Comments on: Behind the Scenes of OptiMap http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/ Programming, mathematics and thoughts about random stuff Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:16:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Mike M http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-225 Mike M Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:14:06 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-225 I am attempting to write a C# program to be able to "scrape" the trip duration and trip length from an optimized route. However, when I execute an HTTPGET request for a url like: http://gebweb.net/optimap/index.php?loc0=3166%20Diablo%20Avenue%20Hayward%20CA&loc1=3000%20Sand%20Hill%20Rd.%20Menlo%20Park%20CA&loc2=4440%20El%20Camino%20Real%20Los%20Altos%20CA&loc3=321%20East%20Evelyn%20Ave%20Mountain%20View%20CA the program just gets the main OptiMap page without the script being executed and therefore the program doesn't have access to the final output. Can you offrer any suggesions as to whether it is possible to access this information from a non-browser application? Thanks. I am attempting to write a C# program to be able to “scrape” the trip duration and trip length from an optimized route. However, when I execute an HTTPGET request for a url like:

http://gebweb.net/optimap/index.php?loc0=3166%20Diablo%20Avenue%20Hayward%20CA&loc1=3000%20Sand%20Hill%20Rd.%20Menlo%20Park%20CA&loc2=4440%20El%20Camino%20Real%20Los%20Altos%20CA&loc3=321%20East%20Evelyn%20Ave%20Mountain%20View%20CA

the program just gets the main OptiMap page without the script being executed and therefore the program doesn’t have access to the final output.

Can you offrer any suggesions as to whether it is possible to access this information from a non-browser application?

Thanks.

]]> By: Geir http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-224 Geir Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:58:41 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-224 Hi Mike. If you enter more than 9 locations, you get a near-optimal solution. This solution is usually "good enough" for practical purposes. Because of the ant colony optimization technique, which uses random numbers, you can get different solutions on the same input. Hi Mike.

If you enter more than 9 locations, you get a near-optimal solution. This solution is usually “good enough” for practical purposes. Because of the ant colony optimization technique, which uses random numbers, you can get different solutions on the same input.

]]> By: Mike http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-223 Mike Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:46:55 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-223 This is a very valuable tool. Thank you! One curiousity however. When I include 13 points in the URL, your site makes its calculations and provides the routing and trip summary. When I submit the same 13 points (highlight the url and enter), it recalculates and frequently determines a different route and total trip distance. The differences are a little over 1% in the instances I've tried and granted thats within my tolerances but shouldn't your formulas always return the same values given the same inputs? Regards, Mike This is a very valuable tool. Thank you!

One curiousity however. When I include 13 points in the URL, your site makes its calculations and provides the routing and trip summary. When I submit the same 13 points (highlight the url and enter), it recalculates and frequently determines a different route and total trip distance. The differences are a little over 1% in the instances I’ve tried and granted thats within my tolerances but shouldn’t your formulas always return the same values given the same inputs?

Regards,
Mike

]]> By: Gershon http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-211 Gershon Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:36:27 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-211 I'd like to get a one time solution leaving from Pueblo, Colorado to all the county seats in Colorado. Would it be possible for you to do this and email me the order? Then I can put it in Google maps. (There are 64 counties.) Thanks I’d like to get a one time solution leaving from Pueblo, Colorado to all the county seats in Colorado. Would it be possible for you to do this and email me the order? Then I can put it in Google maps. (There are 64 counties.)

Thanks

]]> By: Roewin http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-208 Roewin Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:49:00 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-208 I do have a problem getting a route calculated by adding coordiantes in the "Add by bulk ..." section. After entering the programm won't calculate a route. I use the following format: N 51° 48.735 E 005° 14.603 I do have a problem getting a route calculated by adding coordiantes in the “Add by bulk …” section.
After entering the programm won’t calculate a route.
I use the following format: N 51° 48.735 E 005° 14.603

]]> By: Roewin http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-207 Roewin Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:35:34 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-207 Thanks a lot. It works very well. Thanks a lot.
It works very well.

]]> By: Geir http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-205 Geir Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:39:47 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-205 I've just added options for walking directions and avoid highways to OptiMap. The Google Maps API team added walking directions support last week, so this should be one of the first API sites that use them! It's one of the more requested features for Optimap, so I know there are some happy OptiMappers out there now :-) I'm certainly one of them, since I don't have a car and do virtually all my travel on foot / bike. Now when can we get biking directions in the Google Maps API? I’ve just added options for walking directions and avoid highways to OptiMap. The Google Maps API team added walking directions support last week, so this should be one of the first API sites that use them! It’s one of the more requested features for Optimap, so I know there are some happy OptiMappers out there now :-) I’m certainly one of them, since I don’t have a car and do virtually all my travel on foot / bike. Now when can we get biking directions in the Google Maps API?

]]> By: Roewin http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-204 Roewin Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:28:21 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-204 Nice tool to use for geocaching trips. But I noticed it only use routes used by car. In cities I like to use it for the best route on foot. Is there a way to calculate this? Nice tool to use for geocaching trips. But I noticed it only use routes used by car. In cities I like to use it for the best route on foot.
Is there a way to calculate this?

]]> By: Geir http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-193 Geir Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:33:05 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-193 It's not possible to download directly to Tomtom. I would usually just print the instructions (since I don't have a GPS). You can try to click the "toggle raw path output" button and copy the latitude, longitude pairs to your GPS unit, but since I don't own one, I haven't tried it. It’s not possible to download directly to Tomtom. I would usually just print the instructions (since I don’t have a GPS). You can try to click the “toggle raw path output” button and copy the latitude, longitude pairs to your GPS unit, but since I don’t own one, I haven’t tried it.

]]> By: dreamquartz http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-191 dreamquartz Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:28:43 +0000 http://gebweb.net/blogpost/2007/07/05/behind-the-scenes-of-optimap/#comment-191 Neat Tool, it really works, but I do have a question: Is it possible to upload an itinerary and download the revised itinerary to i.e. a Tomtom, because it is not quite clear what to do with the end-results. Neat Tool, it really works, but I do have a question: Is it possible to upload an itinerary and download the revised itinerary to i.e. a Tomtom, because it is not quite clear what to do with the end-results.

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