Topics

Coming from the waypoint style thread, I'd like to suggest something a little bit related: a new "vicinity field". It could sit on bottom of screen and show the closest items (waypoints, tracks, routes, whatever) in locus databases. Sorted by distance from left to right, as many as will fit:

Code Select Expand

Arlbergpass    | Zugspitze      | Hallerangerhaus |   |
(1300m, 5.2km) | (2998m, 8.9km) | (2300m, 12.3km) | x |

Alternative design as a simple list, left-bottom aligned:

Code Select Expand

Arlbergpass (1300m, 5.2km)
Zugspitze (2998m, 8.9km)
Hallerangerhaus (2300m, 12.3km)
Track Nr 123 (1000m, 15km)

This list should be independent from what is actually displayed on the map. Just a global distance search over all items in all databases. On tap, it would scroll the map to the item (and enable it for display if not done so yet).

Possible prefs settings for Vicinity:

Show/hide vicinity field automatically when closest item is nearer/farer than
xxx km.

I want to make a very basic custom screen that serves as a replacement for a simple speedometer on a bike:

++++++++++++
+    26 km/h
+    550m      
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
++++++++++++

Since it's supposed to be always on, the main issue here is amoled energy consumption. All black with just a few white letters, no complex map updating, no track drawing, no nothing. So far so good, that should be doable with Locus style sheets.

Questions:

a) I can use the back button to return to main screen. Good. Can I somehow make my custom screen also return to main by a simple single tap just anywhere on screen?

b) I would need Locus to automatically turn the screen off if the speed is 0 km/h for a minute and turn it back on when I start moving again. That could be handled either by gps or motion sensors I guess. Any ideas on this?

c) If I do not have a map displayed on my custom screen, will Locus still do internal calculations, rotations calcs, etcpp? Or is it all intelligently suspended until the map is actually visible?

The altidude of waypoints is displayed a bit strangely in a second text bubble. That results in a very messy screen when you have multiple points (see picture).

Suggestion: ONE item (ie a waypoint) can only have ONE bubble. Could either be

Col Raiser (2500m)

or

Col Raiser
 (2500m)


If you want to be fancy, make it an option:

Display waypoint elevation...
o ... not at all.
o ... besides name.
o ... below name.

If you want to be even fancier, waypoint display styles should be adjustable per category. Elevation might be interesting to see for mountain huts or passes but not interesting at all for peoples home addresses.

I very much like the idea of a folder that holds typical "overlay" data. We can put stuff like hiking trail networks there without cluttering our main databases.

Tracks from a file in mapItems/trailnetwork.gpx display nicely, except the missing name. I can also click them and edit their data. But how about an option to "copy" the selected track over to the main database?

A word about speed: Locus seems to slow down quite a bit when displaying multiple tracks. Have you considered creating "stripped down" track data while preparing a track for display? Like reducing point count by 50% a few times? Depending on current zoom level and track coverage area, you could then use one of those reduced point lists for display. No need to loop through a thousand points when they translate to only twenty pixels on screen.

I recently treated myself to a Samsung Galaxy Note. Love the display, love the size, love the speed, love the Stylus! Just as convenient to handle as the good old windows mobile pocket pcs :-).

Quite understandably, all software these days is designed for finger control. Probably thats why adding points to a route is done by moving the map around, then hit a "+" symbol. With the perfect aim of a stylus however, it would be MUCH FASTER when I could simply click onto the map to add a new point. Maybe the route creation could be enhanced a little? Add a toggle for this new "immediate-mode" it in the route creation bar, then single clicks will keep adding points (and re-center the map onto the new point).

TwoNav does it like this and it works really exceptionally well on their Windows-CE Hardware with Styluses. No reason Android shouldnt be able to compete.

In all google apps (earth, maps) and some others, double tap is used to zoom in a bit onto the tapped point. Quite convenient and also kind of standardized in mapping apps meanwhile. Would it make sense to make Locus behave equally?

Single tap could then be used to enabled/disable toolbars . Also more convenient since it reduces the number of taps required to hit a toolbar button.

Long tap is fine (address search). But even if the address search feature is turned off in settings, a long tap should still open a bubble for the tapped point (show the coordinates). That bubble needs to be clickable and offer the usual things you can do to a point (like waypoint adding, navigate, guide, etc).

Would it be possible to display the name of a track on the map? Best place for this would probably be at the first track point. You could also include distance and total climbing if you want to be fancy.

Why? Trail network gpx files are quite common. The attached file for example contains about 40 tracks with all worthwile mountainbike single tracks on Gran Canaria. When I'm on the island, I simply want to see all these tracks on top of whatever map I use. With names and data. Right now, Locus only gives me a bunch of pretty blue lines... which isnt really enough.

Locus displays an online maps origin at the bottom left, like eg "Map Data ___OpenStreetMap___". OpenStreetMap is a link that launches a web browser, which is understandable, but a bit unfortunate. That location is simply too close to the menu button or to possible toolbars. I've hit that link by accident quite a few times already.

Please allow to remove that field, or at least make it not open a web browser on a simple single click. I hardly ever want to check out the web page of the current map supplier. Offering that possibility on single click at a prominent location is counter productive for a tracking app.

joeloc

Hi menion.

Just discovering locus a bit more... great program you wrote there. It seems to beat other solutions in almost all aspects. One thing bugs me though, I cant really find a simple way to use "professional" raster maps in Locus. Online maps, OSM, mapsforge, etc is all fine of course. But when it comes to the alps, nothing beats properly handcrafted raster maps, eg from Kompass or Swissmap or IGN or Alpenverein.

Would you maybe consider supporting the RMAP format for this? It was invented by CompeGPS/TwoNAV and is not officially documented. However, Mobac once had a writer module for it (can supply java source if needed). Also, OruxMaps was able to reverse engineer and support that format very quickly, so it cannot be that difficult. Basically just a bunch of jpg/png tiles in different zoomlevels stuffed together, probably very much alike to your own sqlitedb.

Whats the point of yet another format? RMAP can be written painlessly by professional PC raster mapping software, like TTQV or CompeLAND. So basically, everything we create/use at home in GlobalMapper/TTQV/CompeLAND could be exported to Locus with just a single mouse click.

Also, with Locus supporting RMAP, we would be able to maintain one single map directory for all serious android offroad tracking apps (in my opinion these are OruxMaps, TwoNav and Locus).

If you are considering this, I can supply the old mobac writer source code and plenty demo maps in any size and projection you wish.

Thanks,
joeloc