Well, I figured out how to do it, and I'm here to share. Here's a video of my sample LabView VI that reads in the GPS coordinates of the mouse over the Google Earth map, captures the position of a left mouse click, and feeds it back into Google Earth through the well known network KML file.
The Source code is available at my website here
The opens the door to new GroundStation features, like "Click and Go" during a flight. Also, it could mean the retiring of ConfigTool, as all mission planning and status could be done through a single LabView VI with Google Earth.
Comments
Hey Bill,
I am building a UAV using LabVIEW and sbRIO. I have downloaded the VI you have written and it works a treat! I was wondering if you have a similar VI written for the stuff you show on your youtube video above. If I could get the coordinates of all the waypoints you place down in your video, into LabVIEW, it would be amazing! Do you have any code laying around that does that?
Thanks !
In the mean time, here's my progress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skmse5PejZo
notice it doesn't drop waypoints when moving the map or using controls, and you can move a waypoint by clicking it once, and clicking again to drop.
secondly can we locate our GPS on google earth without any Tx/Rx means to say can google earth locate any preffered GPS device on it without having any contact via Tx/Rx module
PM me your email address and I can include you on the LabVIEW GCS team
Yeah, I'm working on that as well. It looks like it can be done, but slightly backwards by placemark IDs like you say. But to the user, it would be a matter of clicking it to give it focus; which in Labview would 'release' the waypoint coordinates, and clicking again on it's new position on the map. Not exactly click and drag, but I would still call it user friendly.
Would you care to send me what you have already?
nice work. Actually I have already done this to the ArduPilot GCS, however code is not released since other things need to be worked out. Mainly, ability to edit already placed waypoint ( placemark) - say if you want to "grab it" with the mouse and "move it" around, like you can do with Google Maps and current config tool - which is really user friendly way of doing it. I can see how waypoint edit can be done in different manner (using placemark IDs) but it might be awkward user interface. To accomplish this I don't see any available / exposed Google Earth COM API properties or methods. If you know of them I am all ears.
Future iterations of GCS will support bi-directional communication, (certain) parameter changes, etc.
My UGV uploads missions into EEPROM over Xbee, I don't see why Ardupilot couldn't do the same. No more ripping out the programmer on the field.