some serious saturation!!!!! I will likely use this for new caches where I know proximity is an issue (that's about 99.99% of the time). Nicely done!

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:29 am

seldom|seen wrote:

Plugged in my master S|S file and wow, that's some serious saturation!!!!!

Really???

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:39 am

CodeJunkie wrote:

marc_54140 wrote:

OK, I have a small GPX file I created in GSAK. How do I cut and paste it?

Just open the file with Notepad (or similar). Then copy the entire contents and paste into this tool.

OK, did the cut and paste - with both notepad and word.

Both options result in only 5 caches showing up. Should be 27. Those shown are within .83 miles of home coordinates.

Any ideas????

WGA Member Joined: 2004-07-15 Posts: 86 Location: Sussex

How do I get the text from GSAK to my note pad?

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:46 pm

Team Vaughan wrote:

How do I get the text from GSAK to my note pad?

You have to export a GPX file from GSAK to your PC. This will be a text file that you can open with notepad. Open with notepad (or your favorite editor) and copy the entire contents and paste into my application.

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:53 pm

OK, a couple of notes on my experimenting.....

1. I had been cutting from a Windows environment, and then pasting in a Mac one. This may be causing the problem of only 5 caches being posted.

2. Because ..... cutting and pasting within Windows results in all the caches being posted.

Used both WordPad and Notepad for the cutting, and then Opera for the browser.

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:54 pm

Oppps , missed this ......

The circles do not appear!

Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:57 pm

And one more time ......

Tried zooming in, and got the .1 mile circles. Zoomed again, and ended up with extraneous smaller circles scattered around.

Zoomed back out, and got MORE circles - this time bigger than .1 mile radius.

Neither the smaller nor the bigger circles have a cache related to them.