[APP] - version 4.18.+ ( 8/2023 )

[Andrew Heard]

Now, we have updated also POI handling to new Google Maps format and hopefully they won't change it in a month. If you encounter silly URL in search window in the next release version, check if you are on latest Google Maps version and if yes, let us know.

@Marek - am using LM4.18.1 with GMaps (updated just today) & still experience "silly URL in search window". But I have an excellent workaround now from @0709.

4) Smart search MUST be able to return result >1000km far away if it might be relevant. You can already filter results to your map area. I don't consider this to be problem

@Jan - sorry to sound like a broken record (for those old enough to remember) but why would I (as a user) want to see search results from >1000km at the expense of results I know for sure are closer? Sure, put them at the bottom of the list, but sort by distance surely? MUST?

6) Topic with sharing data from Google Maps is only indirectly relevant with search capabilities. First, it is not "meant" to be used this way - it is implemented primarily for sharing data via emails/messages

I only use this as a workaround. The combination of the app that @0709 suggested has really improved this method of sharing greatly.

[Marek Scholtz]

@Andrew Heard

The fix will be available in the next version.

[Shara97]

Hi, I've always used Locus and never had a problem. On my previous phone (Nexus, Android 8.1) it worked fine until a few days ago, I recorded a track without any problems. Having got a new phone (Edge, Android 13), I first tried updating the app on the old Nexus, and it installed this latest version (4.18.1). I did this to see if it was reading my offline maps to me, with success. So on my new phone I installed this latest version. However, I have seen that there are problems in recording tracks, it starts, but almost always it does not mark any distance, and when I stop it returns to the initial map screen without having saved any tracks. I have this problem on both phones. Anyone encountering these problems? Maybe I should do some setting to avoid this? Thank you

Addition: I tried on both devices to install an old version at home (4.14.1), it works fine on both. Evidently version 4.18 has some problems when you press stop and then go to the save track screen.

Shara

[Jan Čapek]

@Andrew Heard I replied to your question regarding search here:
https://forum.locusmap.eu/index.php?topic=8436.msg72936#msg72936

I only use this as a workaround. The combination of the app that @0709 suggested has really improved this method of sharing greatly.

Yep, it is handy tool, but unfortunately the app isn't compatible with recent Android versions, nor is working offline.

[jonny.blue]

Correct. Download and installation of version 4.18.1 afa from GD works fine.
Thanks, Menion.

And after reducing some security options from Chrome it works for me too.

[joeloc]

I don't really know where you want to go with your search. In any case, here are some thoughts from a power user (10 hours every single day, 300 days a year, since day one of Locus, always on the road):

You will never ever be able to compete with Google (or Apple) maps search. Period. This idea is completely delusional, even if you hire 50 more Locus programmers just for search. Here's a few reasons:

Google Maps gives me local results which are most relevant to my current situation. That works in completely foreign languages as well, where I cannot even read the alphabet. Searching for "bike shop" will show me local bike shops, in places with cyrillic writing, who might never have even heard of OpenStreetMap.

Google Maps knows if and when businesses are open.

Google Maps allows me to streetview directly into a stores front window. Very useful in judging whether it's worth taking a one hour detour in brutal heat to go there of if it's just a cheap bullshit shop with a fancy website that cannot help me anyway.

Google Maps sometimes allows me to chat to the store owner directly, including automatic translation. Yes... that is super handy in countries when you're not fluent enough for phone calls.

To be brutally honest, I wouldn't mind if you completely removed online search from Locus. It can never seriously compete with the worlds biggest players anyway, so why bother? Just make the sharing interface to Google Maps as smooth as humanly possible and concentrate on OFFLINE search in Locus... that is still a massive mess as well, leaving a lot to be desired.

For starters... why would I choose BEFOREHAND on where I want to search?! That is so completely last-millenium it's not even funny anymore :-).

When I search for "everest", I want to see
* all my tracks that contain "everest" in name or description or embedded waypoints or their description.
* all my points that contain "everest" in name or description.
* all track or point folders or groups names with "everest"
* all my custom maps that have everest in their name.
* all stuff from mapitems folder with "everest" in filename or contents (kml, gpx, anything)
* dashboards names and contents
* prefs items
* etcpp... you get idea... every(!) single(!) word(!) that locus has access to... anywhere. And you have exactly one search string that does it all. Not a dozen searches hidden all over the place.

You index all that and present the results all at once, immediately, while I'm typing. No clicking on "search" and make me wait for half a minute... and for the life of good... no pre-selection of where I want to search. That was a horrible idea from the start and needs to go.

Sorry for the longish post, that's just my two cents to bring offline search up to speed. Online search should be left to online search companies.

[freischneider]

Share GMaps: Now wait for the next version. And then we'll see. The whole writing costs the developers unnecessary time.
Workaround from 0709: I have written to the developer about Android 13.
Search: Here, too, wait and see is the order of the day.  Besides, it doesn't belong here. There is a separate topic for this. Therefore no more contributions should come here.

[Andrew Heard]

Yep, it is handy tool, but unfortunately the app isn't compatible with recent Android versions, nor is working offline.

@Jan - interesting/ thanks - yet another reason NOT to replace my 2017 phone (despite the very occasional/ rare LM4 deep down code exceptions that are too hard for Menion to fix).

Share GMaps: Now wait for the next version. And then we'll see. The whole writing costs the developers unnecessary time.
Search: Here, too, wait and see is the order of the day.  Besides, it doesn't belong here. There is a separate topic for this. Therefore no more contributions should come here.

@freischneider - it was the developer (by mistake) that wrote about online search in this topic. Next version - I had 4.18.0 & waited for what I thought was maybe fixed in 4.18.1. Honest misunderstanding. Sorry.

[Menion]

@Shara97
please check if any points are recorded when you simply keep the screen enabled and opened the side recording panel. If nothing happens when you stop recording, it most probably means there is nothing to save. Crucial is really checking if something records when the screen is on. When not, check the recording parameters of the used profile.

@Andrew Heard
we found some remaining issues in the app, so another bug-fix version will be during next week.

[Shara97]

@Menion
Now I have installed the 4.14 version (but if I have to do a test I install the new version again...): however with the 4.18 version it definitely didn't score any points, the distance traveled always remained at zero (even the graph above was stationary ). But there was also another problem: although I had given the permissions to acquire the gps position, often after starting the recording it said that I didn't have these permissions... (only with this version did I have all these problems).
Hi thank you

[joeloc]

Buddy tracking is super unreliable btw, if anybody still cares about that function. It stops working at least least five times per day and we have to manually turn it off and on to see our points again.

It always happens when network reception is bad for a while. Locus seems to mess up internally and never gets back on track.

Btw... if you have code in there like

if phone.isOnline()
  do_stuff();
else
  do_other_stuff();

that might be the main problem. Once you leave your LTE development couch and travel through the real world, your phone will quite often only THINK it's online... like in zero bars 4G or even Edge. Transmitting a single byte might take ages though or come back with a failure after some longish timeout. Quite likely Locus hickups on that... maybe if the network error timeout is longer than the tracking interval? Just guessing.

And nope... we're not in rural India... we're in the mountains of southern France right in central Europe. Buddy tracking still fails plenty.

There are obviously at least a dozen other things wrong with buddy support in general. But unless the likely answer is different from "not a priority" (as for the last five(?) years), I won't bother repeating myself over and over again. Ask if you want two more pages of neccessary fixes... or just go cycling with a buddy, then you might finally notice yourself and do something about it :-)

[lor74cas]

Buddy tracking is super unreliable btw, if anybody still cares about that function. It stops working at least least five times per day and we have to manually turn it off and on to see our points again.

It always happens when network reception is bad for a while. Locus seems to mess up internally and never gets back on track.

Btw... if you have code in there like

if phone.isOnline()
  do_stuff();
else
  do_other_stuff();

that might be the main problem. Once you leave your LTE development couch and travel through the real world, your phone will quite often only THINK it's online... like in zero bars 4G or even Edge. Transmitting a single byte might take ages though or come back with a failure after some longish timeout. Quite likely Locus hickups on that... maybe if the network error timeout is longer than the tracking interval? Just guessing.

And nope... we're not in rural India... we're in the mountains of southern France right in central Europe. Buddy tracking still fails plenty.

There are obviously at least a dozen other things wrong with buddy support in general. But unless the likely answer is different from "not a priority" (as for the last five(?) years), I won't bother repeating myself over and over again. Ask if you want two more pages of neccessary fixes... or just go cycling with a buddy, then you might finally notice yourself and do something about it :-)

I have experienced the LT fails so many times that I no longer use it.Unfortunately, I confirm that where there is reception difficulty, it freezes. I understand the technical difficulties and now I turn off data reception to save battery life.I prefer a tried and tested system I made with tasker based on text messages only, using only the telephone network is very reliable. The applicant asks for the position and the phone answers.

https://taskernet.com/?user=AS35m8kc9lYIafma1bmhSsdc5aW41wXP5NeuM1RwE0hptzS4hAh4n%2Fj3ZJVJ%2BEksDoEnzn7H%2FxM%2BAQ%3D%3D

[Tapio]

Same what I do. Send position (plus retry if necessary), gmaps link and address on a regular basis, when hiking. Address lookup needs internet but failure is treated and won't stop task. Also I allow retrieval of position via incoming sms. Yes, SMS because it's the most robust system we can use.

PS. No love for "Multiple Variables Set"? 😀 I think %err is unreliable in case of SMS (that was my experience), I use additional "SMS Success"/"SMS failure" profiles (triggers). But more complexity then.

[Graf Geo]

I just installed LM 4.18.2 and tested sharing POIs from the Google Maps app to Locus. Should be improved in this version.

Now a search list is displayed in Locus, which is mostly unhelpful.

Example: I click on a public toilet in Google Maps and share it with Locus. There, I am now shown a list with countless public toilets instead of the shared one.

Another example: I share the Kleistdenkmal (monument of Kleist) in Berlin, nearby Wannsee. Locus now shows in the list only the Kleistdenkmal in Saxony, 167 km away from the shared monument...

If I long click on the POI and then share it, it shows up correctly on the map in Locus.

[jonny.blue]

All worked well ... until I switched to Alps.oam to create a route.
When I went back to my current home position the map appears only as a white map.
Sitched maps and themes (to elevate) ... no map is shown.
I tried the route planner ... and he works.
Only a LoMap is properly shown ....

Any ideas?