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Active GPX Route Player - User Guide V1.1.4
Installation - Windows XP / Vista / 2000
Download latest version from the download page. Once the download is complete, double click the installer to begin installation. If the default settings were used then to start Active GPX Route Player, go to the Start menu, then Hybrid GeoTools, then to the Active GPX folder or double click the icon on the desktop.
IMPORTANT: If you are running a pre-Vista Windows operating system then the Microsoft .NET 2.0 Framework must be installed before running the application. If it is not installed then you will see an error message on starting 3D Route Builder. .NET is a Microsoft component and is a free download.
Note that Microsoft do not guarantee compatibility of .NET 2.0 with Windows XP SP1.
Upgrading and Licensing
Purchase the Plus or Business versions either via this website or by clicking Help -> Upgrade to Plus Version... and then Purchase License.
When you buy a Plus or Business version or get a co-branded version of Active GPX Route Player you will receive a license file via email. This file is not human readable. Do not put the license file in the application directory. To upgrade you click Help -> Upgrade to Plus Version... then click Load License and select the license file you received. Finally you need to restart Active GPX Route Player. You will now have a Plus version.
The License permits you to install the software on multiple machines that are used by ONE person. If you wish to install on a second machine but have lost your license then you can find it on the first machine you installed it at: <DRIVE LETTER>:\Documents and Settings\<ACCOUNT>\Application Data\Hybrid GeoTools\Active GPX Route Player where DRIVE LETTER is typically C and the ACCOUNT is what you logged on to Windows with. If the software is to be used by more than one person then additional licenses must be purchased.
Quick Start
Opening files
Supported file formats are GPS Exchange Format (GPX), Garmin Training Center TCX and Google Earth KML/KMZ. Each file can contain one or more routes with or without timing information. One ‘Player’ will appear per route.
To load a file either:
- Drag and drop files from Windows Explorer (applies also to Garmin 405, 605, 705 which appear as extra storage drive)
- Click File -> Open File
- Click File -> Open Url and type or paste in a url to a valid file on the internet
- Same via button at bottom left
- Right click on file in Windows Explorer and select Open With...
- Click File -> Download from GPS Device -> Garmin USB (Plus version or higher only)
Further files can be opened while playback is in progress.
Downloading from GPS Devices (Plus Version or higher only)
Supports downloading direct from Garmin USB devices via GPS Babel software. This requires either Google Earth to be installed (recommended) or for GPS Babel software to be placed in the Active GPX directory or be specified in the Main Options (advanced computer users only). Please check the GPS Babel website for exact details of which devices are supported (for example the new 405, 605 and 705 are not - with these devices you simply access them as an extra storage drive in Windows Explorer and open the files directly).
Connect your device to the PC and click File -> Download from GPS Device -> Garmin USB. All routes on the device will be added to the list of players.
Loading and saving playlists
Playlists save all currently loaded players to file along with all their settings, for example names, colors, custom icons, etc. Playlists have a *.agp.gpx extension, so they can still be handled by other GPS software and devices.
Save and load playlist with File -> Load Playlist, Add Playlist or Save Playlist. Load Playlist removes all current players before loading.
Selecting Players
In the list of players it is possible to selected one, more or all players. For one, just click on the right player. For more, hold the Ctrl key while you select them. For all, click on the list then hit Ctrl-A. Right clicking or clicking the Player menu brings up the Player options. The following commands work when one or more players are selected:
- Start, Pause, Stop Playback
- Stop Tracking
- Show and Hide Dashboard
- Advanced Options
- Load Player Profile
- Remove (or Delete key)
- Synchronize To (other running Player)
- Analysis - Generate Report
When only one Player is selected the following additional commands are available:
- Smooth Altitude (Player must be stopped)
- Update Altitude (Player must be stopped)
- Start Tracking (Google Earth viewer must be enabled; also can double click Player from list)
- Save Player Profile
- Convert to Virtual Cyclist
Virtual Cyclist
Converting a player into a virtual cyclist allows you to set the details of a bike and rider (e.g. weight, height, aero position) and adjust power input and then observe the calculated speed.
Route Analysis
Select one or more routes and click Players -> Analysis -> Generate Report to create an html report.
Options are available via the main options (Tools -> Options... sub category ‘Analysis Options’). You can set the following:
- Auto Open Report - Automatically open a generated report in your default browser.
- Do Not Overwrite Files - Creates a unique filename each time a report is generated.
- Google Maps Key - specifiy your own Google Maps key if you want to upload the report with Embdedded Google Maps to a website.
- Output Folder Name - The folder in which reports are stored.
- Report Filename - The name of the html and css file generated. You need to keep these files together to preserve the formatting.
- Report Title - Title as shown at top of generated report.
- Html Report Options
- Embed Google Maps - puts a Google Map into the reports for each selected route and enables address look-up.
- Open Links in New Windows - clicking on coordinate links opens Google Maps in a new window / tab. (Does not apply if Embed Google Maps enabled)
- Popup on Hover Link - displays a Google Maps pop-up when mouse hovers over a coordinate link. (Does not apply if Embed Google Maps enabled)
- Table Width - Width of the generated table. 800 or more recommended.
- Stoppage Report Options (Business Version)
- Minimum Stop Time - how long must a stop last before it is considered a stop
- Stop Distance - how far can be moved within the Minimum Stop Time to be considered a stop.
Connecting / Disconnecting with Google Earth
Click Viewers -> Google Earth or click the button with the Earth icon at the bottom left.
Basic Control
Use the big buttons and the slider for stopping, pausing and playing selected players. Use the slider to fast forward and reverse. Holding shift will apply the command to all players whether they are selected or now.
Google Earth - Path Options
Once connected to Google Earth (GE) the paths of all players are shown. This can be customized for one or more players by clicking the man digging icon at the bottom right or right clicking Advanced Options... More details in the software itself.
- Absolute Altitude
- Curtain Opacity
- Extend to Ground
- Line Color
- Line Width
- Show Path
Google Earth Tracking - Viewer Controller Options
Once connected to GE you can choose to track a player. Double click the player or right click and select Start Tracking. You will then follow this player. Stop tracking either in the Player menu or in Viewers -> Stop Tracking.
The behavior of the tracking can be customized to suit the terrain for one or more players by clicking the aircraft icon at the bottom right or right clicking Advanced Options... This features allows Active GPX Route Player to handle tracking of very mountainous routes with less chance of collisions with the ground. More details in the software itself.
- Absolute Altitude
- Max and min range
- Max and min tilt
Google Earth - Icon Options
You can customize how your player looks in Google Earth. If not icon path is specified then you’ll get a default icon in the default color. Select one or more players and either click the person icon in the bottom right or right click and select Advanced Options.
- Absolute Altitude
- Icon Path
- Show Display Text
- Show Icon
- Show Speed
Player Options
Select one or more players. Clicking the double gear wheels at the bottom right or right clicking and selecting Advanced Options allows you to customize the following:
- Absolute Altitude / Flight - Set On if you want to track aircraft or vehicles on bridges or in tunnels.
- Auto Repeat
- Default Color - will also alter the color of sub settings such as Path and Dashboard
- Default Speed (if not timing information was in route)
- Display Name
- Distance Units (Km / Miles / Nautical Miles)
- End Distance
- Force Default Speed
- Speed Scale (playback at 1/100th to 1000 times original speed)
- Speed Units (Km/h / mph / Knots)
- Start Distance
In addition you can change the route name and description.
Dashboard
Per player you can show a dashboard. The dashboard shows Speed, Distance, Altitude, Gradient, Elapsed Time, Heading, Time, Date, Power*, Cadence*, Heart Rate* and an altitude profile with current position. You can stop, pause, play, fast forward, rewind, track and bring up the Advanced Options from the dashboard.
From the advanced options you can change:
- Auto Track - if zoomed in on the altitude profile, should it auto track the current position
- Fill Color of the profile
If the player is a Virtual Cyclist then you can adjust his power input by using the orange slider.
* From Garmin TCX data. Free version limits showing this data to 60 seconds.
Saving and Loading Player Profile
Player Profiles allow you to create your own custom profile to be quickly used against any route you load. Make your own icon, select your favorite color, viewer controller settings, speed scale, distance and speed units, etc, and save it for future use.
Main Options
Click the single gear wheel at the bottom left. Settings include:
- Active GPX always on top - keep the program above all others or not
- Auto Mode - Switch automatically between tracking all running players at a specified interval
- Auto Mode Interval (seconds)
- Auto Mode Enabled
- Show Adverts on/off
- Start Mode - Synced or True Time: Synced means that all selected routes start at the same time. True Time means that all selected routes start at the time of the earliest recorded route. You will see that other routes start at some point in the future as they will have a negative time. You can also toggle start mode by clicking the double circular arrow at the bottom left.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why when I am tracking does the Google Earth viewer only look straight down and not at the angles I specified in Viewer Controller Options?
Most likely your route does not have any altitude information or the information is way out compared to that of Google Earth (you may also be in a tunnel). If the difference is significant then Active GPX takes action to avoid potential collisions with the ground and goes straight up above the player you are tracking. Solve the problem by either updating the altitudes or fixing them in a suitable tool such as 3D Route Builder.
Why does the playing pause every 10 seconds?
You’ll be running the free version and the free version must have a connection to the internet at all times in order to show you those adverts... If it cannot access the internet then it will pause the players. Check that your firewall gives Active GPX permission.
I can’t read the license file you emailed for my Plus or co-branded versions
Don’t read it! You load the license file into Active GPX. See here!
Is the Plus version worth it?
For a low cost you’ll get up to 50 players running at the same time, can hide the adverts, don’t need an internet connection, can move the application off the screen without it bouncing back like the free one does and you get to support future development of the best GPS playback software around.
I’m getting an ECException on start-up: Please do not put your license file in the same directory as the application. Doing so can result in an ECException upon start-up.
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