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Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2021 6:08 pm
by Robbie Crouse
Basic tags / categories could be: summer route, winter route, spring snow route, ski/snowboard descent, off-route, etc. That would make searching easier. Thanks Bill!

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2021 10:10 pm
by ltlFish99
What a great feature to add to an already wonderful site.
Thank you.

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2021 8:09 pm
by supranihilest
BillMiddlebrook wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:07 pm Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

I’m now working on the direct upload / My GPX Files and should have that done in a few days.
Great new feature, Bill. Can't wait to see how it evolves over time!
BillMiddlebrook wrote: Fri Jan 15, 2021 4:55 pm Yes, this makes sense. As I build the "direct upload" portion, I'll think about how I can provide a "rating" or some way to provide additional information, etc. I'd also like to add search tags as well instead of only being able to search the peak name.

EDIT: And this ...
greenonion wrote: Fri Jan 15, 2021 2:59 pm
Good idea. And/or maybe add the ability to add some metadata input so folks could give descriptions of a route that could describe being off or a pain in the butt in places. Or simply describes a route as being right on target. I do realize that’s a bit subjective and depends on users actually entering the info
I think some way of providing additional info for "uploaded" GPXes (in other words those not attached to routes/trip reports) is critical. A track by itself is useful but the ability to add even a couple of sentences or a paragraph about the GPX, if desired, would be extremely helpful. Being able to add a GPX in the future without writing a full fledged report is getting me so excited!

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2021 8:27 pm
by daway8
Another nice feature would be the ability to turn on several tracks at once so you can easily see where one deviates from the other. That's one possible way of easily highlighting those off route sections and/or of possibly learning about a good alternative - especially for the winter tracks.

I like that for the one's from trip reports that there's a link to the trip report it came from - that way you can quickly go check if whoever posted it made any notes about the route (as I had to do on a couple where I stuck a note warning of a needless detour).

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 7:55 am
by BillMiddlebrook
Robbie Crouse wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 6:08 pm Basic tags / categories could be: summer route, winter route, spring snow route, ski/snowboard descent, off-route, etc. That would make searching easier. Thanks Bill!
Yup.

I have most of the DIRECT UPLOAD page done with the exception of being able to select from a short list of optional "tags". I'd rather not force the user to select a tag since the peak(s) and climb date (month, most importantly) do much of the work, so tags would be optional to narrow search results. Additionally, the library includes all trip reports and route descriptions which have GPX files but those sources do not currently have any type of category/tag fields.

So, let's see if we can come up with a short list of "further info" tags that make sense based on how we pick routes throughout the year, starting with some of the ones mentioned:

WINTER VARIATION
OFF-ROUTE
COULOIR
SKI/BOARD DESCENT
...

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:58 am
by greenonion
BillMiddlebrook wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 7:55 am
Robbie Crouse wrote: Sat Jan 16, 2021 6:08 pm Basic tags / categories could be: summer route, winter route, spring snow route, ski/snowboard descent, off-route, etc. That would make searching easier. Thanks Bill!
Yup.

I have most of the DIRECT UPLOAD page done with the exception of being able to select from a short list of optional "tags". I'd rather not force the user to select a tag since the peak(s) and climb date (month, most importantly) do much of the work, so tags would be optional to narrow search results. Additionally, the library includes all trip reports and route descriptions which have GPX files but those sources do not currently have any type of category/tag fields.

So, let's see if we can come up with a short list of "further info" tags that make sense based on how we pick routes throughout the year, starting with some of the ones mentioned:

WINTER VARIATION
OFF-ROUTE
COULOIR
SKI/BOARD DESCENT
...
...Notable obstacles/challenges (such as bushwhacking)

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:32 am
by BillMiddlebrook
Right, BUSHWHACKING!

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:55 pm
by ekalina
Would being able to tag (or otherwise set) the difficulty of the routes by class be helpful? I'm a little torn on it myself since there is some subjectivity involved and one person's C3 might be another's C4. But it would probably be better than having no information at all.

Thanks for the GPX library. It is really fantastic.

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 3:05 pm
by BillMiddlebrook
ekalina wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:55 pm Would being able to tag (or otherwise set) the difficulty of the routes by class be helpful? I'm a little torn on it myself since there is some subjectivity involved and one person's C3 might be another's C4. But it would probably be better than having no information at all.

Thanks for the GPX library. It is really fantastic.
I think stuff like CLASS can be left to the notes field on the upload. Of course this is all a work-in-progress so I'll just have to spend time on it to refine the tags process so it's functional yet easy to use.

Thanks!

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 6:13 pm
by Bigfoot
What about a tag for NEW / OBSOLETE ?

On Challenger Point, there is a very nice new trail from below the lakes to just below the gully. I don't know how new it is, but it was very different than the track on the mobile app. Which then brings up the idea of allowing a selection for which GPX track to display on the app....

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2021 7:23 pm
by supranihilest
Bigfoot wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 6:13 pm What about a tag for NEW / OBSOLETE ?

On Challenger Point, there is a very nice new trail from below the lakes to just below the gully. I don't know how new it is, but it was very different than the track on the mobile app. Which then brings up the idea of allowing a selection for which GPX track to display on the app....
I like this, but don't see many users going back and utilizing it. There's dozens of trip reports with obsolete beta, for a semi-analogous example, and I bet that obsolete beta will remain in perpetuity. What about uploads from users who no longer use the site, or have died? I would say a thumbs up/thumbs down and/or comment section for a given GPX would be more useful, though Bill could certainly implement both; the OBSOLETE tag would be up to the uploader to add after the fact, while thumbs up/down/comments would be up to the user(s) of that GPX to add. The latter would be more of a "living" record as to whether the GPX is still valid or not.

My thoughts for tags:
ROPE USED (whether for climbing or rappelling)
SCRAMBLE (self-explanatory and only barely subjective)
CAMP/OVERNIGHT/MULTI-DAY/BACKPACK (whatever terminology desired, something to designate that a camp and camping gear were utilized)
Change COULOIR to SNOW CLIMB (or have both, I suppose, and automatically check SNOW CLIMB when COULOIR is selected; SNOW CLIMB is more general and would indicate use of axe/traction for a wider range of climbs where such gear may be useful, such as the Angel of Shavano or Sherman's south slopes, both of which are snow climbs but neither of which are couloirs)

I'd avoid stuff that could be too subjective like CLASS, LOOSE, EXPOSED, etc. Those are very subjective and can (and should) be entered by the uploader in the upload Notes field. It's the objective measures of gear used and route sub-type that are important, and even then I would leave it up to the user to mostly fill in the blanks on the gear they'd need based on broader tags (like SNOW CLIMB), time of year, and the uploader's comments.

Re: GPX Library (new)

Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2021 8:26 am
by BillMiddlebrook
supranihilest, this is very helpful! Thanks so much

Bigfoot, that Challenger route line will be updated on the site (including the mobile apps) when I get out there this summer to re-track it. As far as the GPX library keywords, using NEW/OBSOLETE keywords might be problematic since the status of a track may change if a trail is re-routed, etc., making a possible "NEW" tagged entry to become obsolete. :) I hope that made sense.