Google Earth GPS Tracking Solution

**Vinister** · 11-28-2005, 02:02 PM

You can easily change the altitude, tilt, and update speed in the XML preferences. I've been messing around with them. I like it at about 65% tilt and about 400ft elevation. It allows me to see the 3D mountains on the horizon, and people really like it. I've also been messing with the fly-to speed in GE, and also changed the update frequency to 4 seconds. I've managed to time it so that it usually moves pretty smoothly. I just wish it was faster, it can only report the position where you were a couple seconds ago, which can be behind you by 1/2 block or so. It seems the GPS info doesn't have enough samples in it, if the data was delivered in a higher resolution, we could bring down the update frequency to something like 1/2 second, and max the fly-to speed in GE so that it can totally track you.

Aside from all that, it's one of the coolest things I've ever done with my car pc. It takes advantage of so many technologies all at once:

- 3D imagery thanks to a powerful processor
- GPS location technology
- GPRS data transfer technology
- Bluetooth cell phone integration for above
- the obviously amazing google earth program

The GPRS can deliver clear maps as long as you keep the connection alive and google earth running. What I mean is that if you just drive somewhere you havent mapped out, and just fire up GE, you'll likely be in a big gray nothingness. I need to stay in one spot for about 5 minutes for it to clear up. But once it does, I can drive around and it will load the images fast enough to display them (mostly) clearly. All I need is about 20kb/s more and it would be excellent, imho.

Argh I wish I could get highspeed wireless here. Sooon!

Another wish is a manual zoom option. When the network link is connected to the XML file, you can only zoom until it refreshes again, then it snaps you back. We need a quick way to connect/disconnect the network link (kind of like navigation mode and planning mode in mapmonkey). hitting the minute checkbox in the left pane to turn it on and off is the most impossible thing in the world on a 7" touchscreen.

**moahdib** · 11-28-2005, 02:53 PM

I agree..the refresh rate to 1 second on GE sucks. It should be continuous. Perhaps this is something GE can address in the future

I always see myself half a block behind my actual position. =(

Most people I have showed this too are just amazed and they think that it is "live" data coming from a satellite lol

**Marvin Hlavac** · 11-28-2005, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Vinister

You can easily change the altitude, tilt...

How do you change tilt? When ever I change tilt it will always slowly return to its default zero-tilt position.

**viper24** · 11-28-2005, 09:46 PM

wow, that is one of the coolest thing i have seen in a long time! dang.

**Bait-Fish** · 11-29-2005, 06:00 PM

Thanks Vinister. I thought I had tried changing the settings in nmaeGE (tilt and altitude) to no avail when I first tried the program. I then gave up, heh.

Marvin Hlavac, change tilt and range (altitude) in nmaeGE under the KML settings (Configure > KML Export). Once I got that straight, it's been working fine since. I let it run all night and it hasn't reset.

EDIT: Vinister, RE: "I like it at about 65% tilt and about 400ft elevation. It allows me to see the 3D mountains on the horizon, and people really like it."

I just noticed a setting in GE > Tools > Options >View (Rendering Section) "Elevation Exaggeration" to increase the elevation effect. From what I've read you can set it from 1 (default) to 3. I set it to 2 and it definitely made a difference. Realism may suffer though I'd guess. I've read 1.5 retains a realistic appearance.

EDIT x2: I forgot my own tweaks. In Google Earth I've adjusted the Detail Area to Large (1024x1024), Anisotropic Filtering High, Labels/Icon Size Large, and Graphics Mode to DirectX. My graphics processor didn't seem to handle OpenGL as well as the DirectX. My Cache I upped to 512 Memory (my machine has 1.2GB) and Disk Cache to 1024. I have a LG VX8100 that I too can DUN but I haven't used it too much for data yet (afraid of getting caught). I was thinking it may be easier on your DUN if you set the Detail Area to Small (256x256) to aid in a speedier loading. The area around the center will appear blurred as a result.

**Marvin Hlavac** · 11-30-2005, 08:47 AM

Bait-Fish thanks! I was (of course unsuccessfully) attempting to change the tilt within the Google Earth application, rather than in nmeaGE. Now it works fine (thanks to you). I found my sweet spot at 70%.

**shocker1185** · 11-30-2005, 09:53 AM

can somebody please write a program that emulates movement so it caches all the ge stuff

**schpanky** · 11-30-2005, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by mercury7

Most people can't use it now, but in the next few years, wireless will be getting a lot less expenisve. New technologies such as ClearWire, Cell Network internet, and WiMax are just emerging. Google 'em if you want to know more about them.

I know all about them, but more specifically, I know that they won't be available cheaply within the next 3 years.
However, this program does have it's potential, we just need some way of pseudo-driving the lat/long out to something rediculous, as was stated in this thread and have it cache all the data, if we can accomplish that, that makes this program incredible.

**Vinister** · 11-30-2005, 01:40 PM

The data doesn't seem that big, I've been using it for only a few days and I have most of Vancouver cache'd up.

I wish there was wifi along the highway or something, that'd be cool.

The other day I drove an hour listening to internet radio while google earth was keeping up with us at 120km/hr, all on the gprs connection. Its fast enough, the problem is when you first start a connection.

for example the internet radio takes 30 seconds to start playing, but its fine once its started. and websites, the text loads pretty quick but you can sit around for a couple minutes loading images.

**Lucid** · 12-05-2005, 11:24 AM

Anyone interested in realtime tracking and tracing via a PocketPC and Google Earth should definately check out these sites :

http://www.reperion.com

and

http://tracker1.reperion.com

You can ask a free account with the webadmin