The GPSS Demo

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If you start GPSS and it cannot find a GPS signal, it begins a self-running demo.

Actually, it seems to more or less randomly start one of several. There are times when you see some things and sessions where you see others.

You never get to Ascot, but it's fun to watch and listen.

Robin has packed many features into the demo. The following is a list, as well as if you get the feature built-in, or you have to do your own configuration and work to make it happen.

· Driving instrument panel with speed, direction, ETA, and so on	built-in
· Your car (circle with a pointer showing direction when moving)	built-in
· Maps that automatically load appropriate next maps when the original map's border is reached	built-in*
· Distance and time to destination	built-in
· Audio readout of your progress and your location	built-in, configurable

· Construction drawing used as map (22 Armitage Court map)	requires work
· Aerial photo used as map (Sunninghill downtown)	requires work
· Audio readout of restaurants, chemist (drugstore), filling stations	requires work**
· Voice recognition / verbal commands to computer	requires work**
· Pop-up turn guidance, warnings	requires work**
· Ability to tell you what street or route you are travelling	requires work
· Alarm pop-ups (in multi-vehicle tracking)	requires work**

*You probably will have to add maps on your own. Robin will send you links to maps appropriate for you when you register, and there are many other maps available at the GPSS Web site, here (page down to 3. More Map Data - for Any Country).

** Will most likely require help from GPSS business partners - UK users can download files for identification of gas stations, restaurants and the like, but other regions are pretty much a blank slate

It is important to note that, except for the circle-with-pointer (your car), most of what you see in the demos is the result of work that has to be done -- by you -- before the trip.

The work is not difficult. However, because GPSS is essentially still in development...

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Some of the work involves sub-programs or utilities

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Some of these sub-programs do not feature self-explanatory interfaces

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Some of the information about how to use these utilities is a bit confusing on the GPSS site -- sometimes procedures have changed, and the old ways are still on the GPSS site

Doing the work
If you want to implement any the "requires work" features you see in the self-running demo, go to the Around & About section in this Help File, beginning with Adding maps.


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