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POLL: Do we need GPS/Mapping software for Warp/eCS?

Started by RobertM, 2007.10.23, 23:26:15

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POLL: Do we need GPS/Mapping software for Warp/eCS? If so, would you pay for it?

No, I have no need for it
11 (14.9%)
Yes, but I would not pay for it
2 (2.7%)
Yes, and I'd pay $5
0 (0%)
Yes, and I'd pay $10
3 (4.1%)
Yes, and I'd pay $15
2 (2.7%)
Yes, and I'd pay $20
42 (56.8%)
I'm not sure... maybe
6 (8.1%)
Yes, and I'd pay $40
3 (4.1%)
Yes, and I'd pay $50
3 (4.1%)
Yes, and I'd pay more than $50
2 (2.7%)

Total Members Voted: 0

RobertM

#15
Quote from: svobi on 2007.10.26, 00:01:22
Hi, yes it sounds good !
I also agree with abwillis completely and add: Compatibility with leading system(s) !!
I would not buy brand XYZ knowing that Garmin, TomTom (just to name some) are best and most sold !!!

Hi svobi,

Read the notes below... (PLANNED FEATURES). Don't worry, (to summarize) but Garmin will be the first supported. Additional GPS units being supported depends on being able to get them to test with, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, being able to get the communications/programming specs (I doubt we will have the time to "reverse engineer" that portion). I doubt we would support no-name GPS units ever... though we do want to try to create a config tool where people can try to add their GPS' command sets and interface info to get them working themselves (ie: for non Garmin brands).



Quote from: svobi on 2007.10.26, 00:01:22
Serial first ? Why ??
Bluetooth and USB are more needed: IBM's, now Lenovo, Thinkpad have NO more serial port since T31 (about 2003 !!!)

To summarize the info below... USB will be supported FIRST, with serial planned IF we can get a hold of a unit that is true serial to test with. Bluetooth isnt planned. OS/2 needs bluetooth support for us to even consider it.


Quote from: svobi on 2007.10.26, 00:01:22
Your pricing in the poll is too simple:
You provide a good product and service and should better ask for 25/50 or even more ;-)

Because we don't plan on getting "rich" off it... We'd rather see more people willing/able to purchase it (assuming we charge for it, which depends on multiple factors, including time required to get all the features working). But thanks.


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
Star Trek New Voyages
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Robert Deed

Wouldn't us (the end users) have to pay for the map data?  As far as I know of there are no companies which release the maps for free. 

I am also confused would this be for use with a non-interfaced gps?  Like the ones which come with the various windows programs that garmin and other companies sell, or is this for a regular gps with an interface.  If it is the later then I don't see the point of it since I could justice the unit directly. If this is for the USB gps then that would be cool since I could get gps support for my carputer, which is inching more towards windows everyday for this feature.

RobertM

Quote from: Robert Deed on 2007.10.26, 00:54:17
Wouldn't us (the end users) have to pay for the map data? 

Nope. No charge for the map data.


Quote from: Robert Deed on 2007.10.26, 00:54:17
As far as I know of there are no companies which release the maps for free. 

You are correct. No COMPANY releases their maps for free. But the info comes from the same free source - which is where we got it from. We can, at our option charge for it (with no changes or additions) or give it away for free (as we decided) with the software (whether paid or not).  :)


Quote from: Robert Deed on 2007.10.26, 00:54:17
I am also confused would this be for use with a non-interfaced gps?  Like the ones which come with the various windows programs that garmin and other companies sell, or is this for a regular gps with an interface.  If it is the later then I don't see the point of it since I could justice the unit directly. If this is for the USB gps then that would be cool since I could get gps support for my carputer, which is inching more towards windows everyday for this feature.

Theoretically, from what I am seeing, almost all the Garmin USB units will work (whether they come with a screen or not). I am still checking to see if they all support making routes... that may be the only obstacle to routing support in the first release. I do know most of the ones with screens will build the routes and send them to the PC to draw.


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
Star Trek New Voyages
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BigWarpGuy

http://gpsinformation.net/  Here is a site on gps information. It seems interesting. Are there any that could work with eCS if there was software for it?  ???

RobertM

Quote from: BigWarpGuy on 2007.10.26, 18:26:31
http://gpsinformation.net/  Here is a site on gps information. It seems interesting. Are there any that could work with eCS if there was software for it?  ???

Probably. Most of the Garmins (a whole set of them use the same commands, or subset of those commands). The Garmin needs to be supported for our clients, we have it, and the references... I'll probably look into the rest once the first version of the software is complete.


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
Star Trek New Voyages
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NNYITGuy

Yes, I would definately use it personally.  I am in hopes of building a portable computer solution to be mounted in my personal vehicle in the near future.  I would base the portable computer on the LPWS type unit.  I would use GPS, PM123, OpenOffice and possibly WWW via my cell phone connection.  The cell phone connection solution is not currently in hand.  What is LPWS?  Look here...  http://www.os2world.com/content/view/14543/2/

Professionally, I am on the cusp of building custom delivery management software for two clients.  GPS was one of the features that I was hoping to integrate in a later version of the Delivery Assistant.  But until now I thought it was going to be quite a daunting task to offer a GPS feature.
Todd J Simpson (IT Consultant)
Business Automation Technologies
(Professional Products and Services.  Business to Business...)

RobertM

Well, it is kinda daunting... we have 70GB of data to dump into the database tables still (which will require an entirely different layout for efficiency), then confirm the data relationships, then determine how much of the topographical info we want to render (initially, probably just town, city, county boundaries). Then, we have 50GB worth of pre-rendered maps to go through to (randomly) pick a sample subset to compare to the map results we produce.

And worse yet, most of the setups out there do the routing on the GPS... which we can do too... send the GPS the address info, have it route it and send the route back to the PC. But, we are also working on a solution to do the routing on the PC for those few GPS units that dont support actually doing the routing - that too is daunting, as we need to make sure the data we have has the correct directional information [ie: E 41st St goes One-Way West (or East)].


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
Star Trek New Voyages
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madodel

This would be great.  And as someone else said I'd be willing to pay more than $20 for this.  Right now I have a Garmin iQue 3600 (Both serial and USB) which is a Palm based GPS, but I'd be willing to buy a supported Garmin unit if this is available.  Garmin charges a fortune for map updates and they require a cockamamie unlock code to use the maps.  And right now I have to boot to xp to perform the map update though they have a Mac version in beta.  But it would be sweet to be able to use eCS to do this.

Mark

Dennis

Robert--

I can't post an answer to the poll because the question isn't there. YES, I would use AND pay for it. In my case, I would use it for routing my delivery vehicles, so would need the 'directions' feature before I would buy. Also, map drawing would have to be done under eCS, since I would be using it on my notebook as a stand alone program.
Also, there is a system for 32-bit windoze out there--PCMiler (v20, I think)--that has everything--geocodes, map drawing, directions, etc.-- you are mentioning putting in your system. Perhaps you could decompile PCMiler & recompile it for eCS? Might be easier than developing an all-new app...
I currently use an old 16-bit version of PCMiler on my eCS notebook due to the limitations of eCS when it comes to running windoze apps.

Dennis
Dennis

bondo

Hi

Great idea. Are you familiar with http://home.nc.rr.com/bobbylee/ - the two of you might could cook something together..??

I used Tom's SW couple of years ago, but a feature I need, is the ability to transform a track into a (static) line on a map/bitmap - this feature his SW couldn't fullfil, then. Do not know if it has changed since then.

To compare, I use GPSU (win16) version instead, so this is what you are 'up against'.;)
In GPSU i.e you can 'calibrate' your track on top of just about any bitmap, for future reference.

Personally I do not need, or care, for the routing capabilities that it will never be used in my car - for this I use Wayfinder.

And having an elderly GPS - I too need a serial connection....

Cheers
--
steen
---

Ted_E

I have two Garmin GPS's, a 76Cx and a GPS-V.  I also have Garmin MapSource Topo Canada and City Select North America.  The 76Cx supports both USB and serial, the GPS-V, only serial.  Note that I am in Canada and only occasionally travel to the US.

Currently Garmin MapSource and nRoute are among the few apps that force me (kicking and screaming) to boot XP.  When we travel, my wife usually drives allowing me to sit an play with the computer (T-Pad T60 running eCS 2.0 RC1 & 2).  It would be so nice to have the map up under eCS where I have access to all my other software.

Ted

Delfi_r

I would use more GPs with my eCS systems if this software is available.

I can't use none of the tools that mark images with Geo Data, so if the software can include this sort of tool would be great!

RobertM

Quote from: bondo on 2007.10.28, 15:56:12
Great idea. Are you familiar with http://home.nc.rr.com/bobbylee/ - the two of you might could cook something together..??

Well, we definitely have to write a custom solution for our clients, so probably not. Though I will say that our data sources are probably the same.

ALL of the required data is 100% FREE, and comes from the US Govt. It comes in a (very big) set which is a compilation of Census, Postal Service, USGS, NOAA, USCGS and other divisions' data. Many map makers either sell that data with no changes, or add certain waypoint data (like every Denny's, various hotels, etc - chances are making money from both ends... including businesses, and charging for the maps), or correct certain features (for instance, though I have the data for each clover-leaf exit on a highway; they may correct the paths on major ones to actually look like the real thing for the odd shaped ones).


Quote from: bondo on 2007.10.28, 15:56:12
To compare, I use GPSU (win16) version instead, so this is what you are 'up against'.;)
In GPSU i.e you can 'calibrate' your track on top of just about any bitmap, for future reference.

Underlaying a bitmap is easy. Even getting the bitmap images (like the one he scanned in for one of the maps on his page) is also easy... but currently the easiest way to get them is in PDF form - and the PDFs are massive. Compressed, they total over 50GB, and each represent a 24"x32" map (or 32"x32" or 24"x36"... you get the idea). While it is easy enough to convert them all to bitmaps (or some similar format) the outcome (in file size) is massive. After that, the maps need to have corner points set (longitude and latitude points) so that they correspond to what streets or routes are being drawn. In addition, the extraneous space needs to be removed (the map borders and map legend, etc).

Now, there are other sources of image data that can be used as well (which are also free - or low cost), which could produce results akin to Google Maps' hybrid satellite/mapping mode. But those are things we will look into in the future - even without such things, we can at least draw many topographical features (such as mountains, rivers, etc) with high accuracy. The data we have is accurate to within 6 decimal places longitude or latitude (pretty darn accurate). One of the version will probably include the ability to link images to certain areas so that industrious people can import their own backgrounds.

As for street drawing, currently, our maps will look somewhat similar to his... and eventually look a little more similar to Google's Maps. Inotherwords, (in the first version) a highway may be drawn with one single 4 pixel line, a road with 1 single 1 pixel line, etc... and in the "more advanced" version, a highway would be drawn with 2 lines 6 pixels apart, while a road is drawn with 2 lines 1 pixel apart (so that it appears you are seeing the edges of the road instead of just the centerline of it).


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Kirk's 5 Year Mission Continues at:
Star Trek New Voyages
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nitro

 8) Mapping software would be nice to have.  I have a bluetooth gps for my PDA but the usb devices are affordable enough to add another to my collection.

Take a look at the IBM developerworks site ,http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/edu/wi-dw-wigps-i.html,  They have a 3-part section on gps interfacing using java.  This is just how to communicate with the receiver but it may ve of some help.

Thanks,
   Nitro