Old 744 Forum

Moi,

Phil wrote

use of Google Earth as a PSX scenery generator

The announcement seems to refer to the stand-alone Google Earth desktop application. This was indeed used for the old PS1_Earth add-on.

Later Google sort of abandoned the API for that, in favour of the GE web-browser plug-in, and this is therefore what PSX_Earth uses.

Recently it was however announced that at the end of 2015 the GE plug-in support will end (and therefore PSX_Earth will die; details here).

If they now "push" the stand-alone GE Pro, it will thus not help with PSX_Earth; the end is still near.

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Cheers,
Martin

martin wrote

Moi,
<snip>
If they now "push" the stand-alone GE Pro, it will thus not help with PSX_Earth; the end is still near.

Πάντα ῥεῖ.
___ (NoseSpray Marketing)

Cheers,
Martin

Thanks for the clarification - I did not understand the various versions of GE and how they relate to PSX.

Martin et al:

Have there been any developments in re. sending PSX position to Google Earth? I love PSXEarth for taxi and approach/departure; however, during Atlantic/Pacific crossings, I cannot zoom OUT far enough for situational awareness.

With the upcoming demise of the browser plug-in and the recent change of GEPro to free status, is there a way to output directly to GEPro? John's AdaptPSX sends NEMA to a serial port, but I can't seem to get any position data to show internally with GEPro on the same machine.

I run PSX on my primary sim computer as a server and another install on my support machine. That is where PSXEarth also runs- and where GEPro resides.

I welcome any advice. Thanks!

Carl

Hello Carl,

Quote

Have there been any developments in re. sending PSX position to Google Earth?

There doesn't seem to be much point in any further development when the GE browser plug-in will soon die, as you note yourself.

The only option would be to switch PSX_Earth back to using the stand-alone desktop GE, but that would require a major re-write. And I do not think that it would be a good idea anyway:
PSX_Earth did originally use the desktop GE; then Google declared the application obsolete and encouraged developers to use the browser plug-in instead (see details here).
After that announcement, PSX_Earth was completely re-written for the plug-in, but now that is being abandoned... And I am not even sure if developers are supposed to now go back to the stand-alone again: In this context, the fact that the GE Pro version has now been made available for free is not a good sign at all, in my opinion.

The problem is that we need not only the GE program (which could be kept running even without Google support), but also the data servers -- for if those are switched off (or no longer accessible with current protocols), the program as such is useless.

In fact, I have just begun to tentatively explore other alternatives, but to be honest am not sure at all if it would be worth the hassle: With VisualPSX and Xview working so splendidly, I doubt that there is really much of a future "market" for PSX_Earth; and I would therefore need quite some convincing before I put more work into it.

cavaricooper wrote

I cannot zoom OUT far enough for situational awareness.

Yes, sorry -- I didn't think of oceanic long-haul, and thus didn't realize that situational awareness in that case may have to span not hundreds, but thousands of miles...

As a work-around: remember that you can disconnect PSX_Earth from PSX at any time, can then freely move around and zoom without restrictions directly via the GE interface, and can then re-connect to PSX again; all this "on the fly", i.e. no need to motion-freeze or pause PSX during that time, or to stop/restart anything.

cavaricooper wrote

is there a way to output directly to GEPro?

Interesting idea; I wasn't even aware that GE (Pro only?) can read NMEA records directly. If it can, it "should" be possible. A problem might be to make GE recognize the "faked" serial port (if a serial port is from where it expects to get the data).

Cheers,
Martin

martin wrote

Hello Carl,

cavaricooper wrote

is there a way to output directly to GEPro?

Interesting idea; I wasn't even aware that GE (Pro only?) can read NMEA records directly. If it can, it "should" be possible. A problem might be to make GE recognize the "faked" serial port (if a serial port is from where it expects to get the data).

Cheers,
Martin

Hi Martin-

I "think" GE can accept internally provided NEMA output (not necessarily from a serial port). The issue at the moment, is that AdaptPSX outputs TO a serial port. Perhaps a "virtual serial port" solution.... or a bit of kit that outputs to internal AND ALLOWS FOR VATSIM connection.... either way being WAY BEYOND THIS IJUT

Best- C

Quote

In fact, I have just begun to tentatively explore other alternatives, but to be honest am not sure at all if it would be worth the hassle: With VisualPSX and Xview working so splendidly, I doubt that there is really much of a future "market" for PSX_Earth; and I would therefore need quite some convincing before I put more work into it.

Martin:

For the moment, for me, and for all those who want a single portable solution, that is the holy grail. Yes, both those programs are BRILLIANT, but, should you want a simple PSX install, WITH THE ABILITY TO VATISIM, there is a pressing need for a GE AND VATSIM client.

FWIW- Fingers X'ed

C

cavaricooper wrote

there is a pressing need for a GE AND VATSIM client.

Well, then I'll at least promise to continue the "tentative exploration of other alternatives"*.

Cheers,
Martin

* Preferably without Google involvement: as it turns out, they seem to have a record for this kind of thing. Currently developers using Google Code are going through the same kind of "experience"... (Don't miss the comments, for further details/rants. Charlie Brown and the football indeed...)

I'm not surprised at Google Code. Google only care about Google, and I guess they found less useful code among the contributions than they hoped, so are shutting it down.

"...maintaining Google Code was too much work for the return."

What return would that be, exactly? (Monetarily) free code was too expensive to host for free? The irony!

It also nicely demonstrates the whim on which the Internet operates, and that you shouldn't trust any online entity for anything important.

Update re: Feeding GPS data from PSX into Google Earth (the desktop application) via AdaptPSX
I have conducted some tests about this.
See this new thread for results and questions so far.

Cheers,
Martin