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Post by Firefox on Dec 23, 2012 12:03:54 GMT
We now have county forums set up for the whole of England as well as sections for Wales and Scotland which will be expanded into counties. We've plans to cover the whole of Ireland too!
At the moment Rubbertramp has been doing loads on it, so please do support him.
We're going for a slightly different focus here to other places. Not just the well known council laybyes, but the off track spots which are not so well known. It's quality over quantity
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2013 21:12:55 GMT
Keep going people! I did 3 more today but Rubbertramp has been doing loads..... check them out there are some good ones. I think we're letting him down somewhat. If we all aim for about 10 each in our own counties that will be great... we must know 10 good ones each... then 10 each for 80 members gives 800. That would be a really good core. If we aim for 1000 by the end of the year I think that will be realistic - we have 130 now so it's already a good start. If we get 1000 I promise I'll code them into a KML file for you that you can use with Google Maps or Google Earth
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Post by Etienne Le Croq on Feb 4, 2013 21:11:44 GMT
I'm on the case Chap!
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Post by Pollik on Feb 4, 2013 21:44:08 GMT
I have done two or three, but I have haven't been out and about for a few months and probably won't get away for another weeks or so. But I will, I promise.
Just thinking out load, and because I have put google maps up for mine...would a good idea be to set up a Google map for people to add place marks to, or remove them if the sites have gone. Could also include any stopovers permitted on private land, for example if any members have space to let other members stop?
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Post by Firefox on Feb 4, 2013 21:57:03 GMT
What I'll probably do is code them all in a KML file and host it online and give people the URL of the hosted file. Then all you would need to do is log in from any computer anywhere fire up Google Maps. Or you can have the raw KML file and use it on your own computer with Google Earth. You would be able to add your own points too. No Sat Nav support though. That's all assuming I can learn to do Key hole mark up, though it can't be that difficult.... developers.google.com/kml/documentation/I think you can produce them using Google Earth or edit them raw in notepad like we used to do websites. The format looks quite simple, just points and coordinates in a structured layout.
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Post by Pollik on Feb 4, 2013 22:23:20 GMT
Well that is one way - kml files can be converted quite easily to sat nav format at, for example, developers.google.com/kml/documentation/Really, I was thinking more a of a collaborative google map which people could add to themselves. You're da boss!!
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Post by Firefox on Feb 4, 2013 23:43:11 GMT
Collaborative Google map may be beyond my capabilities! But if you can figure out a way feel free I know one way it could be done but it's a bit of a cheat. Say I host WCLV1.kml at location URL1 and attach WCLV1.kml to a post Then a person wants to add some locations. They take WCLV1.kml edit it to WCLV2.kml host it at location URL2 and attach WCLV2.kml to the post Ie Location URL2 and the new version of the file are in the updated post. If someone wants to add some more they take WCLV2.kml and make WCLV3.kml etc It would work just using what is available on the web without any additional hosting or knowledge except people would need to learn how to import kml files into Google earth and add some points, which I suspect is quite easy but I haven't tried it yet.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2013 2:19:53 GMT
I'm with Pollik regarding Google Maps, otherwise it's going to take me ages to copy and paste all my locations from my own google map, to post them on the forum and then for you to put them into a kml file. Seems a real long way round of doing it. I'd be happy to work with Pollik on a google map version so long as there's no desperate rush for it, I'm pretty sure that an individual can share a map with others simply by giving them the link.
I find google maps much easier to use than google earth, much quicker when using dongle or mobile, doesn't seem to use as much processing power as Google Earth and I can link the locations in to other google maps much eassier. In fact I really don't like google earth at all, I don't really understand how the files work, and it's just such a cumbersome piece of software. Can't see the benefits of google earth over google maps, as you can get street view and satellite view in maps.
I can get Google earth on my android phone but it doesn't work as well as google maps, it freezes or crashes, and I can't get the KMZL to Earth app to work which means that a kml file is no use on my android. Google maps is so universal now and works well on most mobiles, and also much easier to use with the google navigation app, fully integrated.
Google maps will be updated in real time, ie as soon as someone adds a new location, so no need to regular delete files and replace with updated version.
So Pollik, if you want to work on a map together, let me know and we can set up something and see how it goes. Anyone else welcome to join in if they want to.
By the way, I lost the will to live following Firefox's instructions above when I was about half way through the third line of instructions. Sorry Firefox, but it just seems like too much palaver to me.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 5, 2013 7:35:58 GMT
I'm with you on Google maps too - I don't use Google Earth at all. The only reason I mentioned it was that it seemed to have a facility to code KML rather than us having to code new locations into KML by hand. Or there may be a separate KML editor as distinct from Google earth. I don't like Google Earth either - it has to be downloaded and it is bloated. I wasn't aware of sharing maps and updating locations - I thought one had to share the KML file and host it on line - well that's the way I was doing it for personal use, just hosting the KML on a remote webserver. But if you two know of a way sharing maps and could sort something out, it would be great No urgency really - probably until we get 1000 or so locations or at least 500 it's not worth doing and we are months off that. Sorry for slightly garbled instructions! I had numbers going round in my head LOL - that would be a way if you one had to update KMLs but if one could share a map instead, that will be really cool. By the way I find this very good if people haven't seen it before: www.flashearth.com/It's much faster than Google maps and it would be good for low power devices. Look for the + crosshair and use that to zoom around if you haven't used it. Go for "Bing maps with labels" and show crosshair selected. It also gives very clear coordinates. Only downside is no 3-D or street view but it's great for aerial roaming
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Post by Pollik on Feb 5, 2013 9:50:10 GMT
OK, let me have a play with google maps. I know collaboration is possible, but have never used it before. It is also possible to export kml files from the maps, which can then be converted to GPS POI files
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2013 12:58:21 GMT
Have just set up a test map and sent invitation to Firefox by email, to "collaborate" - pretty straightforward to do. Go to My Places, create a map, add markers, set as unlisted, save, collaborate, add email addresses and set permissions. I think that's all there is to it.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 5, 2013 13:32:13 GMT
Got the email thanks. Can't download it ATM though, damn St Pancras Station WIFI strikes again! But this looks brilliant, def the way to go. If we can share maps and all add our own points it will save a huge amount of trouble. I think I was barking up the wrong tree there for a moment. Thanks Jess and Polly
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Post by Pollik on Feb 5, 2013 14:16:46 GMT
Yup, got it...the woodland.
Who is Jess??
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Post by Firefox on Feb 5, 2013 14:29:43 GMT
Jess = wvw I've added a placemark for near Bressingham Norfolk - very easy, no KML needed, no messing around. I like this! Well done ;D
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2013 14:30:19 GMT
Definitely the easiest way I can think of doing it, the WC4MH Google Earth POI exasperates me as I end up having to copy and paste locations from Earth to Google Maps which is time consuming and fiddly. That's part of the reason why I don't really bother using their POI locations very much, too much hassle.
Apparently there is a maximum number of points you can have per map but that's not really a problem as there can be several different maps, perhaps divided into GB countries (Eng, NI, Scot, Wales, IoM, Northern Isles, Channel Isles etc) or even by county.
Probably the best thing to do is to set up a Google account in the name of FMUK rather than using someone's personal account. Less chance of ending up sending links to your own private maps by mistake.
I currently have various google maps for :
My own personal wild camps (where I've stayed) in Cumbria, in Northumberland, in Yorkshire, in Lancashire, for toilets, for water, for showers and also one with some of the WC4MH POIs which I might use at some point.
Also in Google maps you can have lots of different coloured pins so you can colour code different locations ie blue for water, red for shower, yellow for overnight location, black for avoid at all costs etc so you could combine them all on one map.
And you can easily add descriptions and photos.
And google maps will also tell you the time and fuel cost of getting to a location.
For those who don't want to use google maps, a KML file could be hosted on google drive which is free.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2013 14:34:47 GMT
Also I'm pretty sure that if you use the Android App GPS Share as recommended by Canalsman / POI Admin on WC4MH to report new POIs directly to him, you can also use the same app to send locations to a google map (I think) - I'll test it out and confirm.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2013 14:42:47 GMT
No, can't use GPS Share app to send location straight to a google map but you can email or text it to someone who can then open it in google maps and save it to the appropriate map.
There probably needs to be a couple of people who are "in charge" of the google maps and who action any locations sent by email or text and who make sure that new locations are added correctly with the correct info but I don't think this will be a particularly onerous task, maybe just a quick daily check.
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Post by Pollik on Feb 5, 2013 14:43:54 GMT
In another thread, I mentioned that I had created freemotorhominguk account with google - to host the map. It could also host a google drive storage, but in fact one a member has been given access to the map, they can download the up to date from that page - there is a link for it. And from there, people can convert the kml to something that works in their satnav
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Post by kangooroo on Feb 5, 2013 17:07:57 GMT
I'll add a few but most of my spots won't be of any use to most people. They're accessed via lanes with a 6'6" width restriction (although it feels much narrower) and height restrictions too.
Adding locations to a map sounds like the most straight-forward method of all.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 5, 2013 21:55:40 GMT
I'd hope we could still add our points to the WCL county forums which will serve as a primary back up and also a different way of grouping the info for anyone who can't get on with google maps for whatever reason, or google maps can't be displayed on their mobile device, but text can It would be easy for the Map updater Gurus to look for all the new data in one place. They can add an edit note to the post to say the location has been added to the map. If they are up to date to say 25 May 2013, it will be a breeze to use the advanced search freemotorhominguk.boards.net/index.cgi?action=search to see if any newer posts have been made in the county forums and by scrolling down the list of search results to see if they have any edit notes on them yet, adding them to the map if not.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 8, 2013 11:25:41 GMT
Update: Map is being filled fast now. We have about 50 points on it already. We'll probably go live with it when we have 100 or so.
It's very easy to use. All the pins are colour coded as to type of location, and also there is a paragraph of description with location noting special features. You also have "street view" built in to give you shots from the ground of what the spot is like.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 11, 2013 10:03:10 GMT
Now we have nearly 100 locations and are hammering away every day to fill in as much of the map we can. I've made a good start on the Yorkshire Dales and Polly has transferred some of RT's on the NW coast. Kangooroo has done some more in Wales.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 13, 2013 3:37:04 GMT
Thanks for that. Good to know we can add a lot. We have 128 at the moment.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 13, 2013 5:11:55 GMT
I have checked and I think the limit seems to be 1000 though some people say they have done more looking at the discussions on it. But I think 1000 would suit us fine. That's about 12 per county over the UK which is pretty good. The 1000 may increase with the technology, they said it is subject to change.
There will be somewhere to stay within 5 or 10 miles or so if they are evenly spaced. We're going to concentrate more on quality than quantity. At one time the wild camping map had 4000 I think but I'm not sure if all of them displayed.
Many of our locations will be different to the WC4MH ones. There were problems with their map in that many had no overnight parking or no camping signs (even though they were trying to take those ones off) We are trying to avoid those for the most part and go for some different areas.
We can export the KML file and I think that can then be manipulated into other formats though I haven't really looked into it, there may not be a need. I think Pollik knows about it.
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Post by Pollik on Feb 13, 2013 10:23:54 GMT
www.gps-data-team.com/convert.phpLast time I tried it, I was using my gps to track my route and then convert that to kml so I could plot the route on google maps. It worked up to a point, but my route had too many waypoints for google to handle. I haven't tried from kml to, say, ov2 (Tomtom's format) because I am doing other things, but I will soon, unless someone else gets there soon
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Post by Firefox on Feb 15, 2013 20:19:43 GMT
The map will only given to members of this forum with 250 posts plus. I guess the KML could be shared but then so could the map URL. We will just have to trust our members not to share it. It may get out to a few others but we'll try to prevent that as far as possible.
I'm working at getting the rest of the places on now!
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Post by Firefox on Feb 15, 2013 21:48:06 GMT
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Post by TammiJ on Feb 16, 2013 22:35:20 GMT
The idea of a map sounds exciting, even though I don't go camping ;D
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Post by Etienne Le Croq on Feb 17, 2013 8:56:06 GMT
I think you should
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Post by Firefox on Feb 17, 2013 18:28:58 GMT
I take it that the header and footer are the same across all pages though? On vBulletin its possible to embed a Google Map iFrame into a forum, so you can have an interactive map with posts below. Sorry I shouldn't interfere, I just didn't want you to go to all that work and find it hosted on another forum, a similar happened to the motorhome parking site. We could make the headers in one forum different and embed a map in an HTML frame in the top header. Yep I think this would be possible. And discussion on the map underneath in the threads. Thanks, good suggestion! If our map was hosted on another site we would have to file a DMCA complaint against that site as it is entirely the work of our members here.
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