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TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)

I added a feature to TntMPD to help me on my support trip.  If you have Microsoft Streets & Trips 2011, it should work (I've only tested it with the USA version).

Under the "Group Actions" menu, you can "Export to Microsoft Streets & Trips".  This will take the current group and display them on a map in Microsoft Streets & Trips.

Displaying the contacts on a map is helpful in and of itself.  But, I've found this also works well as a bridge between TntMPD and my GPS.  In MS Streets & Trips, I can export the push pins (contacts) to a GPX file, which my new Garmin GPS can import as "Custom Points of Interest".  I've done this for all the people who receive our newsletter.

Having all our partners and newsletter recipients in our GPS has been invaluable.  When TntMPD exports the contacts to MS Streets & Trips, it includes a few other bits of detail that also gets passed along to our GPS:  Phone number, last appointment and/or last gift (year/amount).

So now, as we're driving in our car, we can pull up our "Newsletter Recipients" as a category under "Points of Interest".  It will immediately show all the partners in order of who is most close to us at the time.  We can then click the name, and it will show their phone number, as well as when we last saw then and the year/amount of their last gift.

If we are on the road, and we have some extra time, we can see if any partners are near by, and call them up, and see if they are around, since we're "in the neighborhood".  What's so nice is that this takes almost no planning.  You can be much more agile w/ visiting current partners.

When we're heading to appointments, we don't need to print maps.  We don't even need to enter their street address into our GPS.  We just click on their name in our GPS, and tell the GPS to set it as our destination.

I've found this very helpful to us on our MPD trip, and I think you might also.  I'd encourage you to get a GPS if you haven't yet and try this out!

Posted 4 Jul 2011 7:00 PM by Troy Wolbrink

Comments

Michael Drackley wrote re: TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)
on 4 Jul 2011 11:18 PM

Troy,

Love this concept!  I guess the next logical question for those of us who don't have Microsoft Streets and Trips would be are you able to export from TNT to a GPX file or foresee it as being capable? Or to have a modification of your Google map link to include multiple addresses?

I am not by any means a coder but dabble in concepts.  Would information from this sites be of any help to you?: http://econym.org.uk/gmap/

googlemapsapi.martinpearman.co.uk/home.php

http://www.cthreepo.com/poi/

One thing I do know you can do (I do it all the time) is use your google maps Icon to get the address in my GPS. Click on the "Show Google Map" icon - this takes me to there address on Google Maps (thank you for that wonderful feature!) - then in the Left coloum of that page there is a list of options you can do "Directions|Search| nearby|Save to map| & more".  If you click on "More" it gives you the drop down menu to: "Zoom here|Street View| Send| Move marker| Edit details| Report a problem."  Then (last step), If your GPS is connected to your computer, clicking "Send" will give you a pop up menu with: "Send to:| Email| Phone| Car| GPS."  With the GPS connected, click on GPS and the directions from there are self explanatory.

Just my thoughts - take them or leave them.  I kinda have a passion for geocaching so that is the reason for my excitement of TNT to GPS concept.

Troy Wolbrink wrote re: TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)
on 4 Jul 2011 11:37 PM

Hi @herbieltd,

Thanks for your feedback and encouragement.  Yes, there's definitely more that could be done, and I've had similar thoughts as you for futurue ideas.  I was just trying to get the first step DONE, so I could start using the feature immediately.

The current challenge w/ creating a GPX file directly is that TntMPD needs to do the geocoding instead of MS Streets & Trips.  MS Streets & Trips works even when you're not connected to the Internet, and it doesn't limit the number of addresses you can geocode per day.

The Google Maps API has a geocoding function, but it limits the number of requests to 2,500 per day.  See "Usage Limits" at this URL:  code.google.com/.../geocoding

Also, the link you mentioned (http://www.cthreepo.com/poi/) limits geocode requests to about 500 per day.

Once more than 1 or 2 people try to use this feature in TntMPD on the same day, these limits would be hit almost immediately.

I'm not sure how to stretch the current feature in TntMPD that opens up the Google Maps website on the current contact to provide multiple (hundreds) of addresses in a single request.  I'd love to know if there is a way, as this would be another solution.

BTW: I haven't bought MS Streets & Trips 2011 yet.  I'm still running the 60 day trial version, which is enough to cover our support trip!  ;)

Michael Drackley wrote re: TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)
on 5 Jul 2011 12:22 AM

All good points.  I live in an environment where I have always on internet connection.  I keep forgetting that most are not. If I come across something that is non-internet based I'll let you know.  There has to be something :).

Michael Drackley wrote re: TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)
on 5 Jul 2011 12:50 AM

I can't help myself, On this site I couldn't find limits to the amount of address you could send.  www.gpsvisualizer.com/geocoding.html. Could be a link option in the tnt toolbar?

Troy Wolbrink wrote re: TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)
on 5 Jul 2011 3:30 AM

Thanks!  That's a good link to check out.  It uses the Google API behind the scenes, but it does it in such a way that the 2,500 limit (using Google) would be per person (IP address, actually).

Bob Mac Leod wrote re: TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)
on 6 Jul 2011 4:44 PM

I look forward to trying this feature. I have been doing this for more than 5 years already, by simply exporting my current group and importing it into Microsoft Streets & Trips. I have found MS&T to be an exceptionally helpful tool for two key reasons--all other things being equal since all map softwares do the same thing in terms of mapping.

1. MS&T lets me save and return to trips. I set up a Summer MPT Trip file and keep coming back to throughout the trip, making modifications as I go. I understand that you can sort of save Google Map trips, but in MS&T, it's as easy as a Word file.

2. It's available off-line. Many people believe--and cell company commercials delusionally promote this--that there is full internet access everywhere in the country. I once went 9 days, IN THE US, without cell phone coverage (northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula).

3. There's a Europe version, where I have no Internet access at all, and the GPS is only as good as my next stop.

You can read my full review of MS&T here:

www.epinions.com/.../content_523342614148

Troy Wolbrink wrote re: TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)
on 7 Jul 2011 5:51 AM

I just added a FAQ article to help explain and demonstrate how to put your partners on a GPS(www.tntware.com/.../how-can-i-export-my-partners-to-a-gps.aspx).  Based on my experience, I'd highly recommend to any missionary working on raising their support to consider getting a GPS unit.

Troy Wolbrink wrote re: TntMPD 2.1 r66 (exports to MS Streets & Trips 2011 ... bridge to GPS)
on 7 Jul 2011 5:52 AM

Thanks for your comments, Bob.  Good points.  I'll check out your review.

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