Adding Places: Landmarks, Towns

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Robin's information on the GPSS Web site says that GPSS finds places of interest via interplay among 3 files:

GPSS.CAT (list of the types of landmark to find)

.GTX files (lists of places of a given type - the type name as given in GPSS.CAT - with location and names)

GPSS.FND (list of the .GTX files holding data for searching)

But WAW is useful
That said, I prefer to keep my places for searching in whatever WAW file applies to the map currently open (more on the WAW file), as GPSS searches these files as well. Putting landmarks also enables an audio file of the landmark name.

This latter habit would not do if I were preparing an application in which GPSS is embedded.

Were I doing that, it would be best to use Robin's architecture, distributing specific information among the various external files noted above.

Adding a location to the WAW file
The WAW file syntax is:

location display name sound file name diameter in kilometers

For example:

422014N0710209W,Boston,BOSTON.WAV,1.5

Adding a location to a GTX file
The GTX file syntax is:

landmark type (chosen from GPSS.CAT) [comma] [space] [comma] location name

For example:

LPOP, ,422014N0710209W, Boston

The computer will speak the landmark type, but not its name (in this case, "population centre.")

Default GTX files
In the default installation of GPSS, you'll find a number of .GTX type files:

$lnteh.gtx Interesting Place $e.gtx Eating Place $s.gtx Sleeping Place $fs.ged Filling Station $lpop.gtx Population Centre $lgeo.gtx GeoCaching Caches -- for the geocaching hobby $lgpss.gtx GPSS User $af.gtx Landing Place $an.nof No Fly Area $lr.gtx Railway Station $lcc.gtx Caravan Club Site -- in American English, RV Campsite $lcs.gtx Camping Site $lt.gtx Tube Station -- in American English, Subway Station $lgeo.gtx Geocache

The complete catalog of landmark types
The full range of types in the GPSS.CAT file are as follows (American English in parentheses):

AF,Landing Place

AFAF,Airfield

AFIAP,International Airport

AFAD,Aerodrome (Airport)

AFSAD,Small Aerodrome

AFAS,Airstrip

AN,No Fly Area

P,Parking Place

PL,Lay By Parking

PCP,Car Park (Parking lot)

PR,Parking in Road

PMS,Multi Story Car Park

PUG,Underground Car Park

S,Sleeping Place

SH,Hotel

SHR,Hotel and Restaurant

SM,Motel

SBB,Bed and Breakfast

J,Road Junction

JR,Roundabout (Rotary)

JRM,Mini Roundabout

JRD,Double Roundabout

JC,Crossroads

JT,Tee Junction

JRL,Road Left

JRR,Road Right

E,Eating Place

EC,Coffee Shop

ET,Tea Rooms

ER,Restaurant

ERJ,Japanese Restaurant

ERV,Vegetarian Restaurant

ERC,Chinese Restaurant

ERF,Fish Restaurant

ERFC,Fish and Chip Restaurant

ERG,Greek Restaurant

ERI,Indian Restaurant

ERIT,Italian Restaurant

ERM,Mexican Restaurant

EP,Public House (Bar, Pub)

EFF,Fast Food

EFFHE,Happy Eater

EFFLC,Little Chef

EFFMC,MacDonalds

EFFKF,Kentucky Fried Chicken

EFFBK,Burger King

EFFPH,Pizza Hut

EFFPL,Pizza Land

ERT,Turkish Restaurant

ETA,Takeaway Food (Take-out)

ETAC,Chinese Takeaway Food

ETAI,Indian Takeaway Food

ETAF,Fish and Chip Takeaway Food

FS,Filling Station

FSA,Anglo Filling Station

FSAP,Apex Filling Station

FSAR,Arndale Filling Station

FSB,BP Filling Station

FSBU,Burmah Filling Station

FSCEF,C E F Filling Station

FSE,Esso Filling Station

FSEF,E F Filling Station

FSEL,Elf Filling Station

FSF,Fina Filling Station

FSG,Gulf Filling Station

FSH,Heron Filling Station

FSJ,Jet Filling Station

FSM,Mobil Filling Station

FSMU,Murco Filling Station

FSP,Proteus Filling Station

FSQ,Q8 Filling Station

FSS,Shell Filling Station

FSSA,Sainsbury Filling Station

FSSAV,Save Filling Station

FSSW,Safeways Filling Station

FST,Total Filling Station

FSTE,Tesco Filling Station

FSTX,Texaco Filling Station

FSUK,U K Filling Station

FSUL,Ultraman Filling Station

LGPSS,GPSS User

LGEO,Geocache (geocaching hobby site)

LC,Church

LCEM,Cemetry

LGOLF,Golf Club

LM,Monument

LS,School

LH,Hospital

LP,Police Station

LPO,Post Office

LPB,Post Box

LR,Railway Station

LRAIL,Railway

LA,Ambulance Station

LF,Fire Station

LGC,Garden Centre

LZC,Zebra Crossing (crosswalk, school crossing)

LPF,Sports Playing Field

LPT,Public Telephone

LRF,Recreation Field

LT,Tube Station (subway station)

LTO,Toilet

LTL,Traffic Lights

LSH,Shops

LSM,Supermarket

LSMI,Iceland Supermarket

LSMS,Sainsbury Supermarket

LSMT,Tesco Supermarket

LSMW,Waitrose Supermarket

LSMG,Gateway Supermarket

LFY,Factory

LB,Bend (curve)

LBK,Boarding Kennels

LCAT,Cattery Boarding

LCATK,Cattery and Kennels

LBEL,Bend Left

LBER,Bend Right

LBA,Bank

LBR,Bridge

LBRF,Footbridge

LBRU,Under Bridge

LBRO,Over Bridge

LBRUR,Bridge under Railway

LBROC,Bridge over Canal

LBROR,Over Rail Bridge

LBROS,Bridge over stream

LBRRI,Bridge over river

LNH,Nursing Home

LPOP,Population Centre

LSP,Swimming Pool

LUPC,Under Power Cables (?)

LNR,Nature Reserve (reservation, wildlife preserve)

LNRBBO,BBONT Nature Reserve

LNRBBOV,BBONT Nature Reserve - Visitor

LNRBBOO,BBONT Nature Reserve - Open Access

LNT,National Trust Site (U.S. equivalent is National Park)

LNTP,National Trust Property

LEH,English Heritage Site

LNTEH,Interesting Place

LCC,Caravan Club Site (RV campsite)

LCS,Camping Site

LW,Water

R,Road

RM,Motorway (Highway, Interstate Highway)

RA,Major Road

RB,Minor Road

RS,Small Road

RP,Private Road

As Robin says, these are all open formats and can be augmented or changed at will - but if you are going to add types to GPSS.CAT, you should coordinate that with Robin.


By Dave Gehman
© Copyright 2004, Robin Lovelock
Send changes, suggestions to Dave Gehman