Manual on docs.locusmap.eu - v2 (published Q4 / 2015)

[Michal]

rainy puplic holiday time to read new manual
http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:basics:trackrecord

- after i start track record as discribed, recording panel appeares, how can i hide it? if i use the back hard or software button i go back to menu and not to map. Please discribe slidefunktion.

- please discribe also start track recording from sidepanel, it is different displayed, depending on setting and in this case the back button work as expected

- pictures "save recorded track", in first picture "My tracks" storagefolder is selected, in second picture track is stored in "Recorded"

Thanks Balloni. all points done. The slide panel behavior is is mentioned in http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:tracks:recording:panel

[gynta]

Hello Michal
Minion told me, i have no more access to new knowledge base, because first you should complete your work.
In the meantime i have access - but anyway - I only want inform you for now.

Please use same titles as we can see in Locus:



"Map auto-load" means vector maps in this case. right?

[Michal]

Hi Gynta,

Thanks for comments. New knowledge base has been created a little bit in advance according to Locus evolution that hasn't been released yet. Locus Maps as a new name for vector category was a mid-link that will be partly abandoned - map sorting is one topic that is being dealt right now. Therefore the map sorting passage will be completely reworked. Hold on

[Andrew Heard]

Michal - the manual http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:basics:locuscontrol&s[ says zoom by "tap & draw" - I think this should be "double tap & drag" - eg. https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/drag-drop.html.

[Michal]

Thanks Andrew, mistake repaired. Will be grateful for any other comments.

[balloni55]

Hi Michal,
http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:geocaching:import
Long-tap any place on map > tap the address label >
this is only possible with enabeled address search, i think a hint to this setting will be helpfull

[Andrew Heard]

No problem. Here is some info that may help with reporting issues: http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:faq:question#i_ve_got_a_problem_whom_to_ask_for_advice

@Michal - is it possible to show a "breadcrumb" for each manual page? I keep seeing pages, eg Menions "got a problem" page that isn't in the left side panel Main Menu "table of contents" - I had no idea it existed. I then tried Main Menu > About Locus Map > Error Reporting - but this is not found/ doesn't yet exist. So how would a user know about "got a problem"? The Main Menu could have more expandable levels, and each page could have "breadcrumb" so the user then learns for next time where in the manual organisation that page lives. Just a suggestion to improve the manual & reduce support load for you guys maybe.

[Christian]

Thank you Andrew for your suggestion. Had no time yet to describe this.

[slarti76]

As suggested by gynta (http://help.locusmap.eu/topic/edit-track-creation-of-waypoints), I would like to propose an addition to the manual: A definition of frequently used terms (FUT ).

This is always a problem in discussions here and on the Helpdesk. In the above topic I explicitly inserted my working definitions, to get that out of the way first. I'm pasting an edited version of this here, as starting point. I'm aware that there is no globally accepted definition of all this, so it can't be avoided to be somehow Locus-centric - and it'll probably be criticized by some. But if we here have some kind of common language, even if it isn't perfect, it will make discussions much easier (and shorter).

• Track:
  A collection of trackpoints that are connected.
• Route:
  A track whose trackpoints have no timestamps, i.e. a planned track.
• Recorded track:
  A track whose trackpoints have timestamps.
• POI (points of interest):
  The points defined globally in Data > Points. Can be shown/hidden individually.
• Trackpoints:
  The individual points that a track consists of (with or without timestamp).
• Waypoints:
  Specific points that have the same attributes as POIs, but belong to a track and will be shown/hidden together with the track (not individually). Waypoints do not need to be at the same position as a trackpoint, however waypoints created while recording will be.
• Navpoint (Navigation waypoint):
  Special waypoints with a fixed set of types that trigger specific actions (speech output, etc.) while navigating. Furthermore, they're always attached to a trackpoint.

As I said, this is open for discussion - but probably at some point the "Locus godfathers" should decide what to use.

[Andrew Heard]

Well done @slarti76 - you beat me to the suggestion. @0709 will like the nice short abbreviation Navipoint. Thanks.

[john_percy]

There are currently two types of POI, which does cause confusion:
1. The points defined globally in Data > Points. "Data points", maybe? These can be edited.
2. The points of interest from the OSM database downloaded with vector maps from the Locus store. They are accessed by More > Points of Interest (beta) and are also displayed as overlays on the map. These can be searched but not edited.
They should be distinguished in any list of definitions.

[slarti76]

Good point there @john_percy.
I think we should reserve the term POI for the "official" ones, and perhaps call the Locus-internal ones Personal Points.
That would lead to these definitions:

• POI (points of interest):
  Points that are defined as part of or additional to a map. Can be searched and shown/hidden with the "Points of interest (beta)" function.
• Personal points:
  The points defined globally in Data > Points. Can be shown/hidden individually.

[gynta]

Today i needed some manual links to help but it was difficult now to find quickly and it was a little bit frustrating - compared to the old system.

i miss good old  "screens" overview:
In the past i looked to "screens" - found it very quick and can help with a link.
eg: try to search for this "compass" screen in new manual.

or gps screen
---

Same with settings:
in the past i looking in setting (it was a structure copy from app) and have the link.
eg: try to search for setting "hold map center" in new manual.
---

Another example from today:
searching for function "map calibrator"
in functions? - no
hm, in map? - nope
hmmm, tools? - nono
ah - of course, in "advanced map tools" -  no
ah forget it...
---

if i need always the "search field", we don't need a structure.

I know - now we have groups - logic groups - lot of groups  - and group in groups.
I'm also sure, developers will find all stuff very quick - but developer don't need manuals...
I think a new user will give up and post in forum - it's easier.
Please think more like a noob!

I'm more a "tree structure - fan"

Anyway - I know it was a lot of work. thanks for this.

sorry for typos - it's late...

[Andrew Heard]

@Michal - I stumbled across this method of route planning - http://forum.locusmap.eu/index.php?topic=4605.msg37076#msg37076 - by gynta today. I was unaware of this feature and there is no mention I can find in the manual, eg in http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:tracks:planning. I wish I'd known about it a long time ago, while still not perfect, for most situations it is better than using the track editor.

In summary

• add BRouter as application to main screen
• to create a "routed" track add a point named "from"
• add a point named "to"
• optionally add via points named "via"<n>
• optionally add nogo areas as points named "nogo"<n>
• tap BRouter icon to calculate a GPX file saved in mapitems folder
• import this GPX to display the track
• adding these points can optionally be simplified by creating quickpoints - see the videos

[Michal]

No problem. Here is some info that may help with reporting issues: http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:faq:question#i_ve_got_a_problem_whom_to_ask_for_advice

@Michal - is it possible to show a "breadcrumb" for each manual page? I keep seeing pages, eg Menions "got a problem" page that isn't in the left side panel Main Menu "table of contents" - I had no idea it existed. I then tried Main Menu > About Locus Map > Error Reporting - but this is not found/ doesn't yet exist. So how would a user know about "got a problem"? The Main Menu could have more expandable levels, and each page could have "breadcrumb" so the user then learns for next time where in the manual organisation that page lives. Just a suggestion to improve the manual & reduce support load for you guys maybe.

A sort of "breadcrumbs" can be seen in upper right corner of each page, e.g. "manual:faq:question". However, we'll see to some other solution for better orientation.

There are currently two types of POI, which does cause confusion:
1. The points defined globally in Data > Points. "Data points", maybe? These can be edited.
2. The points of interest from the OSM database downloaded with vector maps from the Locus store. They are accessed by More > Points of Interest (beta) and are also displayed as overlays on the map. These can be searched but not edited.
They should be distinguished in any list of definitions.

@slarti76 too... The duality of general POI and Locus POI is referred to here http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:points:about. However, "Locus POI" problematics hasn't been finally solved yet even internally. The feature handling Locus map POI (Menu > More > Point of interest) is still named "Beta" as you can see. So you can expect a bit of evolution here.

Today i needed some manual links to help but it was difficult now to find quickly and it was a little bit frustrating - compared to the old system....

Dear gynta,
I understand your being upset with the new manual. You were working with the old one for many years and knew every bit of it here and there... Menion asked me to overwrite it so that it is clear and understandable. The old manual was written gradually, little by little as it was needed to clarify Locus's growing features and options, therefore many Locus aspects were dealt in many places, scattered across many sections. Now everything has its place and your comment here is the first completely negative I've come across. If it were as you say, I would be a dead man, we have hundreds thousands of users... Moreover, if Menion had disagreed with the structure I had proposed, he'd have stopped the project in the beginning. And I guess  he knows Locus users the best of all.

Anyway, thank you for your observations and comments.

@Michal - I stumbled across this method of route planning - http://forum.locusmap.eu/index.php?topic=4605.msg37076#msg37076 - by gynta today. I was unaware of this feature and there is no mention I can find in the manual, eg in http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:tracks:planning. I wish I'd known about it a long time ago, while still not perfect, for most situations it is better than using the track editor.

In summary

• add BRouter as application to main screen
• to create a "routed" track add a point named "from"
• add a point named "to"
• optionally add via points named "via"<n>
• optionally add nogo areas as points named "nogo"<n>
• tap BRouter icon to calculate a GPX file saved in mapitems folder
• import this GPX to display the track
• adding these points can optionally be simplified by creating quickpoints - see the videos

Nice To be honest I haven't had a clue about this method as well until now. No trace of it in the old knowledge base, no Locus coleagues have ever mentioned it... Thanks God for Gynta!

I'll definitely add this method to the User guide. Thanks!