Making Offline maps

hamiksu · January 16, 2012, 07:31:58

Hi there..

I'm new here so is wondering whether anyone can help me with my question?

I am trying to make an offline map using the tracks and waypoints I made myself
and have it display on LOCUS as an offline map..

what application do I have to get to do this?
What file format should I save the aforementioned tracks and waypoints to
and where to put this file in my Android smartphone for LOCUS to register it and display it out for me?

Thank you for your time..

berkley · January 16, 2012, 07:57:17

Hi and welcome

What kind of map source do you want to have as your offline map? Google maps? OSM?

Locus offers itself a quite powerful feature to download maps - even around your visible tracks and or waypoints. Another possibility is to use of vector maps. Play a bit with Locus own downloading system and have a look through the threads here in the forum.

Cheers, berkley

hamiksu · January 16, 2012, 08:10:27

Hello Berkley..

first off, thanks for your reply..

ok, to reply what you just said, I just went through like 7 pages in this forum and I guess nobody is trying to do what I am doing..
so I was hoping for a faster way of getting an answer by posting my question.. so hopefully you won't mind this too much..

mapsource.. hmm... I guess you can say I want to make a blank mapsource that just shows the tracks I made thus far by myself..

is that possible?

p.s :- I tried importing the tracks i made and it is only possible if the tracks aren't many..
sad to say, the tracks I have is like 2k over (file size is around 3 mb, KML format) and this cause LOCUS to constantly force close on itself..
so I figured the best way is to make an offline with the tracks (if possible) and hopefully avoid that crash issue..
thanks..

Menion · January 16, 2012, 08:15:08

2000 tracks?

... and it cause crash? May you please send me log from CatLog program (free on market)? Just run locus and after crash, start this catLog and send me from menu log txt file, thanks. If this will works (importing of tracks), will this be solution for you? Anyway I'm worried, that manipulation of 2k tracks in locus will be quite slow ...

hamiksu · January 16, 2012, 08:21:45

Quote from: "menion"2000 tracks? ... and it cause crash? May you please send me log from CatLog program (free on market)? Just run locus and after crash, start this catLog and send me from menu log txt file, thanks. If this will works (importing of tracks), will this be solution for you? Anyway I'm worried, that manipulation of 2k tracks in locus will be quite slow ...

I suppose it might solve the problem, but I did try to minimise the number of tracks to 300 plus..
it goes to the track section fine and merging all the tracks to one is A-OK..
but when viewing on the map display, it lags bad..

so I suppose even if I do manage to load 2k over tracks, it might well kill my battery faster than I scream.. LOL..

I'm no tech geek but I think making an offline map would be far simpler (faster too, I assume) and will not lag LOCUS too badly..

p.s :- to the 2k track problem.. trying to load import it from GPX straight crashes LOCUS. Then I tried to import it through KML file.. that one
works great (but very slow in importing, took me like an hour 10 minutes, blame it on my slow phone.. ;p ), but selecting all of them and trying to show them in the map, or trying to merge them, earns me a big fat crash slap to my face.. haha.. Added this in case you need more details..

to the Catlog program, I might have to do that tomorrow.. I'm at work now, and the previous attempt to try what i mentioned above drained my batt to 25%.. and I don't have the cables with me at the moment to charge..so I might upload the crash report tomorrow if thats ok by you, Menion..

Menion · January 16, 2012, 08:25:33

yes, creating offline map should be much faster and battery-friendly. You may check mapc2mapc program, where should be possibility to create map from KML file and export it to SQLite map (supported by Locus)

about crash, no problem. If will be possible for you share you data, this should be best (also for test if some optimizations aren't possible - they always are) anyway crash log is enough ...

hamiksu · January 16, 2012, 08:29:54

Quote from: "menion"yes, creating offline map should be much faster and battery-friendly. You may check mapc2mapc program, where should be possibility to create map from KML file and export it to SQLite map (supported by Locus)

about crash, no problem. If will be possible for you share you data, this should be best (also for test if some optimizations aren't possible - they always are) anyway crash log is enough ...

does this mapc2mapc have the function to export it to SQlite Map?
what is the file extension for this SQlite Map and where do I copy it to in my smartphone for locus to read from it?

thanks..

p.s :- i think sharing the data would be a bit hard.. it is kind of P&C. But I will get you that crash report tomorrow as I find
LOCUS the best app for GPS tracking and stuff so I would like to do a little and help you guys to improve it even more.

Menion · January 16, 2012, 08:53:25

yes it has ... there should be exactly written "Locus/RMaps SQLite" or similar. Best is to copy final SQLite map to locus/maps directory or anywhere else but then you need to define path in Locus

and crash log is good enough, thanks!

hamiksu · January 16, 2012, 08:57:55

ok, will provide u the crash log as soon as I am able..

hamiksu · January 17, 2012, 01:56:24

Morning everyone..

I am now importing KML file to my phone (again) and it is going to take a while..
will upload the crash log soon as I make it happen again.. hehe

in the mean time.. is there a way to convert GPX files with tracks in them direct into a sqlitedb map file?

p.s :- strange, finish importing and stuff.. no more errors.. weird..

but I did notice something, it shows dots for the start point and end points.. any way to make these dots disappear?

hamiksu · January 17, 2012, 02:51:49

I spoke too soon..

here is the error log...

Menion · January 17, 2012, 06:59:25

hmm it's weird ... because of low memory, system kill rest of locus and just leave in memory only active screen. So when locus tries to use function from other place of application, that should already be loaded, it crash.

I'll try to do some fixes here but cannot promise. So huge number of tracks ... for this locus really not yet optimized

PS: did you tried mapc2mapc? (exist demo version for testing) for your conversion?

hamiksu · January 17, 2012, 07:53:36

yea, I did try it, but I can'tr seem to find an option to import my GPX tracks into it..

I also tried Mobile Atlas Creator.. seem to be able to put my tracks in
but when I made the Atlas, it seem to only get the map behind the tracks and left the tracks out totally..

I'm not sure I did it right or not though..
looked in settings and I am stumped..

hamiksu · January 17, 2012, 08:47:51

Menion.. wanted to ask you..

when I imported only a few tracks.. when viewing it in the map section..
it seems to put black dots on the start and end points..

is there any way to remove those dots and just show the tracks themselves?

Menion · January 17, 2012, 08:56:41

no actually it's not. They're really small aren't they?

are they really so noisy?