11.4.2011 - Locus 1.4.3.3fine volunteers, lets go tune. I'm currently out of power :). This version is only for hardcore testers and on own risk!
IMPORTANTThis version change TRACK DATABASE, so backup Locus/data/dbtracks.sqll file! Changed file will not be perfectly usable in older version so count with that! Also to use full features in new version, like guiding along RTE GPX tracks, import data again! All features around track need to be tested, so please do it and every, even a small problem, write me. I was working on it for around two days, but that doesn't mean that there will be no problem. True is opposite :).
Also I want to add back support for My Maps. Here are enabled and fully working except remaining problems on 2.1 systems and also not working export to Locus database. Issues are also welcome
- rewrite whole system for track handling. What does it mean for you? Better support for RTE and TRK tags, ability to add point into track during track record, exporting segments separated by "pause", ability to guide along RTE tracks as well as along TRK tracks. Maybe some more ...
- new color picker dialog. Hope this will be useful for you
- some new settings
8.4.2011 - Locus 1.4.3.1- this is valid version till 15.4., install as Free, work as Pro
- added new (improved) method to add Online maps - viewtopic.php?f=21&t=45 (http://forum.asamm.cz/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=45)
- finally working Guide along track? (fixed some problems and added Guide on next point button
- added merging of tracks
- some map fixes
6.4.2011 - Locus 1.4.0- new Free and Pro version released on market
new testing version for Guiding fanatics and Map experts ;)
EDIT: hmm I just discovered problem with importing geocaches, founded aren't signed as founded. sorry, fixed
just wanted tell that... :D
everything works fine so far. at least for my usage. thanks a lot!!!
You can try popular and requested "noname" maps (CZ+SK) with relief. Copy files from zip file to folder "LocusmapsOnlinecustom"
http://www.uloz.to/8584910/om-custom-zip
did this work for you john? I think you have to remove '=' in referer ...
just "Referer#http://www.c..." will be OK;)
My xml file works OK just with script: Referer# = "http://www..../". Some problems are: different zoom limits (Prague 24; country CZ+SK 23) and factor "absolute flatland", when are absent some relief tiles in fileserver (for example around Terezin [LI]). This results by downloading tile to "Unknown problem".
Now it seems, that both scripts is function:
1) Referer#http://www../ --- OK
2) Referer# = "http://www..../" --- OK
hmm interesting, have to check. anyway to missing relief tiles, just check to relief layer "required"=false. By this, when no relief file is available but background yes, it will display just a background
Test version 1.4.3.1: Guiding perfect! Merge Tracks perfect! One small POI alert issue.
I did som testing today.
Guiding is 100% perfect in my opinion. Guiding Nearest, Guiding Reverse, Guiding Next Point, jumping, guiding sounds, - all that is working perfectly now as fas as I have experienced. These are reach features that I never have seen in any other app before.
There is one small improved feature I could think of: there are several apps on the Market, that have one function: to alert you when you approach a waypoint. The only reason I still keep one of these, is that I want to be sure I wake up when by train approaches my target station, and those apps allow me to select an alert tone of my choice. Locus has only one single beep for POI or an optional series of beeps for waypoint. The single POI beep may not wake me up. And when on a train I would prefer so select a ring tone of my choice. Would that be possible? The beep you have is great and the best when out exercising, but may be not that nice when on a bus/train. Just an idea. Not a big deal.
The new feature, Merge Tracks, works flawlessly!
I found a small POI alert issue. The Tools menu says that I will get an alert when close to VISIBLE POIs. Here is what I tried:
- selected one POI and turned on POI alert. Locus correctly gives me alert when within specified distance
- I then hided the POI. The POI alert still turn on alert when I move map center closer to the now non-visible POI. I understand this was not supposed to happen, right?
- If I move map center close to _another_ non-visible POI, I do not get any alert (which is correct, right?)
Excellent work, Menion!!!
Thank you very much!
version you tested is two days old! much of this core is replaced so wait with big testing to tomorrow. I during today trip discovered few issues I have to fix ...!!!
Aha, so that is why it looked pretty much as before. I saw your annoncement of completely rewritten guiding software, so I was surprised it looked as before. I thought 1.4.3.1 was the new one. Ok, I will wait for your new test release. I am really curious what you have done this time, because I find the existing implementation perfect, meeting all the requests that have been discuused at the forum recently. So I can't imagine how you can make a perfect solution even better!
solution in 1.4.3.x isn't perfect, it do not allow add waypoint during track record to track, do not export tracks as separate parts, do not navigate along track created from rte tags (gps) and more ... there is need for a lot of improvements. Main system will remain same but I need to fix all these issues ... that's all :) tomorrow
Looking very much forward to it :-)
I did some initial testing of 1.4.3.3 today.
1) Please refer my previous post regarding POI alert continues to be enabled if POI is made invisible. Same issue here.
2) Guide On, Guide On reverse, Nearest point, Next point - all that works perfectly in all kind of combinaations and sequences.
3) The color transparency is not working correctly, neither on created tracks nor on recorded tracks. Even if I set transparency to 0 (glider all the way to the left), the track is highly transparent (50% or something like that). Further, if I set transparency to 100% (glider all the way to the right), the tracks becomes invisible. That is not useful. There should be a meaningful max limit.
4) Now color settings for recording tracks and for creating tracks are in two different menues ("Track recording" and "Miscellaneous" respectively). It made more sense to me when they were under the same main menu "Tracks".
5) During track recording I now get the option to save current position. This point seems to be integrated with the recorded track and the only way to see the point is to make the track visible. I didn't find a way to copy that point to a category under "Points". Is it supposed to be like this? I could of course put a new waypoint on top of that recorded point afterwards and in this way "save" it.
This is what I have so far.
I am starting my hike Tuesday morning. Then I will test the new version. It is nice that it coexists with Locus pro so I can always switch to that in case of problems.
- Regarding my point 5) in my previous post: adding a point to a track being recorded. I tried it more this morning and realized how this was intended to be used.
I think this is an excellent feature, which also works perfectly. If I want to save current position as a separate waypoint, that function is still there.
- In the menu Settings/Miscellaneous/"Track color and transparency" there is a sub text saying: "Color of imported or manually created tracks". However, this color setting is also applied to tracks recorded by Locus.
So you should correct the text to read "Color of imported/recorded/manually created tracks".
- you new color picker: excellent! I like it very much!
I have done my first day hike.
First, having Locus with me was extremely useful. Even though the track was mostly clearly marked with red and white markings on rocks and trees, there were places where it was confusing and I lost the track several times. With Locus, I could quite easily find the track again without having to go back to where I took the wrong turn.
I still miss a guide-to-next-waypoint function just like for tracks, but it was not a big deal since I mainly had to use Locus when I got lost. Still, I hope the function will be included since many "serious" hiking routes use waypoints rather than tracks, each waypoint representing junctions and bends etc.
Probably because of the mountains I quite often lost the GPS fix. It was then difficult to regain the fix but for some reason it helped restarting the phone. This has of course nothing to do with Locus. However, I found that setting time between GPS locations to 0 seemed to solve the problem, most probably because it is easier for the system to keep the fix than to try to regain it every 30 seconds. I bought a 3500 mAh battery for this trip so power wasn't a problem. After a full day's use of Locus the battery is still on 75%.
While walking I thought of a very interesting feature Menion could consider for a future version. When seing interesting sights in the distance such as mountains and bays etc, I could easily get a compass direction with the built-in compass but I had no idea of the distance so determining what I looked at was difficult or impossible. Now, if Locus could make two or more measurements at different places, it would be possible to tell the position of the distant object!
I have more comments, but I am writing this on my phone so it takes some time so enough for now :-)
Svartbjorn, re your 5) can you please elaborate on how is intended to be used. I still don't see the light!
More 1.4.3.3 test results:
- "Save actual part", the new command of track recording: works great.
- Incorrect time stamp on created tracks, recorded or merged tracks: you are using the UTC time (Zulu time). That can't be the intention. Should be local time. When I checked back with older recordings, it seems my local time was used.
- Importing gpx tracks: works fine!
@marlar: while recording your track, you may want to remember specific points, e.g. if you are hiking: creeks that were difficult to cross, places where you took a break, places with great views, etc. So on the buttom recording menu, you just hit the 5th button from the left (with the blue + sign) and you have saved the point. Before saving, you can edit the name as you want. All saved points are shown on the track while you are still recording.
After you have finished recording, the track as well as the associated points with their names are shown.
I think this is a great new feature!
Ok, thanks!
thanks svartbjorn for excellent bug reporting :) I hope all is working now so I released new version on market
Release 1.5.0:
Thank you for all those great new features from test release 1.4.3.3.
One special thank you for implementing across all menues with selectable values, the display of which value currently is chosen. This is extremely useful, since you by a glance can see your settings. Showing the selected value in yellow was really a perfect choice. Very eye catching.
Now to some issues I found (some of these are also reported for 1.4.3.3):
1) Date stamp on recorded tracks incorrectly uses UTC time zone. Should be local time.
2) Date stamp on manually created tracks is completely wrong: is set to 1970-01-01 00:00:00
3) Settings/Miscellaneous/"Track color and transparency": This color settings applies not only to imported and manually created tracks, but also the recorded (finished) tracks. So the small text under this menu headline should be corrected to read something like "Color of stored tracks " or "Color of created or recorded tracks".
4) The transparency control is not completely correct:
- setting tranparency to 0% (slider all the way to the left): the tracks is still slightly transparent. May be difficult to make it completely non-transparent?
- setting tranparency to 100% (slider all the way to the right): the tracks becomes invisible. That is the result of 100% transparency, but not useable.
I suggest having max position (all the way to the right) equal to a meaningful transparency %. I did some testing and found that more than 80% has no meaning.
5) POI alert sound: when choosing your own sound, it can be hard to stop playing. Even if I tap the POI alert command on the right menu and then tap Cancel, it sometimes keeps on playing. Sometimes it stops quickly, sometimes it doesn't care at all. I also noticed that if a move map center closer to POI, it stops playing. I haven't tested this when driving and using GPS, but it should keep playing for at least 15 seconds until I tap the Cancel on the POI alert menu.
Menion, as a general question: do you want this type of reviews here in the "version" category, or do you want me to post one "Trouble and Questions" item for each of the issues above?
Hi,
you're welcome.
This feedback is perfect. Just short summary of some problems! Perfect
so 1) - 4) fixed, thanks
ad 4) - I'll leave possibility to set transparency to 100%. Low values are useful for example for settings color to area not just a single path. Also, it's up to everyone to set correct values.
ad 5) I play choose sound for once for every tap on play button. I'll do something with this. Anyway when some new POI reach area you're monitoring, it plays ONCE sound you choose. No more. Canceling POI alert, will cancel all warnings. You want this feature as alarm for train travel right? :) So you need to keep playing sound until you turn this off manually. Hmm ... maybe some settings ... "Keep play until canceled manually"?
You are quick in bug fixing! Thank you!
Regarding issue 5) - POI alert. Yes, "Keep playing until cancelled" is the way it should work. I tried this feature this morning when driving car to my job. Sometimes it played for I guess 5 seconds, sometimes less. As you point out, the POI alert "Cancel" command will turn off this function on a general bases, so that isn't the way to do it.
So the issue is twofold:
- it stops too early
- there is no stop command
---> An idea: when playing starts, could it pop up a STOP button on the screen above the POI location (or maybe in a corner)? If you do not tap it, the playing continues for a max time (e.g. 30 seconds) and the STOP button disappears again.
BTW: i think this POI alert is a really great and useful feature! Thank you for implementing it!