February Feature Requests

[Mark Sedenquist]

We've been getting some good ideas WRT to new features. So here is a thread for you to post your ideas as well.

The first one:

GKS writes:

"I'd like to be able to enter a route, and then be able to enter how many miles I think I could drive in a given day. I'd love to then get a list of possible overnight locations."

GKS follow-up:

"...OK, how about on the route view, the map shows, say, a 100 mile stretch in a different color? Then the user could zoom in on the route and visually look for overnight cities...On second (or third!) thought, maybe just an option to display "miles from start" in the route itself? Maybe a little indicator every 100 miles?..."

We do offer a cumulative miles from start on the Line Drawn Routing Tool, but it's not practical on the calculated routes, but we'll still look at these options.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Sherry Wasserman writes:

"....Do you have any plans to include campgrounds on the maps (esp places that have RV sites)? Do you have any plans to do RV routing? "

This is an interesting puzzle, there are about 175 campgrounds listed in the RTA Library of RoadTrip Attractions and about 50 specific references to RV parking and details. But our search has been limited to three letter keyword search and so RV isn't found. RV's or RVs turns up only thee of them.

We'll work on this!

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

The challenge we have as program administrators, is that just about any location can accommodate some form of a RV. But we will begin to list those Road Trip Attractions where the author has provided specific information about RVing. Some of those are there now... I'm working a re-coding other Road Trip Attractions to be reported when our members search by RV.

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

SW:

"Thanks for replying and acting so quickly! Before I wrote my email, I did try searching for RV and got that message about minimum letters. I just forgot to mention that. I’m glad you saw that. Any chance you’ll add a campground icon and maybe let people choose which kinds of icons they want to see, so the map isn’t too cluttered?"

Yes, we had a design meeting about that very issue on Wednesday. Every member will soon have a palette of icons that they can use to create their own custom road trip maps. The enabling code is written, it just a question of finding some design time to create the icons.

By the way, you may have missed a key aspect of the tool -- You can remove any attraction you want, scroll down the information window -- you'll see "remove" and then you can save your map with EXACTLY the icons you want.

You can also create custom maps that use RTA Library icons and your own --

It looks like you’re on the way to having a great site. It is a great idea.

Thanks, and thanks for the ideas, every single idea posted here is carefully considered by a member of the Mapping Development team.

Mark

[Mark Sedenquist]

Jeff B.:

I really like your product but here are a few things that I think could use some improvements. The first problem I see is that after you save a route with icons from the RTA library that you want to visit the next time you pull it up they are gone so you can't see them. The second issue I see is after you save a trip I can't find a way to do turn by turn directions. I would add a feature that would allow someone to buy their trip on a paper map or if you had an application to upload to smart phones that way you could have turn by turn and the use of the phones GPS capabilities. I know I would buy it!

1. Well, that first part sounds like an unreported bug -- that's not the way it's supposed to work. Once you save a map, those icons should stay there forever (unless you remove them).

2. We're not big advocates in turn-by-turn directions -- it's unlikely we'll ever offer that -- but we'll keep it in mind.

3. Printing options are being developed

4. And mobile applications are being worked on as well.

Thanks for the suggestions

UPDATE: APRIL 27, 2011: As a result of a query from member This Dixie Pixie, we're working a new planning tool. Discussion about this new tool has been moved to a new thread... Click here for the exciting developments...