Wtracks 2 key improvement suggestions

[Jeff Brower]

After using Wtracks extensively for several months, I would like to make the following improvement suggestions:

1) For new point insertion, add an option that linearly interpolates elevation and record time between known (recorded) points.  Currently, filling in elevation and time data for new points has to be done externally (e.g. by hand in an editor) otherwise various applications will not accept the modified GPX file. Even Wtracks, if you reload such a file, will not display *any* record times.

2) When joining segments, add a option that can +/- shift record timestamps for the subsequent segment; i.e. remove dead time. For example, when a GPX file shows a time gap where the vehicle or activity was stopped, or a small segment had to be cut out (e.g. a wrong turn), Wtracks allows such segments to be edited and joined in terms of coordinates, but the dead time is still there. Currently, GPSBabel or other utility has to be used to shift timestamps of segments separately, then those must be re-merged together, a tedious process.

Maybe these have been suggested before, but I could not find them.

Thanks.

-Jeff

[Olivier POTONNIEE]

Hello

Sorry the late response, Google Groups somehow stopped sending me notifications for new posts.

WTracks computes "estimated" timings for the whole track, and indeed this was the initial motivation for me to build this app: I wanted to know how much time would take a hike, BEFORE I did it: so I manually create the track in WTracks and get the estimates. By default these estimates are only visible in WTracks, they are not saved in the GPX. However there is an option when saving to "Save computed times", which writes estimates in the GPX track.

Now you're using WTracks in another scenario: you load a recorded GPX with real timings, and want to edit it. And you expect WTracks to mix real/recorded timing and estimates (your proposal #1), or automatically recompute recorded timings (proposal #2). This is not a small change due to the initial design purpose, but I will have a thought about what can be done.

Thanks for sharing information about how you use WTracks, and what are you pain points. This is very useful to make WTracks better.

--

Olivier

[Jeff Brower]

Olivier-

Thanks very much for your reply !

I think #1 is not difficult. Already Wtracks writes out <trkpt> lat/lon info for each new point inserted between recorded points. Writing out <ele> and <time> info would only require basic interpolation between prior and next recorded points.  There is no need for estimated timing.

#2 yes is not a small change.

-Jeff

[Olivier POTONNIEE]

Hi

I think both features you asked for are now available:

1. After you inserted new points, use Tools / Fill-up checking alt & time (it's better to not do it as you create the point, because usually we need to adjust the point location after insertion, and it would not be updated)
   
2. You can shift segments' recorded time with Tools / Shift Time
   

--

Olivier

[Jeff Brower]

Olivier-

Wow a lot of work going on ! Impressive. I tried the "Fill Up" option, then saved the file. The inserted points still did not have <ele> and <time> tags. Maybe I did not do it right ?

I did not try time shift yet, will do soon.

-Jeff

[Jeff Brower]

Olivier-

I tried again and it worked, let me do some more tests.  One of the attempts that failed earlier was an insertion of just one point, that might be something for you to check.

-Jeff

[Olivier POTONNIEE]

Hi

Yes, it seems there are some corner cases failing. I will also investigate.

Thanks for sharing your findings.

--

Olivier