GPX file users, be on the lookout new gc.com waypoints

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 20 January 06 6:08 pm

The additional waypoints have been activated on gc.com and will show up as an additional cache in GSAK. The waypoint name is generated by replacing the GC part of the code with the two letters you select for the prefix code. These have to be unique for a cache so W1, W2, W3,W4 could be used for waypoints. etc.
The waypont lookup code and name don't make it to the GPX file.

The additional waypoints are at the end of the individual cache GPX file that is downloaded from the cache page. I believe they will be in a separate file for PQ's

Post by **caughtatwork** » 20 January 06 6:41 pm

Ack!
Allowing the hider to choose the two starting characters is going to make for great headaches.

eg.
I choose AA for a parking location.
You choose AA for a stage of a multi.
Someone else chooses AA for a question WP.
Someone else again chooses AA for a trailhead.

I like the idea, I think the implementation could do with additional thought. This was brought up in the thread when this was being discussed and I believe the "hope" was that people would all use the same ones.

By allowing the hider to choose this is going to be a nightmare as you won't know which ones in GC to filter out for a given cache.

So if everyone adds 1 WP to their cache (say a parking location), then my GSAK DB grows to twice its size. How do I know which ones to send to my GPS? I don't.

Well, I know that GC and GA can go, but the rest I have no idea.

I am very saddened by this implementation. I think it will cause much more angst than it will solve.

I am not against GC or the idea, I think the implementation needs a great deal of work.

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 20 January 06 6:56 pm

And as I have just discovered, if you don't like what you have used, you can edit the prefix to something completly different. Which will make another new entry in your database.

Post by **caughtatwork** » 20 January 06 7:03 pm

As I said. I like the idea, I think the implementation is in need of beta testing first.

I am very surprised that this was released in this way. From the discussion at GC.com I thought the end result was going to be that the system would make up the prefixes for parking, etc. I thought that peoples input was going to be used to make that final determination of the codes.

At the very least you can't use AA on more than one WP on the same cache. That is somewhat helpful, but you still don't know which ones to send to the GPS.

If you get PQ's you can effectively "opt out" of this, but if you go for the individual GPX files, people will not be happy.

I'll have to check out the gc forum and see what feedback they're getting.

TeamAstro · Post by **TeamAstro** » 20 January 06 7:45 pm

Most people I have spoken too have enough trouble managing all of this via GSAK (for eg), PDA's (how??), connecting all of it together and hoping it works. This adds another level of filtering.. if you know what I mean.... eyes roll and they will say "what?........."

clear skies, Astro.

Grank · Post by **Grank** » 20 January 06 8:42 pm

If you want to taste it and see I have added one additional WP to an existing multie - GCP156.

I wasn't sure about the prefix either so I called it UE2 with a prefix of CL (hopefully combining to become CLUE2). Probably would have been easier if the prefix defaulted to something - I suppose the flexibility may bring out some creative WPs

One benefit to me is that I currently have a "secret file" at home of all my WPs - whenever I download I merge this file to have all my WPs and "actual" locations. Hopefully, I won't have to do this anymore.

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 20 January 06 8:48 pm

Grank wrote:If you want to taste it and see I have added one additional WP to an existing multie - GCP156.

I wasn't sure about the prefix either so I called it UE2 with a prefix of CL (hopefully combining to become CLUE2). Probably would have been easier if the prefix defaulted to something - I suppose the flexibility may bring out some creative WPs

One benefit to me is that I currently have a "secret file" at home of all my WPs - whenever I download I merge this file to have all my WPs and "actual" locations. Hopefully, I won't have to do this anymore.

The UE2 won't be in the GPX file, the extra waypoint will be CLP156.

edit:
I just did some tests with one of my caches, if you have hidden waypoints and download the gpx file from your login, the file contains all the waypoints. If somebody else downloads it, they only get the public waypoints in their file.

Gunn Parker · Post by **Gunn Parker** » 20 January 06 11:31 pm

So does this mean the end of gsak and gpx files as we know it?
In my next update will my whole gsak database go south east and make no sense at all?
Andrew

Post by **caughtatwork** » 20 January 06 11:37 pm

Not necessarily.

If you use a PQ, the additional waypoints will be in another file. You can choose not toload them.

If you grab the GPX file from the cache page, then the additional waypoints are in that file.

You load them into GSAK and you will notice that you now have more waypoint than you expected.

I think I'm going to filter to GC or GA before doing anything. Then I know I'm getting the cache rather than some other waypoint.

If you want to get all of the waypoints for a cache together you need to look at the LAST 4 characters.

eg. GC1234 and AA1234 and BB1234 are all for the same cache. What AA and BB are representing you will need to manually look into each time.

So it will be additional work for you to filter out non cache waypoints OR get all of the additional waypoints together for a cache before you load your GPS.

I'm sure many people will find this intolerable (as mentioned by someone above). I also hope that as people work out the best ways to filetr caches to get the ache waypoint and the associated waypoints without overloading the 500 waypoint GPSr they will let us know.

I'm despairing at trying to work all of this out so when I load the GPS I have the best sets of waypoints.

The idea is great, the implementation is unappealing.

TeamAstro · Post by **TeamAstro** » 21 January 06 12:33 am

caughtatwork wrote:Not necessarily.

If you use a PQ, the additional waypoints will be in another file. You can choose not toload them.

If you grab the GPX file from the cache page, then the additional waypoints are in that file.

You load them into GSAK and you will notice that you now have more waypoint than you expected.

I think I'm going to filter to GC or GA before doing anything. Then I know I'm getting the cache rather than some other waypoint.

If you want to get all of the waypoints for a cache together you need to look at the LAST 4 characters.

eg. GC1234 and AA1234 and BB1234 are all for the same cache. What AA and BB are representing you will need to manually look into each time.

...................... blar.

Its been 42 here in Adelaide today so sorry if this is a dumb question. From what you have explained above, the normal PQÃ‚â€™s we get will NOT have the additional waypoints in them (I hope). So as far as I am concerned, all is the same. ItÃ‚â€™s only waypoints you get from a cache on the webpage that will have all of the orphan data???

What is the point of this? Is it to map out a multi (so I donÃ‚â€™t have to manually copy and paste or type in wpts? Ã‚â€“ OK thatÃ‚â€™s fair I guess). But to mix additional multi waypoints up with all the other waypoints without a standard way of filtering seems inefficient. I know I donÃ‚â€™t understand this at the moment.

.... If all you need to do is filter by putting a "GC" in code search in GSAK, all is OK. Clyde will no doubt add "caches only" check box to his program. What a pain though.

Thanks CAW, Astro.

(Oh, let me know if you come up with a way to remove the "...all nearby waymarks on Waymarking.com" from the gc.com page

Post by **caughtatwork** » 21 January 06 10:08 am

That's OK, it was damn hot in Melbourne too.

Yes, the point of all the additional WPs is to make it easier (subjective).

You can have a parking loction as an additional WP. So in GSAK you could have GC1234 as the actual cache location. You could also have (say) PK1234 which is the parking co-ord for the cache GC1234.

This allows people to mark the best parking location for their cache. Useful if you are new in the area and don't quite know the best place to park to get to the cache.

You can also include WPs for the "questions" in a multi cache.

So if I have a 4 point multi. The 1st 3 points are questions. The 4th point is the location.

I could have GC1234 and C11234 and C21234.
I have the GC1234 which is the start of the multi cache and presumable the first question.
I have the C11234 which is the WP of the 2nd location (and question) of the multi cache.
I have the C21234 which is the WP of the 3rd location (and question) of the multi cache.

There would be no 4th WP as you would need to use the answers from GC1234, C11234 and C21234 to find the actual cache location.

This saves people having to manually enter 3 different sets of co-ords into their GPS

The intermediate WP's are made available to you so you have them loaded directly.

From what I can tell, if you use a PQ, the main file only have the normal WPs. The additional WPs would be in another file. So if you use GSAK you could just load the main file and ignore the others.

Does that help?

riblit · Post by **riblit** » 21 January 06 10:35 am

To further explain with an example:

from a PQ that arrived this morning:

The zip now contains two files, using my numbers, 64772.gpx and 64772-wpts.gpx.

64772.gpx is the same gpx file as you have been getting. 64772-wpts.gpx contains the additional waypoints for the caches in the 64772.gpx file.

If you load 64772.gpx you don't get the additional waypoints, however they are also sent tacked on to the end of the description like this:

Additional Waypoints
PKQ56R - Car Park
S 32Ã‚Â° 57.724 E 151Ã‚Â° 43.191
the best place to park your car

If I went to the web site and downloaded the GPX file for GCQ56R I would receive a single file containing both the cache and the car park waypoints. GSAK would add PKQ56R as a separate waypoint.

I haven't checked the GSAK 'get data via email' facility but suspect it will load all the files.

Cached · Post by **Cached** » 21 January 06 10:53 am

suspect will load all the files

Have added a query on clydes new GSAK board regarding this now.

http://www.gsak.net/board/index.php?

Cached

TeamAstro · Post by **TeamAstro** » 21 January 06 11:13 am

Thanx Guys - excellent examples in both your posts above (you must be teachers!!).

I feel now that most people will be happy with this. I guess when the new GPS's allow 10,000 wpts we will all load the total set of wpts. I imagine we will turn on only the extra wpts for the multi when we are close - and they will populate the screen for the selected wpt set. .... We will then all sit around and laugh at the good 'ol days when we had to type these in!!

Thanx again. I'm sure this is just the beginning of many similar threads that will pop up on this in the future...... "do you make your multi cache hunters do some typing...." etc etc etc....

thanx guys and clear hot skies today (another blistering day here in Adelaide) ...low hit rate today I'd suggest.

Astro.

djcache · Post by **djcache** » 01 February 06 12:23 am

Not to mention this will inevitably limit the number of cache waypoints you can upload to your GPSr, particularly in built up/high density cache areas if the idea gains in popularity.

At the moment it's impossible to upload all of the melb metro area as you overflow the GPSr.

In a few months to a year or so you may not be able to fit Berwick in in one file.

DJ