Building tracks for BtSt's GPSD

Introduction:

The GPSD can contain a list of waypoints (a so called track). Somebody has to design this track and make it available for others to follow, either as a race or as a tour. This is done by publishing the track on a special track management site for the GPSD.

Track publishing is only available to a small group of track/tour builders. Track/tour builders can easily publish their tracks to all users of the GPSD. Wanna become a track builder? Mail me.

Learning a track:

Instead of starting from scratch and editing the xml information by hand, it is possible to let the compass keep track of a series of waypoints:

• Click Edit (make sure the track checkbox is UNCHECKED), a few additional edit buttons appear.
• On each waypoint, click New and enter a name for this waypoint
• When all waypoints are created, click 'copy Track' to copy the list as XML to the windows clipboard.

The contents of the clipboard can then be saved into the track management page (accessible by clicking Edit with the track checkbox CHECKED) and edited by hand.

The Track XML syntax explained:

<route> ... </route>

A track's XML contains a tree of information. The top level is all info between <route> and </route>. So the track contents should start with <route> and end with </route>:

The second level can contain the following:

• track identification starting with <trackid> ending with </trackid>
• a list of waypoints, each starting with <waypoint> and ending with </waypoint>

<trackid> ... </trackid>

This section contains the name, a unique identifier and the URL of a website to which the GPSD will send a message when a waypoint is reached:

• <name>Your track's name here</name>
• <id>your unique track number</id>
• <logurl>http://gpsd.therecommunity.net/logxml.php</logurl>

The logurl shown is the default location. The server will receive the message and keep track of the logging times for this id. The name is also obvious. The really important information here is the so called 'unique track number'. This number identifies your track and is used to store the logged results of everybody following your track. To obtain a unique track number follow this procedure:

On the GPSD click the edit button while the track checkbox is CHECKED. This calls up a track management page. Select 'New' to create a new trackid. Use Properties to edit the name, description and some other properties of your new track.

<waypoint> ... </waypoint>

For each waypoint along the track you must enter a new waypoint section in the file:

• <name>The waypoints name</name>
• <xpos>x coordinate</xpos>
• <ypos>y coordinate</ypos>
• optional: <url>A web location to show in a browser on arrival</url>

More on track management:

The track management page allows you to create new tracks, delete them, look at the list of finishers etc.

The properties page of a track allows you to:

• Give your track a name
• Store your track's xml contents
• Make a short description of this track
• Publish it (if you have the rights for this, currently only a handful of people have this)
• Specify a teleport doid to be used as a teleport link

Your private tracks are for your own use.

If you have obtained publisher rights, you can also publish your track so others can download it directly into their GPSD! To obtain publisher rights you must at least be a member of the (restricted) GPSD track builders club.

Enjoy!

If you have any further question about the use of the GPSD compass, if you want to give feedback to the use of it, or if you have a good idea for improving it, feel free to mail me.

Created by BtSt
(Been there, Seen that...)
now maintained by gpsd at  therecommunity.net