1. Welcome to TrackMe!

1. either the row of Quick Access buttons:
   
   1.   Config menu (detailled in 2. Configure TrackMe)
   2.   Tools menu (detailled in 3. Upload and manage your trips)
   3.   Show your current position onto a small GoogleMaps
   4.   Force update now function allows you to upload an image and/or comment (detailled in 3.1. Force update now)
   5.   Manage your trips (detailled in 3.2. Manage your trips)
   6.   Choose the trip in which you want to log the positions
   
   
2. or the button at the bottom left corner

2. Configure TrackMe

2.1. - General options

This menu let you choose some general options:



Unit	Choose between Metric or English units
Background and Main text color	Personalise the appearance of trackMe
Show tray icon	Show a tray icon on the Today screen, to access the application quickly if you minimise it.
Start tracking when program starts	Allows TrackMe to connect your GPS as soon as the software is up.
Start minimise (Stealth mode)	If you don't need to parameter anything (for instance you select previous option Start tracking when program starts you may want to start TrackMe minimise (also called Stealth mode).
Start TrackMe when Windows starts	Save time and start TrackMe upon WinMo start.
Lock device when Screen Off clicked	While tracking, you have the possibility to switch off the screen to save your battery. With this option, you can additionnaly choose to lock the device.
Geofence. Clear notification when tracking is started
Check for new updates when started	Each time you start TrackMe, it will check for new version (NOTA: will establish a data connexion if nothing else (ActivSync, Wifi) is available).
Show direction arrow when tracking

2.2. - Source of the data

You can choose if you want to retrieve your position from telecom cell towers via Cell ID or from your GPS unit.



Cell ID (more info about Cell IDs and GSM localisation on Wikipedia): Your position will be logged using the Cell IDs. You must select one or more databases in which Cell Ids are stored. Using this method, you can use TrackMe even if you don't have a GPS.

GPS (more info about Global Positioning System on Wikipedia):

Port and Baud rate	Specify the port and baud rate that your GPS unit uses. By default, Port 4 and a baud rate of 4800 are selected. IF you experience problems, try changing these parameters.
Minimum locked satellites required	Specify the minimal amount of satellites your GPS has to be connected to, before TrackMe logs the positions.
Use Cell ID if position is available but minimum required satellites not reached	yYou can choose to log Cell ID instead of your GPS position, if the GPS isn't connected to a user-defined minimal amount of satellites.
Use Cell ID if position is NOT available	You can allow logging Cell ID if your GPS isn't ready yet. Usefull if your GPS needs time to find satellites for example
Disconnect/Connect GPS between uploads automatically (Power saving)	This is avery handy option, especially if you log position at high intervals (for example 15 minutes or more). In this case, you can let TrackMe swtich ON and OFF your GPS automatically in order to save battery life! It will reconnect the GPS unit only when it needs to log a position.
Log GPS positions to a file

2.3. - Server where to upload data

Make sure you set up correctly the following parameters, to ensure proper uploading of your positions.



Account

Enter a username and password. As soon as you start uploading GPS positions, the system will try to create a user with that information. Note that these login and password will be needed to log in into the web interface (except if you set up your own server and use the option "public". This way, everybody will be able to access the trips of the other users w/o having to enter the password). If the username is already taken or you enter a wrong password. You will be notified. If your password isn't correct, TrackMe will notify you with "Incorrect Password for user". In this case, positions won't be transmitted to the server. Click OK to save the configuration.

Server

Staryon's server (luisespinosa.com / Port: 80 / Root folder: /trackme / Ext: php) can be used for free. Once you uploaded your positions, you can view them using the web interface here (see 4. How can I see my data? for more info). You'll need to provide the exact same username and password you're using in TrackMe. If you wish to use your own server, enter the appropriate values (see 5. I want to use my own server. How? to learn how to set up your own server).

2.4. - Configure LiveTracking
Let your friends and family follow you!

In order to use the LiveTracking feature, you have to tick Generate KML file and/or Generate GPX file. Click on Show generated file names to get the exact location of your file (this file is stored and generated on the server where you upload your positions).

See 4. How do I see my data? to use these files in Google Earth (amonst others).

More info on KML and GPX from Wikipedia.

This is a usefull feature if you want somebody to see where you were the last time you updated your positions (see 2.5 Storage behaviour of TrackMe to learn more about the different way to upload your data). If you upload your positions continually, this is a real LiveTracking. If you upload them manually at a chosen time, this become a delayed-LiveTracking :-p.

2.5. - Storage behaviour of TrackMe

Thanks to these options, you can tweak the way the positions will be logged and stored.



Store positions every X minutes and Y seconds	define when TrackMe shall log the position using an interval of minutes and/or seconds.
Don't store consecutive points if distance is less than X meters	In addition to the time interval between 2 logs, you can specifiy a minimum distance between points. It mainly avoids logging positions when you are at a red traffic light or when you simply stop somehwere.
Force update if direction changed at least X degrees (Only for GPS tracking)	An other possibility you have is to force a log after the bearing changes of a minimum defined angle.



Offline data (for later upload):



If unable to upload	Will store the position on your phone until (locally) if internet isn't avaiable at the moment of the log.
Always	Always store the positions locally (usefull if you don't have a data plan).
Never	Never store locally, thus always send the info to the server when a new position is logged. This option is ideal for LiveTracking (see also 2.4. LiveTracking).
Always but every X seconds	You can choose an interval between 2 uploads.
Upload automatically when internet available	This option will trigger the upload of all your offline data as soon as an internet connection is available (of course only if TrackMe is running!).
Store Battery status	Simply store the battery status along with a position.
Store Signal Strengh if Cell ID is used	If you use Cell ID tracking you might want to store the signal strengh along with the Cell ID itself.
Store Cell ID/Signal Str. in TrackMe database	If you want, you can also store these parameters in the TrackMe database of the server you're using to share your different Cell IDs. What does it bring in fact?

2.6. - Trip options

These two options are pretty useful.



Create new trip automatically if NONE is selected	Will create a name for the current trip (i.e. Auto_CURRENTDATE_CURRENTTIME) if you didn't choose manually an existing trip (using the menu from the main screen of TrackMe (see 1. Welcome to TrackMe!).
Clear trip name when program exits	Will conveniently erase the trip name when exiting the app. If not selected, the last trip used before exiting will be used to log the positions. If you didn't tick the first option, TrackMe will start next time showing the trip name "None" and log the position into it (as to do so, your positions won't be ordered cleanly. They will be shown online on the Web interface as "None").

2.7. - Set up special notifications
This is the part you'll use to track down your phone.

Event:


Notify if SIM card has changed	Trigger an event specify in the following "When Event is fired" if the SIM card is removed from the phone.
Notify if an SMS is received containing	You can set a special string of words to which trackMe will react upon reception and respond in accordance to the following "When Event is fired" options.


When Event is fired:


Start tracking if positions are not available	Switch on the GPS if not already in use.
... and keep tracking after are available	Go on logging the positions.


Notification type:


Send email to	Enter the email adress to which the notification shall be sent to. A combinaison with the "SMS" notification below is possible.
Send SMS to	Enter the mobile phone number to which the notification shall be sent to. A combinaison with the "email" notification above is possible.


Info: one shall be aware that if the GPS isn't available (e.g. phone is indoor), it can take a long time until you receive the notification, i.e. until the phone along with the user is outdoor.
In order to speed up the process, you can set up the source of the data (see 2.2. Source of the data) so that Cell IDs are logged if no GPS positions are available. That way, you'll receive the notification very quickly, as a cell tower is likely almost always available. Simply tick the option "Use Cell ID if position is NOT available" in the source menu.

3. Upload and manage your trips

3.1. - Force Update Now



With this, you can upload a pic and/or a comment at the very moment you choose.

You have the liberty to add a specific icon (for example a nice "Sunny" icon if you just took a photo of the sunrise :-] )

This pic and/or comment will be linked to the closest position of your current trip.

Info: the list of icons is stored on the server. You have to hit the " Get existing" button to list them in TrackMe.
Info: if you decided to store locally the positions (See 2.5 Storage behaviour of TrackMe), TrackMe will send these pics along with the positions as soon as you decide to upload offline data, not directly when you hit " Force Update" (See 3.7 Upload Offline Data).

3.2. - Manage Trips

Hit "Options > Get Existing" to retrieve the list of trips (this list is downloaded from the server you specifxy in the "Server options" (see 2.3. Server where to upload data). Once done, you can quickly and easily manage your trips.

Info: note that you need an internet access to manage your trips. Any of the following options will establish a data connexion if nothing else if available. Any changes you make are immediately effective on the server (this is no local work).



Get existing	Get an alphabetically ordered list of all your trips stored on the server.
View Summary	Using your standard browser (e.g. IE, Opera), TrackMe offers you the possibility to see some usefull info about the selected trip: total distance, start / end time, trip duration, total logged positions, max / average speed, max / min / average altitude.
Add	Add a new trip to your database.
Rename	Allow you to rename a trip.
Delete	Delete both the trip and all the positions it contains. This can't be undone!
Delete Only Positions	Delete only the positions. That way you keep the trip name. This can't be undone!
Export Positions	See 3.3. Export Positions.

3.3. - Export Positions

Eporting positions to a file is easy. Follow the few next steps.



Trip	Hit the "Get existing" button and choose the trip you'd like to manage (Note that you need an internet connection to retrieve the trip names. A data connexion will be established if nothing else is available). Then select the trip of interest.
Use Range	You can use a range (precise to the second) in order to choose only the positions you want to export. Don't forget to tick the "Use range".
Destination location file(s)	A file will be created either remotely or locally. The file is named after your username (e.g. deuzeff.kml).
Options	Choose which kind of file(s) you want to create (you can generate both KML and GPX at the same time). Tick the "Show bearings in map" to include the bearings to your trip.

3.4. - Delete Positions

Using a specific range of date/time, you'll be able to clean up your trip from points that you don't want anymore.
Hit the Get Existing button to retrieve your trips. If you don't tick the Use range option, ALL your positions within tris trip will be deleted.

Beware that this process can't be reverse!

3.5. - Send Position Email

You can send your actual position by email. To do this, TrackMe will connect to Internet in order to create small urls (http://xrl.us/):



If you for any reason TrackMe can't succeed this step, the email will contain standard Google Maps urls:

3.6. - Send Position SMS
Similar to Send Position Email (See 3.5 Send Position Email).

If you for any reason TrackMe can't succeed this step, the sms will contain standard Google Maps urls:

If standard Google Maps urls are used, it will send 2 SMS instead of only one.

3.7. - Upload Offline Data

While tracking in the main screen of TrackMe, you can stop logging position using the stop button , TrackMe will automatically ask you if you want to upload the offline data now. Clic "No" if you want to do it later. If you click "Yes", the upload will take place right away.



Below you see an example of upload: whereas the last position of the dummy-trip below was a GPS position, the two first positions were Cell IDs (GPS unavailable). For these two positions, TrackMe is retrieving info from Google Maps in order to convert the Cell ID into a GPS position (Message "Searching google for 241-...").
When the uploading process is through, the message "Offline process finished" is displayed.

3.8. - Find Closest Buddy

If no information about other users can be found, TrackMe will notify you:

3.9. - Upload Pictures

Explanations

3.10. - Geofence

Geofencing is a clever way to alert friends or family when you arrived or are nearby a specific location.



3.10.1. - Show and Edit Alerts
Hit the Options button at the bottom left corner, then Add.

Enable / Notified ?? What's that?




3.10.2. - Enable / Disable all Alerts

Simply choose to enable or disable all alerts at once by hitting the corresponding button. Result:



3.10.3. - Reset Notifications



That

4. How can I see my data?

4.1. Google Earth (Realtime and prerecorded data)

In order to show a track with Google Earth you need to generate a KML file. There are 2 ways of generating a KML file from TrackMe. A KML file can be generated when exporting data or when using Live Tracking.

Configuring Google Earth

If you don't have the application, you can download it for free from HERE

Run the application and follow these steps:

1. Click on the top menu called ADD. Once there select NETWORK LINK

2. Type the address with the location of the KML file that we mentioned before where says LINK.

3. If you want realtime tracking, Google Earth should reload this file periodically. You can do that, selecting the tab REFRESH and there specifying how often you want to refresh. Don't forget to check the option FLY TO VIEW ON REFRESH.

4. Click OK to save the settings.

The following image shows an example:



Now Google Earth will try to load the file that you have specified. If found, you will see your track there. If you checked the option GENERATE KML FILE in TrackMe and you configured Google Earth to reload the KML file periodically, you should see your track displayed and updated automatically.

Here you can see some examples

4.2. Google Maps (No realtime)

Go to maps.google.com and type the location of the KML file.

Example:

4.3. Web Viewer (Realtime and prerecorded data)

mcross and jcleek from xda-developers' forum developed a nice plugin for TrackMe.
This plugin will display a google map with the track that you selected. It will use the data stored in the database therefore no KML or GPX files are needed. It works in public and private mode, so for this case you need to enter your username and password for seeing your tracks.
It comes with several options such as map size, auto refresh, show last location and other options that lets you customize the appearance.


Note: If you are using our free public server, you can use this plugin just by going to http://luisespinosa.com/trackme/index.php and entering your username and password.

5. I want to use my own server. How?

TrackMe already provides a server that can be used free of charge by any user. However, if you want to use your own server, you can use the installation package that jcleek created for TrackMe.

In order to TrackMe access your server, you need to specify the address of your server in the configuration and adjust other parameters. This settings can be accessed by going to Config->Remote. Don't forget to uncheck the option 'Hide advanced settings' from the Config->General menu.