This is foxtrotgps.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from
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This manual is for FoxtrotGPS (version 1.2.0, 24 October 2014).

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File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Top,  Next: Overview,  Up: (dir)

FoxtrotGPS
**********

This manual is for FoxtrotGPS (version 1.2.0, 24 October 2014).

   This document is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.  To view a copy of this
license, visit `http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/' or send
a letter to:

     Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View,
     California, 94041, USA

* Menu:

* Overview::
* Keyboard Shortcuts::
* Geotagging Photos::
* POI Icons::
* Command-line options::

* HowTo::
* Cached Maps::
* Logging Tracks::
* Routing::

* Bugs::
* More Info::


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Overview,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

1 Overview
**********

FoxtrotGPS is a GTK+ based mapping and GPS application. It's typically
used to show a moving map showing your position in real time. It's
useful as a navigation tool, and as a track logging (e.g. for
OpenStreetMap) and trip planning tool.

   By default, FoxtrotGPS uses maps from OpenStreetMap, but may use a
range of other maps, some in experimental mode.

   Clicking anywhere on the map pops up a menu of common operations,
allowing such things as:

   * identifying the exact coordinates of that spot

   * distances to another spot

   * setting way points

   * downloading map data in bulk

   Click and drag the map to pan. As you do so, FoxtrotGPS will download
the necessary map data and display it. That map data is cached (usually
in `~/Maps') and reused when required.

   There are also a number of keyboard shortcuts defined (*note
Keyboard Shortcuts::).

   FoxtrotGPS also has some features that require other software to be
installed (*note Geotagging Photos::) and other features that can be
enhanced by other software (*note POI Icons::).

* Menu:

* Connect a GPS::
* Keyboard Shortcuts::
* Geotagging Photos::
* POI Icons::
* Command-line options::


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Connect a GPS,  Next: Keyboard Shortcuts,  Up: Overview

1.1 Connect a GPS
=================

Many devices already have a GPS built in but if yours does not or you
want to have it in a better position to `see the sky' then an external
GPS is required. FoxtrotGPS uses gpsd (http://catb.org/gpsd/) to handle
the varity of GPS hardware available, it's well documented and readily
available wherever FoxtrotGPS is likely to be used. Actual GPS hardware
options include:

Handheld GPS
     Typically used in bush walking, hiking etc. Connected via a serial
     or USB cable, many newer laptops don't have serial ports anymore
     so a USB-to-serial adapter may be needed. If you already have a
     hand-held, this is a reasonable solution; you will need it on the
     car's dash, and might need to stop it sliding around. Reception
     might not be great especially in difficult conditions but you will
     probably be OK most of the time.

GPS Mice
     All mice have a pretty good sense of direction but some carefully
     bred mice can be trained to convert that knowledge into the NMEA
     sentences that GPSD expects.

     A GPS Mouse
     (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_navigation_device#GPS_modules)
     might be a better solution in many cases. Reasonably cheap,
     powered from the laptop they have the advantage of being suitable
     to sit on the roof of your car making for better reception.



File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Keyboard Shortcuts,  Next: Geotagging Photos,  Prev: Connect a GPS,  Up: Overview

1.2 Keyboard Shortcuts
======================

There are a number of keyboard shortcuts for common operations:

<Left>, <Right>, <Up>, <Down>
     pan West, East, North, or South respectively

`I', `O'
     zoom in, out

`A'
     toggle autocenter (follows GPS fix)

`1'-`8'
     select which map to use

`M'
     show/hide the info/control panel

`Ctrl+T'
     load track

`R'
     get route

`Ctrl+P'
     geocode photos (*note Geotagging Photos::)

<F11>
     toggle fullscreen


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Geotagging Photos,  Next: POI Icons,  Prev: Keyboard Shortcuts,  Up: Overview

1.3 Geotagging Photos
=====================

FoxtrotGPS can be used to geotag photographs that were taken while
logging a GPS track, and can show icons on the map indicating where the
photographs were taken; this is done by correlating timestamps in JPEG
EXIF data with timestamps in the GPS track, and the following
additional packages must also be installed for use at run-time in order
to make use of this feature:

   * gpscorrelate (http://freefoote.dview.net/linux_gpscorr.html)

   * jhead (http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/jhead/)


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: POI Icons,  Next: Command-line options,  Prev: Geotagging Photos,  Up: Overview

1.4 POI Icons
=============

FoxtrotGPS can load distinct icons for different POIs from the directory
`~/.foxtrotgps/poi-icons/'; and, if you have the ``mkvisualid'' command
from libvisualid installed, FoxtrotGPS can even generate distinctive
icons automatically. For more on libvisualid, see its website
(http://www.hackerposse.com/~rozzin/VisualIDs).


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Command-line options,  Prev: POI Icons,  Up: Overview

1.5 Command-line options
========================

`--fullscreen'
     Start in fullscreen mode

`--version'
     Print the program version and exit


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: HowTo,  Up: Top

2 HowTo
*******

* Menu:

* Cached Maps::
* Logging Tracks::
* Routing::


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Cached Maps,  Next: Logging Tracks,  Up: HowTo

2.1 Pre Load or Refresh the Cached Maps
=======================================

FoxtrotGPS is quite smart when downloading maps. As you browse to an
area or change zoom level if the appropriate map tiles are in the
cache, they will be used. If not, FoxtrotGPS will attempt to download
them, if it fails (because, for example, you are off line), it does so
silently and tries to scale what ever tiles it does have. This
sometimes means you'll have blurry maps.

   The solution is to download what you need before you go off line,
just browsing is one way but that gets you only the current zoom level.
Right clicking and selecting "Map Download" is often more useful.

   It's important to note that the download applies to the zoom level
immediately below the one you are currently on, so go up a level before
starting. It's sometimes useful to bring the window borders in a little
to restrict the total download (and save some time and bandwidth), you
don't have to download in full screen mode! Watch the little progress
message to the bottom left: when it drops back to just speed and
similar information, the download is done.


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Logging Tracks,  Next: Routing,  Prev: Cached Maps,  Up: HowTo

2.2 Log Tracks for OpenStreetMap
================================

For most people, the most useful maps in FoxtrotGPS are from Open
Street Map (OSM). This is an open project to map the whole world and
most of its content is contributed by people recording information and
then contributing it to OSM. If you are using FoxtrotGPS in any sort of
mobile mode, you are probably ready to do your bit for this worthwhile
project. Please consider!

   OSM needs all sorts of data added, we will look here at perhaps the
mainstream activity, recording a road and adding it to OSM's database.
This process has a couple of clear steps:

  1. Record the track.

  2. Download the area from OSM

  3. Label the recorded track and add it to the downloaded area.

  4. Upload the `changeset' to OSM.

   The first step, recording, is where FoxtrotGPS comes in. Releases of
FoxtrotGPS after 1.1.1 have a useful icon on the main screen (left
side) to start track logging; with older versions it's necessary to
click the top left "Show Info" icon to display the Control Panel, and
possibly scroll it left or right until you see the "Enable Track
Logging" tick box. In either case, start recording at the start of the
road, stop at the end. Remember your GPS will be several metres out so
accuracy greater than that is not essential.

   FoxtrotGPS saves its logs in GPX format (with an extension introduced
by Garmin for some auxiliary data). These logs can be converted to OSM
and other formats using the widely-available gpsbabel utility
(http://www.gpsbabel.org/).(1)

   After converting logs to OSM format, they will be importable into
tools like JOSM (http://josm.openstreetmap.de/).  But before you
convert, make things a bit easier for yourself and rename the road.
Perhaps keep the date and use the road name and condition, e.g.:
`20121107_Jones_Street_track_gr3.gpx'.

   The remaining stages are probably best documented on the OSM website
(http://openstreetmap.org/), but do remember to mark your roads as
"source=survey", the best source of OSM data.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) Prior to version 1.1.0, FoxtrotGPS used its own log format; in
case you have any logs in this format, there are scripts included with
FoxtrotGPS that can convert those logs to GPX format, or to OSM format
directly.


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Routing,  Prev: Logging Tracks,  Up: HowTo

2.3 Routing
===========

FoxtrotGPS allows you to plan a route in a few different ways. First,
there is route finding, which finds a route from point A to point B.
This is done by using an online web service, which knows how to get
from A to B. Second, there is route planning, which allows you to plan
a route through a number of points. This route is then transferred to a
separate navigation system (e.g. in a car) to guide you through the
points.

* Menu:

* Route Finding::
* Route Planning::


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Route Finding,  Next: Route Planning,  Up: Routing

2.3.1 Route Finding
-------------------

Route finding extends FoxtrotGPS to be a simple navigation system. It
takes two points and computes a route between the points.

   To use that feature, you have to click anywhere on the map and select
the menu entry "route finding -> get route". It will open a small
dialog allowing you to select both points.

   Click on the "Pick" button right beside the text entries to select a
point on the map. Alternatively you can enter the GPS coordinates into
the text entries.

   After clicking on "OK" you will see the resulting route on the map.

     Note: You need an internet connection to access the web service,
     which computes the route.

   Currently there is no turn by turn navigation telling you to go left
or right, if you are approaching a crossing. You have to use a GPS
device to show your location on the map and look at your current
position to know where to go next.


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Route Planning,  Prev: Route Finding,  Up: Routing

2.3.2 Route Planning
--------------------

Route planning is different to route finding because you will use
FoxtrotGPS to plan a route and transfer that route to another system
for navigation. This could be a navigation system installed in a car or
on a motor bike. You do not need an internet connection for this kind
of planning.

     Note: If you download the appropriate tiles before your journey,
     then you are able to plan or change your route on the trip without
     any internet connection.

   You use FoxtrotGPS to set a number of routepoints on the map.
Together they form the route to travel, but without the exact route to
follow. If you like to make a trip from point "A" over "B" and "C" to
"D", then set these 4 routepoints.

   Afterwards transfer these routepoints to your navigation system and
ask it to compute a route through all these routepoints. Then you get
turn by turn navigation from the navigation system, but you use
FoxtrotGPS for easy and comfortable planning.

   Routepoints can be saved in GPX or TomTom file format(1) for use by
a navigation system. Here is the above example as TomTom (ITN) file
format:

     915240|4872867|WP1|0
     915438|4872786|WP2|0
     914980|4872469|WP3|0
     915309|4872313|WP4|0
     915693|4872355|WP5|0

   To plan a route click on the map for the first routepoint and select
"route-planning -> add routepoint". Then click on the next routepoint
and select "route-planning -> add routepoint" again. Repeat this for as
many routepoints as you like.

   At any time you can drag an existing routepoint to another location
by clicking on it and holding the button down. Move it to another place
and release the mouse button.

   Clicking on an existing routepoint offers a menu to delete that
routepoint or insert another routepoint before it.

   The route can be saved by clicking anywhere on the map and selecting
"route-planning -> save route".

     Note:
        * Do not set your routepoints on crossings. Instead, set them
          on the road between crossings. Why? If the GPS position of
          the crossing is not very accurate, then your routepoint is
          beside the real crossing. This will force your navigation
          system to make a turn to reach your routepoint and then ask
          you to turn around.

        * Humans normally choose cities as routepoints. E.g. travelling
          from Rome to Berlin normally goes over Munich. If you set a
          routepoint to the middle of Munich, then you force your route
          to go through the center of Munich, which is normally crowded
          and best avoided. A better strategy is to set the routepoints
          between the cities on a straight road without any crossings
          where you definitively must come through. This is also good
          for small villages, otherwise you will sometimes be directed
          to your routepoint, which is often not the best way to go
          through that village.

        * Setting many routepoints forces the navigation system to
          stick closely to your route. However, if there is an
          `uninteresting' part on the route, then let the navigation
          system decide on its own by not setting any routepoints.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) The gpsbabel program can be used to convert to many more
different file formats.


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Bugs,  Next: More Info,  Up: Top

Appendix A Bugs
***************

   * FoxtrotGPS includes a URL for Google Satellite imagery in its
     default list of map repositories for demonstration and testing
     purposes; Google periodically change their URL schemes, which
     reduces these to _non-functional_ demos of repository pattern
     syntax.  In some cases, repository URLs that break in this way
     cannot be fixed automatically when FoxtrotGPS is upgraded, and
     must be fixed manually by the user.


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: More Info,  Prev: Bugs,  Up: Top

Appendix B More Info
********************

* Menu:

* Related Tools::
* Homepage::
* Author::


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Related Tools,  Next: Homepage,  Up: More Info

Related Tools
=============

   * convert2gpx(1)

   * convert2osm(1)


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Homepage,  Next: Author,  Prev: Related Tools,  Up: More Info

Homepage
========

More information about FoxtrotGPS can be found online at its website
(http://www.foxtrotgps.org/).


File: foxtrotgps.info,  Node: Author,  Prev: Homepage,  Up: More Info

Author
======

FoxtrotGPS is a community developed fork from tangoGPS lead by Joshua
Judson Rosen <rozzin@geekspace.com>. tangoGPS was written by Marcus
Bauer <marcus.bauer@gmail.com>.



Tag Table:
Node: Top453
Node: Overview1102
Node: Connect a GPS2362
Node: Keyboard Shortcuts3812
Node: Geotagging Photos4409
Node: POI Icons5058
Node: Command-line options5525
Node: HowTo5762
Node: Cached Maps5885
Node: Logging Tracks7099
Ref: Logging Tracks-Footnote-19280
Node: Routing9503
Node: Route Finding10078
Node: Route Planning11091
Ref: Route Planning-Footnote-114459
Node: Bugs14548
Node: More Info15094
Node: Related Tools15255
Node: Homepage15406
Node: Author15620

End Tag Table
