Messages

hmm,
  about double-click. Scinkk sad that used double-click for zoom-in. That was previous function of double click. I really don't want to add another small button on every panel that allow hiding. Also for zoom you should use bottom buttons or multi-touch. I'm still not sure which is best way of panel hiding. If anyone have any suggestions, let me know. For me, best solution seems to be this double-click type.

slow cache loading?
  maybe takes too long for Hero to load data from cartridge. There aren't any special additional computations, so there's no reason for this popup to be slow. If you mean slow, this mean more then 1 second? If yes, that's bad .. hmm

one thing that I'm interested is what about online map loading. As I tested, this seems to be a little bit slower now. I will probably do some improvements later, but for now, seems ok for you?

  thanks

[news:]

news:

• completely new online map caching. now use SqliteDb! Need testing, so tell if you feel any differences! Hope you not and all is fluent as before.
• icons for not-available caches
• improved gaocache main screen, hope for better
• some small improvements
• new panel hiding behaviour. Now hide after 5 seconds of inactivity on panels. To show, do double-click on map! What you think? I feel it much better then before!

to fully working geocache things, please do new import of your PQ files!

Hi,
  thanks for post, I'll look at this, hope during one of next days and let you know. If on openWig your cartridge works, I'm sure that problem in WhereYouGo can be fixed.

[Hi to all,]

Hi to all,
  I need to have some feedback.

new version 0.6.14 is out, together with previous version, brings lot of new features and I have almost no response from YOU!

so, few questions:

• hiding panels, are you use this? hide any of panels? timing? fast, slow? tell me ...
• new geocaching support in 0.6.14. Did you try import some PQ files? Do you feel that this feature is usable? I also need some tips to improve screen with cache details! Don't ask for some online support. I will not do this. For online support use, c:geo or SmartMaps in czech republic. Only online stuff what I'll probably do with geocaching is loading travel bug infos!
• right quick menu - i'll add later new functions. Main for me is that I have place to add new functions! but what you? do you feel comfortable with right panel?
• long click feature on map - google street view, add point, quick guiding, anything else is need?

and so on, so tell!

OK, so my informations from 15-minutes testing -

• searching ability of Georg is same as Locus. Use same internal searching method, so "railway station paris" found same location on both programs!
• user interface of Georg is really ugly. It takes me a lot time to find how whole program work. Hope that Locus is not same. As a developer, I cannot say surely, because it's my child, you know...
• Georg have a lot more functions which you can use to work with points. That's nice when you're ... how to say ... geek? I'm a little but I don't want too complicated program to work with maps. In Locus I prefer less functions but as easy as possible.

So ... verdict - searching work as you need I hope. Your problem with editing coordinates, I'll think about it, but cannot promise. Seems for me as not very usable function when you have ability to long click on map and save point on position which you want!

PS: by all this discussion, I don't want to say, that I don't like new ideas. Whatever useful is possible

Hi,
  you mean - you save point "somewhere" with some description and later you want to set correct coordinates on exact address?? it's little weird ... and why you save point on some imaginary coordinates?

 about searching - method in locus is only reverse geocoding. This mean then when you write address and click OK, Locus send request on google server, which find coordinates for this address. Ability to search something like train station is not available. If you know some web site which offer this, I should implement this also ..

určitě, díky za připomenutí možnost dostat POIky ven je určitě potřeba. Nemůžu zatím slíbit nějaké datum ale určitě bude!

ENG: sure, it will be!

[hmm, nice work scinkk, thanx (download in third post)]

complete pack of icons from google maps code size here.

download, copy into Locus/icons directory and when creating or editing category icons, choose google-icons.zip from spinner.

Enjoy

PS: icons are sorted by name, but it should be really nice to have them sorted by type. It need some prefix. Is here anyone who wants to do this?

hmm, nice work scinkk, thanx (download in third post)

Hi Peter,
  recording is currently not possible. I expected question on this theme I'm still not sure if this feature will be implemented, probably yes, but cannot promise now. For me priority is
  1. work with online maps
  2. work with offline maps
  3. POI handling ...
  4. other things (from wishlist )

so, after I'll be satisfied with first three points, I should start work on something like track record. Hope you enjoy program without that feature!

[needed version - 0.6.12 and higher]

needed version - 0.6.12 and higher

method is very simple. Icons compress with zip compression and whole file copy into Locus/icons directory. In dialog where you select icons, you will have choice which icons (internal Locus or any of your files) you want to show!

size of icons is on you! Suggest sizes around 32x32px or 48x48px.

align of icons is on center of bottom border. I thing that's best and most useful.

enjoy!

So you're from Czech, fajn
  ok ok, I'll do it exchange for support on czech forum is promissing

Hi Diamond,
 about custom icons, this will be in any of next releases. I agree that this is really needed

 about quick way to some functions - about that I was already thinking. Still not sure if it will be on Locus title or some left/right popup menu, will see but something to quick access, will be done surely. Thanks for pushing me to give this bigger importance!

[use this]

Simple method is to check, if Locus allowed to handle points and is in system ...

use this

Code Select Expand

public static boolean isLocusAvailable(Activity activity) {
    try {
        // set intent
        final PackageManager packageManager = activity.getPackageManager();
        final Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
        intent.setData(Uri.parse("menion.points:x"));

        // return true or false
        return packageManager.queryIntentActivities(intent, PackageManager.MATCH_DEFAULT_ONLY).size() > 0;
    } catch (Exception e) {
        return false;
    }
}


Hehe, seems you remember my starting project nice ...

  did you know thet until I think november, I thought that Locus will be just same as paper map, but in mobile? Only as fast as possible and universal, map viewer. But many people wanted support for POI's or something to remeber position, now you with geocaching! ...

  if you import any PocketQuery file, you can see that POI database is really huge against normal data import. All geocache data ale already importing . Only thing is to create new screen with all geocaching data ... that's only problem cause old one is upgraded and implemented in SmartMaps and I don't want to use whatever, what I did for SmartMaps.

  Also I want focus mainly on maps and stuff around maps. This is priority for this software! So believe, geocaching support in c:geo or other geocaching software, will always be better then in Locus. I hope then carnero (author of c:geo) will do better support for Locus than now and both programs will be more connected together!

  we'll see, what time brings

[AndNav format]

I currently added support for SQLiteDB map format into Locus. Locus also work with slightly modified TrekBuddy map format with map (default map format from OziExplorer) or my own map definition format in xml file.  Also big news, but nowhere published is support for various Online maps providers with custom map format, different (custom tile name, other projections) from Google Maps or other main map providers.

So I was checking which format I can add more to support. I lunched Mobile Atlas Creator and created few map from same source to compare them and for my surprise, they're almost all really terrible. Just look at them. Testing area was Czech and Slovakia in bounding box and Google maps in zooms 8 and 12. Together its 7243 tiles.

• AndNav format - hmm really nice, create folder structure based on zoom/x/y.png.andnav.
    stats: there is 7243 files, 133 folders and size? 72,3MB that seems on disk as 86,3MB.
  
  
• Maveric format - next very nice. Exactly same as AndNav except tiles ends with .tile endings.
    stats: same as AndNav!
  
  
• Mobile Trail - same again, no!! this is even worst. Every file end with correct name, in this case .png, so in Android, all map tiles are in image gallery, terrible!
    stats: same as AndNav!
  
  
• OruxMaps - it's first from listed map formats, that use it's own system. On first sight, it compress 4 tiles into one binary file. Whole map layer is in one directory together with configuration file, similar to my xml. Only problem seems to be that predict rectangular map are projection (only four calibration point in corners).
    stats: there is 1848 files, 4 folders, size 94,5MB that seems on disk as 98,1MB. Too much against others, weird!
  
  
• OziEplorer - little funny, whole map layer pack into one huge png file. It's 140MB big ... unusable!
    stats: there is 4 files, 0 folders, size 136MB that seems on disk as 136MB.
  
  
• TrekBuddy - well know format, for me - still a little mystery. Why so complicated???
    stats: there is 5 files, 3 folders, size 77,9MB that seems on disk as 77,9MB.
  
  
• SQLiteDB - from available formats, my favorite. I founded some missing things in it, for example some info about numbers of layers in it, date of tiles adding (so I may update only few of them). But finally, it's just a SQ Lite database with "int x, int y, int z, byte[] image" table.
    stats: there is 1 files, 0 folders, size 74,3MB that seems on disk as 74,3MB.
  
  
• Locus format - grab from TrekBuddy atlas only tared map files and place them into one directory. You have Locus format. Simple and easy ...
    stats: there is 2 files, 0 folders, size 77,6MB that seems on disk as 77,6MB.

So why this article? I wanted to sumarize available map formats. As I wrote on beggining, I'm searching for format that should Locus also support. Yes you're right, one main is missing. Ozfx2(3), map format. For this I have to use external library. I really don't want to do this. If you want use this format, recreate map to Locus format by this method.

I really don't know why use format where is 7243 tiles on SD Card. It's really terrible to manage. I hate this ... you wait five minutes until directory is deleted ...

So, I wanna ask you if you have any tips to improve map format support. Currently, totally best format seems to be SQLiteDB. I plan to rewrite map creating process from Locus format to SQLiteDB. It saves time (no packaging, no deleting dowloaded tiles) and reduces error which comes to me during this process. What you think? I enjoy your feedbacks!