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I am developing a tool for storing and finding GPS waypoints. The initial drive was for geocaching but I've tried to make it general purpose. It is written to have mutiple categories for Waypoints (no UI for this yet). One of my favorite other ideas is marking you car's location when you park it. Or anywhere you want to get back to... or Go To!!!
LIST VIEW
The app opens in list view. Here you can add a waypoint. If you already have waypoints (3 are preloaded right now) you can tap one to enter Go To mode. Currently the list does not refresh properly when the app is launched so you must show and dismiss the add scene to view the existing waypoints (PITA). There is also some wierdness with the list display after deleting a list item. And currently no edit for existing items. Eventually the list view will be able to read waypoint import files (i.e. *.gpx for geocaches) List view will eventually have a category selector in the header.
For geocachers I have button labeled 'Near' that will open the add waypoint scene and then take the current coordinates and open up the geocaching.com search page in the browser to find closest caches to the current location. After that it's copy and paste. If you enable 'switch applications' in the 'advanced gestures' area of the Screen & Lock app it makes the copy paste much easier. Also, to show DD.HHHHH format for cache coordinates just click the little link labeled 'Other Conversions' on the cache details page next to the coordinates (why? see below).
ADD WAYPOINT
If the GPS gets a location lock before the add waypoint scene is shown then the default coords will be current location. If no lock it defaults to Palm HQ (as in emulator). For the add scene I need to change the coordinate input from its limited degree and decimal hour format (DD.HHHHH) to have an additonal option (default) for degree and decimal minute format (DD MM.MMM).
GO TO VIEW
In Go To view you can stop and start GPS tracking. There is a compass dial that should show your current heading (works at 3-4 mph walk but loses heading if you go slower) and a compass needle that points in the direction of the destination. If there is no heading lock then you can turn the whole phone so N lines up with North and the direction arrow will point correctly. Distance to destination is listed in the header. Some of the raw data is displayed very small around the compass dial. There is also a 'List' button to go back to list view (this stops the tracking), a 'Nav' button that will launch turn by turn directions in Google Maps to get you close to waypoint and a 'Sat ' button that will launch Google Maps in satellite view at max zoom centered on the waypoint. Currently the app has a 'count' in the display that shows you how many tracking hits have accumulated since Go To was started. Currently this is the only way to make sure the GPS is still getting good data. I plan to add an LED type display element that wil 'light up' when a new tracking point is locked in and fade out over some small number (500-1500) of milliseconds. I also plan to add a 'log' button for geocachers to open the log page on geocaching.com in the browser for the waypoint name provided.
BTW, I emailed geocaching.com and they said they had their own app in dev and I could not access their web services directly.
i take no credit for this app and the original thread can be found here:
LIST VIEW
The app opens in list view. Here you can add a waypoint. If you already have waypoints (3 are preloaded right now) you can tap one to enter Go To mode. Currently the list does not refresh properly when the app is launched so you must show and dismiss the add scene to view the existing waypoints (PITA). There is also some wierdness with the list display after deleting a list item. And currently no edit for existing items. Eventually the list view will be able to read waypoint import files (i.e. *.gpx for geocaches) List view will eventually have a category selector in the header.
For geocachers I have button labeled 'Near' that will open the add waypoint scene and then take the current coordinates and open up the geocaching.com search page in the browser to find closest caches to the current location. After that it's copy and paste. If you enable 'switch applications' in the 'advanced gestures' area of the Screen & Lock app it makes the copy paste much easier. Also, to show DD.HHHHH format for cache coordinates just click the little link labeled 'Other Conversions' on the cache details page next to the coordinates (why? see below).
ADD WAYPOINT
If the GPS gets a location lock before the add waypoint scene is shown then the default coords will be current location. If no lock it defaults to Palm HQ (as in emulator). For the add scene I need to change the coordinate input from its limited degree and decimal hour format (DD.HHHHH) to have an additonal option (default) for degree and decimal minute format (DD MM.MMM).
GO TO VIEW
In Go To view you can stop and start GPS tracking. There is a compass dial that should show your current heading (works at 3-4 mph walk but loses heading if you go slower) and a compass needle that points in the direction of the destination. If there is no heading lock then you can turn the whole phone so N lines up with North and the direction arrow will point correctly. Distance to destination is listed in the header. Some of the raw data is displayed very small around the compass dial. There is also a 'List' button to go back to list view (this stops the tracking), a 'Nav' button that will launch turn by turn directions in Google Maps to get you close to waypoint and a 'Sat ' button that will launch Google Maps in satellite view at max zoom centered on the waypoint. Currently the app has a 'count' in the display that shows you how many tracking hits have accumulated since Go To was started. Currently this is the only way to make sure the GPS is still getting good data. I plan to add an LED type display element that wil 'light up' when a new tracking point is locked in and fade out over some small number (500-1500) of milliseconds. I also plan to add a 'log' button for geocachers to open the log page on geocaching.com in the browser for the waypoint name provided.
BTW, I emailed geocaching.com and they said they had their own app in dev and I could not access their web services directly.
i take no credit for this app and the original thread can be found here:
Code:
http://forums.precentral.net/homebrew-apps/195391-go-tool-v1-0-1-7-28-a.html
Attached Files