I’ve been really busy on other stuff for quite a while now – but realize that the “beta beta” version of the route planner (http://www.marengo-ltd.com/map/development.html) needs work. As has been noted, Safari support is completely borked. Also there have been some good suggestions coming in over the time from readers of this site. So…
So, once my existing project is finished (in the next week or so, hopefully) I intend to spend a bit more time on the Route Planner. So here’s your opportunity to add any extra suggestions.
MY suggestion is to implement “geocoding” – i.e. we enter an address or place name, and the map moves to it. Not sure how difficult that will be to implement, it looks quite straightforward from the API documentation.
So please – if you have any new suggestions (or if you want to remind me of old suggestions :-) then please write a comment.
hi there. I’m interested in the GPS planner but i was wondering when you download the GPX file to the garmin will it show the google map or just the waypoints.
thanks
Keeping your JavaScript skills honed I see. ;-)
Hi Dave, no, there is no transfer of the Google graphics. The GPS unit simply guides you from one waypoint to the next. The level of graphics displayed on the unit is dependent upon the model you have.
Hi and thanks for this beautiful soft I use regularly, with a garmin etrex legend and a modified script of yours on linux.
I had a few udgrades to submit :
1/ a dedicated button (outside tools) to be able to insert lot of points more easy.
2/ option to display routes (polylines) without the waypoints would be more readable when we have a lot of wp.
Sorry for my bad english.
Hi Guy, thanks for the comments!
If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting an easier way to insert waypoints in between others. If so, I agree – the existing method is clumsy. I was thinking about simply adding a button or link by each of the waypoints in the list on the right. Or maybe a small menu which pops up when you hover over them…
Hi Martyn, yes you understood me quite well.
In reality, I must say that I have a lot of wishes.
The goal is to have a opensource/GPL tool – and only one – to do all my gps tricks. Here are my dreams :
1/ manually do routes and export gpx – well done with marengo
2/ automaticaly do routes as in maps.google.com (BTW : from Paris to Berlin) and export gpx – well done by “gmaptogpx”
3/ display a former track and export gpx – well done with marengo
4/ for the 3/ , be able to mask the waypoints and create new ones as notes and links to photos (exif correlation with gpx)
5/ register 4/ for only display purpose. ( I now use gpsvisualizer for the display).
Could you do that for the next week ? ;-))
For the beer, south of France is OK ?
Thanks one more time!
Hello Martyn, thank you for the very nice GPS tool. To make it even more usefull for me, is it possible the use kilometers as distance between waypoints ?
Hi Pim, thanks for the note. This has been done in the latest release, which is in “beta beta” – you can find it at http://www.marengo-ltd.com/map/development.html
Use the “Tools” button, then “Units” to select your preference.
This test release has some problems with Safari, but should be OK if you are in Firefox or that other browser.
i like how you use googlemap.i see lot of website (*) permit to add poi to googlemap but none for waypoint(good… ). there a paypal account and javascript download link ! Does it mean your share your work on gmap !!! . i amazing what people do with google concern poi /sgbd/edit .
(*)
http://www.earthpoi.com/
http://www.poieditor.com/
http://www.kubicki.pl/GPS_Links.html#POI_handlers
http://mapki.com/getLonLat.php
Hi Good site, My only problem is with google maps – I go off road a lot and these trails are not in google maps either in the streetmap layer or the satellite which usually does not zoom in that far. Therefore I can use your stuff on the roads to get to my trails but then I am on my own.
One question about the 205 – Can it store lat/lons every X metres and then allow you to export the file out – is it GPX or proprietary?
Thanks, Tony
Hi Tony. Yes, it’s been mentioned before… I guess it’s more use for roadies, but Google do seem to be improving coverage all the time, so hopefully one day soon your trails might be visible in satellite mode :)
WRT to storing routes, yes, the 205 will record each ride you do: it seems to store a “trackpoint” every five seconds or so. No idea what the internal format of this is, but you can get it out as GPX (and in a ton of other formats too) using GPSBabel. I just tried it on today’s short ride – the resultant GPX file is 4300 lines long. Don’t even think about trying to load that into the Route Planner! Thankfully there are some options in GPSBabel which allow you to thin out the number of trackpoints, so it CAN be converted.
Really nice application!
However, tend to use trackpoints rather than waypoints as you can store more on a ForeTrex 101.
Nevertheless, I’ve used GPSBabel and other utilities to convert to the GPX waypoint file to a tracklog for uploading.
Hello again, Martyn. I continue to love your Route Planner and find it to be the fastest, easiest way to build country road routes for dualsport motorcycle adventures. I’ve sent you some ideas in the past, but here are some again and some new ones:
User accounts with database integration to allow users to save routes.
Ability to mark saved routes as public or private. Having a saved, public route would allow interest groups to link directly to a route within Marengo so the people can visually see the route as well as grab the GPX for import into their GPS units.
If not the ability to save a route, then perhaps the ability to open Marengo with the URL of a GPX file as a querystring parameter so that Marengo would load the route automatically. (Right now, we have to open Marengo in the browser, click “Load”, paste in the GPX text.) I’m thinking of a way, for example, in my user community forum to be able to paste a link that with one click, allows the members to see the route as opposed to explaining how to download the GPX, open Marengo, click “Load”, paste, etc.
GPSBabel has a command-line Linux interface which means it would not be difficult to build a browser-based front-end to the tool. I’ve thought about developing a web tool that lets people convert from about any format to any format. A favorite GPSBabel feature that I use is the ability to take a track log with thousands of points and “simplify” it down to the necessary points to maintain the route shape. I then go through a manual process to turn it into a route file…but this could be automated in code, too. So I could see the Marengo tool expanding to offer more route file types for import and export and offer tools to simplify track files, etc.
I’m also a Geocacher. www.geocaching.com has a feature that allows members to upload a GPX file and see all the caches along the route within certain parameters set by the member. They also have an integration with GMaps for showing where geocaches are….I’d love to see some kind of marriage of the 2 features where I could build a route AND see all the caches in the area of the route. This one is a bit of a pipe dream I know. :)
We are all definitely getting more than our money’s worth with Marengo. If you enjoy Marengo, please donate! This free, browser-based product is better than the commercial software from Garmin in my opinion!
Wow, I have spent ages trying to find a GPS thingy that will just let me plot where I want to go and then tell me how to get there – within Richmond, Merton, Morden, Wandsworth. I cycle but avoid all main roads, so really love finding rickety footbridges over which I can carry my bike.
I’ve read what you’ve written and it sounds so simple! So can I get any garmin thingy and then use your software to upload a pre-planned route? Any help greatly appreciated and obviously rewarded in more than one beer!! Also I have a powerbook g4 and don’t really know anything about linux – will that hinder me?
Troy: thanks for your kind comments (once again:-). I am definitely thinking along the lines you’ve outlined. The ability to store routes, integrate gpsbabel conversion etc. Cheers!
dg: Hello, welcome to the site! Sounds like you are quite local to me… I’m in Richmond. To answer your questions, yes, most GPS models are supported via GPSBabel, so any GPX file you create via the site should upload to your unit. With regard to Linux and Macs, I use both Linux machines and a Macbook. Both work equally well, as gpsbabel is available for all major platforms. Find out more here: http://www.gpsbabel.org/osnotes.html
Hope this helps!
Have you tried GPSmapper. They have a free linux version and map sending tool.
http://www.cgpsmapper.com/
I have only just recieved my Legend CX and started looking for linux software.
Your software could be invaluable for my laptop, my only otion to date to load maps and routes is the kids “Toy computer” and the garmin mapsource.