Locus Map - forum

Development => Other features => Topic started by: Jeremy Schwab on December 14, 2015, 20:33:03

Title: Route via stored segments
Post by: Jeremy Schwab on December 14, 2015, 20:33:03
Hi all,

I'm new to the forum, but a daily user of Locus for my adventures. I'm wondering if you can help me with something that to me would be a huge time saver for this already awesome tool.

As an alternative to the route builder router functionality (ie. YOURS, MapQuest etc.), do you know of a way to route via a stored Track (ie. one I've loaded via GPX etc.) where the router doesn't know the area?  I imagine this to function where I would use the router to plan the known route, then have the ability to routing via the displayed routes on my screen.  At which point, the builder would "snap" to the available routes.  Since the track points are known, it should be able to use them?

This is a dream feature for me since I have hundreds of GPX files on my device. I've arranged them into Segments for the most part.  What I've done to create the perfect route might be a combination of using the route builder and also merging those know routes into a new track.  However, this is a bit clunky (although still pretty cool that it's even possible).

I suppose a similar feature to routing by segments would be as implemented on Trailforks where you can join multiple segments:
http://www.trailforks.com/ridelog/planner/
(the issue with Trailforks is that it won't draw routes outside of these known segments unless done manually)

Alternatively (and I'm guessing more complex), it would be great if the map could snap to a visibly line on a calibrated map. For example, if I am displaying a map layer it would be able to "trace" over the lines on that map rather than me having to draw it manually.

If there is a forum posting on this, please direct me!  I'm aware I can create a routing track then merge them all together to create a new track but that is very laborious!

Thanks!
Title: Re: Route via stored segments
Post by: tommi on December 15, 2015, 12:20:20
Hi Jeremy,
I'm not 100% sure what you are exactly looking for, maybe I get you wrong.
But here my proposal:
Import your GPX track into Locus, let it display and then tap on the visible track and select "Navigation".
Locus will calculate navigation hints automatically just based on the shape of the track. In this mode (different to MapQuest e.g.) Locus has no knowledge of the kind of road etc, it will just navigate you along the GPX track.
Drawback: It will announce every curve along the road as "turn right or left" instead of being silent when this this is the only alternative you have (e.g. think of a road through the mountains with hairpin curves)
Benefit: You will even get navigation hints while your offroad, e.g. your GPX track goes somehow through a forest but there is no road.

Is this what you are looking for?
Title: Re: Route via stored segments
Post by: Jeremy Schwab on December 15, 2015, 18:35:47
Hi, thank you.  I'm looking to link up multiple segments as well as tracks from the router etc.  For example, I may have segment A and segment C that are a few kms away from each other.  I don't have an easy way to link them together without the router (or manually drawing a line).  I can use the router to create segment B, but this is a manual a time consuming process (considering I may be filling in many gaps this way).  I'm imaging something like the router that also works with my stored tracks on my phone as well as it's own database.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Route via stored segments
Post by: poutnikl on December 16, 2015, 08:18:53
So if I get you well, you want the router to use your stored segments like the lightning uses leading ionized channels, like taking them as way segments of extra high priority.

Hmm, good luck in looking for it.

The only way I see for now is to let a router generate GPX file between ending points of different segments and joining the old and new segments.
Title: Re: Route via stored segments
Post by: Jeremy Schwab on December 18, 2015, 18:40:51
Ok, yeah that's what I thought... it's a dream feature that I think would be very handy!