This post is also available in: Norsk bokmål (Norwegian Bokmål) Deutsch (German)
If you’ve looked at the changelog lately, you’ve probably noticed that a lot has happened.
We’ve been working hard to expand our features, and support log writing/publishing. Everything is ready for use, but we will continue to work on improvements. And hopefully we’ll get something written for the help center as well.
This is not for everyone
First of all, this new logging tool is not for everyone. If you write all your logs in the field, mostly live-log and/or use a phone/tablet, this probably won’t be the tool for you.
Our logging tool is meant to be used in a browser, on a computer.
Very powerful for some
Our tool is meant for those that feel familiar with one or more of the points below:
- Use a dedicated GPSr, and submit logs later
- Want to write proper logs at home, instead of in the field
- Upload lots of pictures
- Want to gather drafts from multiple sources (GPSr, geocaching.com, cachetur app) and write all logs in one place
- Want a better trip report attached to the trip after it has been completed
Cachetur will order the logs automatically, to keep them in the correct chronological order, even across multiple time zones.
If you like to write really long logs, you’ll enjoy the option to have logs automatically split into several logs – automatically submitted in the correct order.
Web based
Powerful tools for writing logs already exists, but very few of them are web based. Our tool can be used from anywhere in the world, from any computer. This means you can work on your logs from wherever you are. It also means that you have to be online, but we have plans to figure out a way to solve that too.
Attached to trips
Logs are primarily attached to a trip, but you can also add loose extra caches. Because this tool will work best when you use it for all your finds.
A nice bonus is that you can use the other tools in the Post-Trip Assistant as well, like public reports and task answers.
Gather data from multiple sources
You can gather drafts from multiple sources:
- Directly to the backlog, one by one
- Directly to the Post-Trip Assistant, one by one
- By importing geocache_visits.txt in the Post-Trip Assistant (bonus: cachetur will automatically find the correct time zone, and correct the log time – which most other tools won’t)
- By sending notes from the cachetur app
- By importing Drafts from geocaching.com in the Post-Trip Assistant
Smart picture upload
One of the most time consuming tasks when using other tools, are uploading pictures. At least for those of us that enjoy taking lots of pictures.
Cachetur will solve this in a brand new way. You can upload single pictures (and even paste screenshots directly, like if you have a challenge requirement to add), or you can use the bulk-upload tool.
Add hundreds of pictures to the trip, and let cachetur automatically suggest which caches they belong to based on coordinates and time on picture and the logs. You can quickly make corrections, if something is wrong. And you can edit all picture descriptions form the same page.
Log templates
Our log templates are not quite like the others. Our templates are detached from the log itself, which allows you to switch templates or edit the template without loosing the unique log text.
Each log consists of a unique part, and a template link. The link can be changed whenever you want to, without it affecting the unique part of the log.
You can create as many templates as you wish, and you can attached them to specific trips.
We also support several smart tags, to automatically insert things like find number and log time.
Edit in bulk, or separately
To make it easier to write logs for an entire trip at once, you can edit the unique part for all caches in a trip on the same page.
If you decide to use the single-log tool instead, you’ll have all relevant information displayed on the same page. We even added StreetView, to make it easier for you to recognize the area, and hopefully remember something from the find.
Future expansion
The tool is ready for use, but far from finished. We continue to make both small and larger improvements, just like with everything else on cachetur. Your feedback can help shape the future of this tool!
Feel free to spend some minutes answering our user survey.
Some of the things we are considering (if any of this is important to you, feel free to contact us with your thoughts):
- Easy sharing of information and logs between participants in a trip
- Improved functionality around group answers and logging requirements for earthcaches and virtuals
- Found-indication in the Cachetur Assistant based on logs in the backlog, for all participants in the trip
- Tool to work on the logs offline
This post is also available in: Norsk bokmål (Norwegian Bokmål) Deutsch (German)
1 Comment
Throsbyonchurch · 14. November 2019 at 10:36
Maybe you could add a feature to easily log trackables. Logging trackables is hard and time consuming for all cachers and so they don’t log photos or any information.
I would love to be able to write a detailed description for every trackable.
For example – you’ve found two caches, one on top of a mountain and the second under a wharf. To write your log in the “Cache Log” box for the mountain cache and then you write another log in the “Trackables Log” box and you can also attach a photo. You then click send and not only is your cache logged, but ALL trackables in your trackables inventory receive the same log about your incredible mountain journey complete with a photo.
Then when you write your log in the “Cache Log” box for the wharf cache and then you write another log in the “Trackables Log” box and you can also attach a photo. You then click send and not only is your cache logged, but ALL trackables in your trackables inventory receive the same log about your very wet wharf cache find complete with a photo.
That would be awesome.
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