Another Navigation system based on Google Earth or...

MacMobile · 09-10-2006, 10:35 PM

I just found this link to GPSRouteX
You need
GPSdX - Free - the Mac version of OpenSource software
GPS2GeX - Free -
Google Earth - Free
GPSRouteX - 30$ US, 30$ Aus, 30$ Can.

They say you can have turn by turn direction.
Did anyone tried it?

Franco

airforceruss · 09-11-2006, 12:10 AM

Too bad they don't compile everything into a little nicer of an App without needing to use 4 gazillion programs.

Bugbyte · 09-11-2006, 01:22 AM

I've got a road trip coming up. I'll see if I can't install and configure all this stuff to see if it works.

Bugbyte · 09-11-2006, 08:52 PM

I tried out the GPS2GEX today. Using GPSd, it works as advertised. Google earth moving map. Tomorrow I'll try the GPSRoute app.

MacMobile · 09-11-2006, 11:04 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Bugbyte

I tried out the GPS2GEX today. Using GPSd, it works as advertised. Google earth moving map. Tomorrow I'll try the GPSRoute app.

Thank you :-)

aychamo · 09-12-2006, 01:35 PM

Definitly Thank you Bugbyte

Please keep us informed of any progress, etc, and any caveates and whatever else you had to do to get things working

Bugbyte · 09-12-2006, 11:12 PM

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.

aychamo · 09-12-2006, 11:37 PM

Hey bugbyte!

Thank you for that great write-up! I'm wondering if there's a way I can takethe notifications that GPSRoute sends out and use those with AMP.. So if you had your route planned, AMP could pop-up windows while playing music, movies, etc, to let you know when a turn was coming up, or to tell you current GPS Info (speed, etc)..)

I'm starting to get some ideas.. Does GPSRoute have any actual screen? Or is it justa program that runs in the back? (if it has screens, may you post screenshots?)

Again thank you for the writeup!

Bugbyte · 09-13-2006, 01:53 AM

Well, I think that if you use Growl, the notifications will pop up automatically, although I agree it would be better to integrate it into AMP.

Maybe make Amp compatible with GPSDx? It supposedly takes all of the NMEA data and spits it out in an easier to handle format and it responds to queries by your program.

I'll post screenshots when I get back to the Mac. GPSRoute has a Navigation window, a GPS data window, and a route window, in addition to the Mini Navigator. But none of those have to be in view for the app to work.

pepsibobby · 09-13-2006, 07:14 AM

omg there is a possibility of us having GPS. im so excited.

Bugbyte · 09-16-2006, 10:37 AM

Okay, I'm going to post screenshots I took of this setup in action on my return trip.

First, here is Google Earth running using the GPS2GE application. Remember that you have to install GPSDx first, but that GPSDx runs invisibly in the background. Once installed, it is always available when you plug your GPS into your Mac.

Bugbyte · 09-16-2006, 10:48 AM

Having accomplished moving map tracking with Google Earth and GPS2GEX, I add in the functionality of the route program GPSRouteX. Here's how:

1. Using Google Earth when I was connected to the internet, I got directions for where I wanted to go, then exported them to a KML file.

2. I launched GPSRouteX and imported the KML file into it. Here's what that looked like.

Bugbyte · 09-16-2006, 11:03 AM

Then, just click on "Auto-join nearest route segment" button and the system locks on to the closest segment and displays the GPS data and Route info. Here's what that looks like:

Bugbyte · 09-16-2006, 11:22 AM

But wait, there's more! Obviously, all this stuff covers up the screen, making following the Google Earth display a little difficult, so GPSRouteX has a mini-nav display that looks like the capture below.

This was taken near Harrisburg, PA and shows how GPSRouteX and the Google Earth/GPS2GEX apps can work together. The mini mode on GPSRouteX is showing several things like time (GMT), speed, true heading, altitude, lat/long).

It also shows how far it is to the next waypoint. In this case, it's 1.8 miles at an estimates 1 minute, 46 seconds. The text at the top of the window shows that I'll need to take the I-81 ramp towards Hershey/Hazelton/Carlisle. As I get within 15 seconds of this waypoint, GPSRouteX announces those directions and the time box in the lower right lights up yellow while the alert sound I've set on my Mac goes off.

You can also see that I'm operating offline with no internet connection and the temp of the SMART sensor in the disk drive of the mini is 118.4 degrees F.

Bugbyte · 09-16-2006, 11:33 AM

Here's a similar shot but you can see that I'm approaching the waypoints. Using Google Earth to open the directions I saved for use in GPSRouteX originally, the route gets plotted out on Google Earth, waypoints and all.

As you can see from some of the screenshots, the resolution of the imagery varies. To get it into the cache, after plotting out the route in GE, I clicked on the 'play tour' button and made sure it flew both slowly and would dwell on each waypoint for 15 seconds. I walked away while it played.

Since the cache is limited to 2gb, it ran out somewhere near Frederick, MD. It still works when it runs out, but the road names and displays don't show up anymore and you are essentially driving across a blurry photograph of the area.

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