Needed: BETA Testers for Google Earth Plugin

**gaslan** · 10-08-2006, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by guino

doesn't seem hard to do, question: what did you use to make this file ? goops ? or is that from somewhere else ? I can easily just log the positions from the GPS to a KML file -- this should probably be a separate extension plugin, but isn't that what hsmpt was working on ? LoggeRR - see your trip on Google Earth

There is a prog EarthBridge (http://mboffin.com/earthbridge/) that creates such files...

A seperate plugin is a good idea as most people would not want to have GE to run at the background all of the time...

**RPM_VR4** · 10-08-2006, 09:22 PM

Ok Guino... I did not realize that you were not using the network-link aproach to draw your placmark. I do not understand why you don't like the history track... for me that is one thing I cannot live without.

I was thinking about it, and I do see how this would work very well with GooPs (if I can get GooPs to not constantly crash GE4), so I think that is going to be my new strategy. Can you make it so when I start up your GPS is always dissabled? Then I can just add GooPs network link to My Places, and I will only use RRearth to embed GE and enter addresses / show directions. I would use GooPs for all GPS related activities, and make the RREarth skin send keys to GooPs which would just be running in the background without being embedded. GooPs can even run in the background without GE running and it will make the KMZs for logging so I don't need that other RR plugin either.

I had hoped for a single program as a total integrated solution, but we seem to have very different opinions about how this should function, so I am very happy to discover that I can realize my vision by using RREarth + GooPs (...if I can get GooPs to not crash GE4).

**guino** · 10-08-2006, 10:57 PM

I can easily make it so the GPS isn't showing when starting up.

Also, I do believe the reason why GE crashes is because there's a bug in how GE reads updates from a web-server (like Goops). From my understanding this was also a problem with GE3. But to be sure, I would like to ask how exactly is GE crashing ? Does it show a Send/Don't send report type thing, or just gives an error that stops further updates, or just freezes up (dead-locked) ? I've seen GE4 freeze up constantly in some machines and figured out that the reason is OpenGL... if you switch it to DirectX it starts working flawless.

**RPM_VR4** · 10-09-2006, 01:14 AM

I've seen send/don't errors as well as total lockups and even had the window just totally disapear (but the process was still running). I never have any such problems with GooPs and GE3. I run DirectX on my laptop (because OpenGL doesn't work with it's video card) and OpenGL at home and in the car. ...same problems either way.

I have posted in the GooPs thread, so hopfully David will have some time to look in to the GE4 problems (especially now that GE3 is no longer available).

On the other hand, I'm still hoping that maybe the newest beta 4 with GooPs, as well as the fly-to/directions in RREarth will work fine on my CarPC and a home once I get back from China. My laptop has often had strange bugs that I don't see on my other systems.

**guino** · 10-10-2006, 01:37 AM

I've rebuilt most of the mechanism for togglegps/gpson/gpsoff. May rebuild the address entry too. Just experimenting different methods for working this out, though I'll say that I have seen togglegps work inconsistently at times, but never seen flyto/directions fail -- I mean, I've seen it say can't find the address and such when no internet is available, but always searched for the right address.

**Sonicxtacy02** · 10-10-2006, 04:48 PM

i used this abit on the way home today and the latest version works great without internet. One question have tho regarding the gps icon. it seems to take about 3-5 secs to update position so its constantly behind. is everyone seeing this or is it just my setup? I sure would like to get the entire dc metro area cached but i dont understand the cache builder.

**davidhite** · 10-11-2006, 01:32 AM

I just released a beta version of GooPs that should fix the crash and image problems with GE4. Check the GooPs thread.

Originally Posted by RPM_VR4

I've seen send/don't errors as well as total lockups and even had the window just totally disapear (but the process was still running). I never have any such problems with GooPs and GE3. I run DirectX on my laptop (because OpenGL doesn't work with it's video card) and OpenGL at home and in the car. ...same problems either way.

I have posted in the GooPs thread, so hopfully David will have some time to look in to the GE4 problems (especially now that GE3 is no longer available).

On the other hand, I'm still hoping that maybe the newest beta 4 with GooPs, as well as the fly-to/directions in RREarth will work fine on my CarPC and a home once I get back from China. My laptop has often had strange bugs that I don't see on my other systems.

**RPM_VR4** · 10-11-2006, 08:08 AM

Thanks for getting back in to it a bit David. You da man! I think this GooPs/RREarth combo is going to work out VERY nicely.

**RPM_VR4** · 10-11-2006, 09:56 AM

Guino: Good news... all the buttons work great on my home PC. The new GooPs beta works great with GE4. Just one more stumbling block...

RREarth will not allow GooPs network link to be enabled.

Setup:
I set GooPs not to launch GE4 and I added the Network-Link to My Places.
If I leave GooPs open, I can open/close/re-open GE4 and it will work great every time.
I continue to leave GooPs open, close GE4, and load up RREarth.
I can see GooPs working from my default view.
RREarth zooms in to Canada (default GPS position on my PCs w/o GPS)
I click GPS Toggle to disable RREarth placemark / auto-zoom.
I manually pan over to Portland (GooPs demo default) but find that the GooPs tracks are no long there at all (even though they were for a split second before RREarth zoomed in to Canada).
I have no way to enable GooPs in my places since Ctrl-Alt-B is re-hidden instantly by RREarth.
I exit RR and run GE4 on its own.
I notice the network link is now unchecked (which RREarth must have done).
I check it and GooPs instantly starts working again.

...so close!!! I can't wait to see GooPs inside of RREarth. Make it work!

(that was supposed to be funny and show enthusiasm, don't take it as me seriously being demanding)

Thanks Guino. This thing will be totally awesome once it is all working the way I envision.

**guino** · 10-12-2006, 09:39 PM

I've made another beta version and posted here:
http://www.rrdownloads.net/BETA/RREarth.zip

This version includes:
-Better GPS Toggle control (ON/OFF/TOGGLE) -- sometimes the toggle GPS button would not work and in other cases GE was still using high CPU load when outside the RREarth screen
-Improved detection/refresh of network link refresh error (when Google tries to read the kml file as RREarth is updating it)
-Improved GE shutdown procedure to prevent "Save Temporary Places" question altogether.

I still have to look at what it will take to make the two work together, probably we'll have to start RREarth without the GPS link, and perhaps with the Goops link as parameter ? I'm not sure, it's been awhile since I tried goops. If I get confirmation that the above is working well for at least a few people (as it is working for me), I'll proceed to testing with Goops.