Google Maps on your TiVo - new App

davidblackledge · 05-10-2010, 11:13 AM

Now Available at David.Blackledge.com:
Map - a Google Maps browser
( http://David.Blackledge.com/tivo )

You can view map or satellite mode, browse around or zoom in/out, set markers and jump to markers you've set, enter a zip code directly, or enter a location/landmark name using my new auto-completing keyboard.

Download the zip, unpack it, and run the .bat file... then the application is available from your TiVo DVRs if you have home network applications enabled.
Read the README for some additional details. Can also be installed under Galleon.

If I ever get the time, I plan to enhance it for HD and to be callable from other TiVo apps, and maybe make it remember your last location.

I know there were one or two Google Maps browsers written a while back but I can't find either, and they probably don't work anymore anyow.

Let me know here if you have any questions or comments.

orangeboy · 05-10-2010, 12:26 PM

Cool! Downloaded, but not yet installed... It's nice to have new things

I grabbed Mahjongg and Calendar, too.

Thank you!

windracer · 05-10-2010, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidblackledge

I know there were one or two Google Maps browsers written a while back but I can't find either, and they probably don't work anymore anyhow.

Yup, there was one when HME first came out, by a former TiVo engineer.

I'll be sure to check this out ... sounds cool.

Allanon · 05-10-2010, 04:07 PM

I'm surprised at how well it works, I remember testing the one from TiVo and it didn't seem as responsive. Also, are the satellite photos being reduced to 8 bit color? Compared to my computer screen their doesn't seem as much color resolution.

davidblackledge · 05-10-2010, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allanon

I'm surprised at how well it works, I remember testing the one from TiVo and it didn't seem as responsive. Also, are the satellite photos being reduced to 8 bit color? Compared to my computer screen their doesn't seem as much color resolution.

I never had the pleasure of running the old one, but I would guess that most of the responsiveness is due to the latest APIs from Google (Static Maps and Geocoding)... maybe I gave a better impression if responsiveness by animating the transitions, too.
Oh, and I did make some effort to cache Resource references so when you pan or zoom and get to an exact location/zoom you've used before, it is a pretty much instant load.

I don't recall off the top of my head what format I chose to have the images served, I think it was either PNG or JPG... but the images are served directly from Google to the TiVo, so complain to Google ;] This may be a difference with Static Maps API.

Also, the images are SD (640x480) less the SAFE border, so if you're looking at an HD screen they're certainly pixelated and might just appear to have less colors (or Google's own reduction of the image might reduce color quality)
Really just guesses here, though. I like to make dumb apps where the people who provide the free image serving do all the work ;]

FYI, plain maps are faster than Satellite because of the smaller image file.

windracer · 05-10-2010, 08:56 PM

Got it working through Galleon ... neat.

orangeboy · 05-11-2010, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangeboy

Cool! Downloaded, but not yet installed... It's nice to have new things

I grabbed Mahjongg and Calendar, too.

Thank you!

I'm unable to extract all files from Mahjongg and Calendar. I've downloaded the zips from 2 different browsers, but that didn't seem to help. I get "read errors" when extracting...

davidblackledge · 05-11-2010, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangeboy

I'm unable to extract all files from Mahjongg and Calendar. I've downloaded the zips from 2 different browsers, but that didn't seem to help. I get "read errors" when extracting...

Not sure what to tell you... I did just try downloading Calendar.zip myself to test and it extracted fine. Maybe a platform difference? Try a different de-archiver?
Current versions sizes:
Calendar.zip should be 1497038
TivoMahjongg.zip should be 10459186
(GoogleMaps.zip should be 1045578)

orangeboy · 05-11-2010, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidblackledge

Not sure what to tell you... I did just try downloading Calendar.zip myself to test and it extracted fine. Maybe a platform difference? Try a different de-archiver?
Current versions sizes:
Calendar.zip should be 1497038
TivoMahjongg.zip should be 10459186
(GoogleMaps.zip should be 1045578)

After repeated attempts, I was able to get the last file extracted from Mahjongg.
File sizes match -
I tried extracting with the native Windows compressed folder app on both Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, then using 7-Zip, I got the message "CRC failed in 'ical4j-1.0-rc1.jar'. File is broken". I'll download again.

orangeboy · 05-11-2010, 10:34 AM

Keeping "broken files" seems to allow the apps to run...

ajayabb · 05-11-2010, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by windracer

Got it working through Galleon ... neat.

What steps did you take?

windracer · 05-11-2010, 11:37 AM

I extracted the contents of the downloaded archive to Galleon's hme directory in a folder called googlemaps. I then removed the 'extra' files leaving only:

- cbd.tivo.icons.jar
- cbd.tivo.widgetsGadgets.har
- GoogleMaps.jar
- PLACES.TXT

(the other jar files are already part of Galleon)

I added the following line to Galleon's launcher.txt file (in the hme directory):

com.blackledge.david.tivo.map.Map

I added the following line to Galleon's conf/wrapper.conf file:

wrapper.java.classpath.6=/usr/share/galleon/hme/googlemaps/*.jar

(note this is my 6th path statement, hence the .6. Your own number (and path) may vary, so adjust accordingly.

Restart Galleon and you should see the "Map" application on your TiVo.

davidblackledge · 05-11-2010, 01:13 PM

Sorry, I usually include a "how to install under Galleon" file, too, but didn't this time.

However, my steps don't include:

Quote:

Originally Posted by windracer

I extracted the contents of the downloaded archive to Galleon's hme directory in a folder called googlemaps.
...
I added the following line to Galleon's conf/wrapper.conf file:

wrapper.java.classpath.6=/usr/share/galleon/hme/googlemaps/*.jar

(note this is my 6th path statement, hence the .6. Your own number (and path) may vary, so adjust accordingly.

I just have everything for all apps thrown into the galleon/hme folder itself. Nice tip.

Note, however, I don't think your steps are actually including PLACES.TXT in the classpath, so you wouldn't get those words as possible completions. I would bet you'd add something like:
wrapper.java.classpath.7=/usr/share/galleon/hme/googlemaps
so the folder containing PLACES.TXT is in the classpath.

(That said, I finally just clicked that anything in PLACES.TXT with a space in it is not getting included in the completions. Oops! That'll take tweaking of TyPo)

windracer · 05-11-2010, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidblackledge

Note, however, I don't think your steps are actually including PLACES.TXT in the classpath, so you wouldn't get those words as possible completions. I would bet you'd add something like:
wrapper.java.classpath.7=/usr/share/galleon/hme/googlemaps
so the folder containing PLACES.TXT is in the classpath.

Whoops, you're right. Thanks for the catch.

edit: actually, just using 'wrapper.java.classpath.7=/usr/share/galleon/hme/googlemaps' didn't work as none of the jar files were found. I had to add two separate lines, one with *.jar and one with just the directory name to pick up the PLACES.TXT file.

BP-isMe · 05-21-2010, 02:11 PM

Hi All,

This is a great app for a quick map check Thanks for writing it.

I have 2 questions:

Is it possible for me to set the default location ie: My Town

When changing the location, is there a way do delete the current entry with one key instead of backspacing.

Thanks Again...Brad

davidblackledge · 05-21-2010, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BP-isMe

Hi All,
This is a great app for a quick map check Thanks for writing it.

I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BP-isMe

I have 2 questions:

Is it possible for me to set the default location ie: My Town

Not currently. I do plan to add that, but I don't have a lot of free time these days. I'll either have you add the place to the "launcher.txt" as an argument, or possibly make it remember the last location you entered. (Hmm.. or maybe a keypress on the map that means "make this default location")

Quote:

Originally Posted by BP-isMe

When changing the location, is there a way do delete the current entry with one key instead of backspacing.

Yep, the "clear" key on the remote (near the numbers, across from the "enter" key)
That raises an interesting point though... I failed to add a "clear" button in the on-screen keyboard like the other keyboards have. I'll have to do that.

Thanks for the note!

BP-isMe · 05-21-2010, 07:22 PM

I am enjoying it and thanks for the response.

It's nice when people share their talent.

Brad