Still having issues with Locus and offline navigation

[Cory McAlpin]

I am sorry I keep posting about this but it won't work!! What am I doing wrong? I downloaded Lomaps of 3 states I navigate in regularly (Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri). I go to search address and the option for offline (under the hamburger button) is selected as well as the current state I am trying to navigate in. I start by entering the city name. The offline map can locate the city. Then I enter the street. As long as I only enter the street and NOT ANY HOUSE ADDRESS  it will find it. If I try to enter a specific address it says it cannot find any results. For example "600 west main St" finds nothing BUT "West Main" will be located. Then when I hit start it flashes to the map and I get an error "Route cannot be computed, Please check navigation source" and it flashes right back to the start screen. This happens in a half second time. I have tried the old way (Brouter and downloading a thousand tiles all over the USA lol) and had Brouter selected in settings as navigation source and it won't work either. Using Lomaps I can see the destination location on the map if I cancel out but I just cannot navigate.

Last Thursday, while on the road for work, Google Maps crashed and would not connect to server. I was in the boondocks and my customer would not answer the phone so I had no idea where I was going. I did a quick search for "Google Maps alternatives" and I found a competitors app called "Here maps". I downloaded it and then selected the USA and downloaded maps on 4g data for offline use. I used Here Maps that day and it worked well. When I got home that night I downloaded Here maps on my old Galaxy S5 (which is deactivated and has no data) and Friday I experimented and used Here Maps (on that same deactivated S5) all day long to navigate me to 7 different houses with NO DATA. It worked every bit as well as Google maps. So much so that I may just start using it daily instead of Google Maps. All that was needed to set up Here Maps was:

1, download the app and
2, download the region you want to use offline

That was it!! After this (which took 5 minutes). It worked extremely well and was super simple to get going. BUT Here maps cannot record or import/export gpx files like Locus Pro can so it cannot be a replacement. Why can't Locus be so simple to use? I am getting so extremely frustrated that I am thinking of switching to OSMAND which everyone claims will do all that Locus can but I already have so much time invested in Locus that I hate to have to learn another app. I like Locus interface but I need help getting this simple feature of offline navigation fixed. PLEASE HELP!!

[michaelbechtold]

Is the house address (#) available in OSM, Cory ?

[michaelbechtold]

Do you have some full addresses so reproduction of the problem can be tried ?

[michaelbechtold]

Or GPS coordinates, they will do, too.
The interesting thing is: BRouter is fully independent from the map you are using in Locus, the many files you downloaded the street network as graphs. However, the ultimate source of LoMaps, OAM, OSMand, BRouter etc. is all the same: it is the OSM database.

[Cory McAlpin]

Do you have some full addresses so reproduction of the problem can be tried ?

Yes try for example 209 east main st, Clarinda Iowa 51632. That is a valid address for a long standing business. I picked it out of the phone book at random. I can find east main clarinda but not the house #. Plus the problem still persists that it won't navigate to anything. I just get a split second view of "route cannot be computed" before it switches back to the screen with the coordinates.

[michaelbechtold]

OK, found the address in Locus search (by Google). Points about 30 yards into a BLOCK, not to a location on the street.
Navigating from Greenfield to the STREET in front of the 209 Eat M St house via BRouter gives you a route of about 65 miles.
Could you try, too ?

Also: http://tools.geofabrik.de/mc/#18/40.7381/-95.0354&num=4&mt0=mapnik&mt1=google-map&mt2=here-map&mt3=google-hybrid

shows you the different information of different map sources (different renditions of the same source, e.g. OSM, does not make a difference re. routing, but only delivers different visual.

Finally: did you try this app ? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mjk.locusmaptweak&hl=de

[michaelbechtold]

This is the BRouter GPX file

Gesendet von meinem LG-H850 mit Tapatalk

[michaelbechtold]

 

Gesendet von meinem LG-H850 mit Tapatalk

[michaelbechtold]

Attachment from Smartphone failed ...

[Cory McAlpin]

OK, found the address in Locus search (by Google). Points about 30 yards into a BLOCK, not to a location on the street.
Navigating from Greenfield to the STREET in front of the 209 Eat M St house via BRouter gives you a route of about 65 miles.
Could you try, too ?

Also: http://tools.geofabrik.de/mc/#18/40.7381/-95.0354&num=4&mt0=mapnik&mt1=google-map&mt2=here-map&mt3=google-hybrid

shows you the different information of different map sources (different renditions of the same source, e.g. OSM, does not make a difference re. routing, but only delivers different visual.

Finally: did you try this app ? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mjk.locusmaptweak&hl=de

I am really sorry Michael. I am simply a plug n play type of person. I simply need an app that I can download maps online for use offline later and use them later. I cannot understand all this stuff I am being shown. And I am not sure what is meant by Greenfield? And I just installed locus tweaks but have no idea what it is or what to do with it. I clicked on the shortcut and it opened locus maps. I tried to navigate to again and it was no different than before.

[michaelbechtold]

OK, understand, no worries.

Just checked the OSM data for Clarinda. House numbers simply do not exist! Hence no luck with OSMand (just checked that one, too), nor Locus etc. Here and Goggle have their own data sources. The link I shared below will show you differences between them.

The tweak app should have an effect, just look at the list of available ONLINE maps after the tweak ...
"Here" is in the list, has blocked the access, though. Other interesting sources do work.

Greenfield is a town north-east of Clarinda, I used that as starting point for the track to Clarinda 209 E M St, just to have a try with BRouter.

Again my steps:
1) search in Locus for the Clarinda address, using the Google online service
2) move the Locus map center to the nearest point on the street
3) activate the routing (make sure you have BRouter selected upfront in the settings - navigation - navigation data source) - Navigate to screen will pop up - target should be set
4) select GPS or another starting point
5) tap the routing button (you may store the resulting route file by clicking the resp. box)

For me this calculated the route after 10 sec or so and stored it in the folder I use for such

[Cory McAlpin]

Ok how about this? I went to maps and selected to download Google offline maps. I selected the entire US and started downloading. How come in settings-navigation-navigation data source it doesn't give me the option to use these or lomaps in gthe offline mode? It lists Mapquest, Yours, and OSRM as online choices and Brouter (which isn't even installed anymore) as the only offline choice.  Why are the Google maps I just downloaded not an option or even the Lomaps?

[Menion]

Hello guys,
Cory, I'm sorry to say this, but if you are plug-and-play kind of person, and this is absolutely fine!, then Locus Map is not made for you, trust me.

Mainly, core of Locus do not support offline navigation! Not even with downloaded LoMaps and definitely not with some downloaded raster maps. There is option with using 3rd party application called BRouter to have also offline navigation in Locus Map anyway.

Many people here will gladly help you if you will wants, like Michael already started, but please keep in mind that Locus Map is made for advanced users, who do not have problems here and there solve some "complications", because Locus is powerful, but also not perfectly plug-and-play. Thanks for understanding.

[michaelbechtold]

I agree, Menion, that Locus is extremely powerful, yet there is no magic :-)

And I think there are only a few clarifications needed, and maybe the documentation should get a picture that shows how the different pieces play together - or not.

Let my try to start with words:

1) maps and routing are two fundamentally different things, in particular when it comes to offline functions
2) maps can be online, or offline (see resp. tabs in Locus maps screen) - none of them allows for routing
2.1) offline maps can be raster or vector (LoMaps, OAM, mapsforge) - LoMaps offers address and POI search (i.e. you find your target - no routing ...)
3) when you see a map one way or the other, this does not imply you can route, however, these are the routing options:
3.1) if you are online, you can select an online routing service (in Locus), define start and target, push the button and you will get the route visualized soon
3.2) if you are offline, the BRouter is a valid choice. It needs route files for the relevant area, IN ADDITION to any kind of maps on your device

Above text is no a picture, but defines the relevant parts.

To summarize: for offline routing this is what you need
- any kind of map you stored on your device (raster map or vector map downloaded)
- BRouter App and the downloaded routing files of BRouter, for the area(s) of interest

[michaelbechtold]

PS: there is nothing wrong with using e.g. Here for car routing. Although Locus can do the job as described.

But once you get to hiking or biking and into wilderness, apps like Google Maps, Here and alike are simply doomed.