Milestones and Timeline

[Mark Sedenquist]

December 12, 2010: Beta launch for the RTA Map Wizard & RTA Maps Center

January 15, 2011: Anticipated release date for an improved Custom Place Marker form.
The new form will have more fields for entering telephone numbers, addresses, and notes for road trip planning. Plus, an improved method for loading personal photos and any web links you'd like to add to your Custom Places.

February 10, 2011: Anticipated release date for elevation display along any map route. This will be graphical display showing passes and other elevation gain and loss along any route chosen.

April 30, 2011: Anticipated release date for printing capabilities for routes, Custom Place descriptions & personal maps

[Mark Sedenquist]

On January 24th at approximately 11:00 pm, we launched a new version of the RTA RoadTrip Attractions on the RTA MAPS. Each of the RTA Library Attractions will soon be displaying location address, mailing addresses (if different), contact e-mail and information telephone numbers and other information.

That new format is working now, but it will take about five (5) days to convert all of the current RTA Library RoadTrip Attractions into this Format.

**Members will find that they also have more fields for entering data of interest to them on their Custom Places.

New Developments Under Way

1. RTA Library Routes: We'll be adding more, there are only a few in the library now
....................Search RAs along a RTA Library Route -- ESTIMATED: January 31st.

2. RTA Library Maps: We'll be adding more, there are only a few in the library now
.................... You'll be able to save RTA Library Maps as your own personal Maps
.................................................. .........................ESTIMATED: February 3rd

3. Elevation Display Along a Route: This will be graphical display showing passes and other elevation gain and loss along any route chosen.
.................................................. .........................ESTIMATED: February 10th

4. Delete Maps Able to delete personal maps (route + RAs and Custom Places)
.................................................. .........................ESTIMATED: February 15th

[Mark Sedenquist]

New Developments Under Way

1. RTA Library Routes: We'll be adding more, there are only a few in the library now
............Search RAs along a RTA Library Route -- ESTIMATED: January 31st. Working

2. Delete Maps Able to delete personal maps (route + RAs and Custom Places)
................................... ESTIMATED: February 5th ......Working 04/04/11

3. Optimize a Route: A new checkbox will be added that will allow the program to optimize the order of the waypoints you’ve selected, so that you can add a waypoint later.
.....................................ESTIMATED: February 8th..... Working 04/04/11

4. RTA Library Maps: We'll be adding more, there are only a few in the library now
.................... You'll be able to save RTA Library Maps as your own personal Maps
.................................................. ................. ESTIMATED: February 13th

5. Elevation Display Along a Route: This will be graphical display showing passes and other elevation gain and loss along any route chosen.
.................................................. ....................ESTIMATED: February 15th


Thanks again for trying out our maps, if you have any suggestions for improving how they function, please let us know!

[Mark Sedenquist]

1. Elevation Display Along a Route: This is a graphical display showing passes and other elevation gain and loss along any route chosen. An alpha version of this launched on March 18th, but we're working on the next generation of this.
-------Should be 100% Operational by March 26th Working: 03/20/11
Hint: If the starting location is chosen to go west to east, the elevation display will also go left to right.

2. Keyword Search Terms: There are two phases of this Search Enhancement...
Part A: Will provide the means to search keywords (anywhere in North America) that are modified by one of the following Popular Keywords:
camping
couples
family
hiking
pets
rvs
seniors
single
teens
swimming
theme park
wheelchair

PLUS one of the following Place-oriented search elements, CATEGORIES
Dining,
Event,
Historic Site,
Lodging,
Museum,
Natural Wonder,
Parks & Recreation,
Roadside Attraction,
Shopping

Part A: Launched to the Public on March 25th

Part B. Launched to the Public on April 4th Actually a second release of this feature was launched on April 8th, so if it seems different... it is!

Will enable you to search for Popular Keywords (as in Part A)with the further criteria of searching along one of your routes or in a vicinity search.... So, for instance, you could look for all of the listed attractions that include RV parking or historic sites along your route or in a specific distance from your home town. Or if you wanted to look for all of the attractions along a saved route or 100 miles from any city that were written by a specific RTA contributor... this is what you'd do:

**Put the key word term -- Thody in the Key Word search box
**Select the Popular Keyword you are interested in (or Popular Keywords)
**Select a select topic in the Categories List you are interested in (or Categories)
** Check the check box
**Select the range of miles (you want to search -- from 1 mile to 100 miles)
** click on the ALONG YOUR ROUTE BUTTON or the VICINITY SEARCH
And you'll see all of the RoadTrip Attractions written/submitted by Peter Thody along your saved route or Vicinity Search.

This works for any keyword search -- So you could also try it for Civil War on a Vicinity Search from Washington DC. And you'd get Gettysburg -- not because that's the only possible attraction, but it's the only one we've loaded thus far.

Another example:
For a saved route between Seattle, Washington and Grand Rapids Michigan
---Art is the keyword; All Categories, Museums
-- Click the checkbox
-- Click ALONG YOUR ROUTE -- 6 museums with art

4. Print Maps Capability: Print saved Map Wizard-generated maps and also custom Map Center page maps. A good deal of customization will be possible so you can create the kinds of printed maps that best suit your trip planning interests.
-------Estimated launch date: April 16th REVISED:.... ~ APRIL 30TH

5. Attraction Cluster Icons: We'll be adding cluster icons to make it easier to find multiple attractions in a small geographic area. Now, one icon can effectively cover several in one area. Hint: You can always look in the list on the left-hand side of the page to see the complete list.
-------Estimated launch date: April 23rd Revised: 04/25/11: Perhaps in May. TBD.

6. Route Drag Capability: When working with a route, you'll be able to drag the route to have it follow roads that are not on your current calculated route roads. The initial roll-out will be limited to two (2) drag points. But it's a start for manipulating your maps that we think will be helpful.
-------Estimated launch date: April 2nd ***This is being delayed until May 12th****

More to come in May!

[Mark Sedenquist]

1. Elevation Display Along a Route: This is a graphical display showing passes and other elevation gain and loss along any route chosen. An alpha version of this launched on March 18th, but we're working on the next generation of this.
-------Should be 100% Operational by March 26th Working: 03/20/11

Hint: If the starting location is chosen to go west to east, the elevation display will also go left to right.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Part B. Launched to the Public on April 4th Actually a second release of this feature was launched on April 8th, so if it seems different... it is!

Will enable you to search for Popular Keywords (as in Part A)with the further criteria of searching along one of your routes or in a vicinity search.... So, for instance, you could look for all of the listed attractions that include RV parking or historic sites along your route or in a specific distance from your home town. Or if you wanted to look for all of the attractions along a saved route or 100 miles from any city that were written by a specific RTA contributor... this is what you'd do:

**Put the key word term -- Thody in the Key Word search box
**Select the Popular Keyword you are interested in (or Popular Keywords)
**Select a select topic in the Categories List you are interested in (or Categories)
** Check the check box
**Select the range of miles (you want to search -- from 1 mile to 100 miles)
** click on the ALONG YOUR ROUTE BUTTON or the VICINITY SEARCH
And you'll see all of the RoadTrip Attractions written/submitted by Peter Thody along your saved route or Vicinity Search.

This works for any keyword search -- So you could also try it for Civil War on a Vicinity Search from Washington DC. And you'd get Gettysburg -- not because that's the only possible attraction, but it's the only one we've loaded thus far.

Another example:
For a saved route between Seattle, Washington and Grand Rapids Michigan
---Art is the keyword; All Categories, Museums
-- Click the checkbox
-- Click ALONG YOUR ROUTE -- 6 museums with art

(This same information is also posted above inline for first-time readers/map creators.)

[Mark Sedenquist]

The bigger design project that is also underway, is the custom print options. Members will be able to custom design how their printed maps look, in terms of what information is taken from their mapping database and presented on their maps. This is a just a wee bit complicated as well, but the alpha version of this should be ready for use by the 16th of April.

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

We're in the home stretch for being able to launch the first version of the print options for the RTA Custom Maps. I hope to be able to unveil the initial versions of this program by the 30th of April.

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

The RTA Custom Map Printing Program was launched to RTA Members earlier today. Currently, the program is only enabled for members using the Map Center page. After some planned refinements we'll be releasing a similar printing capability for the Map Wizard maps.

Instructions for using the utility will appear on the Print Set-up Page, once, you've loaded a saved map (either a new one or one from your "MY Maps" list). Plus, there are instructions for using this utility on the bottom of the Map Center Resource & Tips list here.

Please try it out and let us know what you think.

Mapping Development Team

[Mark Sedenquist]

A brand new mapping release today offers a new feature!

On both the Map Wizard generated maps and on the Automatic Routes on the Map Center page, the list of the markers in the left-hand column is approximately along the line of march of the route. (The list is done by calculating the relative distance of each marker from the beginning spot and so if the route is more or less a straight line, the markers will be in order). If the route is loop, it's trickier, but the markers will still be grouped geographically.

When you select the Print Saved Map option -- numbers are assigned to the markers making it even easier to find the markers.

There are some known bugs that we are working on:

1) IE 8.0, the marker numbers are clear in the Print Set-up page, but when they are printed, they are blocking out the route and other information behind them.

2) I'm not a huge fan of IE, but after hours and hours of working on the remaining bugs on IE 8.0, I can suggest that if you upgrade to IE 9.0, everything works!

3) Printing function will be added to the Map Wizard page in the next day or so.

4) Printing and Map Display pages seem to work OK for Safari, Opera, Chrome, Firefox and IE 9.0, 64-bit.

If you see any bugs, please report them below!

Mark