GPSDrive Optimized
 

I've been playing around with optimizing GPSDrive for my own purposes. I've rebuilt gpsdrive, gpsd, and libpcre3 in scratchbox, with some optimization flags, plus I configured out some optional parts that I didn't need. The results are not bad.

There's more to come, as I start to gut gpsdrive of all of the excess features that I don't want/need (like friendsd2 support) and add features that I do want, which are listed in the above page.

Suggestions are certainly welcome!

Is there some kind of offline mode where I could pre-download maps and use it for normal navigation as I don't have a GPS unit? I grabbed some maps after (somehow) managing to get the position somewhere in Michigan (close enough to Toronto for testing), grabbed some maps off of excite, but found navigation near impossible. Apparently the software didn't like me because I slowly started moving into the middle of Lake Huron where it subsequently stopped, in an attempt to drown me I believe.

There's a "Pos Mode" in the Menu, but it sucks, at least I found it unusable, especially in conjunction with a real GPS. One of the changes I plan on doing (listed on my page) is to modify the directional pad to allow simple panning of the map, which would prove very useful in an Offline mode - you could use it as a simple map reader. Right now, however, using GPSDrive as a map reader is darn near impossible on the Nokia 770.

>Gnuite
First, I have to say "bravo" for the port. I love the automatic retrievial of maps. I think I'll be a very very very useful app for the 770!
Thank you very much again!

Before discussing about extensions that could improve the usability of gpsdrive (via plugins written in python for example) let me give youmy impressions.
First there are a few wrong displays: elements like EPE near the satellite map are unreadable, some text are overidden by another text, parameter panels have difficulties to display all the information clearly.
Second, gpsdrive for the 770 seems to have some difficulties to take into account the acquisition status. I kept an eye over the acquisition flag ('A' or 'V') while running gpsdrive and this one finally accept the data far after these one were considered ok. During these comparisons the number of satellite seen were over 7.
When, at end, gpsdrive accepts to start the track it often stops acquiring a few minutes after.

Third, a few suggestions:
a plugin system for calculations and/or placing elements onto the maps,
an offline system,
a total course calculus.

db

Gourmet, I hope I didn't give the impression that I actually ported the application to Maemo. I merely optimized the existing port that is posted at http://www.elisanet.fi/tapio.tolvanen/nokia770.html, from which I based my port. I'm not saying this to disown the faults that you listed (I agree with most of them), but to make it perfectly clear that I'm not trying to take credit for the port. Credit is due to the author of the page above.

The modifications that I am planning to make are for my own purposes only. Hopefully, some of the additions can be pushed back to the gpsdrive community, but I [em]am[/em] planning and removing much of the existing functionality, and I certainly won't be pushing that back.

My goal is merely a lighter-weight, more efficient gpsdrive with added functionality that I need in order to make gpsdrive usable for me.

gnuite: I hope either Tapio Tolvanen takes your optimizations and incorporates them in the next rev. of gpsdrive or (hint hint) you are able to work with him and deliver the Hildon optimized version with proper widgets :D

Glad to see you're developing this - looks excellent. I can't wait to post a video of this all in action when it's optimized.

Nope, but every kind of contribution is valuable! That's why I insisted on it. Of course much more credits have to be addressed to the gpsdrive community and to Tapio but here we are speaking about n770.
So ...

db

You are talking about c++ in your pages, 3.4 compiler can be used even for c++ if you link stdc++ statically, see thread about scummvm. The only catch seems to be when loading c++ code dynamically (i.e. some plugins in .so files). This may cause problems when the plugin is linked dynamically to libstdc++. Also for c++ '-fno-exceptions -fno-rtti' kills some bloat that is rarely/never used in most c++ code.

For linking stdc++ I use shell wrapper over original g++ that adds -Lpath to path where is only the static library. See some tips here http://www.trilithium.com/johan/2005/06/static-libstdc/

EDIT: sorry not scummvm but the optimizing .deb flags thread

There seems to be a new version of Bluetooth Connectivity Plugin http://770.fs-security.com/maemo-bt-plugin/ that makes the use of GpsDrive easier.

- kepler

gnuite, do you have an update on GPSdrive?

Maemo Mapper
 

I have an update, but if you're a true GPSDrive fan, you may not like it.

Basically, I determined that GPSDrive was insufficient for my needs, or, more accurately, that it was over-sufficient for my needs (and ugly). It did too much and was too bloated and too difficult to enhance. Instead, I created my own Hildon-based GPS application called Maemo Mapper.

Maemo Mapper does most of the things that I wanted from GPSDrive, and it is much more memory and CPU efficient. Plus, it has several new features that I think really enhance the application.

It's almost ready for release - I'll post a topic about it when it's ready. If you want a sneak preview of it, there's a web page I'm about to publicize, but the DEB file is not yet available:

http://www.gnuite.com/nokia770/maemo-mapper/

Note: there are no screenshots available of the maps themselves, due to copyright concerns, but here's a hint about what it looks and feels like: think Hildonized 2D Google Earth (or Google Maps) plus GPS.

I am really excited about where this project is going. In fact, if it weren't for his vector-based requirement, I would soon be able to claim
thoughtfix's hypothetical bounty. thoughtfix, what if I told you that I could fit all of phoenix at multiple zoom levels in bitmap format in under 384 MB? I have the entire DC/Baltimore area in very high detail in 384 MB; add the rest of America at sub-highway-level detail, and it ways in at under 800 MB. And these maps look much better than anything the Nokia 770 (or TomTom, for that matter) could render in real time.

You can all see for yourself soon - I'm just finishing up my last round of testing. It has been hard to decide where to stop adding new features, but with a binary of size 40k, I think I've packed a very respectable number of features into a very low memory footprint. Of course, as the web page above indicates, I have plans for additional features, including the last two (other than vectorization) that would satisfy thoughtfix's bounty: on-the-fly route recalculation and audible warnings about upcoming turns, both features of which are implemented but not yet perfected and thus will not be available in the initial release (give me a couple more weeks).

you'll have $20 from me too when the application is ready to be downloaded, of course, if I can use it in Portland-OR area or if you tell us details on how to build (or download) the map for our city.

Is it possible to have it automatically draw the best route? The waypoints only draw lines as of now. It would be really nice if it could draw the line and find the closest route to your destination. It's hard trying to read the map when driving with just a straight line....

great... :)
Maemo Mapper sounds like a good solution...
I wasn't very happy with gpsdrive... and was thinking about doing the same thing myself... :)

just one more thing, which images are you using?
just the roadmap? or the hybrid mode (road+photos)?

How do you capture them? manually with a screenshot?

thanks!
keep up the good work.

Awesome! sounds like a killer app and one I might like to help out with.

Can't wait to get ahold of the binaries and give it a try.

I don't mean to discourage you at all, but "the binary is being released under the GPL" is a contradiction in terms. The GPL requires you to release source to be able to use the license. Maybe just make it copyrighted freeware and distribute the binaries until you are ready to release the source.

David

If using Maemo Mapper while connected to the internet, you can have it automatically download maps for the areas that you are looking at (Google Earth style). If you keep it connected to the internet during your trip, it will automatically download maps as you go, so there would be no need to pre-download maps for your route.

Of course, if you can't access the internet during your trip, you'll need to download the maps that you would need during your route, but that's not terribly difficult.

Right now, you'll have to go to http://www.gnuite.com/cgi-bin/route.cgi to download the route before you embark on your trip, but the route draws a complete route, including waypoints and all of the lines between (including curves).

Route generation actually already works - you can enter in source and destination on the above website and you'll get a list of all of the points that are drawn, and a subset of those points will represent actual "waypoints" (points where action is required, e.g. "Turn left at Blahblah St.

Try it out! When I release Maemo Mapper, you'll be able to save import the route file and see it on the map.

Any images that are compatible with Google Maps/Earth can be used with Maemo Mapper: 256x256 tiles with assigned X and Y coordinates and a zoom level. I can post examples for how to use Google Maps' maps themselves, but of course, for legal reasons, I must "warn" that using them with Maemo Mapper may violate copyright law blah blah blah.

Yeah, that was a mis-statement; the source will be available under the GPL. I'm not interested in making money out of this; I made it for myself and thought others would be interested in using it.

This project looks very promising gnuite. I wonder if you could allow it to use google driving directions as well somehow.

Oh, and also, could it be possible to setup the maps directory to be in the MMC by default?

Oh, and do you think you could also consider adding support for gpx files?
http://www.topografix.com/gpx.asp

I think it is what it does (allowing you to use google maps directions) !
Very well done !
I can't wait to try it ...
Thanks
O Fred

I'm hesitant to put the maps directory on the MMC by default because not everyone will have an MMC card. It's easy to change the default, though (it's in the Settings dialog box), so I don't think it's too much to ask to change it.

GPX is just the standard that I was looking for - thanks for the link! I'll get GPX support in before the release (I was really hesitant to release using non-standard text files).

I have a new route generator to generate GPX files. It works the same as the old one, except now it outputs a GPX file instead a non-standard plain text format. Feel free to try it out:
http://www.gnuite.com/cgi-bin/gpx.cgi

wish lists
 

Well as far as wish lists go, I would like to add mine...

I would like to see speed MPH and direction N,NE,E,SE,S next to or superimposed on top of the map. A toggle to turn them on or off

Automatically downloading maps, sounds like it already does this

A program to pump in the output from route.cgi and have it automatically download all the maps in your journey.

when can we expect to have something to play with???? :D

The GPS marker displayed on the map will have a velocity vector drawn on it; this is at least a graphical representation of what you're asking for. I'll consider adding a text-based representation, but I'd really like to keep the map display purely graphical (no text).

There will be a menu action called "Download maps along route" that will download all of the maps (at the current zoom level) that would be required for the currently loaded route. You would have to run the command multiple times to get the map data for multiple zoom levels.

There will also be an action to download all maps within a certain rectangle of space (defined by lat/lon). This can be used, for example, to download all of the maps in and around Portland, Oregon.

These operations may take some time on the Nokia 770, but they'll be threaded off, and there will be a progress bar, so you will still be able to work with the program while it downloads the maps.

Hopefully by Monday, but I do have a full-time job (and a full-time girlfriend), so my availability sometimes wanes. :)

can't wait
 

looking forward to new toys, thanks :)

you have to put a button for paypal donations on the application's web page so we can help you (I will be first to send you the $20)

-ioan

Have been waiting for gpsdrive like capability since i got the Nokia 770. Thanks for the update. Cant wait to try out the app. I am sure that grateful owners will be more than happy to send paypal contributions for encroaching on your "Girlfriend Time" :)

DaScud

heh, then what is that 64 mb rs-mmc card that came with the nokia? ;p

How about checking on startup if MMC is present? Then for the initial startup let user choose location of the maps in a short wizard (that also asks for the url querystring for *eh* google maps or ANY alternative).

The first time you start the application, it brings up the Settings dialog box (before displaying the map and before it starts downloading any maps), so maybe that's close enough to a "short wizard."

It's Monday :)
 

This week sometime? later today? ;)

I knew someone was going to call me out on this. I have an excuse though: I spent the weekend knocking off many of the items on my TODO list. Check out the new Features List on the Maemo Mapper website. Notable additions:

* New map download functionalities: download by route and download by area.
* Waypoint announcement (including voice synthesis)
* Integration with the GPX Driving Directions web service (including on-the-fly, auto-updating "from my current location" directions generation).
* Support for manually enabling/disabling the GPS Receiver connection.
* Support for GPS Exchange (GPX) format.

I am currently testing all of the new changes and hope to have the official release of Maemo Mapper 0.1 by Wednseday.

Does the voice synthesis thing mean like the application will tell you turn left in 300 feet or turn right on the next street light as you go for your waypoints? That would be a very cool feature that the expensive GPS Devices like Magellen and TomTom and stuff have.

It doesn't yet use units like "turn left in 300 feet." Instead, it would say something like, "Turn left at Graphite Street." You can use the map itself to get a visual indication of how far away the turn actually is. I use the feature more as a reminder (in case I fall asleep at the wheel :)).

You will need flite installed, which you can get from my Nokia 770 page by downloading and installing the flite deb. Nothing will break if you don't have it installed - it just won't talk to you as you drive.

Sweet, that's actually better and easier than using units! I can't wait! Thank you!

Not calling you out :)
 

I am just anxious to test out, gpsdrive eats cpu and battery.

:D :D :D

It's Wednesday ?? :)
 

;) :( :D :confused: :o :rolleyes: :cool: :eek: :) :mad: :p

Maemo Mapper 0.1 has been released!
 

For those of you tracking this topic, awaiting the release of Maemo Mapper, I have released version 0.1. See my Maemo Mapper Announcement Thread for details, as well as for examples of URI Formats to use for Maemo Mapper to download maps from Google Maps.