Messages

I definitely like the "More" over the "Modules" approach - it is the way non-IT-users understand Apps (I personally can live with both easily). To walk this way further I propose (like some others) to drop the "Data" layer of menues - this again is a pure technical category (as you store these infos in databases).
In your philosophy of "More", the "Tracks" and "POI" (the own ones, not the new DBs) are simply two items they want to deal with. What do you think ?
TXs
Michael

One thing that has been mentioned in a similar kind, I'd like to stress: "Data" is just an additional layer that does not add any value, nor is it intuitive. Why not offer "Tracks" and "POI" (the own ones, not the new DBs) as separate buttons ?
If you prefer, then in addition to "Data".
TXs
Michael

Well, did anybody COMPLAIN ??
And mind: there are different sizes of Androids, i.e. on a Galaxy Note the buttons in the old versions are already bigger than the new buttons on a 4" phone may be. In other words: on larger screens they get simply HUGE now. Simply give the Information section the same space as before, and divide the remaining space by the number of buttons chosen (typically between 3 and 6) by the USER (not you, not a shitstorm or vote, simply the USER ;-)
Cheers
Michael

I'm sorry guys, but I do not agree with any of suggested abilities. Understand that you use top label panel, but usability of buttons is by me much more important. So I suggest to reduce number of buttons in top panel and use main menu or right panel for most used functions

Done

Choice of UI theme is state of the art today - not the fancy stuff like BW or FW, just light and dark.
So it should not be a question of votes. If you count still: you have mine PRO UI theme choice.
Cheers
Michael

Michael,
Please vote here if you didn't do yet:
https://getsatisfaction.com/locus/topics/support_amoled
Thanks

Choice of UI theme is state of the art today - not the fancy stuff like BW or FW, just light and dark.
So it should not be a question of votes. If you count still: you have mine PRO UI theme choice.
Cheers
Michael

  complain about current theme: sorry, it was longly prepared change, that should make locus better working in a field. Dark theme should be work on another two weeks, so it will need quite a lot of votes

  btw. RC version for test in first post

21.9.2013 - Locus 2.15.1.4 shows endless flicker, but no POIs when using the country DBs; at least back button returns to working Locus

@chrabros: point of this system is to give quickly access to interesting points around you. So there is no need for some complex sorting etc ... if you need to display specific points at certain zoom level, you may in the end, create your own theme for vector maps

  And sorry no, I'll not use "negative filter". I'll gladly improve and add missing and interesting tags into databases, but there is so much incorrect values, bugs, nonsenses, that it will really slow down database also for people that do not care for these values. So I want to keep list of tags that will be included in these databases.

@michael: yes Germany is a problem. With more then 1.500.000 points, every request is slow. But agree that this is way too much. Help here is separating of Germany into specific areas. Anyway this is still a beta, so I hope, we'll speed up at least little bit

and south africa is in preparation

One more re. the 1.5m This sounds much, but for an area around the map center it may be some douzen, or some hundred candidates- or you simply can restrict to a resp. perimeter. Then the task is to search a range defined by Latidude/Longitude - and I suppose the POI db employs a b-tree for both. Why would this be slow with even 10m rows ? The type of POI is only the filter criteria in this approach. If the primary search key would be POI type, though, then the b-tree degenerates and things get slooooow.

@chrabros: point of this system is to give quickly access to interesting points around you. So there is no need for some complex sorting etc ... if you need to display specific points at certain zoom level, you may in the end, create your own theme for vector maps

  And sorry no, I'll not use "negative filter". I'll gladly improve and add missing and interesting tags into databases, but there is so much incorrect values, bugs, nonsenses, that it will really slow down database also for people that do not care for these values. So I want to keep list of tags that will be included in these databases.

@michael: yes Germany is a problem. With more then 1.500.000 points, every request is slow. But agree that this is way too much. Help here is separating of Germany into specific areas. Anyway this is still a beta, so I hope, we'll speed up at least little bit

and south africa is in preparation

TXs a lot, Menion, for the South Africa POIs - works like a charm!

news:
main news:
- introducing new map of the world as vector map that cover world for 1-8 zoom levels when using vector maps (extract attached file into Locus/mapsVector directory and enjoy)

+1

A nice future improvement after this feature arrives might be an option to use a sqlite map...

Sorry if this sounds annoying. Using a bitmaps targets exactly my demands. Maybe not now, maybe in the future..

You are not alone ;-)
It would be great to have a CHOICE. Also re. the level of switching to the alternate map. Now it is at 8, it should be configurable (in cfg file, if you feel that there is no room in the app itself ...). I made a level 10 SQLite map (land, ocean up to level 7) last year when I used Maverick (before I got addicted to Locus   , an dit is just 1.5 GB e.g.. And osmandromaps has a 700 MB level 4 - 9 SQLite one.

Hello Menion, I am going to the Republic of South Africa soon. If you found some time to generate the resp. DB, I'll have a chance to gain real life expereince. Thank you in advance.

Did some testing with Germany now. Real pain - very long wait times, even on a Galaxy Note. But I do not understand why. If POI type and location were DB keys, or even location alone, then selecting POIs around current location (and this is what Locus shows) should be like a blink of the eye.
Then re. handling : if I finally get the selected POIs in a list, pick one, show it on map, do not like it, want to see the next, I have to start all over again and wait and wait. You obviously build an initial list based on distance, which is only extended when scrolling way to the bottom. Would it be feasible to keep this INITIAL list as is so people can go back instantly?

Zu Frage 1 kannst Du auch einen der 5 Button-Plätze der Kopfleiste benutzen, und dann die Kopfleiste nicht ausblenden (lassen)

Found some time to do some 2.10.2.7 systematic tests re. render speed:

====================================================================================================
Test with city theme for vector maps on Galaxy Note I N7000, maps on SD
Card (64 GB)

always emptied cache directory, App fresh start
same preference settings (import of .pref)
click next zoom level once current one is fully displayed

Map Center: Cafe Imperial, Praha, CZ in OpenAndroMap (250 MB) from
http://www.openandromaps.org/downloads/europa

level      completed after # sec      Pro      Beta
20                                               start    start
12                                               30       25
10                                               45       40
08                                               65       60
I.e. this table shows ACCUMULATED times

"Jump" from level 20 to 10 (repeated quick zoom out clicks, not waiting for render completion)
                                                   10       10


Map Center: Frankfurt Airport, Frankfurt, Germany (full coverage, 1.5
GB) in OpenAndroMap from http://www.openandromaps.org/downloads/deutschland

level     completed after # sec      Pro      Beta
20                                              start    start
12                                              20        20
10                                              35        40
08                                              65        80

"Jump" from level 20 to 10 (repeated quick zoom out clicks)

                                                 15        15

Level change screen behavior
Beta version: new level picture exchanging tiles to target level one after another
Pro version: nearly at once

Caching effects
Beta verion: level 8, 9 and 10 switch fast after first displaying them, 11+ level is re-rendering
Pro version:  level 8 and 9  switch fast after first displaying them, 10+ level is re-rendering

====================================================================================================

So, on larger vector map for Germany, the old version is faster than the
beta one.


Caching does help a lot, and once the min/max levels for caching are
configurable, local activities will be fast, which will be nice indeed.

But you see that processing times for level 12 and below are really nasty !
Switching to a predefined SQLite map is absolutely key if you roam
around the world or a country on larger scales - Locus is not a
geochaing only app, right ;-) ?

If Menion is not eager to do this automatically (i.e. switch to other source when crossing configured level threshold, then a one click button
that SWAPS between the current map selection and zoom level (could be vector, another SQLite or online regardless) and a configurable SQLite
DB (and back - stay at the coordinates as is when swapping back) would be an eays way to implement. Trivial in fact.