The support forum is temporarily read-only. For urgent requests, please email contact[at]psyberia.net

tracks/points/gpx in V2: cannot accomplish basic use cases

Any question about the app? Ask it here
Post Reply
theksmith
Posts: 46
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:22 pm
Contact:

tracks/points/gpx in V2: cannot accomplish basic use cases

Post by theksmith »

i'm trying to keep an open mind with AQ V2, as i know many things have changed and there are perhaps good reasons. however, i am finding it difficult to accomplish my primary use cases (with regard to GPX files and new tracks/waypoints).

could anyone please help walk me through how to accomplish the 2 use cases below, or suggest changes to my approach that would still satisfy the primary goal?

my main goal is to be able to save the tracks and waypoints from a trip into a GPX file for my own use later and to share with others. i use a separate GPX file for all of the tracks/waypoint associated with any single trip, trail, or general area of recreation. this a commonly accepted way of storing and sharing location information for everyone i've ever encountered regardless of their type of recreation (hiking, backpacking, overland/expedition, 4x4, ATV, equestrian, adventure bike, etc.). nearly every trail sharing website is built around exchanging GPX (or KML) files.

with all that in mind, the 2 specific use cases that i am having trouble with are:

#1) i re-visit a trail that i have an existing GPX file for, and wish to store some new areas in that GPX file. so i need to A) display the existing GPX, and B) record one or more new tracks and create new waypoints in the displayed GPX.
-- i understand that part A is done now by "importing" a GPX into an LDK file.
-- i also understand that to have the original file's content plus any new content in GPX format, i have to eventually "export" the LDK file to a new GPX file, delete the original GPX, and then rename the new GPX to be the same name as the original. this seems overly complex.
-- how do i save new waypoints into the imported LDK (see here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2480)
-- how do i save recorded tracks into the imported LDK or to an existing GPX? (i can only seem to export each recorded track to a separate new GPX file and cannot even choose a name for it!)

#2) if if visit a new area, then i would not have an existing GPX to display/edit, but instead need to save all new waypoints and tracks from the trip into a new GPX file.
-- i can create a new LDK file and save waypoints into it for eventual export, but how do i get recorded tracks into the LDK or the final GPX?

thanks in advance,
Kristoffer
Psyberia-Support
Site Admin
Posts: 6406
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:41 pm

Re: tracks/points/gpx in V2: cannot accomplish basic use cases

Post by Psyberia-Support »

Hi again,
Thanks for keep on trying with this new version. Note that there is always the solution for you (that I'd not recommend) to go back to the 1.4 versions if you were very happy with it, just contact me by email for that.

Now, all your use cases completely make sense, I suppose you're not the only one that want to do things like that.
The only thing is that you have a GPX centered vision, and I think that's why the v2 doesn't seem practical for you...

Just a few words about the "good reasons" of the changes: based on feedbacks from testers, from users, and also from my personal usage (I do use the app a lot), I realized that most of them (if not all) did everything within the app (planning, recording, storing, getting details on tracks) and only occasionally used GPX (or KML) files to import downloaded stuff or sharing things. And that's on what I tried to focus in the v2 versions (and simplify and improve): easy working with internal files (no read/write delay, styling, etc), easy import/export to exchange formats.
I cannot tell you how many times I got someone asking me "I've displayed a track from a GPX file, why can't I change the color or dashing like explained in the online help". It was always hard to explain that styling is not supported by the GPX format and that the track needed to be first converted to the app format to be styled (the kind of technical things you don't want to hear about)... All this because I was trying to work with a format dedicated to exchange and wide compatibility. Again, if you only change one character in the name of a waypoints in a GPX file with thousand of items, all the file needs to be entirely re-written... That's all but productive if you need to edit dozens of items...

That being said, here is how it has been though in the v2 version:
#1 from an existing GPX file
- Click on it to import it and create a LDK file. By default it's imported in the "Imported landmarks" sub-folder, but you're free to cut/paste it somewhere else like a "Trips" sub-folder.
- Stick with this file to do your stuff and forget about the original GPX file: add waypoints as explained in your other post, sub-folders (the hierarchy will be "flattened" when exporting to GPX, but kept with KML/KMZ files, like styles or areas), etc.
- Record new tracks using the track recorder (that now correctly name them). At the end a track, you can copy/paste it inside your LDK file in few steps (long press or click on the icon of a recorded track from the "Recorded tracks" sub-folder, select "Copy", move in your LDK file and select the "Paste" icon in the top bar).
- At some point (just after adding waypoints and tracks or long after), when you need to use all this data somewhere else, export your LDK file containing everything in a GPX file. After the export, you've a "Open with" button that allows to send your GPX file to dropbox or by email very easily.

#2 from a new file
- Process like #1 but from an empty file (in the landmarks explorer, click on the top/right menu, select "Create" and "Landmark file" to create an empty LDK file.
- Put Add waypoints and copy newly recorded track(s) in it, and export everything in a single GPX file.

I know that's not necessarily what you expect, but I hope it helps.
Do you like AlpineQuest ? Leave a small comment on Google Play !
theksmith
Posts: 46
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2016 6:22 pm
Contact:

Re: tracks/points/gpx in V2: cannot accomplish basic use cases

Post by theksmith »

thank you very much, i will try the steps you outlined!
Pathfinder
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 9:45 pm

Re: tracks/points/gpx in V2: cannot accomplish basic use cases

Post by Pathfinder »

Is it possible to plot a route to follow and set off a signal if you deviate more than say 10 meters off the route when following it?
Psyberia-Support
Site Admin
Posts: 6406
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:41 pm

Re: tracks/points/gpx in V2: cannot accomplish basic use cases

Post by Psyberia-Support »

Yes, draw your route on the map (or import one), then click on it and on its name and select "Follow path".
You'll be able to set the distance after which you want to be warned. Note that 10m is not available as it's too small (it would ring too often). The minimum is 15m.
Do you like AlpineQuest ? Leave a small comment on Google Play !
Post Reply