Google Earth - computerized log book

[Safe-Keeper]

Seeing that I've used Google Earth a lot, I can't see why I haven't thought of this before. Google Earth, free map/globe/everything program, can be used to log your SHIII patrols, or in fact any kind of patrols or trips you undertake (I use it to log my kayaking trips)!

Screenshots:

The Comments field of placemarks house log entries. The Path tool sketches, roughly, the journey of the u-boat.




Experimenting with the Hexagon tool (to draw assigned patrol area, dark red transparent) and Image overlay tool (to post screenshots):


And if you've got problems remembering where everything happened, remember that you can always just grab a screenshot of the in-game chart and use the Image Overlay tool to put it into Google Earth! Though... do mind that it seems that the woefully inaccurate SHIII world is so out of scale that it's not possible to overlay a picture correctly without some part of it ending up being misrepresented. Or maybe I'm running into a problem related to how the Google Earth globe is round, while the SHIII world is flat?


This could've been made to look a lot better if I'd given it more time, but it's just a sample I pieced together to show what you can do with the program.

I feel that to those of you who actually write logs now and then, this could actually be quite a nice tool.

[Ping Panther]

[Safe-Keeper]

If anyone tries this, please post screenshots! And just for the heck of it, some of my kayak logs:

[Brag]

How many torpedoes does your kayak have?

[rifleman13]

I have Google Earth (free version)...

How do you that!:hmm:

That -> Big time!

This is a brilliant idea!

[BulSoldier]

OMG how i never thought of that.GOOD work i am sure to test this.

[Safe-Keeper]

How many torpedoes does your kayak have?

If I'd been in the middle of my last SHIII obsession, I'd probably draw such comparisons while kayaking (like seeing another boat and thinking "oh ****, is she friendly? Do I need to dive?"). I'd literally stroll the harbour in my hometown and look at the cruise ships and catch myself wondering how much renown I'd get for sinking them.

But no, my kayak doesn't have torpedoes, nor can she dive. However, she can probably do an eskimo roll in a pinch, once I learn how to carry them out, and she's kinda hard to spot with her small size.

I have Google Earth (free version)...

How do you that!:hmm:

I have the free version, too, and this feature used to be off-limits but has since been unlocked. It's really simple, really, so I'm sure you'll get the hang on it really fast. In short...

Warning in advance: Google Earth is surprisingly prone to crash while doing this stuff, at least my copy is. Make backups regularly by right-clicking the patrols folder you're about to make and choose "Save Place As...". To recover the backup, just exit Google Earth and open the file by clicking on it. This'll launch Google Earth and import the backup, which you can then drag back to My Places.

1. Make a folder in My places for the patrol logs by right-clicking "My Places" and choosing Add, then Folder. Keeps things organized and makes it easy to show/hide all your patrols or make backups - all you do is choose this one folder. Experiment with names and descriptions. An example:



The grey text is the folder's Description field. Note that I use Temporary Folders to not clutter up My Places, since this is just a mock log for this tutorial and I'll delete it once this is done.

2. Look at the toolbar:


The icon with the yellow pin places placemarks.
The three next icons, from left to right, are
- Hexagon (use this to show patrol area, etc.)
- Path
- Image Overlay

Placing Placemarkers is fairly straightforward. You hit the icon and the placemarker appears in the middle of the screen, and a window emerges. Click and drag the marker to where you need it, and fill in the fields in the window as you see fit. One example:



Clicking the icon with the red circle lets you customize the appearance of the placemarker. Note that colour changes sometimes don't show until you've left the Placemarker window.

If you mess up, just right-click the placemarker and choose "Properties". This will let you move or edit the marker.

Placing Paths works much the same way. You hit the icon and click-and-drag the path. You then choose the path's colour and width. It might be an idea to give each patrol's path its own colour. It might also be an idea to make the patrol multiple paths, so that you don't have to remove the whole thing if you mess a segment up.

After placing the path, you can edit nodes by clicking on them and then either holding the node to drag it or erasing it by right-clicking.



Draw Hexagons to denote patrol grids, hunting grounds, etc.

Use Image Overlay to place Screenshots or overlay the SHIII map, as shown in an earlier post.

That's all I can really be bothered to jot down right now, as I'm dog-tired and need a shower. Ask if you need anything else, and above all, feel free to experiment.

Oh, and again, backup often!

(To UBI: Idea for SH5: Make SH5 save patrols, including events in placemarker form and hunting grounds as overlays, etc., as kmz files that can be imported into Google Earth).

[PhantomLord]

Great Idea!

Unfortunatly there´s no KM-Grid-Overlay for Google Earth. But you can convert the grid coordinates into lattitude / longitude with the MQK-Converter

[robj250]

Hi guys. I'm back. I've been spending too much time in the hospital. What is this "Google Earth", where do I get it, are there instructions on how to use it?

Is it usable with SHIII vanilla or just GWX?

Rob

[Mush Martin]

Originally Posted by robj250

Hi guys. I'm back. I've been spending too much time in the hospital. What is this "Google Earth", where do I get it, are there instructions on how to use it?

Is it usable with SHIII vanilla or just GWX?

Rob

Surely you Jest:hmm:

http://earth.google.com/

[bert8for3]

Terrific idea!

[Safe-Keeper]

What's amazing is that Google Earth actually has a GPS Import tool, even though it's locked if you don't shell out $20 for the Plus version, which I don't intend to do as I'm not paying $20 just for that feature. This means that I could actually bring the family GPS with me, turn it on and leave it in one of the kayak's cargo hold, and then have it track my journey and import the data from it into Google Earth. I'd have a 99% accurate path showing my exact route.

But nah, not worth it.

[Safe-Keeper]

Tried to make a Video tutorial, but FRAPS only recorded the map part of the screen, not the windows and toolbars, so it's a no-go, sorry.

[TAW_CZAREJS]

Great idea Safe-Keeper

I thought since I was just starting out a new career I would give it a whirl.

Here is U-35's 1st war patrol Sept. 1940

To view in Google Earth

1) Open Google Earth
2)Under the Add tab open network link
3)Type in the following link http://home.comcast.net/~czarejs/sh3/u35.kmz (You could also just click the link, but than you have to download the file and drag it to Google earth, but its easier just to type it in)

It was a good patrol... to start with (Capital ship alert!:p )