03.08.2010, 02:29
Hi, first I wanted to say that RouteConverter is a hidden gem of a program with so many useful features, that I couldn't even imagine that someone would think of them, let alone implement them in a free program. I just started using it but I am already amazed at what it offers.
With that out of the way, I have a couple of things to report:
First, there is a bug in saving filenames containing dots. When I save a file and put a date in the filename, such as (24.06.10), the last part - ".10)" will get stripped off. Not sure if that's a 'feature' of java or what...
Second - version 1.33 has trouble reading .kml files, saying "an error occurred while opening 'file.kml' : null". Now, these are from Google Earth 5.2.1.1329 (beta) Build Date Jun 10, 2010 and the prerelease version, 1.34, fixes the problem and loads the files - but sometimes it detects them as a Garmin POI database (.xcsv) - see attached.
Third - the elevation retrieval in 1.34 is excellent! It's much faster and more accurate than in 1.33 (different server?). Good job with that.
Fourth - this might be just a personal pet peeve, but from a usability viewpoint, it's easier to access features through tabs rather than through menus and right-clicks. Thus, the removal of things like "plan," "analyse," tabs and the "open" button is detrimental to the workflow. Now, instead of switching to the "analyze" tab and clicking "complete missing elevations" - two clicks - I have to select all positions (CTRL+A), right-click "complete", find the "complete" menu with the cursor, then click on "elevation", which is much slower than the previous method. This may be a personal preference, but I really do find that tabs are a better way for accessing/organizing features as opposed to drop-down menus or right-click menus, as new users may not be able to easily find items or will not be encouraged to explore the options of the software.
So with that said, I am very much looking forward to where RouteConverter is going and hoping to be of help.
With that out of the way, I have a couple of things to report:
First, there is a bug in saving filenames containing dots. When I save a file and put a date in the filename, such as (24.06.10), the last part - ".10)" will get stripped off. Not sure if that's a 'feature' of java or what...
Second - version 1.33 has trouble reading .kml files, saying "an error occurred while opening 'file.kml' : null". Now, these are from Google Earth 5.2.1.1329 (beta) Build Date Jun 10, 2010 and the prerelease version, 1.34, fixes the problem and loads the files - but sometimes it detects them as a Garmin POI database (.xcsv) - see attached.
Third - the elevation retrieval in 1.34 is excellent! It's much faster and more accurate than in 1.33 (different server?). Good job with that.
Fourth - this might be just a personal pet peeve, but from a usability viewpoint, it's easier to access features through tabs rather than through menus and right-clicks. Thus, the removal of things like "plan," "analyse," tabs and the "open" button is detrimental to the workflow. Now, instead of switching to the "analyze" tab and clicking "complete missing elevations" - two clicks - I have to select all positions (CTRL+A), right-click "complete", find the "complete" menu with the cursor, then click on "elevation", which is much slower than the previous method. This may be a personal preference, but I really do find that tabs are a better way for accessing/organizing features as opposed to drop-down menus or right-click menus, as new users may not be able to easily find items or will not be encouraged to explore the options of the software.
So with that said, I am very much looking forward to where RouteConverter is going and hoping to be of help.