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Downloadable GPS/GPX Web Page

Joined
Feb 1, 2014
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Republic of Texas
If there appears to be any interest in this project of mine, I will continue it, get a more appropriate domain name, and make it more eye appealing.

You will be able to upload GPX files for others to see the route and then if they wish download the associated GPX to use for themselves.

The current page needs some clean up on the current route shown, but like I said, unless there is an interest I will delete it.

If you are working in groups to map a route, it will be able to piece the routes together, show any missing routes/tracks that need to be filled in by someone riding the missing sections.

There is a web site out there for this, but not filling in missing pieces, but at present it is broke and the owner is not in a hurry to fix it.

As of now, it opens to the home page of just a google map and that will rewritten for better info and appeal.

Was just going to have this for Texas and broken down into the 8 geo division of Tex. (high plains, Llano Uplift, Coastal, etc).

The route shown is quick n dirty to check for interest in the project and if it would be worth it for TWT, so of course the route has straight lines, I did not take the time to code for the 5 routes in there. But all 5 routes in the GPX file are shown.
 
Sounds like a great idea.....I'll be happy to upload some that I know well from our area when you get it ready.

Ron
 
I think I have not got many comments on it because of the basic look of it,
so I am going to change the page to more of how it will look. Still will be pretty basic...

Never intended for the home page to look like this.
Will add actual clickable state map. Along with some fancy wording for the Home page.

I just wanted to know if this type of functionality would be of any use for TWT.
 
This is a great idea. Better to use KML files since it's easy to share and convert. Also, it would be nice to have an online database with tracks and descriptions.

If you are familiar with Java and NetBeans, you can easily build something like this http://verifyxml.org/ElectionDemoWeb/ . I'm planning to share the source code for this project on GitHub soon. This demo is based on PrimeFaces API. The API provides tight integration with Google Maps API and you can render virtually anything.
 
This is a great idea. Better to use KML files since it's easy to share and convert. Also, it would be nice to have an online database with tracks and descriptions.

If you are familiar with Java and NetBeans, you can easily build something like this http://verifyxml.org/ElectionDemoWeb/ . I'm planning to share the source code for this project on GitHub soon. This demo is based on PrimeFaces API. The API provides tight integration with Google Maps API and you can render virtually anything.

Was just putting the Db together for this.
Changing to a clickable US/State map.
Not going to have the routes shown as I do now on the Tx.
Just a clickable anchor comment about it.
When clicked, then will bring up the map of it.

Db will hold indexes of each state, along with Name, Comment, etc.
The waypoints/routes will have be put in for each route.

I had seen references to KLM files and thought about looking more into them.
Will do that now, or when I get a little bit more time here.
 
Can someone send me a KML file?

Texas is the only state that has a page associated with it... cut out the tracks of the route that is there for now.

I don't like the clickable map in there. but it was free and I don't really have time to build one myself.
I want more info on that home page map.
 
You can start here https://developers.google.com/kml/documentation/kmlreference

Basically KML can describe a track or area. Can have description in it and you can even define colors. In my demo I've got KML data for counties of WV from Google fusion tables.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

Sounds like you are already doing this...
Then why am I?

Went to site, that's fine... but I still would like to have a Tx route of one.
Its just a XML file with expanded tags.
 
I learned this technology when I was building this demo. I think this is a good opportunity to build web and mobile platform for sharing and creating tracks. I'm engaged with my current tasks for 110%, but maybe I will be able to invest some time into this. If we can gather a group of Java and web developers among our fellow riders, then we can create an open source project on GitHub and everyone can contribute.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
 
I learned this technology when I was building this demo. I think this is a good opportunity to build web and mobile platform for sharing and creating tracks. I'm engaged with my current tasks for 110%, but maybe I will be able to invest some time into this. If we can gather a group of Java and web developers among our fellow riders, then we can create an open source project on GitHub and everyone can contribute.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

That sounds good, but I do not think of this project being that big.
 
That sounds good, but I do not think of this project being that big.

Understood. Then I would recommend to take a look on Google Fusion tables and Google Maps API that can query Fusion tables. It will be a quick solution that can be easily implemented. Since your data is static, you just have to create a Google Fusion table (like Excel spreadsheet) where you will keep your records and KML data. Then you have to create simple JavaScript to render your data with Google Maps.

https://support.google.com/fusiontables/answer/184641?hl=en
 
I've got a simple little map site that I use for my own use, found here.


All I do it upload .gpx files to a folder on the server, it creates .kml and .gdb files for them and displays them on the map. Dead-simple, but pretty useful, too. I don't have any of the login/upload/edit stuff that you're proposing, but I love the idea and am willing to help out...
 
SergeL and Jeff,

Don't know if you saw the original map I had up with the waypoints and tracks in it.

I am using the GPX because that seemed the most popular and easiest for a rider to dump/obtain from whatever GPS they were using.

Plus I have more control over what I do with the contents.

That first was quick and dirty, it was reading the file and parsing it in PHP code.
PHP code then went and generated the javascript required to display the map.

Started on the code to take the GPX apart and insert into Db.
There will be an index table of the routes in the Db.

What I need to do is keep the interface simple so that all the rider has to do is upload the GPX file to the server.

GPX: If we want to get fancy and include pictures, that brings up a lot of other issues.
Meaning the rider must upload the pics also and link them to the waypoint in a setup type program.

KML: I do like this idea, just don't like Google that much to use Fusion.
Here we run into the same problem, meaning has the rider already linked the images to waypoints in the file, if not then they will have to have a way to assign the image to some existing waypoint.

My question is if KML is not overkill. How popular is it in the GPS world?
Is not a rider going to be more likely to have a GPX file than a KML?

Well, we can code to handle both.

SergeL, I do like how you have your demo map setup, with the statistics on the left.
What I had envisioned was to block each route area on the large state map,
with icon at start.

Clicking inside there will pull that area out to larger, displaying the route/tracks.
On the larger map, to me, seemed like it would get too crowded in there showing all routes/tracks. A person would not be able to make heads or tails of it.
 
I didn't see the original - just the site as you have it working now.

KML is pretty specific to Google. If you use that for display on your online site, you'll need to offer .gpx and probably .gdb downloads so folks can drop those files right onto their GPS's. Use 'gpsbabel' for the conversion.

Icons: to me, tracks are more important that waypoints, and marking a start point doesn't add much, as really these can probably be run in any direction (for the loops, at least).

My system is (so far) totally file-system based. It just loads and displays every .gpx file in a folder, and creates and links to kml and gdb files for each gpx. Names and descriptions are embedded in the GPX file, and one map is made for each folder you're browsing.

Here's a map I made from .gdb files taken from this thread. The source files are Garmin GDB files that contained waypoints, routes and tracks. I stripped the waypoints and tracks, and converted the routes to tracks. Note, that these seem to be created by hand (in BaseCamp / MapSource) by the original authors - so the lines don't exactly match the smaller roads. Actual, recorded tracklogs are ideal, as they will follow the proper path exactly (look just east of Comfort for a perfect example of this).
 
KML is a Geospatial standard introduced by Google. Widely used in Google Maps API and Mobile driven navigation. KML can be easily translated/converted to GPX.

I'm recommending Fusion tables just because if free and simple data storage that can be flawlessly integrated into Google Maps. It's easy to maintain and actually you can store GPX data there as well.

It will be simplest solution with almost no coding. You just have to embed Google Maps on your page and configure Fusion query to pull data.

My demo is a little bit different. I'm using JSF (JavaServer Faces) framework to render the content and you have to run it on Java enabled Server. It also provides RESTFul Services for data exchanges. It provides more flexibility but hosting can be an issue. This is way to go if you are planning to build some real application with mobile support.
 
After having some thought, I think that maybe it will be much simpler to draw tracks with Google Maps. You can illustrate and annotate them easily. So, you will really just need a page with links to your custom maps. Those maps can be exported to KML and converted to GPX.

Check this out https://www.google.com/earth/outreach/tutorials/custommaps.html

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
 
After having some thought, I think that maybe it will be much simpler to draw tracks with Google Maps. You can illustrate and annotate them easily. So, you will really just need a page with links to your custom maps. Those maps can be exported to KML and converted to GPX.

Check this out https://www.google.com/earth/outreach/tutorials/custommaps.html

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

I have the code for tracks from the first one I did. I just need to get an infowindow on the states' page for each route. this infowindow will have the rider's comments about the route and in it will be the link to just show the route, tracks, waypoints, with icons for stuff like picknik, tent camping, depends on what info is given to me in the gpx, with associated waypoints sym.

http://nicorsoftware.com/adventures/

I did have them somewhat annotated with the waypoints.
 
I get it. I have some ideas how to put infrastructure together. Maybe I'll buy a domain and Java hosting and will start sketching services and application.

In my vision it could be some sort of a trip blog with real maps and annotations. You can share your ride and describe your experience with photos and notes. Other can follow you and will be able to download your trip as GPX/KML/or anything else. Leave comments or kudos. Also, as a cherry on top, a mobile app can privately report your location to your buddies.
 
I get it. I have some ideas how to put infrastructure together. Maybe I'll buy a domain and Java hosting and will start sketching services and application.

In my vision it could be some sort of a trip blog with real maps and annotations. You can share your ride and describe your experience with photos and notes. Other can follow you and will be able to download your trip as GPX/KML/or anything else. Leave comments or kudos. Also, as a cherry on top, a mobile app can privately report your location to your buddies.

Well, mine is going to have google maps, with waypoints, n tracks.
Was thinking about linking pics for the rider to the waypoints.

You had mentioned that KML can have pics, no reason that a pic could not be linked to a waypoint from a gpx file.

Was going to work on it tonight to open up the route on a google map. Just never got the time as busy with a clients web site for additions and trying to sneak in some time to get my bike back together. Code for awhile, then run to the bike, put in a couple of bolts, then run back into the house and write some more code.

The Mc icon will be a mouse over with a custom description entered at upload time the file.

Unless the ones that use the Google App sets their phone to run developer mode, then Google would have to approve it for download from the play store.

Apple is the same way, as far as approval and they take longer.
 
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