|  |  | Separate utilities

## Separate utilities

The GPSMan distribution includes (in the `util` directory) some other utilities that can also be downloaded from the GPSMan site.

The first three below were not integrated into GPSMan because the format of the HTML pages they read does not follow any known specification and may change at any time. They must be edited for configuration and GPSMan must be installed before they can be used.

### MapBlast waypoints

`mb2gmn.tcl` converts the waypoints listed in HTML pages of the MapBlast site into GPSMan files. At its core is code contributed by Martin Ostermann (Aachen University of Technology). It translates HTML pages produced at the MapBlast site in answer to queries under the `Directions` section; the pages should be saved locally and then opened from the program.

### MapsOnUS routes

`mou2gmn.tcl` converts the routes listed in HTML pages of the MapsOnUS site into GPSMan files. At its core is code contributed by Frank Kujawski (Frank`_at_`Kujawski.org). It translates HTML pages created at the MapsOnUS site as follows: go to the "General Options" (under the "Tools" menu), select "Show Latitude & Longitude", plan a route, "jump to turn-by-turn directions", hit the "non-tabular format" link and save locally the HTML page. These files are then opened from the program and the resulting files will contain the routes and their waypoints. The remark fields of the waypoints will have the directions in the HTML pages.

### GreenFlag routes

`gf2gmn.tcl` converts the routes listed in HTML pages of the GreenFlag site into GPSMan files. At its core is code contributed by Nigel Orr (gps`_at_`river-view.freeserve.co.uk). It translates HTML pages produced at the GreenFlag site as follows:

- enter the route details,
- select `Step by step maps` under `directions style` (down on the page),
- select `Get Directions`,
- save the page you get (HTML only; the maps are not needed).

The saved pages are then opened from `gf2gmn.tcl`.

### BGA (DOS) turnpoints

`dos2gpsman.tcl` converts BGA (British Gliding Association) DOS turnpoints files to GPSMan. It was contributed by Paul Scorer (p.scorer`_at_`leedsmet.ac.uk). It reads from and writes to the standard input and standard output unless otherwise specified by the arguments which are:

    [-p feature] [-f findability] [-a air_activity] \
             [-i in_file] [-o out_file] [-h] [--help]

where `findability` is a letter in A to D or G, and `air_activity` is a 1 or 2-characters string.

### Splitting a Shapefile into quadrants

`shape2quadr.tcl` reads a Shapefile and from a list of quadrangles (defined by extreme latitude and longitude) produces GPSMan files, one for the set of items in the file that belong to each quadrangle. Quadrangles may overlap. Items may belong to more than one quadrangle. This utility may prove helpful for dealing with large Shapefiles. It can be called in two ways:

- giving a name and the extreme coordinates of each quadrangle, the arguments in call being

      FILE PREFIX [NAME LONGMIN LONGMAX LATMIN LATMAX]+

  where `NAME` is the name of each quadrangle
- defining a grid of quadrangles, the arguments being

      FILE PREFIX -d QPREFIX LONG LONGRANGE STEPLONG MAXLONG \
                             LAT LATRANGE STEPLAT MAXLAT

  where `QPREFIX` is used in generating names for the quadrangles, each quadrangle having an extent of `LONGRANGE` by `LATRANGE`, the first has the southwest corner at `LONG,LAT`, and the southwest corners of the others follow at steps of `LONGSTEP` and `LATSTEP` and will not be greater than `MAXLONG` and `MAXLAT`

the common arguments being: `FILE`, the Shapefile to be read, and `PREFIX` that is used for generating a file name for each quadrangle.

Shapefiles with points are not supported and altitudes are not kept. The coordinates in the Shapefile are assumed to be in decimal degrees (DDD) in the "WGS 84" datum (it can easily be changed in the utility source).

All items read are saved as GPSMan polylines (LNs) in DDD format. Each quadrangle file will also have a group (GR) with all its polylines, so that it will be easy to display/hide all of them at once; the file starts with a comment giving the boundaries of the quadrangle. The file name is of the form `PREFIX_QUAD` where `QUAD` is the quadrangle name; each file is created in the current directory destroying any file under the same name.

|  |  | Separate utilities