› Forums › Geocaching in Wisconsin › Help › GSAK Version 7
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Team Deejay.
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02/09/2007 at 1:02 pm #1724251
Has anyone bought, downloaded or used Version 7 yet? I have no issues with my current version and was wondering if spending another 10 bucks on something that already does fine is worth it. Are the new features that much better?
02/09/2007 at 1:58 pm #1769955I have 7 — as of yesterday, so I can’t really tell you what the spectacular new features are yet. But it’s a great program and I am willing to put my full support behind it and am willing to pay for upgrades.
My computer tells me that version 7 is Vista compatible, if that means anything.
If I discover any new features, I’ll post them here. Still got lots of playing to do.
Bec
02/09/2007 at 2:51 pm #1769956If this is software you use on a regular basis, I would suggest you upgrade. The biggest benefit is probably the new code for handling child (additional) waypoints directly. Child waypoints are those additional waypoints you see on caches, such as parking coordinates, questions to answer, etc. I wrote the macros to handle these in version 6, and I can tell you that the new version is MUCH better than using my macros. Other features are more subtle (Vista support, ability to better customize the HTML pages, split screen maps, form support in macros, etc.)
The best reason to upgrade, however, is to support the current and future development of this program. This program is well supported on the support boards (http://www.gsak.net/board) with issues being handled within minutes and patches issued regularly whenever problems are found. You will not find a better package or better support at any price. Unless you are destitute, supporting the software that you actually use is very good idea.
02/09/2007 at 3:21 pm #1769957Here’s what a check of the website tells us:
7.0.0 30th January, 2007 (Major Release)
General
Many usability improvements for first time users
Ability to fully customise GSAK generated HTML pages
New URI support
New “forms” support for macros
Added ability to Add/Change/Delete child waypoints (WayPoint=>Child waypoint and right click menu)
Added ability to set child flags individually or in bulk
Added support for custom URLs for child waypoints
Added ability to Join filters in a macro
New intelligent “Maximum number of waypoints” on all exports
New “Database properties”
New free floating coordinate input that supports many formats and variations
New “Database Totals” dialog added
Full Keyboard shortcut configuration for every menu option
New simple layouts for all exports with default settings
Support for large fonts and DPI settings > 96
Added Ability to easily export just the current waypoint or subset via drag and drop
Replaced “home grown” XML parser with a standard XML parser with all GPX files now “pre checked” to be well formed (more information).
Added to option to project a waypoint, with the ability to add as a normal or child waypoint
Update of the “Grab waypoints” tool to recognise more valid coordinate formats, and to better reject invalid ones (especially those found in puzzle cache descriptions)
Added option to “Grab waypoints” to add the waypoint as Normal or Child
Tool bar is now dockable (left, right, top, bottom)
Added support for “Project APE” and “Mega Event” cache types
File=>Export=>HTML dialog overhaul with general and advanced tabs
Added ability to set the colors used for the “Last 4 logs”
Added ability to color rows/or column via the GUI (Waypoint=>Color or right mouse click)
Added “Degrees” column and ability to filter on degrees and degree ranges
Added configuration option to suppress “Finished OK” messages
Added opton to manually enter a center point
Added option Get center point (NMEA mode)
Allow selection of font for grid
Added Global Replace options of: remove, add before, add after, and swap
Speed improvements for Move/Copy waypoints
Automatic backup prompt now only when changes have been made to a database
Added the ability to generate the cache description using special tags for the CacheMate Export
Changed order of waypoints exported to current sort sequence
TomTom export converted to use GPSBabel
GPX export option to allow for the same special tags to be used for the “cache name” as the “cache description”
Added “GPSr name” to Memory Map export
New simplified custom export dialog
User notes dialog is now “sticky”
Load summary links now open in your default browser (using the new URI support)
Saved settings with name of now just copies the generated code to the clipboard (more information)
Delete waypoints dialog now supports the option of “all waypoints in database”.
File=>Export=>HTML – Added database name to html index
File=>Export=>HTML – Added distance and bearing to cache density summary
File=>Export=>HTML – output now uses cache code if valid file name
File=>Export=>HTML – added option to remove pictures for html output
All GSAK generated HTML logs now have the “by” as a clickable link that takes you to the profile of person that made the log
User Data 2 now shows in all HTML output
Database=>Purge Logs – Added ability to save logs for multiple user ID’s
Database=>Purge Logs – Added ability to purge by user ID
File=>print – html row print now same as display and if waypoint has children prints in bold
Changed LOC file export encoding from encoding=”ISO-8859-1″ to encoding=”UTF-8″
Rewrite of how hints show in the HTML (more information)
Added text progress indicator when gsak is loading multiple gpx/zip files
Added option to “File=>Import=>Notes” to set the user flag
Added in database variable $d_SmartOverride (more information)
Added replace/append for arc/poly filter when loading points from a file
Added menu option “User flags=>Color has top priority”
Confirmation required when copying/moving all waypoints in a database
GPSGames GPX files now support HTML in the logs
Arc/Poly filters now report error rather than crash when loading an invalid points file
Split screen view now only refreshed if something has changed in the underlying html
General spead and GUI tweaks to the split screen display
Better syntax checking in the macro language
Log icons are now linked and take you to the log entry at Geocaching.com
GPSr Send – stopped “,” (comma) from being removed from cache description (more information)
Now includes verrsion 1.9.5 of CacheMate CMConvert.exe (more information)
All export dialogs now validate file existence of the %macro special tag (more information)
Travel bugs are now sorted by name before being updated in the database (more information)
Cachemate conversion now shows all messages (more information)
Removed leading space from OziExplorer Export (more information)
Fixed a problem when switching between mutually exclusive filters (more information)New Macro features
Added form support
Complete removal of the old macro engine (more information)
Double quotes fidelity now preserved (more information)
Macro parameters can now be in any order (more information)
Debug improvements, including a tabbed dialog that shows all database variables
Added [] to Mfilter command
Added Max=nnn to EXPORT command
Added Settings= to the Database command
Added ability to Join filters
Added Notes=[] to Load command
Added Delay=nnn to the INPUT and CHOOSE commands
Added Coordinates= to the Centre command
Added support to replace the GSAK macro editor with a program of your choosing
Changed command syntax Mfilter if= to Mfilter expression=
Added [] to SHOWSTATUS command
Added Menu option (and tool button) to stop a macro
Ability to add Caches, Logs, and Waypoints via the macro language
Seek() function can now find records in the Logs and Waypoints tablesNew Macro commands
Timer – time macro code
Backup – emulates File=>Backup
PlayWav – Play a .wav sound file
AddNew – Add a new cache/log/child waypoint
SplitScreen – Turn split screen on and off and select formats
MsgOk – Simple message box with single OK buttonNew Macro functions
SysInfo – Retrieve system information
List – Array type function
Gcalc – Improved and supersedes Geocalc
RegExReplace – Replace data using a regular expression
RegExSub – Access to matched sub expressions
RegExEscape – Escape a regular expression for “literal” use
Asc – return the ascii number of a character
TotChild – get the total number of child waypoints
SmartName – generate a “smart name” for any string
ShowForm – Show a GSAK form
EditForm – Edit a GSAK form
StrToBool – Convert a string value to Boolean
BoolToStr – Convert a Boolean value to string
HTML – HTML generation helper
HttpEncode – Encode a string for URL linkingNew Special Tags
%Database – current database name
%Blank – blank or nothing
%c_Code – child code
%c_Lat – Child latitude
%c_Lon – Child longitude02/09/2007 at 3:46 pm #1769958I have been using Version 7 since it was released and used the Version 7 Beta for a couple months prior to the official release. The features in the new Version are more then worth the small upgrade fee. Many of these features are to help the user customize the program to their particular needs.
The additional child waypoint features are really neat. The support provided for this program is the best I have ever seen. On more then one occasion I have had problems that were not directly related to GSAK ie. (windows or PC problems) and there was no hesitation to offer help and support with my problem. They could’ve very easily said it is not a GSAK problem and left it at that. Instead they offer suggestions and I eventually solved the problem based on their input. That help alone is invaluable in my book.
I have written a few Macros that help with organizing my Waypoints and manage my cache data. I had never written a Macro prior to GSAK and have been able to create these fairly easily. Again when I got stuck the support was quick and far better then I ever would’ve imagined.
For anyone that is Paperless or thinking of going Paperless the combination of GSAK and Cachemate is a great combination. GSAK allows to you easily organize the Waypoints and then export both to your PDA and GPSr.
When a user finds a error or issue with the program there is usually an update to the program within days if not hours to alleviate the issue.
There is a user forum that has a great user created Macro library that any user can use. One of the neatest ones that I use regularly is a Mapping macro that will map all your Waypoints in the current Database or filter and map them on Goggle maps. This is a great tool for planning a cache raid.
I also had to pay a small upgrade fee. I had no problem paying this fee as it was extremely small based on the support and functionality of the Program.
02/09/2007 at 9:31 pm #1769959I also bought the version 7 upgrade, for me it’s well worth it. a great example of a small detail that makes a big difference is if you ever enter coordinates manually before you couldn’t cut and paste coords because gsak had the numbers split up into different sections. version 7 changes this and you can paste coords directly in.
02/10/2007 at 1:52 pm #1769960I wasn’t saying that I am upset with charging for the upgrade I just want to know if it was a worthwhile upgrade. I do support the program.
I was just following a “If its not broke don’t fix it” line of thought.
02/13/2007 at 2:09 am #1769961If all you use it for is sending waypoints to your GPSr, there’s not much point in the upgrade except for speed improvements, and better Vista compatibility.
If you’re into macros or could use any of the feature improvements such as better child waypoint handling or improved CacheMate exporting or anything in the big list above, then it’s worth it.
02/14/2007 at 1:59 am #1769962i bought and downloaded version 7 last week, but since i was going on a trip, i didn’t install it yet. i think gsak is a fantastic program, and even if he were just looking for more donations, i would have sent it.
speaking of macros—-it would be great if we had some type of macro class at one of our events. i know there are a lot of features in gsak that i have never tried.02/14/2007 at 3:04 pm #1769963There are many macros at the GSAK support site already written.
02/14/2007 at 7:44 pm #1769964@djwini wrote:
speaking of macros—-it would be great if we had some type of macro class at one of our events. i know there are a lot of features in gsak that i have never tried.
This is something that I could do. Maybe we could schedule this in conjunction with the next Paperless class, sort of like Advanced Paperless? Would people be interested in attending something like this? We could maybe take a half hour to cover basics (downloading and using macros, creating buttons to run macros, simple one line macros), then maybe an hour covering some of the basic techniques (database variables, looping through the database, on the fly filtering and sorting, html exports, etc.) I’m thinking this would have to be BYOL (Bring your own laptop).
And Tammy is right that there are a lot of public macros out there that you can use. (I have a couple out there myself for handling child waypoints in GSAK version 6, which I still support since many have chosen to not pay the upgrade fee.) The best one out there (written by markp99), is one called MyGME (Google Maps Export), which plots any number of waypoints onto a Google Maps interface. The features of this are too numerous to list, but this has the potential to replace all the other mapping software you use for planning caching expeditions. If you are a GSAK user, this one is a must have. To get it, go to:
http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showtopic=3781
Be sure to go all the way to the bottom as some of the older versions are still on the site. You want myGMEv02f.txt. Save the file to C:Program FilesGSAKMacros and it is good to run.
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