Thread: GooPs Real-time GPS Tracking and Navigation for Google Earth -Version 2.5.13 Released

Originally Posted by sleen

Hi David thanks for the cool program! I have been using it to help my family track me as I drive from Chicago to Portland Oregon. I have had numerous issues come up on the road that perhaps you can help with.

First I will describe my setup:
*GPS Mouse reciever from Semsons using usb to serial com driver
*Palm Treo w/Sprint Vision pack ($15/month) with PAM hack for laptop inet without paying bastard sprint $65/month charge
*Built in XP dialup connection in network connections (to avoid unstable sprint connection manager)
*PC laptop running Goops and google earth
*150W power invertor to power laptop and tethered phone and mouse GPS


1. The most important thing so far is appending to a previous trip, or how these record/stop pause/continue controls are supposed to work. I have not been able to keep a complete trip over multiple days with the server shutdown in the evening (turned off with me in the hotel).

2. The name of the stored or preferred kml file does not persist through sessions. I have had to use the default Me.kml in the options, and then mirror this name in the ftp prefs to make it 'persist' without alot of typical pc pecking every time I use this.

3. Save to local or ftp? How about both? Yes I want to serve this out, but the whole ftp thing is really volatile and my clients get a 404 half the time. When I check out my route in the evening out of the vehicle I am way bummed to see it has only grabbed my most recent segment with no detail from the previous days.

4. How to properly shut this system down without losing data. Do I close Google earth first? Do I close Goops first? Either way, I get orphaned processes that requires me to reboot in traffic holding down the power button for 5 seconds to cold boot. End now, end now, end now...it might behave much better if I ditch google earth and just run Goops for logging...but then I have no feedback that the: NMEA gps feed is cool, that the FTP updates are working.

5. How to Zoom out and stay zoomed out while centering. It keeps snapping back...

Anyhow, it has been absolutely exciting for friends and family to watch my progress across the states - they even call to tell me I am driving too fast or which hotels to try...remote co-pilots I'm sorry if I have not read every forum post on this topic - with the move there were SO MANY things to prepare and getting this together is a miracle! This is a GREAT program and like others I would find this system complete if some route navigation/directions could be integrated. I have to run Mappoint alongside to keep an eye on exits etc - but unfortunately the GPS or comm port cannot be shared

Hopefully I can beta test for you in the future and maybe you have some operational advice in the meantime - which I would truly appreciate though i am sure you are very busy.

Thanks again so much!!

-sleen

Thanks for the great feedback sleen,

I only have a minute right now, I'll respond more completely later.

Always exit GooPs before Google Earth - this should solve your hanging process problem.

Unfortunately record writes over the previously recorded file whenever it is pressed. I'll address that in a later release. You have to save the file manually if you want to keep it.

You can set the number of points in the options dialog, but there is a limit at which GooPs will overwrite the oldest points with the new points (circular buffer). I believe it should go for about 8 hours before overwriting if your GPS is updating once every two seconds. You'll get more if you turn on compression.

more later...

Originally Posted by Abeh

David,

Firstly, many thanks for developing a super app that really works a treat!

However, I have noticed that with the latest release (V1_9_5) certain attributes within the autozoom config file are not supported;

a) Cursor Image file
b) Cursor Scalar
c) The ability to change cursor image and scale as a function of speed.

Also, it would be nice if the autozoom config file can support scalable 3-D model definitions for the cursor, similar to the image files currently supported, and the ability to select an autoview rotate perspective for a particular speed range.

For the Marine and Aviation enthusiasts, a speed readout in Knots would be greatly appreciated.

It appears that Goops does not save the state of the Cursor Image file on exit, and when next invoked the cursor remains invisble.

Once again, many thanks for a great App!

Hi Abeh,

Thanks for your feedback. You're correct, I broke the autozoom.cfg image stuff in that build. I'll fix it in the next release so that if you designate a cursor image in autozoom.cfg it will override whatever cursor settings are in the Options dialog (for the local vehicle only).

I can't reproduce the problem with the cursor image file not being saved. If you are in "Demo Mode" nothing is saved. In normal mode (non demo) it should be saved.

I've had the request for knots from several others. I'll put your other suggestions on the list.

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Abeh

Hi David,

Many thanks for your kind cooperation in helping resolve the issues highlighted in my earlier post.

However, once again I have looked into the earlier problem of the cursor image file not being saved on exiting Goops. This issue seems to persist outside of Demo mode (Normal Operational Mode), and I have tried a number of option with various different icons (.png image files) selected from the Pal2 palette within GE.
I have to manually load the required cursor image file everytime GooPs is invoked. (Any input on this would be appreciated!)

Thx again

Maybe I don't understand what you mean by "manually load the required cursor image". Do you mean select/enter the cursor image file from the GooPs Options dialog?

-Dave