GameSearch-AI is now accepting waypoints from your favorite mapping applications to improve the app's ability to analyze land! Currently (as of 10/23) we are only accepting .gpx files. In the next few days I'll add support for .kml files. This whole system is completely brand new, so there are tons of improvements I want to make as well. There might even be bugs, so please report any issues you encounter.
While I build GameSearch-AI, I've been thinking about what it might take in order to improve the app's ability to analyze land. There are some technical AI things that I might be able to do that will help. Those will absolutely be worked on in due time. I don't want to leave any performance wins on the table.
That being said, there is nothing that I can do to the model that will help it gain information better than what the hunter can get on the ground. Many of us have a whole history of experience that we have with each piece of land. Historical data is extremely important for hunting and so is any new information that you're getting while you're out there.
GameSearch has always been sensitive to the "additional information" box on the analysis page. This is where you can provide any additional information that you think might be helpful for the AI to analyze the land. Often, providing crucial information to the model will completely change its predictions. For example, I remember a time where I spent an entire day scouting a piece of land for bears. I went out to check out some creek bottoms that the app called out. When I got to the land, the creek bottoms were all dry. Providing the information to the model that the creeks were dry and that the land was hot and dry, the model shifted predictions to lower elevation permanent water sources.
Importing your data is easy on the GameSearch side. Simply click the 'Upload' button and select the file you want to upload. Currently, we are only accepting .gpx files. If you upload a file that is not a .gpx file, the file will be ignored. You should be thoughtful about the waypoints you choose. Follow these DOs and DON'Ts for best practices:
- DO: Upload waypoints that are in the same area as your search.
- DO: Edit waypoint titles to be descriptive and specific.
- DO: Add descriptions to waypoints that describe in detail what you've found.
- DO: Experimental - play with the 'additional information' box to see how it affects the model's predictions.
- DON'T: Upload waypoints that are irrelevant to your desired game animal.
- DON'T: Import other app data such as lines or shapes. They aren't set up to work yet.
Exporting data from your mapping apps can be a little bit cumbersome, especially if you're analyzing many different pieces of land. Because of how cumbersome this is, I think GameSearch is going to have to get some updates to maintain a repository of your data. This will let you upload bulk data and then add it to land analyses as you go. Even reference the waypoints in the land chat feature.
Anyways, here's how I like exporting from OnX:
- Move your OnX map to the desired location
- Visit the "My Content" tab in OnX
- Click the "Waypoints" button
- Make sure 'Filter list as map moves' is toggled ON
- Tap 'Select' to enter select mode
- Select all the waypoints you want to export
- Tap 'Export' by panning through the options at the bottom to download the data
- Save the data to a folder you remember, so that you can access the file on GameSearch-AI.