[APP] - version 1.4.x

[marlar]

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.

[svartbjorn]

- 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!

[marlar]

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 :-)

[marlar]

Svartbjorn, re your 5) can you please elaborate on how is intended to be used. I still don't see the light!

[svartbjorn]

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!

[svartbjorn]

@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!

[marlar]

Ok, thanks!

[Menion]

thanks svartbjorn for excellent bug reporting I hope all is working now so I released new version on market

[svartbjorn]

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?

[Menion]

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"?

[svartbjorn]

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!