rogerRabbit

Requirements
==========

I want:

(1) a historical record of where I've stumbled that can be displayed in MapPoint 2002

(2) a real-time MapPoint display of my current location and track



Description
========

This script:

(1) maintains a database that's linked (outside of the script) to a MP map. Tracks are displayed as a series of pushpins ("breadcrumbs")

(2) draws a line on a MP map tracking the current stumble. The map is centred on the current location. The user controls the level of zoom by entering and saving a new value (representing the height, in 'GeoUnits', above the Earth's surface from which the map is viewed) in zoomControl.txt



Resources
=======

zoomControl.txt

pushpin.bmp - the icon I use for the breadcrumbs

CutTracks.vbs - a script to remove unwanted tracks from the database [not yet released]



Suggestions
=========

(1) Set the balloon properties of the pushpin dataset so that only the DateStamp value is shown. This will make copying & pasting values into CutTracks less fiddly (until I make CutTracks a COM Add-In, or something)

(2) MapPoint (at least, my "not for benchmarking" version) leaks memory at ~20MB/hour (though this could be characterised as a memory management feature that will enhance MP for the majority of users). Whatever. This feature will prevent, eventually, the real-time tracking from being updated, depending on your computer's resources.



User-Controlled Variables
==================

See the text of the script, but includes:

(1) the distance between breadcrumbs (i.e. determines when a record is added to the database) in the 'historic' map

(2) the width of the track line in the 'real-time' map




Observations
==========

Hopefully, the script will handle errors fairly gracefully; NS should keep scanning and updating the track database if MP disappears.

It is possible that, with relatively under-resourced machines, MP will get bogged down with drawing the 'real-time' track, stop resonding and NS will protest. If this does happen with your machine let me know - it should be an easy fix, at the cost of a little track responsiveness.



Screenshots
=========

How the map linked to the database looks when zoomed out . . .

http://216.26.161.121/ns/db.gif


. . . and zoomed in:

http://216.26.161.121/ns/dbdetail.gif



The 'real-time' track map (note the zoomControl bottom-right):

http://216.26.161.121/ns/track.gif




OK, I hope it works for you. I'm off for a few days so if you've got questions and/or problems I won't be around.

Attached Files

trackns v0.1.zip (2.3 KB, 85 views)

Eyecannon

Interesting... will give it a whirl today...

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jjkaczor

Thanks, I will give it a try tomorrow, as well I will have time to revisit my own script while driving, as I've got 6 hours of bus-time ahead of me (600 kilometer commute.)

apoLLon

this looks really nice...i can't wait to try it out, maybe this afternoon already!

(edit) after downloading it, i actually couldn't wait to try it out here's my little report:

at first, I had to set the variables right, that i don't get a "TrackNS or MapPoint initialisation failure". I created the requested map TrackNS.ptm and no more errors...but where's the trail? i played with 'const dist' but didn't get the script working, it's nothing recording. maybe some of you folks succeed...tell me then

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apoLLon

..:: All your 802.11b are belong to us ::..

Eyecannon

DOH! I just got back from 'driving, and I totally forgot to put the script from a wired box to my laptop... might go out again later tonight....

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rogerRabbit

Yes, it needs a ReadMe file & some instructions . I'll get on to that.

Is the 'real-time' map recentring itself as you move around?

apoLLon

i just experienced a phenomenon!!!
yesterday, after experementing with settings, i didn't work....right now, i fired up netstumbler et voilà...the red trail comes in soooooo nicely

i don't know why, i am just happy *g* (maybe a restart )

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apoLLon

..:: All your 802.11b are belong to us ::..

damage

This looks like it would be a great script - now I'm really bummed I can't get mappoint donw here

iota

I have figured out how to make TrackNS work... if you need any help, contact me via AIM at iotaion9 -- YMMV! Good luck. Hopefully this will get us through until the author creates a new version.

Step 1)
Open MapPoint and create a map of your area called TrackNS.ptm and put it in the TrackNS directory. I just found my house with the find tool and put a pushpin there, then hit save.

Step 2)
Open the TrackNS.vbs file in Notepad. Make the following changes:

On the line that starts "Const dirName", change the value of this variable to the directory that the TrackNS.vbs files reside in.
Example:
Const dirName = "C:\Documents and Settings\iota\Desktop\trackns"

On the line that starts "Const mapName", change this to the exact filename of the TrackNS.ptm file you created (or any other map you want to use as your base).
Example:
Const mapName = "C:\Documents and Settings\iota\Desktop\trackns\trackns.ptm"

Find the line that starts " oMP.OpenMap" (use the Edit->Find feature and search for oMP.OpenMap). Change this line to say:
oMP.OpenMap mapName

(I'm not sure if that is 100% needed but it helped me.)

Step 3)
Quit out of all your MapPoint and NetStumbler windows, restart NetStumbler, and load the script. If you still get initialization errors, you did something wrong -- I may be able to help you

Good luck!
jason

Eyecannon

WOW! I really enjoyed this script tonight! If this could be fused with the other so it plots the circles, it would be perfection! This script made exactly the kind of trail it should, solid red line. One problem though, the zoom control thingy didn't seem to work... did as you said and it wouldn't ever change. Also, I got an Initialization error when I first ran it, but it did track me perfectly the whole time... lemme upload a pic...

__________________
No, officer, YOU are under arrest!

http://eyecannon.com/wardrive.html

Eyecannon

OK, here's a big version: http://eyecannon.com/trackns01.jpg

As you can see, flawless line... great work!

Attached Images

trackns01small.jpg (48.9 KB, 277 views)

__________________
No, officer, YOU are under arrest!

http://eyecannon.com/wardrive.html

apoLLon

if your zoom doesn''t work, do the following: open the zoomControl.txt and enter a smaller value to zoom closer. i like "3" pretty much...btw, this works in real-time! while the script runs, just open the txt in an editor and make the change, then press CTRL+S and the map zooms!

i didn't experience any tracking errors, i figuered out later, that i set the "Const dist" to 30 (still don't know how it effects on the mapping properities). i don't know why, it was the time i played with the script, when i didn't work

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apoLLon

..:: All your 802.11b are belong to us ::..

rogerRabbit

I've now rewritten the installation and initialisation processes that, all being well, will need much less attention from the user to get it up and running. I've also written some proper instructions .

The caveat is that the script now makes calls on applications that, AKAIK, will be available on all Windows systems, whatever your user privileges. But I can't (be bothered to ) test that - that's your job!!

TrackNS v0.1.5 will be posted in 30 minutes.

Eyecannon

That's what I did, and it didn't work.... I was thinking maybe it's because I had trackNS in a subdirectory inside of netstumbler?

__________________
No, officer, YOU are under arrest!

http://eyecannon.com/wardrive.html

rogerRabbit

Shouldn't cause a problem. v0.1.5 has a bit more in the way of error reporting - and is easier (I hope) to install, anyway. Give the new one a try & if it's still not working we should be able to work out why.