How to Use Travel Mapping

Started by Jim, September 07, 2015, 02:55:57 PM

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Jim

Travel Mapping is still very much in development, but we welcome users, both those who previously used CHM (the now defunct Clinched Highway Mapping project) and new users, to submit their travels for inclusion in the system.

To use the system, build a ".list" file showing the segments you've traveled on the highways we've included in the project.  This process is substantially the same as it was in CHM.  CHM's process is described at http://cmap.m-plex.com/docs/getstarted.php.  Please refer to that until we get our own instruction manual up, but note the following changes:


  • Our draft highway browser, which will show the latest versions of all routes in the project, is at http://tm.teresco.org/devel/hb.php.  Yes, it's ugly but the essentials are there and it will be improved over time (web development volunteers are welcome).  Note that the ".list Name" column on the big list of routes gives the region and route name you'll need as the first two items on each .list file line.
  • If you are coming to the project from CHM, you are welcome to submit your old .list file then see what errors show up (see below for where to look) or make a preemptive pass through our updates page for changes that will affect you: http://tm.teresco.org/devel/updates.php
  • You can submit files by email to travmap@teresco.org or by forking our GitHub repository at https://github.com/TravelMapping/UserData, adding your file, and submitting a pull request (detailed instructions on this method to be produced - would be happy to receive some to post from one of the several users who are maintaining their files this way).
  • We have no "traveler list" page yet, but you can find your maps and stats as described below.

Once the first version of your .list file has been imported and the site has been updated (a process I sometimes do several times in a day, while other times it's several days between updates), you can see your information in a few ways:


Many more maps, lists of travelers, more stats, will come over time.  I am very sure we'll have everything CHM had and a lot more.

Though we've made and continue to make a lot of updates and fixes to the highway data compared to the last version from CHM, former CHM users should find that their CHM .list files are still a great starting point for mapping your travels with the new system.

I intend to keep this post current as URLs change, functionality is added, etc.
Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)


1995hoo

Thanks. As a practical matter, does it make sense just to submit one's existing CHM .list file (after I update it for today's new segments, of course) and then look at the log file to figure out what one needs to change? Or are the new site's data different enough that we should plan on rechecking our .list files before submitting?

Thanks again.....I wish I could help out putting it together, but with virtually no programming skills and with less time these past five months I suppose I wouldn't have been of much use!
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Duke87

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 07, 2015, 06:15:42 PM
Thanks. As a practical matter, does it make sense just to submit one's existing CHM .list file (after I update it for today's new segments, of course) and then look at the log file to figure out what one needs to change? Or are the new site's data different enough that we should plan on rechecking our .list files before submitting?

It's the same data except for updates made due to construction or designation changes, as was routine in the past. 
Updates are listed here: http://www.teresco.org/~terescoj/travelmapping/devel/updates.php

So, worth checking the update list for any routes you've traveled that may be affected, but otherwise the existing list entries will work just fine.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

Jim

Good point about the updates page.  I'll add that to the first post.
Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)

1995hoo

Great, thanks. I'll try to send it in next time I turn on my PC, although on the other hand our trip out west begins two weeks from Wednesday, so I may just wait until afterwards because I'll have a bunch of new additions to my list since it's all new territory for me.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Jim

Please note the simplified URLs in the first post of this thread.  All "http://www.teresco.org/~terescoj/travelmapping/" portions of URLs have been simplified to "http://tm.teresco.org/".  The old URLs should continue to work indefinitely.  Another change is anticipated once the travelmapping.net domain is ready to point to the development site.  Please let me know if you notice anything has broken as a result of this change.
Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)

michih

Quote from: Jim on September 27, 2015, 11:10:03 AM
Please note the simplified URLs in the first post of this thread.  All "http://www.teresco.org/~terescoj/travelmapping/" portions of URLs have been simplified to "http://tm.teresco.org/".

Thanks :). Would be great if you could link this page (http://tm.teresco.org/logs/) on the start page. Or you could directly link from the user selection to the user-dependent log file (http://tm.teresco.org/logs/michih.log).

Jim

Quote from: michih on September 28, 2015, 07:42:46 AM
Quote from: Jim on September 27, 2015, 11:10:03 AM
Please note the simplified URLs in the first post of this thread.  All "http://www.teresco.org/~terescoj/travelmapping/" portions of URLs have been simplified to "http://tm.teresco.org/".

Thanks :). Would be great if you could link this page (http://tm.teresco.org/logs/) on the start page. Or you could directly link from the user selection to the user-dependent log file (http://tm.teresco.org/logs/michih.log).

Link to the logs directory is now there.  It still requires the second click to find the log you want to view.
Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)

Sub-Urbanite

I want to thank the team for getting this rolling. It's great.

Jim

Anyone interested in getting an email notification each time a site update completes successfully so you know when to go see new highway data or results of update list submissions, visit

http://www.teresco.org/mailman/listinfo/travelmapping-siteupdates

and subscribe to this mailing list.  At this time, my intent is that site update notifications will be the only messages sent to this list.  I seem to be averaging about 2 site updates per day lately, though at times I run several in quick succession if I'm tracking down a problem or making small fixes.
Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)

yakra

Is an email sent automatically for each site update, or do you manually choose when to send one (such as in the "several in quick succession" cases)?
"Officer, I'm always careful to drive the speed limit no matter where I am and that's what I was doin'." Said "No, you weren't," she said, "Yes, I was." He said, "Madam, I just clocked you at 22 MPH," and she said "That's the speed limit," he said "No ma'am, that's the route numbah!"  - Gary Crocker

Jim

It's automatic on every update.  It's the last few lines of my site update script (which is specific enough to my own computer and the current server for the live site that I don't have it in GitHub).

Would there be any interest in another mailing list where new updates entries would be sent?
Photos I post are my own unless otherwise noted.
Signs: https://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/
Travel Mapping: https://travelmapping.net/user/?u=terescoj
Counties: http://www.mob-rule.com/user/terescoj
Twitter @JimTeresco (roads, travel, skiing, weather, sports)

slorydn1

I have a dumb question about these list files (having never compiled one before):

For a particular road, say I-40 for example, do I have to submit each state separately or can I submit the portion traveled as a whole-in my case from I-25 (I-40 exit 159 in New Mexico) to it's eastern terminus in Wilmington NC?


Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

froggie

You'll have to have a separate entry for each state the route passes through.  The routes are broken down by route and by state for the Interstate and US routes.

slorydn1

Quote from: froggie on January 12, 2016, 11:56:35 AM
You'll have to have a separate entry for each state the route passes through.  The routes are broken down by route and by state for the Interstate and US routes.


Thanks Froggie. Well, I better get to work then ;)
Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

slorydn1

#15
I "think" I just registered on CHM, guess I'll find out when an admin approves me.

Before I go any farther with doing my list file I want to make sure I am doing it right. Here are the first few lines from my list so far, does the format appear correct to you:

FL I-4 FL 9/FL 132
FL I-10 FL 130/FL 362
NM I-10 NM 144/TX
TX I-10 NM/TX 186
GA I-16 GA 1/GA 157
Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

rickmastfan67

#16
Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 02:54:10 PM
I "think" I just registered on CHM, guess I'll find out when an admin approves me.

If you registered on the 'old' fourms, nobody can approve accounts there any more after Tim went offline.  All discussion is currently being handled here, however we will soon have a new forum online for the project where people can properly report errors in the files if they don't want to play with GitHub. :)

Post Merge: January 12, 2016, 03:43:33 PM

Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 02:54:10 PM
Before I go any farther with doing my list file I want to make sure I am doing it right. Here are the first few lines from my list so far, does the format appear correct to you:

FL I-4 FL 9/FL 132
FL I-10 FL 130/FL 362
NM I-10 NM 144/TX
TX I-10 NM/TX 186
GA I-16 GA 1/GA 157

Only line that looks ok is the TX I-10 one.

If you take a look here, you can see multiple examples of valid files for the project. ;)

mapcat

Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 02:54:10 PM
Before I go any farther with doing my list file I want to make sure I am doing it right. Here are the first few lines from my list so far, does the format appear correct to you:

FL I-4 FL 9/FL 132
FL I-10 FL 130/FL 362
NM I-10 NM 144/TX
TX I-10 NM/TX 186
GA I-16 GA 1/GA 157

The format for each line goes like this:

Region<space>route<space>waypoint1<space>waypoint2

Route names and waypoints never have spaces in them (although waypoints may have other characters, such as _). Spaces separate each of the four items on each line. Waypoint1 and waypoint2 are interchangeable.

The slash in NM/TX is just part of the name for a waypoint that exists at the New Mexico-Texas state line. There is no need for slashes between other items in each line.

HTH.

slorydn1

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on January 12, 2016, 03:36:27 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 02:54:10 PM
I "think" I just registered on CHM, guess I'll find out when an admin approves me.

If you registered on the 'old' fourms, nobody can approve accounts there any more after Tim went offline.  All discussion is currently being handled here, however we will soon have a new forum online for the project where people can properly report errors in the files if they don't want to play with GitHub. :)


Post Merge: January 12, 2016, 03:43:33 PM


Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 02:54:10 PM
Before I go any farther with doing my list file I want to make sure I am doing it right. Here are the first few lines from my list so far, does the format appear correct to you:

FL I-4 FL 9/FL 132
FL I-10 FL 130/FL 362
NM I-10 NM 144/TX
TX I-10 NM/TX 186
GA I-16 GA 1/GA 157

Only line that looks ok is the TX I-10 one.

If you take a look here, you can see multiple examples of valid files for the project. ;)

Ok. Thanks for that. Oh well time to start over. I just registered for a free github account, now I have to figure out how to use it. I may just continue on doing my list my way and then correcting it for format errors. I am currently changing it from the spread sheet I have to a text file-plus I still have all those pesky little 3di's to do, and I haven't even begun to think about US/State routes yet (lol).

It might be time to call on a higher being (my son who works in I.T.) for a little back up on this one!

Side question: Do you all ever forsee a time in the future when less tech savy people such as myself will be able to just click waypoints and have the totals added up that way? It would save a ton of headache for the end user! But I do acknowledge even with my very limited computer skills I know it would be a real PITA for the developer(s) to set up, and y'all are volunteering to do this on your own time (and it's greatly appreciated)!!  :bigass:
Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

slorydn1

Quote from: mapcat on January 12, 2016, 04:17:59 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 02:54:10 PM
Before I go any farther with doing my list file I want to make sure I am doing it right. Here are the first few lines from my list so far, does the format appear correct to you:

FL I-4 FL 9/FL 132
FL I-10 FL 130/FL 362
NM I-10 NM 144/TX
TX I-10 NM/TX 186
GA I-16 GA 1/GA 157

The format for each line goes like this:

Region<space>route<space>waypoint1<space>waypoint2

Route names and waypoints never have spaces in them (although waypoints may have other characters, such as _). Spaces separate each of the four items on each line. Waypoint1 and waypoint2 are interchangeable.

The slash in NM/TX is just part of the name for a waypoint that exists at the New Mexico-Texas state line. There is no need for slashes between other items in each line.

HTH.

Ok I think I am getting this.

So, in order to clean up my example above it should be

FL I-4 FL 9 132
FL I-10 FL 130 362
NM I-10 NM 144 NM/TX
TX I-10 NM/TX 186
GA I-16 GA 1 157

Is that better, or is the extra "region" delimiter (Like GA I-16 GA 1 157) still too much?

Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

mapcat

Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 04:41:29 PM
Ok I think I am getting this.

So, in order to clean up my example above it should be

FL I-4 FL 9 132
FL I-10 FL 130 362
NM I-10 NM 144 NM/TX
TX I-10 NM/TX 186
GA I-16 GA 1 157

Is that better, or is the extra "region" delimiter (Like GA I-16 GA 1 157) still too much?

No, the state gets mentioned only once.

FL I-4 9 132 <- that's enough to say that you've been on all of I-4 in Florida between exit 9 and exit 132.

slorydn1

Quote from: mapcat on January 12, 2016, 04:56:02 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 04:41:29 PM
Ok I think I am getting this.

So, in order to clean up my example above it should be

FL I-4 FL 9 132
FL I-10 FL 130 362
NM I-10 NM 144 NM/TX
TX I-10 NM/TX 186
GA I-16 GA 1 157

Is that better, or is the extra "region" delimiter (Like GA I-16 GA 1 157) still too much?

No, the state gets mentioned only once.

FL I-4 9 132 <- that's enough to say that you've been on all of I-4 in Florida between exit 9 and exit 132.

Thanks much!!! Now I know I got it, I am cleaning up my list that I have done already. I have tons more work to do before I am ready to submit just the Interstates so it will be a few days before I will be bugging y'all again (I have to work the next 2 days).
Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

noelbotevera

I don't really understand the concept. I am interested in the service, but if anyone can tell me how it works, shoot me a PM (cause I don't really want text walls...sorry for acting like an admin). I could contribute a few things here and there.

oscar

Quote from: slorydn1 on January 12, 2016, 04:20:00 PM
I may just continue on doing my list my way and then correcting it for format errors. I am currently changing it from the spread sheet I have to a text file-plus I still have all those pesky little 3di's to do, and I haven't even begun to think about US/State routes yet (lol).

Especially when you get past the Interstates (where most of the waypoints are labeled for their interchange numbers), the waypoint names are not always intuitive, such as abbreviated names for unnumbered intersecting roads, or junctions with two or more numbered routes. There's no substitute for looking up the routes you want to log in our Highway Browser, and picking out the waypoints you need from there.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html



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