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Geocaching Map Enhancements

GME is a Greasemonkey script that adds alternative map types to the maps page and cache listings on Geocaching.com. It also adds other enhancements like drag'n'drop support, adjustable brightness, cache labels on the map, a location information tool and GB grid reference search.

© 2013-14 James Inge
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Features

Choice of map and aerial photography sources

  • Topo maps

    Local map types like Ordnance Survey Maps can give higher quality topographic mapping for specific areas, showing contours, rights of way, and other useful information not available from the other main map sources.
  • Aerial photos

    A choice of aerial photographs can be helpful in revealing features hidden by seasonal vegetation or snow, as they are often taken at a different time of year.
  • Easy configuration

    GME allows you to choose which map sources to make available, set a default map and add other map sources and overlays of your own. Map choices work on the geocache listing and trackable map pages, as well as the main map page. Just click the gear icon on the map page to configure.
  • Additional map sources and overlays
  • Technical details for creating map sources

Location info tool

  • Click on the i icon, then click somewhere on the map to see information and tools for that point.
  • Show coordinates

    See the coordinates for the point. On systems that understand geo: URIs (e.g. Android), clicking on the coordinates should allow you to view the point in different apps.
  • List caches

    Takes you to the text-based search page for that location - handy if you want to mark a selection of the caches to download coordinates or see other information like last-found dates or trackables present.
  • Show/hide caches

    Allows you to remove all the cache icons from the map, or put them back. Useful to remove clutter when you've zoomed out a long way, or for route planning when you're not actually geocaching!
  • Markers

    Drop circles on the map to show how many caches are within a certain distance, or to help space out new caches.
  • Local photos

    Check out the area with pictures from Panoramio (worldwide) and Geograph (in the British Isles and Germany).
  • Google Directions

    If you're logged in and have set your home coordinates, GME can get you driving directions to the point.
  • Google Streetview

    See what the area looks like. This only works for points near streets (duh!), otherwise you're likely to just get a map of North America. On Android, this should launch the native Streetview app.
  • Spot height

    Find the altitude of the location, using data from Geonames. Spot heights are available between 83°N and 63°S)
  • MAGIC Map

    (UK only) - shows environmentally sensitive areas where special permission is needed to place geocaches
  • Wikimapia

    Find out more about the area with the community-built interactive map.

Enhanced map search

  • More search results

    GME uses the Geonames geocoding service to get more search hits in the country you're viewing on the map. It displays up to 10 results, with the fallback to use the normal geocaching.com search. If you want results from a different country, just add it to the search string, e.g. Paris, France
  • Direct zoom

    Jump directly to to any zoom level, without having to hit "+" or "-" lots of times. Just type zoom or z and the zoom level number. e.g. zoom 5 is country level, zoom 18 is block level.
  • Search by GC-code

    Type in the waypoint for a cache (e.g. GC1234) to pan the map to its location. Only works when you are logged in.
  • Search by UK Grid Reference

    Type the OSGB grid ref in the normal box and hit the search button! You can use 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10-digit references with prefix letters, and the map will zoom and centre on the relevant 10km, 1km, 100m, 10m or 1m grid square (e.g. SU12344225). Alternatively, you can use absolute grid refs with a comma but no prefix (e.g. 439668,1175316).

More map enhancements

  • Route measurement

    Draw a route on the map, measure its length and export it as a GPX file. Use the route tool (pin icon) to mark waypoints on the map. Drag and drop waypoint pins to edit the route, or click on them to delete the whole route or the individual waypoint. To export the route for use on your GPSr or in another application, click on a pin, then the "GPX" link, and save the result with a .gpx extension. If you left-click the link, some browsers (not Firefox v25+) will prompt you to save the GPX file or open it in an app of your choice. However, GME cannot set the filename, so it may be given a strange default name by your browser.

    You can also drag and drop the "GPX" link onto another GME-enhanced map, or another application that supports drag'n'drop, like a text editor. In Chrome, you should also be able to drag the GPX link directly to your desktop.
  • Cache labelling

    Adds a "Cache List" panel to the left of the main map, which allows you to label the caches on the map and see them in a list. The labels can be configured to show either GC-codes (neater) or cache names (more helpful) - click the gear icon to configure.
  • Follow-me mode

    The "Find My Location" button on the map can be configured to continuously centre the map on your location. Only helpful on mobile devices that notice when they've been moved!
  • Home button

    When you're logged in and have set your home coordinates, GME will add a button to pan the map back to your home location.
  • Width indicator

    GME shows you the width of the visible map area, configurable for miles or km.
  • Map brightness

    A configuration option allows you to turn down the brightness of the base map, to make the cache icons more obvious. NB This turns the map background black rather than grey, making map loading times more obvious on slower connections.

HTML5 drag-and-drop support

  • In compatible browsers, the cache icon next to the title on a cache page will be highlighted for dragging and dropping.
  • Drag

    Drag the cache icon from the cache page onto the main map page or the detailed map on a cache listing page (doesn't work with the overview map). When you drop it onto a map, you will also see any additional waypoints or corrected coordinates for the cache.
  • Drop

    Show routes, GPS tracks, waypoints and caches on the map by dropping GPX and LOC files from your desktop.

Enhanced cache listings

  • Driving directions

    Adds a link for driving directions from your home coordinates to any additional waypoints marked as parking or trailhead locations. Look for the car icon. You have to be logged in with your home coordinates set for this to work.
  • Geolocation

    Check the distance from "here" to the cache location using your browser's geolocation capability.
  • Corrected coordinates

    The cache page map shows corrected coordinates, with a line back to the cache's original location.
  • Scale bar

    Adds a scale to the corner of detail map on the cache page
  • Display on main map

    Clicking through from a cache page to the Geocaching Maps via "View Larger Map" now shows additional waypoints and corrected coordinates for a cache on the main map page. This makes it much easier to see where a visit to a multi or puzzle cache will take you close to other geocaches.

Enhanced Hide & Seek a Cache page

  • Geolocation

    Do a 1-click search near "here" using your browser's geolocation capability. How well this works depends on your web browser and device. Works best on devices with wifi or built-in GPS.
  • Freeform coordinates

    Paste coordinates into a single box in pretty much any format you like.
  • Grid ref

    Search by UK National Grid reference. Accepts 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10-digit references with prefix letters (e.g. SU12344225). Alternatively, you can use absolute grid refs with a comma but no prefix (e.g. 439668,1175316).
  • Keyword search

    Now that Geocaching.com's keyword search has been replaced by a "Name starting with" search, GME adds the option of a custom Google search for finding caches by name.

Enhanced trackables map

  • Numbered logs

    Numbers the log entries to match the map, so you can see which cache is which.
  • Map centering

    Adds map icons by each log entry to pan the map to the corresponding cache.
© 2013-14 James Inge
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Installation Instructions

GME is hosted on OpenUserJS.org and can either be installed from the button at the top of this page, or via https://openuserjs.org/scripts/JRI/Geocaching_Map_Enhancements

NB you shouldn't notice anything different after installation until you visit Geocaching.com. If you already have Geocaching.com open in your browser, you will need to refresh the page for the script to take effect. If you are a Premium Member, you will also need to choose to use the Leaflet Maps API rather than Google Maps.

Firefox

Install the Greasemonkey addon first (if you haven't already got it), then click the 'Install' button at the top right of the page. Wait for the Greasemonkey installation dialog, then click its 'Install' button to complete the process.

Chrome and Opera

If you have a userscript manager like Tampermonkey installed, you can just click on the green install button at the top-right of the page. Alternatively, you may be able to install without using a userscript manager by right-clicking on the button, saving the script somewhere, then drag-n-droping it onto the chrome://extensions extensions page. Unfortunately, due to new security measures being introduced in by Google, this method is likely to fail, with GME being disabled on account of not coming from the Chrome Store.

Opera Classic and Opera Classic Mobile

These instructions are for old-style Opera (up to v12). Later versions are based on Chromium (like Google Chrome) and work differently. If you haven't already, you need to configure a User Javascript folder. Navigate to the User Prefs section of opera:config, then tick "Always Load User JavaScript", "User JavaScript" and "User JavaScript on HTTPS". Enter the path to a suitable folder (not a file) in the "User JavaScript File" field (I use /sdcard/userscripts/ on my tablet), then hit the Save button at the bottom of the page to store the settings. Create the folder, if it doesn't already exist, then save a copy of the script in that folder. In the desktop version of Opera, you can right-click on the green Install button at the top right of this page, select 'Save linked content as...' and save the script into the folder you just selected. In the mobile version, you might need to do this using a different browser, then go back to Opera.

Firefox Mobile (Fennec)

GME is not available for Firefox Mobile at the moment. There don't seem to be working versions of Greasemonkey, Scriptish or other user script compilers for Fennec at the moment. Until I get round to re-writing my own user-script compiler, I suggest using Opera Classic instead.

Internet Explorer

Support for IE is a bit experimental at the moment, but I have got GME running under IE8. See instructions in this uso thread.

Other browsers

GME may well work on other browsers that have userscript support, either built-in or through add-ons. It has been reported to work in Seamonkey with Scriptish and Safari with Ninjakit. If you get it working on another browser, please send me installation instructions!

Remember that if you are a Premium Member, you will need to select Leaflet Maps before GME will work (use the Set Map Preferences button at the bottom of the pop-out panel on the left of the Geocaching Maps screen).

If you have previously installed other userscripts that interact with the Geocaching Map page you may also need to disable them or change the order in which they are installed, to avoid conflicts.

Once everything is working, you might want to add additional map sources.

© 2013-14 James Inge
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GME Limitations

  • Map API

    GME uses the Leaflet Maps API to display maps, and does not work with the Google Maps API. If you are a basic member of geocaching.com, you will be using the Leaflet API anyway. If you are a premium member, by default you will be using Google Maps. You can switch to Leaflet Maps by using the "Set Map Preferences" button at the bottom of the pop-out panel on the left of the Geocaching Maps page.
  • Map availability

    Some map types are only available in particular areas and at particular zoom levels. If you don't see any map imagery, try zooming out or switching to another map type. You're most likely to have this issue when you've just jumped to a new place using the search box or the location widget.
  • Account-related features

    Maps on cache pages and searching by GC-code only work if you are logged in, and for premium caches, if you are a Premium Member. Similarly, you need to log in for GME to use your home coordinates. You don't have to be logged in to see the main Geocaching Maps page though.
  • Enhanced Search behaviour

    The script tries to understand search terms as grid references first, then tries Geonames, then passes on what it can't understand to the normal geocoding service to figure out, which will probably interpret it as some kind of zip/postal code. This means that if you try to search for a post code that looks like a grid reference, you may not get the result you hoped for (e.g. TQ10 will pan the map to Worthing, not Totnes). If this causes you problems, there is a configuration setting you can use to disable enhanced searches.
  • Geolocation

    The accuracy of geolocation results depends on the combination of your web browser and device, not the script. It can be accurate to meters (built-in GPS or wifi triangulation), km (cellphone cell id) or hundreds of km (IP address look-up). On mobile devices, most browsers ought to be able to use the same hardware location sources, but on the desktop, some browsers are much more clever than others!
  • Session refresh

    To get the best use from the session refresh function, log in to Geocaching.com with the "remember me on this computer" option ticked. If you don't, you get logged out when your session expires, and although the refresh will preserve the map view, you won't be able to see your found caches anyway.
  • Configuration storage

    The configuration widget will only work if your browser supports the W3C Web Storage API ("localStorage"). This should be most modern browsers. Security software that wipes or blocks Web Storage will mean that GME will use a default configuration each time it is loaded.
  • Testing

    I test the script on the latest WinXP versions of Firefox, Chrome and Opera, plus the latest Android versions of Firefox Mobile and Opera Mobile. It normally works for me, but your mileage may vary!
© 2013-14 James Inge
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Changelog

v0.6.9.1

  • * Bugfix for display of coordinates near equator / prime meridian.

v0.6.9

  • + New, easier to use, route-drawing tool. Routes can also be edited by dragging and dropping waypoint pins.
  • + Support for the new Planning Map.
  • + GME tools widget now also works on Trackables maps.
  • + New i tool option to hide or show all geocaches on the map - useful for de-cluttering when route planning.
  • * Replaced obsolete Czech map source in default configuration (reset GME configuration to defaults to use this).
  • * Made Directions links work with the new Google Maps.
  • * Info tool and route tool now also work with mouse right-click, avoiding clashes with popups for geocaches.
  • * Lots of minor speed, stability and user interface improvements.
  • - Route options no longer included on i tool.

v0.6.8

  • + Route markers now removable.
  • + Crosshair cursor when using 'i' information tool.
  • * Fixed bugs caused by website update.

v0.6.7.2

  • * Bugfixes for handling corrupt configuration data ("Undefined" map bug).
  • * Compatibility improvements to allow use with GCVote.

v0.6.7.1

  • * Minor bugfixes.

v0.6.7

  • * Fixed to work on cache listing pages again after Geocaching.com site changes
  • * Improvements to how map configurations are managed
  • * Easier to export routes as GPX files

v0.6.6.2

  • * A minor update to fix the MAGIC Map link (only available in GB).

v0.6.6.1

v0.6.6

  • * Fixed bugs in formatting GPX export and handling dropped GPX files without track names.
  • * Improved rendering speed for dropped GPX files.
  • * Improved CSS handling - now mostly working in IE8 (but still without working config screens).
  • * Workaround for website change affecting cache labels.
  • + Added support for map sources that divide maps into 100-tile columns.
  • + Integration with navigation and streetview apps in Opera Mobile on Android.

v0.6.5

  • * Fixed script to work with Leaflet 0.5 on the main Geocaching Maps page.
  • * Improved configuration screen, now available from Profile menu across the site.
  • * Lots of minor code improvements for map brightness, cache labelling, zooming, etc.
  • + Keyword search on Seek page.
  • + Map markers have centre point.
  • - Session refresh button removed (pressing your browser's refresh button should now normally work fine!)

v0.6.4

  • + Labels can be configured to show names or codes on the main Geocaching Map.
  • + GPX route export.
  • + Scale bar added to the maps on cache listing pages.
  • * Faster start-up with less chance of errors.
  • * Improved freeform coordinate parsing on cache page.

v0.6.3

  • * Fixed: workaround for Groundspeak / JQuery Mobile bug that stopped the map sidebar working on Android browsers.
  • * Fixed: workaround for Leaflet 0.5 opacity bug that stopped cache page maps working in IE8.
  • * Fixed: better layout for the Cache List sidebar buttons in Chrome and IE.

v0.6.2

  • + Sidebar to list geocaches on the map
  • * Cache labels can auto-update on the main map
  • * Fixed: several bugs due to Leaflet API update

v0.6.1

  • + Cache labelling on main map
  • + Geolocation on seek page and cache listings
  • + Freeform coordinates on seek page
  • + Trackable map enhancements
  • + Drag'n'drop support for dropping GPX routes and tracks
  • + Driving directions on additional waypoints
  • + Options to remove individual custom maps and export custom map code
  • * Fixed: conflict with GCComment on search pane
  • * Fixed: Streetview link preserves zoom level
  • * Fixed: Exits gracefully if multiple copies installed
  • * Reduced impact of drag'n'drop highlighting on cache listing
  • * Recoded for robustness, tidiness and security: used strict mode and jslint, reduced use of global variables, and added new Greasemonkey permissions metadata.
  • - Removed workaround for fixed geocaching.com bug (no cache information showing onmouseover)

v0.6.0

  • + Drag & Drop support
  • + Some support for Internet Explorer (see post)
  • + Displays Panoramio photos
  • * Improved display of Geograph photos
  • * Fixed: various bugs.
  • - Removed cache list button (function now on i menu)

v0.5.10

  • * Fixed: lots of bugs caused by GC.com website changes (interactions with map preferences popup, Google directions, pan-to-home, search by GC code, configuration dialog).
  • * Improved display of corrected coordinates
  • + Added link for MAGIC Map (shows environmentally sensitive areas where special permission is needed to place geocaches, UK only).
  • + Placename search now shows list of alternatives.

v0.5.9

  • * Fixed: issue switching maps in older versions of Firefox

v0.5.8

  • + Route distance measurement
  • + Search by GC-code
  • + Display additional waypoints on main geocaching map

v0.5.7

  • + Markers and elevation data on the info tool
  • + Direct zoom
  • * Improved: searches now use geonames for better results in the country you're looking at
  • * Fixed: various bugs and visual issues with the brightness feature

v0.5.6

  • * Fixed: brightness bug - old layers visible after zooming

v0.5.5

  • + Map selection on geocache pages
  • + Brightness control
  • * Fixed: positioning of widgets on map
  • * Fixed: warning triangle displays if map is zoomed in too far to display caches
  • * Improved: initial map view on geocache pages should now always show the cache, not just the additional waypoints.

v0.5.4

  • + Info tool
  • + Support for Wikimapia-style tileUrls
  • * Fixed: bug selecting default map when custom mapsources were loaded
  • * Fixed: zooming beyond basemaps' maxZoom/minZoom limits
  • * Improved: location widget now has a longer timeout (to allow time to get a GPS fix) and doesn't randomly change the zoom level.

v0.5.3

  • + Allows custom maps or overlays to be added.
  • + Works with Opera
  • - Removed distance bar (since Geocaching.com now has its own again).

v0.5.2

  • * Improved scale indicator: configurable to use imperial measurements, displays a distance bar, and updates properly when you resize the window or change from landscape to portrait mode.
  • + Default map can now be user-configured.
  • + Yet another map available

v0.5.1

  • * Better integration with Geocaching Maps
  • + More map types available
  • + User configurable

v0.5.0

  • * Made compatible with new Geocaching Maps, using Leaflet API
  • + Added scale indicator
  • + Added home coordinates button
© 2013-14 James Inge
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© 2013-14 James Inge
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© 2013-14 James Inge