[villages07]

Mike... That is fantastic. Thanks for all your efforts. Pretty clever way to use tools that already exist. The cyclists can certainly use it too.

Innovation of the year (so far)

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

You're a frickin' genius, my friend!! Thanks for your efforts.

(Note to self: Now I need to go get a smartphone.......)

Bill

Originally Posted by angiefox10

....... I'm with Bill... You are a freaking genius! And... he does need to get into the 19th century. (baby steps) ........

Sorry to just be getting back here - I've been on the phone.



Bill

[oatmealgirls]

Originally Posted by memason

Go try it out [via Google Maps on the Internet] and let me know what you think, so far. ...

... I am still updating streets, but I'm also searching for an appropriate app (Android & iOS) to allow true GPS routing via cart paths, on your smartphone.

Stay tuned . . .

Just checked...WOW, this is GREAT!! Thanks for doing this!
Would be neat to have an app too!
Way to go!!!

[zcaveman]

Really cool! Thanks!

[Indydealmaker]

Mike, Very, very nice!

[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

Sorry to just be getting back here - I've been on the phone.



Bill

I've corrected your post!

[Jazzper]

Originally Posted by memason

As promised, I have been working on providing all cart paths, throughout the Villages for GPS availability and eventually an app.

......

I am still updating streets, but I'm also searching for an appropriate app (Android & iOS) to allow true GPS routing via cart paths, on your smartphone.

Stay tuned . . .

Hi memason,

This is a very intriguing concept and great approach. Are you planning on developing the app personally? If so, I'd love to catch up and chat with someone down here who is familiar with Objective-C, Cocoa and the IOS 5 SDK. Gladly buy you a beer or 3 to pick your brain!

Although I've got lots of Windows development experience, I'm VERY new to the Apple world. As a virtual novice, I've been trying to get up to speed on Objective-C as a first step (in my spare time between golf and billiards) by doing some of the tutorials that are out there on-line but would really like the insight of someone with more experience in the Mac world.

PS.
Re the mapping program, have you checked out the OpenStreetMaps org? You're probably already aware of it but if not, you might want to look into that path -- pun intended...

Good luck!!

[CarGuys]

You Da Man!

Herv

[memason]

Originally Posted by Jazzper

Hi memason,

This is a very intriguing concept and great approach. Are you planning on developing the app personally? If so, I'd love to catch up and chat with someone down here who is familiar with Objective-C, Cocoa and the IOS 5 SDK. Gladly buy you a beer or 3 to pick your brain!

Although I've got lots of Windows development experience, I'm VERY new to the Apple world. As a virtual novice, I've been trying to get up to speed on Objective-C as a first step (in my spare time between golf and billiards) by doing some of the tutorials that are out there on-line but would really like the insight of someone with more experience in the Mac world.

PS.
Re the mapping program, have you checked out the OpenStreetMaps org? You're probably already aware of it but if not, you might want to look into that path -- pun intended...

Good luck!!

Hi Jazzper. Sorry, but I am not an Apple programmer. My plan was to mark all of the cart paths, throughout TV, as bike trails. Google is in "beta" for routing on bike trails. Right now, bike routing is not very good, but I might be able to assist them with that, for our area.

Once the paths are all marked, I will be searching through the thousands of iOS and Android apps to find one that will route via bicycle paths.

I did look at openstreets, but found google to be a little easier to mark the cart paths (multi-modal paths).

You might try the Villages Mac User Group for programming assistance.

Later...... Mike

[blueash]

I love this concept. I'm not clear on the format of the map. Sometimes there is a green line, sometimes an almost black line which can be thick or thin, sometimes a dotted line, and when I had the traffic option on (don't do it) it becomes really confusing with yellow circles in the roundabouts. Hopefully you will figure a way to make the golf cart bridge appear. I'll keep watching . This is a great project, thanx

[memason]

What's going well:

I have mapped all of the major multi-modal trails, throughout TV. By using Google Maps and turning on the bicycle layer, you can now see all of the trails. This should be especially helpful for folks that need to understand the trails and tunnels along Morse and Buena Vista Blvd., as well as El Camino Real. All of these are now mapped. If someone wants to know how to follow the multi-modal trail to the Villages Woodworking Club [a place that's hard to find via golf cart], that trail is also available now, as an example. There are still some neighborhood trails, around the Chula Vista area, which I am unfamiliar. Those trails might take a little longer to get mapped, since I need to find them and drive them.

What's not going so well:

1.) As you look at the map, you will see that Google has colored the trails different colors. Many of the multi-modal trails are bright green, but others they have marked in green dotted lines. Green dotted lines on Streets, is probably OK. But, for dedicated trails, I'm trying to get them to mark them all bright green. However, if the route is bright green or dotted green, it is OK for golf cart driving. Like Morse Blvd. north of 466....dotted green all the way up and is OK for cart driving on the street.

2). GPS routing leaves a bit to be desired. To get the cart trails into Google Maps and have them available for GPS mapping, I had to designate the trails as BICYCLE trails. GPS routing on Bike trails is still in beta on Google Maps. Therefore, when you try to using GPS routing to get to a specific location, you will get a combination of routing over cart trails and streets. Many of the streets will be illegal for a cart, like 466 or Rolling Acres, etc. I am still working with Google to get these routes more accurate, but it will take some time for that to happen. However, in most cases, the GPS route will allow you to see the multi-modal trail right next to the street.

In the meantime, I'd be interested in your feedback on whether this is a worthwhile project. Go take a look at the trails and if you know of some trails I have missed, you can reply here or send me a PM and I'll try to get those into the maps.

Cheers . . .

[ajbrown]

My initial reaction is

I personally have not used a map to get anywhere in my golf cart in TV for years.

However, this is a great tool to be shared with my Friends and family that visit. It looks like it is a painstaking process, so I simply wanted to state:

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Mike, this is great stuff as far as I'm concerned, especially for newer folks who aren't real familiar with the multi-modal paths.

One thing I thought of in snooping through your work - - - It would be helpful/useful to add the "Road Through Beruit" (as Sandy and I call it) - the 'over the river and through the woods' route to get from the Historic Side on up to the 27/441 WalMart (and everything in between) via cart.

I can't imagine the time and effort you've invested in this. I, for one, really appreciate you doing it for everybody!

Bill

[memason]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

Mike, this is great stuff as far as I'm concerned, especially for newer folks who aren't real familiar with the multi-modal paths.

One thing I thought of in snooping through your work - - - It would be helpful/useful to add the "Road Through Beruit" (as Sandy and I call it) - the 'over the river and through the woods' route to get from the Historic Side on up to the 27/441 WalMart (and everything in between) via cart.

I can't imagine the time and effort you've invested in this. I, for one, really appreciate you doing it for everybody!

Bill

Thanks Bill... I forgot that one, since it's a route I have never used. At any rate, I just added the dirt road that gets you over to Lowes & the other short stretch to get you to Walmart. It has been published, but might take a few hours to actually appear on Google Maps.

Later.... Mike

[Bill-n-Brillo]

You da man, Mike!

Bill