OziExplorer support implemented

The current prerelease version of RouteConverter now supports OziExplorer routes, tracks and waypoints and CoPilot 7 files. Please try and give feedback.

1.22 is ready

Basically a maintenance release that avoids that annoying Google Maps URL parsing error boxes - without solving the problem :-(

Entwickeln, aber wie?

Bei RouteConverter habe ich IntelliJ IDEA und Apache ant verwendet für die Entwicklung. Das hatte aus meiner Sicht diverse Vorteile:

• IDEA bedient sich einfach netter als Eclipse
• Der GUI Editor von IDEA ist mächtig und einfach zu bedienen
• Mit ant kann ich für Java 5 und Java 6 parallel entwickeln (2 IDEA Projekte parallel)
  
• Mit ant kann ich 3rd Party Bibliotheken patchen und in der Größe auf die benötigen Klassen reduzieren
• Mit ant kann ich als Ergebnis des build-Prozesses 1 JAR erhalten
  

"Leider" verwenden viele da draußen Maven und Eclipse und nun versuche ich, denen einen Einstieg zu ermöglichen und bin etwas am Verzweifeln, da mir Know How und die Einsicht, daß mich das voranbringt, fehlen.
Wie löst ihr das Problem?

1.21 is ready

The latest version 1.21 from 09/06/08

• works again on screens with resolutions of 1024x600 pixels
• does not offer the option to link file extensions with RouteConverter since that is not that easy anymore on Windows Vista and it's User Access Control (UAC)
• fixes a bug while writing Top50 OVL ASC (*.ovl) files
• writes debug output by default to a file called RouteConverter.log inside the temp directory of the current user

Enjoy!

Nach ITNConv auch TrackCon tot

Habe gerade einen Hinweis bekommen von einem aufmerksamen Benutzer: Die Entwicklung von TrackCon wird eingestellt.

Nach ITNConv im letzten Jahr und Motorradtourenplaner bzw. der Reiseplanerserien schon das dritte Routenplanungswerkzeug, das vom Markt verschwindet.

Bleiben noch Tyre und Google Maps selbst, oder habe ich da etwas übersehen (bestimmt )?

com! berichtet exklusiv über RouteConverter

In der neuesten Ausgabe 9/2008 vom com! Magazin auf Seite 74 wird auf drei Seiten über Geodaten berichtet und RouteConverter prominent platziert. Danke :-)

1.20 is ready

Version 1.20 from 08/16/08

• parses and converts elevations from pilsit.logpos ITN files
• parses and converts elevations from Pilog Pro ITN files
• allows to complement elevation and place name of positions from http://www.geonames.org zu komplettieren
• integrates the option dialog to the "Misc" tab
• tries harder with brokes NMEA files
• tries harder to retain the button column on right visible
• updates the map only if it is visible
• allows to test the communication from IeEmbed.exe to RouteConverter.exe
• uses uppercase letters for the suggested file names of GoPal Route (*.xml) files
• avoids an error during the initialization of the map view if Firefox 3 is the default browser
• fixes a bug while moving of positions on the map (not under Windows Vista)
• fixes a bug which did not allow to choose the route view directly but had to choose waypoints and track first
• fixes a bug while reading MagicMaps (*.pth) files
• fixes a bug while reading GoPal Route (*.xml) files
• fixes a bug evaluating more than one position from the geocode attributes of Google Maps-URLs
• fixes a bug where a route was not painted if a position had no coordinates

Please test this prerelease

If you like, have a look at the prerelease for 1.20:

• Java 6 Windows-Version as a jar
• Java 5-Version as a jar
• Linux-Version as a jar
• Mac-Version as a jar

1.19 is ready

Version 1.19 from 06/28/08

• for the first time allows to plan routes along streets
• differentiates between routes, tracks and waypoint lists in the map view
• truncates the suggested file name during saving only for Tom Tom formats to 18 characters
• fixes a lockup when more than one file was read
• fixes a bug when reading MagicMaps TourExplorer 3.0 (*.ikt) files

Planning routes with RouteConverter

The latest prerelease of RouteConverter (finally) renders
tracks, routes and waypoint lists differently:

• Routes follow streets
• Tracks simply connect the positions
• Waypoint lists are a collection of points of interest

For everybody who is searching a route planning tool, this means that he/she should take a look a the latest prerelease of RouteConverter. And please give me feedback.

Drawing problems and lockups

All users, that have problems with RouteConverter locking up the machine or stopping to update the map view: Please try the new prerelease version.


If you'd like to use the new POI and Route planning modes: Try it as well and give me feedback.

1.18 is ready

The latest version 1.18 from 05/26/08

• reads and writes Magellan Explorist (*.log) files
• offers the option to print the map
• offers the option to renumber the position comments like "Position 12"
• offers the option to filter the files by their extension inside the file chooser
• moves the map only if a position is located outside the visible map area
• fixes a bug while writing Navigon Mobile Navigator 6 files
• fixes a bug while writing longitude and latitude values of NMEA logs
• fixes a bug while reading "emoty" Google Earth files
• fixes a bug which showed all save options for all formats that may store more than one route per file
• fixes a lockup when the map size was changed while the route is painted

1.18 is ready

The latest version 1.18 from 05/26/08

• reads and writes Magellan Explorist (*.log) files
• offers the option to print the map
• offers the option to renumber the position comments like "Position 12"
• offers the option to filter the files by their extension inside the file chooser
• moves the map only if a position is located outside the visible map area
• fixes a bug while writing Navigon Mobile Navigator 6 files
• fixes a bug while writing longitude and latitude values of NMEA logs
• fixes a bug while reading "emoty" Google Earth files
• fixes a bug which showed all save options for all formats that may store more than one route per file
• fixes a lockup when the map size was changed while the route is painted

ITNConv is dead

The last update is now more than a year old...

1.17 is ready

The latest version 1.17 from 04/26/08

• reads and writes ViaMichelin (*.xvm) files
• allows to split position lists at selected positions
• sorts categories by name and routes by description in browsing mode
• allows to drag and drop routes and categories in browsing mode
• shows who created a route in browsing mode
• shows the option to store a position list as route, track and waypoints only if there is one position list
• fixes a bug while searching newer versions which announced a new version "null"
• fixes a bug when the map view was not updated anymore and RouteConverter could only be stopped by stopping IeEmbed.exe after deleting a large number of positions
• fixes a bug when the map view was not updated anymore and RouteConverter could only be stopped by stopping IeEmbed.exe after extensive moving of positions
• fixes a bug while reading NMEA logs from AMOD AGL3080 GPS Data Logger/Photo Tracker
• fixes a bug while reading Map&Guide Motorrad Tourenplaner 2007/2008 files
• fixes a bug while writing Navigon Mobile Navigator 4 files
• fixes a bug while interpreting the geocode attribute from Google Maps URLs

New version about to be released

If you like, have a look at the prerelease for 1.17:

• Java 6 Windows-Version as a jar
• Java 5-Version as a jar
• Linux-Version as a jar
• Mac-Version as a jar

1.16 is ready

RouteConverter is a tool to convert routes. It helps me and I hope it could help you.

The latest version 1.16 from 03/23/08

• reads and writes MagicMaps Project (*.ikt) files
• reads and writes Falk Navigator (*.tour) files
• reads and writes GoPal Route (*.xml) files
• reads and writes National Geographic Topo 3 bis 4 (*.tpo) files
• allows to use the views Mapnik and T@H from OpenStreetMap
• shows french texts if this is configured by the operating system
• trims file names before and not after the input of the user
• supports GGA sentences from the Sony CS1 GPS Module
• supports $PMGNTRK sentences from Garmin devices
• interprets the geocode attribute from Google Maps URLs
• averages the time from surrounding positions when inserting new positions
• allows to insert positions to the position list by pressing the Insert (Ins) key
• allows to remove positions from the position list by pressing the Delete (Del) key
• fixes a bug when writing GoPal Tracks, if no conversion was needed

And this is how it looks like:

c't plant RouteConverter auf Software CD zu bringen

Ich bekam jüngst eine EMail

das c't magazin wird im April 2008 eine Spezialausgabe zum Thema Mac veröffentlichen. Dem Heft wird eine CD-ROM mit entsprechender Free- und Shareware beiliegen. Ihr Programm "RouteConverter" ist Teil unserer Vorauswahl.

Wenn das nichts ist :-)

c't plant RouteConverter auf Software CD zu bringen

Ich bekam jüngst eine Email:

das c't magazin wird im April 2008 eine Spezialausgabe zum Thema Mac
veröffentlichen. Dem Heft wird eine CD-ROM mit entsprechender Free-
und Shareware beiliegen. Ihr Programm "RouteConverter"
ist Teil unserer Vorauswahl.

Wenn das nichts ist :-)

French tutorial

Vincent Di Sanzo has prepared a french tutorial for RouteConverter. Even if you are not a french speaker, the list of supported formats is of value.

Free Geography Tools

Leszek from Free Geography Tools just posted a really nice blog article about RouteConverter. Have a look at it.

Btw, Leszek mentioned: "While it still doesn’t support as many formats as ITNConv..." Do you miss some important formats?

1.15 is ready

The latest version 1.15 from 01/26/08

• allows to modify positions on the map with drag-and-drop
• allows to create new positions
• provides a slider with arrows to let the user determine how the space is divided between the map and the position list
• reads and writes GoPal Track (*.trk) files
• reads and writes Navigon Mobile Navigator 6 Favorites (*.storage) files
• zoomes into the map as close as possible when opening files
• allows to use the scroll wheel to zoom into and out of the map
• tries to open the window as exactly as it was closed before - even if it was maximized
• transforms comments from Route 66 POI files to upper and lowercase
• describes NMEA-files now as Track and not as Route
• shows more informationen about errors, if the map cannot be initialized
• fixes a fatal bug, which prevented write GPX- and KML-files
• fixes a bug when writing MagicMaps (*.pth) files, which led to positions that were 100-200m too far west and 100-200m too far south
• fixes several problems when writing Top50 OVL ASC (*.ovl) files, which could not be read by MagicMaps and GeoGrid Viewer

This has been a huge step: For the first time, you can edit routes!