Eagle Tree Systems GPS-5HZ - Manual (Page 3)

Copyright © 2005 Eagle Tree Systems, LLC
http://www.eagletreesystems.com
Page 3
To Graph recorded data, first load the data into the app, either from downloading from the Recorder, recording from live mode with the Seagull
Dashboard, or loading from a previously saved Data Recorder file. See the section below on graphing live mode data.
To Graph recorded GPS data in 2D, choose “Graph Data!”, and select “2D GPS Chart.” The chart will show the 2D (bird’s eye) graph of the data,
and will show the latitude and longitude positions on the axes. Note that the chart will automatically scale to fit the data.
To Graph recorded data in 3D, choose “Graph Data!”, and select “3D GPS Chart.” The Chart will show the 3D plot. The Z-Axis can be selected to
be one or more of the following:
• GPS Altitude
• Barometric Altitude (For Boat or Flight Systems)
• GPS Speed
• Pitot/Static Speed (For Flight Systems)
These choices allow you to visualize your position as compared with your speed or altitude.
Loading a Background Image for 2D and 3D Charts
The graphing software supports loading an image upon which the GPS chart can be plotted. GPS background images with GPS coordinates can be
obtained from Google Earth ™, GlobeExplorer.com™, or other internet resources. Electronic maps of the proper file format can also be loaded as
background images, of course.
The software also supports setting the upper left-hand and lower right-hand GPS coordinates of the image. This is especially useful if you will be
operating in a certain area, and wish to observe your vehicle’s path over this particular area. Loading the GPS coordinates forces the chart to scale
to the entered GPS coordinate rectangle, which causes the GPS data points to plot at the correct place within the image. Note that no points will be
plotted if the current position of the GPS Expander falls outside the rectangle formed by the coordinates you entered.
To load an image, first click the “Load Image” button, which will bring up the image “Load a GPS Chart Background Image” window. Then, click
“Load GPS Chart Image.” This allows you to load a JPEG, BMP, or GIF image file on 2D graphs. Currently only BMP files are supported in 3D
GPS graphs, but support for more 3D image types will be added to a future version of the app.
To set the GPS coordinates of the image, enter the latitude and longitude of the upper left-hand corner of the image, and the lower right-hand corner
of the image. These coordinates must be entered in signed decimal degrees (+/-DDD.DDDDDDD) format. Note that North and East coordinates
are positive, and South and West coordinates are negative.
If you have only DMS coordinates, conversion from DMS to decimal can be done via a calculator, or from a conversion website. For example, if
you have the following coordinates in DDD MM SSSS format, you would enter the corresponding coordinates into the app:
Upper Left-hand Image Coordinates in DMS: 33° 19’ 48.00” N 44° 26’ 24.00”E
Enter the following for Upper Left-hand Coordinates in decimal format: 33.330000 44.440000
Once the Background Image and optional GPS coordinates are entered, hit OK to load the image.
NOTE: currently, when a background image is loaded into a 3D GPS chart, another software program must have been used to correctly tilt and
stretch the image. We will automatically tilt and stretch the image in a future version of the app.
Using GPS Charting in Live Mode
To view a 2D GPS chart of the vehicle’s real-time position, follow the below steps:
• Connect either the Recorder or Seagull Dashboard to USB.
• Launch the App, and choose “Graph Data!, 2D GPS Chart.”
• Load a background image if desired, if not already loaded.
• Click the “Live Mode!” button on the app.
A live trail of the vehicle’s course should then appear on the 2D GPS chart.
Graphing GPS Data with Google Earth™
Our Windows application supports both Live Mode and recorded data output to Google Earth. Latitude, Longitude and Altitude (either GPS or
barometric) data are output in the Google Earth format. NOTE: Please install Windows application version 4.21 or later from our website for Google
Earth support.
Google Earth™ Live Mode Support
To set up Google Earth Live Mode support, first select “Tools, Live Mode Options”.
Check the “Click here to export Live Mode data to Google Earth” box if you wish to export Live Mode GPS data to Google Earth.
After clicking this box, you will be prompted to choose a Live Mode Google Earth path name. This is simply a path to a file, normally on your hard
drive, to which Live Mode will record a Google Earth compatible file in real time. You will open this file in Google Earth also.