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Admin. Don't bug or I'll byte.
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Corning, NY
Posts: 4,958
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Just got done with a 400 mile trip using this setup. Here's the results:
First, GPSroute is essentially trip monitoring software. It does NOT do moving map, which, as you'll see, is not necessarily a bad thing.
In order to use it, you first plan your route using, say, Google Earth. Then export the file as KML. You launch GPSroute and open that kml file.
From there, the program connects to GPSd, which is a small server that runs in the background and outputs GPS data to any program that requests it. Any program can connect to GPSd and multiple programs can use GPSd at the same time. It's pretty cool, because you set it up once and it works transparently as if it were part of the OS.
Basically, GPSroute is getting GPS data from the GPSd server and it knows the route you will be traveling and the directions that you need to follow. It outputs all of the stuff you'd expect like speed, altitude, number of satellites, etc.
The coolest part is that if you are following the route you've laid out, GPSroute will call out the upcoming turns over the audio, using the text that is in the directions from Google Earth. It warns you when you are approaching an exit ramp, for example (you can set the warning interval), then as you hit that waypoint, it announces it. It can use either the system audio for this, or you can use Growl warnings. I don't have Growl installed, but I bet it's pretty cool.
The third piece that I installed as a companion was GPS2GEX, which is a small application that connects to GPSd and writes out your track, position, and altitude as a KMZ file that Google Earth reads and uses to update your position on the moving map. It is speed sensitive and the faster you go, the more it tilts down, so you get a 3D view as you drive. This was the first time I've used Google Earth in moving map mode and it was very, very cool.
So, to review, here's how you do it:
1. Install GPSd. Configure it, then forget about it.
2. Launch GPSRoute and import directions into it. You get turn by turn directions
You don't need a moving map using GE to use GPSroute. But if you want one, get GPS2GEX.
What was cool
-Worked as advertised, setup was a breeze. I use a generic GPS (Royaltek Sapphire) in NMEA mode and GPSd recognized this and used it flawlessly.
-Speech callouts were cool, warnings ahead of time were cool, too
-Navigation mode gives you all kinds of information like distance/time to next waypoint, ETA at final, number of satellites, etc.
-Mini mode for navigation gives you a small window with info on it so you can see the moving map underneath.
What kind of sucked
-Setup doesn't survive sleep. That could be a problem with my ****ty little GPS, the fact that it's plugged into a passive USB port, or an issue with GPSd and the apps that use it. I dunno. All I know is that in order to restore service after restart, I had to disconnect the GPS, then plug it back in.
-Getting all this stuff up and running takes a little while. It's not a press the button situation
-Have to use a separate program to do the route planning, then export, then import it into GPSroute.
-If you get off the route, you're on your own. There's no rerouting, in fact, there's no routing. It just follows the directions you input.
-When using Google Earth, if you want good imagery, you have to tell it to play the tour ahead of time so it can download the images into the cache. Otherwise, you get fuzzy images, no street info. Mine ran out about 2/3 of the way through the trip. Anybody know how to increase the cache to greater than 2mb?
So, it's not a perfect solution, but I have to say that it was pretty cool. If you're taking a trip and have time to plan it in advance, it would work quite well. Otherwise, it may be a bit too much of a pain to deal with.
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