Groundspeak Portal

Sure would be nice to have the choice of downloading GPX files of waymarks.............for doing the paperless thing

GIDEON-X:

Sure would be nice to have the choice of downloading GPX files of waymarks.............for doing the paperless thing

Yes.  I have a vacation coming up...

GIDEON-X:

Sure would be nice to have the choice of downloading GPX files of waymarks.............for doing the paperless thing

 

This being likely the #1 request, I still must confess that I do not understand it.

 

We don't have software that will support GPX in Waymarking, and if you plan on using GSAK then I don't see how the over 700 categories will transpose to a mere 15 Geocaching types, there is no column for category... variables would be totally missing, no way to include the default photo... I could go on.

Creating a filter that shows only the "Unvisited Waymarks from Home" then saving that link in your browser as a favorite/bookmark allows you to keep downloading LOC files all day long and gives you everything you need to visit nearly any Waymark.

BQ

I want 'em because at least the name, quick and the long descriptions, coordinates, "owner" and URL would come through in a big file that I could then import into GSAK.

They can ALL show up as Virtuals for now as far as I care.

Also, GPX can be dropped onto MapSource.

Will a KML plug into the current MapSource?  I'll have to check that out.  And Bobcat (mapsource beta on the mac---better than mapsource) will have to be checked for that too.

0ccam:

I want 'em because at least the name, quick and the long descriptions, coordinates, "owner" and URL would come through in a big file that I could then import into GSAK.

They can ALL show up as Virtuals for now as far as I care.

Also, GPX can be dropped onto MapSource.

Will a KML plug into the current MapSource?  I'll have to check that out.  And Bobcat (mapsource beta on the mac---better than mapsource) will have to be checked for that too.

 

.LOC files give you the Name, Coordinates, Placed By info.  But yes, Short & Long Descriptions and double clicking to reach the Waymark Page is missing (unless you use the generic search by WM#). 

 

 

"Variables" is a HUGE deal though, since often these contain end-user specific data.  When I go for a day of Waymark visiting  (aka... going to New York State to see what my Way-buddies "Rayman" and "BarbershopDru" have made on their side of the ditch), I usually cut-and-paste the descriptions into M$ Word.

 

Maybe it is time someone organizes an email campain to Clyde to propose a Waymarking version of GSAK.  My minimal understanding is that .GPX are really nothing more than .TXT files and programs search for 'commands' to handle the text.  But I really know next to nothing about it.

BQ

The amount of work in GSAK will depend on how the gpx files are formed.  If they append the variables to the description then less work would need to be done in GSAK.  It would be better if the category names were in a separate field for sorting and filtering. (though this will cause some changes to GSAK)

When I see the info on using the Nuvi for paperless caching I see its application to waymarking to be even a better fit.  (The Nuvi is my driving around gps though for waymarks I usually my other gps for getting coordinates for waymark, for visiting the Nuvi will work great)

the blue quasar:

 

.LOC files give you the Name, Coordinates, Placed By info.  But yes, Short & Long Descriptions and double clicking to reach the Waymark Page is missing (unless you use the generic search by WM#). 

"Variables" is a HUGE deal though, since often these contain end-user specific data.  When I go for a day of Waymark visiting  (aka... going to New York State to see what my Way-buddies "Rayman" and "BarbershopDru" have made on their side of the ditch), I usually cut-and-paste the descriptions into M$ Word.

Maybe it is time someone organizes an email campain to Clyde to propose a Waymarking version of GSAK.  My minimal understanding is that .GPX are really nothing more than .TXT files and programs search for 'commands' to handle the text.  But I really know next to nothing about it.

BQ

I know the variables are a huge deal. They're also a huge deal to code into the GPX format. But, as I've mentioned before, I'd take GPX files that were of the same format as geocache GPX files as a start.  GPX is an XML file.  There are fields defined inside the file.  Wikipedia's entry on the file type is here.  I believe the file format was initially developed by TopoGrafix and they may have some control over the format, which would complicate adding fields to handle variables in Waymarking.  Here's TopoGrafix's page on GPX here.

Bruce,

If I was going to recommend GPS hardware to someone that didn't have anything, but wanted to get into geocaching and/or waymarking, I'd recommend that they get an eTrex Venture HC and a nuvi, up to whatever they could afford.

Right now I have a Venture HC and my trusty GPSmap 60Cx, which, for now, gets used like your nuvi.

[Eventually, I'll donate the Venture, along with a bunch of other stuff, to the Fund Raising Auction that helps support the school where my wife teaches.  And a little while after that, I'll buy another low end gps and the cycle will repeat...]

I can put my loc files into GSAK. I'm able to edit the files in GSAK, then I can put them into Mapsource and gpx file. But I would like to be able to download more then one page at a time of loc files. In other words I would like to be able to download up to 500 waymarks at a time, like geocaches according to the location that I'm at. Is this possible?

You can download as many pages as you want (1 page at a time).   One thing I would do before loading the loc files into GSAK is to convert them to GPX files using GPSBabel.  This will add the category into the description.   The category is in the loc file in the type however if the loc is loaded directly into GSAK it will not be displayed.

Yes, I know that I can download them 1 page at a time, but I would prefer to do more then one page at a time. I guess it's just like when I first started out on caching on a route, I would have to preplan a trip months at a time to get all of the locations along a route. I'm not sure of how to use GPSBabel. I know that it comes with GSAK now, but can I run it alone?

HappyFrog (& gang):

Yes, I know that I can download them 1 page at a time, but I would prefer to do more then one page at a time. I guess it's just like when I first started out on caching on a route, I would have to preplan a trip months at a time to get all of the locations along a route. I'm not sure of how to use GPSBabel. I know that it comes with GSAK now, but can I run it alone?

Yes it will be very similar to how Geocaching was done years ago... before pocket queries were  available. (I only found my first 3,500 caches that way )

Yes it can be used alone either in a command line mode or with a GUI which comes with it. 

HappyFrog (& gang):

Yes, I know that I can download them 1 page at a time, but I would prefer to do more then one page at a time. I guess it's just like when I first started out on caching on a route, I would have to preplan a trip months at a time to get all of the locations along a route. I'm not sure of how to use GPSBabel. I know that it comes with GSAK now, but can I run it alone?

gpsbabel is there in the same folder where GSAK is installed.

Here's the gpsbabel website: http://www.gpsbabel.org/

Life without pocket queries? Gasp!

Waymarks are just virtual geocaches so why shouldn't there be pocket queries? This doesn't make sense.  I want virtual geocaches back!

I believe you're in the wrong forum, Mike.  You need to go to Geocaching.com

I may be in the wrong place, but not by mistake.

Groundspeak killed virtual geocaches and created waymarks, which leads me to think of waymarks as virtual geocaches. Since I happen to be one of the, evidently few, geocachers that like virtual caches I was looking forward to doing some waymarking. But..... there are no pocket queries, which is disappointing. Gathering a bunch of .loc files for a long trip, for example, is very awkward. A quick pocket query for all waymarks along a route, so I can do waymarking and geocaching just as easily, would be nice.  Oh well.

Having the capability of a GPX for a 5 mile radius, PQ's, etc would be helpful and I'm all for it, but its not critical since there's the long drawn out process of select all, download LOC, then do the same on the next page, repeat. This is what I did on our road trip to GW6...not pretty, but it worked.

What I've been trying to do is create a GSAK Macro to populate the User Data field with the type. Currently, I'm manually typing this in.  I use the Global Replace function to change the cache type, add my ID in for owned WM's, lock the fields, etc. But I'm really trying to find a better way to bring in the WM category type into GSAK.

Here's my post on the GSAK Forums. http://gsak.net/board/index.php?s=8d8f5a993624120f088d74423c43c48c&showtopic=6589  Perhaps we need more people asking Clyde for WM support? 

Maybe the KML file brings across more data?

dopeyduck:

Having the capability of a GPX for a 5 mile radius, PQ's, etc would be helpful and I'm all for it, but its not critical since there's the long drawn out process of select all, download LOC, then do the same on the next page, repeat. This is what I did on our road trip to GW6...not pretty, but it worked.

What I've been trying to do is create a GSAK Macro to populate the User Data field with the type. Currently, I'm manually typing this in.  I use the Global Replace function to change the cache type, add my ID in for owned WM's, lock the fields, etc. But I'm really trying to find a better way to bring in the WM category type into GSAK.

Here's my post on the GSAK Forums. http://gsak.net/board/index.php?s=8d8f5a993624120f088d74423c43c48c&showtopic=6589  Perhaps we need more people asking Clyde for WM support? 

Maybe the KML file brings across more data?

The KML is a network connection kml thus it has very limited information at all.   The category name is loaded in the loc file as a type.  If you convert the loc file to gps file using gpsbabel before uploading to GSAK the category information is  written to the description area.