Online search

[Andrew Heard]

But I didn't ask Locus to show something else... IMO that makes no sense in a search context.
And tapping those points (without without really knowing what they are) makes the search results disappear.

Speaking of "making sense" - sometimes the whole bottom window is just not useful. Of course depends on the results, but maybe you can add something useful, like distance, idk... Screenshot related.

I'm using Search more & more while cycle touring, now not crashing, and agree 110% with @tapio.

[CabrioTourer]

First of all the most important point:

New search is a great step forward. It's much, much better than it was in the past.
Looks like Locus search is usable for me. First time since I joined Locus years ago.
Many Thanks.

[Andrew Heard]

No pun intended, but am I missing the point here... from Ireland, Killarney (probably any place will do) - main menu > LoPoints(offline) > toilets > many to be found - correct.

Now new Search > Offline places > the nearest is 7km away - stupid, and if there is trailing space character in search text then there are no results!

[Radim V]

@Andrew Heard, @luce: There is an important distinction: Places named "supermarkt", "laundromat" and places that actually are a supermarket or a laundry room.
 - As some of you pointed out, Locus "object repository" does not contain laundromat as a place for washing clothes. The notion of points of interest in Locus so far has been: Laundromats are not that important in the hiking/biking context. I am not overly concerned about missing "objects" - points of interest. A few millions of poi can be added quite easily. Why there are still some - we combine results from our service and some third party service, which is inconsistent, sure we know it.
 - What you do in the video: You search for places named like "supermarkt". It is the name which is important here. Not what it really is.
 - Try to type "shop", "super", "gas", "petrol", "diesel", "emergen" (or some similar german words). You will get some suggestions, like Supermarket, Gas station (category, all of them) e.t.c. Click it and then you get "overlay" of all supermarkets (Tesco, Billa, whatever name). Not places that are named "supermarket", but places that are supermarkets.
 - There is no assumption that you don't mean search by a name if you type and hit magnifying glass. If this is not clear, that means an important UX message.
 - It would be not convenient to search for nearby fire pits, shelters e.t.c by name. Usually, there is no name.
 - It would be not convenient to search for "Riffugio Auronzo" by browsing all accommodation.
 - It would be confusing to mix both approaches outlined here IMO

[freischneider]

A few suggestions:
I search for Cafe and only places with the name Cafe are offered to me. Here one should make still another category Cafe or the category Restaurant anbieren. Or both make a category Cafe and offer Cafe and Restaurant.

I search for water. Here I am offered the category Drinking water. Here should be offered in addition still the category source.

I am looking for castle, here I am offered Category castle. here it would be nice also Category ruin nice. If I search with Castle, Category Castle and Ruin is offered.
In German there are 2 names "Burg" and "Schloss" in EN this is both catle. The German Category should be renamed here "Burg/Schloss".

[freischneider]

even more:
search shelter or only hut.
--> and offer C. mountain hut.
Desire: C. mountain hut, C. shelter, C. wilderness hut.

search cave
--> offer C.cave
wish C. cave, C. mine

[freischneider]

In the maps of OAM are also always marked benches. But these come only from a certain zoom.
When hiking, one makes a small break to drink or eat an apple preferably on a bench. A category: bench would be quite nice.
In the search could also picnic area and ... could be offered.

[Andrew Heard]

and same/ similar motivation for my "toilet" example

[Radim V]

@Andrew Heard - offline points and their functionality is not affected at all by this new online search. If it is somehow broken in this version, that is another matter :-(
@freischneider - these configurations are (technically speaking) easily adjusted, it can be done by a well informed native speaker of some language. In fact there will be need to extend these configurations of synonyms to another languages. Sample of such a configuration written by a translator is attached. Solving frequent conflicts: that should be considerably improved once there are some real world data.

[Gerhard57]

How can i see all defined categories and there sub-categories?
When opening the online search a (sub-)set of categories is shown. But when entering a search text new  categories appear.

[freischneider]

How can i see all defined categories and there sub-categories?
When opening the online search a (sub-)set of categories is shown. But when entering a search text new  categories appear.

I looked in the offline POI. I think so that are the same.
But if someone does not have them, what then ?
An overview of a menu in the top right would be quite good. Possibly still where you can select which you want to show and which not. Then the map is also clearer.

[Jan Čapek]

Hi, in the initial view of search suggestion, there are some most common POI categories which users might want to look for, but they are indeed not all. You can get others by taping their name.

How important is for you to have ability to go through whole list (tree) of them like it is possible for offline POIs now? Do you just need to know how many of them are supported or want to use such list during some real search? Thanks

It's important to note, that this new online search is primarily build for, you guess it, search things. That being said, we have plans to review ability to highlight POI categories on the map more permanently in different manner - including highlighting more than one category on the same time, so it allow you to use it for planning more effectively in case you want to use it this way. But that is little bit different story for us.

[michaelbechtold]

@Radim & Jan: did I miss a statement re. my proposal to include Google API search again?

Even the combined power of OSM, Wikipedia and Locus Communities will be able to provide comprehensive results, not in decades. Which is not a criticism of the communities approach, which is the only way once you are offline, e.g.. It's about amending above sources with the power of Google Maps - as an option.
And if this should be a financial burden, you can restrict that option to silver or even gold only.

Or is Google search active under the hood already? (I think not, because some searches failed that would deliver in earlier versions.)

Can you pls. advise?

TXs and cheers
Michael

[freischneider]

Hi, in the initial view of search suggestion, there are some most common POI categories which users might want to look for, but they are indeed not all. You can get others by taping their name.

How important is for you to have ability to go through whole list (tree) of them like it is possible for offline POIs now? Do you just need to know how many of them are supported or want to use such list during some real search? Thanks

It's important to note, that this new online search is primarily build for, you guess it, search things. That being said, we have plans to review ability to highlight POI categories on the map more permanently in different manner - including highlighting more than one category on the same time, so it allow you to use it for planning more effectively in case you want to use it this way. But that is little bit different story for us.

For the search it is not so important which groups there are. This is only important at the beginning to get a feeling for the search, to know what there is everything. But this could also be listed in the help guide.
They plan to highlight certain ones more. I think that's great, because some are quite important. Best something like that should also be in preset. But if one has the selection already I would offer there the possibility: 1. do not show at all 2.normal show 3. highlight show.

[T-mo]

woah, that's a rough start..

LM4 beta 4.16.0.2 1st flavour tested, try&cry
LM4 beta 4.16.0.3

as polishing is needed and to save myself I will drop a note only at time
- cursor in search input: I have the keyboard, but the 3 basic android control-buttons are missing
- if I search by category, eg. health, also results of other categories are additionally shown on map
- if I input letters the shown results are located somewhere else, not nearby current map cursor, and also no distance is shown in the list.  As I don't see the results in context of a map (location) it is of limited value
- if the results are shown around the map as icons and I click the map for 1-2 seconds the results are gone. Might be by design, don't know. If I reenter search there is a bin icon next to category though nothing is actively shown
- the result list seems to be a mixture (as noted in #1) with missing visible structure. So I am first busy to get the clou, structure or filter the results, then I can profit of them..this should already be given by a proper design & layout