GSAK A Primer pun intended V3
WHAT IS GSAK?
WHAT IS GSAK? GSAK is the all in one Geocaching and waypoint management tool. Major features include: Geocache and Waypoint visualization to Google and other maps, Extensive searching, and filtering Sending/receiving waypoints to GPSr, HTML output, Multiple databases, backup and restore, Distance/direction from other waypoints (including caches, locations), Tightly integrated to Geocaching.com, and other similar sites if needed, Statistics generation, and Macro support which gives much much more. GSAK only runs on Windows operating systems (XP, Vista, Win7, Win8)
GSAK really needs PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP at Geocaching.com GPX files (not.loc files) are really needed to get the value Also, Pocket Queries!
Installing really is fairly straightforward. Once installed, Double click the GSAK icon (a stylized GK within a red button) on your Windows desktop. The GSAK program will start. DOWNLOAD INSTALL, and SETUP GSAK The current version is v8.5 It is a good idea to Associate.GPX and.loc files with GSAK so that they can be automatically loaded into the program. If you use another similar program to open and use these types of files, then maybe click cancel. NEXT, GSAK will ask to populate your first database with the sample data. Click no. And final setup step associate GSAK with your Geocaching account
GSAK ALL ABOUT YOU https://www.geocaching.com/account/settings/membership
GSAK STAY UP TO DATE and congratulations, you are up and running with GSAK. You have installed the current most stable version of GSAK. But this is a program constantly being updated, fixed, improved. The really cool stuff is often in a much later patch version. In Tools Options Advanced there is the ability to check regularly for updates, including the small (almost daily sometimes) patches. V8.5.1.29 is the current version today. New patch releases come out very regularly. And of course REGISTER! Clyde (A guy based in WA actually) puts a lot of blood sweat and tears into this program for your benefit. $30 once off (for now) is a pretty good deal. After a while you will notice the nag screen when starting GSAK registering will fix that. Register in the HELP menu.
GSAK fixing <!-- >>>> A little glitch has been discovered in some logs by some people. To ensure that future log edits do not display the Log edited on/by etc, a practice has developed to put the characters <!-- at the bottom of a template log (we ll cover template logs later). Great idea, perhaps, but many handheld GPSrs can hang when reading such a log. This is of course very annoying. GSAK TO THE RESCUE! Update to v8.5.1.28 or later, click Database Repair/Defrag, click Yes on the warning (it s OK), and all is fixed {for the database you have open at the time you will have to do this for each database}. All future cache updates/imports will be fixed as they are imported.
GSAK GET SOME DATA NOW to get some data, some geocaches, into your database. There are four main ways to get data into GSAK: 1. Enter it manually. You may wish to do this for a new hide you are creating, but really there is no other reason to do this manually. But you can. 2. Click on the GPX file button on a cache page. One cache at a time, but handy 3. Use Pocket Queries 4. Use the Geocaching.com API (which stands for application programming interface, but you probably don t care it s a way for GSAK to do complicated things on the Geocaching.com site without you having to get involved).
GET SOME DATA GPX Load
GET SOME DATA GPX Load..and done
GET SOME DATA - PQs NOTE: Pocket Queries only get the last 5 logs. If this is an issue you may wish to use the API process (30 logs see next slides) or use a Get Logs API call which we ll cover later
GET SOME DATA - PQs This is a GSAK menu I have shown it opened, and highlighted the relevant option needed for this task. I will do this a lot. Another way I may describe the menu option to use is like this: Geocaching.com access Download pocket queries..and done
GET SOME DATA - API
GET SOME DATA - API API calls have distance limitations, 50kms for a circle PQs have no such limitation..and done
REFRESH YOUR DATA Once you ve got data into your database it is there for you to manipulate, report on, do things to and do things with. BUT It is only current as of that upload. There is no naturally automated manner to keep everything current. New caches get created, old ones get archived, logs get made against caches. Things change. The Date of last GPX is a field GSAK keeps which you can use to determine how out of date that cache is. But, put simply What you just did, you will need to do again, regularly. Maybe weekly, maybe more often what suits you
REFRESH YOUR DATA And remember, once a cache is Archived, your update process doesn t update it anymore so check for caches that haven t been updated recently since they may no longer be there. For individual caches (or a group of them) you can use the API menu to refresh logs, and status. Or just update the cache status (eg: is it archived?) or just get more logs Different options for updating data: This one is all data (logs limited) for selected caches. IMPORTANT NOTE: Each time you use an API feature on a cache you use a credit. You are limited to 6000 such credits per day, so, sometimes a PQ will still be best.
The Geocaching.com access menu (API) is one of the more powerful features of GSAK. Spend time exploring different options, and looking through the help pages.
USING GSAK The Basics I ll show you some stuff using my GSAK database. More Help SORTING AND FILTERING CHILD WAYPOINTS AND CORRECTED COORDINATES BASIC MACROS TALKING WITH YOUR GPSr MAPS STATS
I have a special database just for my QLD MEGA trip MY DATABASE I have set the QLD Mega event location as the centrepoint for this database Database Properties I have customised the layout to suit myself. This is done in Tools Options I have highlighted Mystery Caches without Corrected Coordinates to remind me of work to do. Waypoint Highlight
GSAK BABY STEPS
GSAK HELP Don t just take my word for it. There is all sorts of online help available. There are literally hundreds of Intro to GSAK presentations if you search the web, there is also a very comprehensive help section [F1] or the Help menu. And help is available on most screens. And there is a very active GSAK forum board (http://www.gsak.net/board/)
The [F8] Function button filters the database to just show those caches that have the User Flag checked. GSAK FILTERING Filtering a database means you just show the caches that meet whatever criteria you wish to set. These may be caches that are Puzzles, or Terrain > 3.0, Distance from Home < 300kms or things vastly more complicated. Filtering is yet another one of the strengths for GSAK. The most basic filter is the User Flag Just click the checkbox in that column for one cache at a time, or use the User Flags menu. An example: If the database is sorted by distance from a certain point, you can use the User Flags menu to Set the Flag for the next 50 records to check the 50 closest caches that might be your goal for today.
GSAK FILTERING Filtering can be done on any criteria you like. Use the Search Filter option or [Ctrl-F] to open the Set Filter screens: Most text-fields can also be filtered using RegEx (Regular Expressions) a common way in computers to do complex comparisons. Look up RegEx. Note: The underlying database is MYSQL, and SQL commands can be used for even greater effect Note: Combinations of any and all can be easily combined. Useful filters can also be named and saved for later use Note: Many many Date based possibilities
GSAK FILTERING And of course filtering can be done by geography: Use the Polygon drawing tool to draw an area to include (or exclude if you wish) all caches within
GSAK CHILD WAYPOINTS Some Geocaches have associated waypoints known here as Child Waypoints. For example: GC3E0GW Girraween Granite These will be shown on maps and in the display And you can quickly create your own, if, say, parking or track junctions were noted in the description or in logs and you want to have them displayed. Or if you are wanting to see possible puzzle solutions on a map to see if they are sensible? Just click on Add Note that several common alternative ways of writing coordinates are automatically calculated and displayed here. You can enter in any format.
GSAK CORRECTED COORDINATES Once you solve a puzzle, the posted coordinates are often of no further interest. Using the Waypoint Corrected Coordinates option you can update them to be where your solution says it is. This will make the puzzle cache show up on your maps and filters in the location it actually is. For field puzzles (such as GC5H213 I correct it s coordinates to be as posted (and for Challenges once I qualify) this is because I have a highlight in my database for unsolved puzzles, based on the existence of corrected coordinates. I have used such an example here so as to not give anything else away. Stan's Apple 08: Chirp Chirp) NOTE: Corrected Coordinates in GSAK are never overwritten by a refresh or download.
MACROS START HERE Trust me, you need to download some macros and use them. You don t have to understand, just install these ones to get started. Trust me!
GSAK INSTALLING A MACRO MACROS are little programs, or large ones, that run within GSAK to do amazingly clever, or repetitively simple things. The power of GSAK is unlocked here. Go to Macro Run/Manage Macros, or use [Ctrl-M], and then click the Online Macro Index. This just takes you to http://gsak.net/board/macroindex.php. Here there are some hundreds of macros, usually with a very brief description. There are millions more. But don t worry, I ll give you a few to get stuff happening. Search for maps. There are two here we will look at later: 1. Google_Map_V3 (authored by lignumaqua who is a wiz at this stuff), and 2. HTML_GoogleMapsNearestV3
Now do the same for HTML_GoogleMapsNearestV3 and you have two macros Installed now. Run the first one, Google_Map_V3 now to see what happens. It s safe. Cool eh? You will find the other one, HTML_GoogleMapsNearestV3 seems to do nothing it is different and we ll look at it later. GSAK INSTALLING A MACRO Click on Google_Map_V3 It will take you to a new web page, and right to the bottom where there is a link to the Attached File. There is some basic details on features, current versions etc on this page worthwhile reading. Click the Attached File link it ll download and then it will then pop up in GSAK with some options. You want to Install the macro Go and you are done
GSAK INSTALLING A MACRO Now that you know how to find and install a macro find and install these: FindStatGen3 GarminExport CopyFilterToLog PlacedDatesNotFound FillFinds APIPostLoggingRoutine There are so many others that you could use, even today explore at will and hunt through the forums for answers to questions you ve probably never had before. Challenges for example can often be researched using a macro (we will look at one example shortly).
Before we go much further. Time to create another database. A second one. This one will hold all your Found Geocaches. Some people just use one big database to hold Found and UnFound and use filters as needed. I use a separate database and that s the examples I will show here. 1. In Geocaching.com create a Pocket Query for My Finds 2. In GSAK Create a new database, (Database New) and call it Found or whatever you like. 3. Once the My Finds PQ is ready, use Geocaching.com access Download Pocket Queries to select and load all your found caches into it.
GSAK RUNING A MACRO Have you seen the GC4VFT3 Hidden Challenge? To qualify you have to find at least one geocache placed on every date of a year. Maybe you don t yet qualify, but want to know if any of the geocaches in your database will help you get there. You could sort on Placed Date, and then scroll through and User Flag any dates you don t have cross referencing them to the statistics screen in geocaching.com. Or you could run a macro. PlacedDatesNotFound macro will help. Run it. Tell it which database is which (don t limit it to a single year for this challenge), and click OK. You now have a filter applied to your database that tells you which caches here will help you (hopefully there are some).
VISUALISING ON MAPS
GSAK MAPS Go on, show off! With your new Found database (Database Select) run the Google_Maps_V3 macro and see where all your found geocaches are across the planet. Have you noticed yet the Split Screen (by default it is showing at the bottom, but can be turned on/off using View Split Screen or [F2]). It gives you the Geocache information, but also includes a rather configurable little map. In the top right corner of that map is a dropdown box with many map types to select. I use Satellite, OCM and Map the most myself but you may like others.
GSAK MAPS Google_Maps_V3 gives you an output view of what caches were showing in your database when it was run. If you change your filter, then you need to run the macro again. The Split Screen view shows whatever geocache you have selected at the time. It will show all the child waypoints as well, so that s useful. There s one more to show you, and I use Dual Screen mode for this myself. View Dual Screen. This is just a secondary window on your computer (very handy if you have more than one monitor) and you can put different information in there to suit your needs. This is where the HTML_GoogleMapNearestV3 macro can be used. Just choose Map Nearest V3 as the Screen Format and
GSAK MAPS
YOUR GPSr Download Caches Upload Finds PUBLISH LOGS
GSAK EXPORTS Having got your pile of Geocaches sorted, filtered, updated and in a state to use putting all that data onto a handheld device to go out and actually find and sign the cache needs an export capability. GSAK has that covered of course but if you use a Geocaching aware Garmin, then there is also a macro to use for even better results: (GarminExport). You can also use the GPS Send Waypoints menu option for an even simpler basic send to function
GSAK PUBLISH LOGS Geocaching.com access Publish Logs This is the area to do your logging: 1. Fetch data from your GPSr (or from a filter if doing it manually) you can also [right-click] any cache in the database as Add to Publish Logs 2. Edit the Log Entry. You can create a series of templates to streamline parts of the process (notably for the cut paste aspects of any log). 3. You can use database fields in the log entry (and in Templates) for further streamlining. The smilie faces are very easy to insert just click one. 4. Trackables can be dipped, dropped or picked up 5. Images can be uploaded, FTF and Favourites can be quickly marked 6. Some basic HTML formatting can be easily used, including fonts and links 7. Spelling can be checked Editing Logs can be done really really easily.
GSAK FETCH
Field Notes or Comments added to a GPSr will be placed here for ease of reference GSAK LOGGING
GSAK LOGGING This is the date from your GPSr if fetched from there, or the date added to Publish Logs. Field Notes or Comments added to a GPSr will be placed here for ease of reference Mark it as Favourite, or FTF, or insert Alternate Coords here Click on Preview to see what it would look like online My default Template is inserted note use of tags also a list of smilies to just click on where needed
GSAK POST LOGGING For each log I insert the Find Number in the Usort field After all logs are published, I move all found caches into my Found database and then run a series of macros that refresh my Hides database, generates updated statistics, and presents my profile page so I can update that too. If I put FTF or FAV in the Comment for a cache on my GPSr, GSAK will mark them automatically.
STATISTICS
GSAK FSG GSAK is very famous for producing statistics. There are other ways of doing some of this now-a-days, but the original GSAK way is called FindStatGen Finds Statistics Generator, or just FSG to its friends. We can just run the macro now, tell it some things about ourselves and our databases, click OK and a rather decent web page will be produced. To put that into our geocaching.com (GC) profile you need to: 1. Run the macro and wait until the final result shows up in your browser. 2. Go to your GC 'My Profile' page 3. Click 'My Public Profile' (In the top right of the page) 4. Click 'Edit your profile" (Just under your name at the top of the page) 5. Click somewhere in the 'Profile Details' text entry box 6. Press Ctrl-A to select all the old text that's in there 7. Press Ctrl-V to paste in the new (already in your clipboard waiting to be pasted from when you ran the macro) 8. Click 'Save Changes and you're done! But check out the Options section and knock yourself out!
GSAK FSG One more thing There are ADDON macros for FSG. Yes, little macros that don t run by themselves, but can be called from within FSG by putting <plugin>fsgplugin name</plugin> into any notes field in the options section of FSG itself. FSG addons can be found at: http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showforum=44 There are three pages of these, more added regularly here is just a small sample
GSAK FSG
GSAK FSG There are a lot of different types of statistics, check out people s profiles for inspiration. For example, mine is at: http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?uid=3242360
1. http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/gc580y8_elementary- 1-0 Create a child with the UTM data Use the coordinates as Corrected Coordinates 2. http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/gc5gvcv_stans-apple- 21-spell-it-out-challenge Create a PQ of all your found geocaches Create a new database, upload all your found caches into it Filter for geocaches that start with those letters Flag the ones you want to use, noting that you require seven different cache types [F8] Filter for just the flagged caches Use the Usort field to order them to spell QLDMEGA Run the CopyFilterToLog macro to use this list in a PublishLogs API draft WHAT NEXT? Let s solve two simple puzzles to highlight some of what we ve seen.
THANKYOU Pprime (P`)