Summer is heating everything up, and since we’re not big on lounging by the water, we escape the heat either by heading into the woods or hopping on our bikes. And that’s the perfect opportunity to test out our latest updates. We’ve once again improved the route graphs—you can now actively work with them right in the route details panel. We’re also opening up Locus Map to a wide range of e-bikes and community sensors. So come check out all the new features and see why it’s worth updating today.

Charts you can touch

Previously, you could only view the elevation profile on the route panel. Now you can interact with it without having to open the full-screen graph. Pinch to zoom in, scroll, and watch as the corresponding section is highlighted directly on the map. This way, you always know which part of the route you’re currently viewing. In addition, the blue dot on the elevation graph marks your current position on the route—which is useful, for example, for estimating how far you are from the next climb. Zooming is smoother, even with very long recordings and during pauses when you’ve stopped. You can zoom in to a level of 100 m or 1 minute, no matter how long the route is.

Need more space for the map? Pin the graph, and all other route details will be hidden. Unpin it and return to the full view. 

We’ve also redesigned the colors used to indicate route gradient. The gradient now ranges from blue for downhill sections (where darker shades indicate steeper descents) through gray for flat sections to a yellow-orange-red scale for uphill sections—both in the graph’s fill color and along the route line on the map. A new legend (question mark next to the route style preview) explains exactly what each color means for the currently displayed variable. 

We've added an option to the Tools menu on the route details panel that lets you customize the panel to suit your needs—you can now decide the order of the individual sections (graph, statistics, waypoints, and more)..

Data from your e-bike on the dashboard

We have significantly expanded our support for connecting external sensors via Bluetooth, this time to include a whole range of e-bikes: Bosch eBike Smart System (v19+), Shimano STEPS (EP-8, EP-801, E5000/E7000/E8000, EW-EN100), Fazua Ride 50/60. We’ve also expanded support for Specialized bikes across the TCX 2/3/4 generations. In addition to basic data on battery status, speed, and cadence, you’ll also get comprehensive telemetry wherever your bike provides it—motor power and temperature, battery status and number of charge cycles, remaining range, gradient, and current gear. You can also add gear and remaining range to your dashboard.

However, the connection is currently one-way: you can view data from the e-bike in Locus, but not the other way around. This means that navigation from Locus cannot yet be mirrored on the e-bike’s display. A deeper integration between the app and the e-bike’s firmware would require closer cooperation from the manufacturers.

It’s also important to note that this support is unofficial and has not yet been verified—we haven’t been able to test all combinations of models and firmware. That’s why we’d especially appreciate any feedback: you’ll help us continue to improve and fine-tune this support for as many bikes as possible.

Locus Map is also now open to community-developed sensor adapters. Third-party apps can integrate their own sensors—specialized BLE devices, protocols specific to certain e-bikes, and custom hardware—and real-time data from these sensors will appear in the sensor manager, on the dashboard, in the audio coach, and in the route recording. You can find the developer SDK at github.com/asamm/locus-api.

And that's not all!

As usual, the new version, of course, offers much more. Among the most important features:

• IMG Maps for Garmin: We have completely rewritten the map renderer for the Garmin IMG format. If you use these maps, you can expect cleaner and more consistent rendering—and a solid foundation on which we will continue to build.
• Saving battery life: Guidance and navigation can now automatically pause once you stop moving, so a forgotten session won't drain your phone's battery.
• Calorie burn: Estimates are more accurate—terrain (uphill and downhill) is now taken into account, and the values are based on Compendium of Physical Activities 2024.
• Geocaching: You can restore and browse older logs; friends' logs are grouped under the "Friends" tab; and Live Map now works on Android Auto as well.

So once the worst of the heat is over, head out into nature with the new version of Locus and let us know how you like it!

Článek Locus Map 4.35.0 — fully interactive charts and the ability to connect e-bikes se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

The new version of your favorite navigation app brings again some essential improvements. The most changes have been made to the app's online LoRouter, the “generator” for route planning and direct navigation to the destination. We've finally revived the Locus Map project for Garmin devices and although it’s already fall and the swallows have long flown away, we have the first one in the area of e-bike support.

Warning!

No, this wasn't meant as clickbait (hahaha). Take it more like a joyful exclamation - yes, online LoRouter in the app can now generate warnings for various pitfalls on the route - for challenging terrain, heavy traffic, barriers, tunnels, unprotected railway crossings, and so on. And that’s both in the route planner and in the quick route calculation for direct navigation to the destination.

Some warnings have three color-differentiated levels - from the least to the most serious warning:

If a warning concerns entire sections of the route, e.g., challenging surfaces or heavy road traffic, it also has a zonal variant, so you know exactly which part of the route to be careful on.

The degrees and types of warnings depend on the chosen activity or vehicle you plan to use on the route. If the route goes over cobblestones, it’s not a problem if you’re walking or biking. It’s worse on a road bike, and in such a case, Locus Map will display a warning.

For example, a route through the center of Prague is teeming with such warnings.

Warnings are typically displayed on the route on the map. During navigation along the route, the symbols also appear under the main navigation window:

If you tap on any warning symbol on the map, a list of all warnings on the route opens, sorted by distance. The length is also displayed for zonal sections. By tapping, you center the selected place or section on the map.

The warning system is so far available only in the app - in time, of course, it'll also be available on our web planner. We believe that it will greatly contribute to better comfort in planning your outdoor activities, as well as to greater safety in their operation.

For example, thanks to Locus Map, you already know that this section will require rubber boots... :) :

Do you have any tips on what else you would like to be warned of when planning your route? Let us know in the comments!

I Want My Own Routing Profile!

Yes, we know that many of you secretly (some very loudly) desire this option, however, for now, we can’t offer you such a variant. However, with new customization options for existing profiles, we are much further ahead.

First and foremost, we’ve enriched Online LoRouter with switches, which you’re already used to from its offline variant. For car profiles, these are standard options to omit toll sections, highways or unpaved roads. For walking profiles and trekking bikes, a “wet conditions” parameter has been added, which adjusts the route selection more to paved surfaces with a smaller risk of mud.

The most changes have been made to the MTB profile. Here our routing guru Radim finally had fun and compiled a sophisticated algorithm for route calculation based on the choice of terrain difficulty level. 

There are five levels and they reflect both the surfaces of roads, trails, and footpaths, as well as their slope, elevation, and other properties. So if you choose the lowest level, Locus Map will serve you the smoothest progress with the gentlest available ascent. 

The most difficult level, on the other hand, will dish out a line with a proper dose of adrenaline, where you’ll really give it your all:

Although the mentioned changes concern the online variant of LoRouter, we are already working hard on their introduction into offline - there is really a lot of work ahead and we still haven't left the "experimenting" level in the router development. Anyways, if you have any particular wishes regarding the customization, let us know.

Garmin Add-on for Locus Map Lives!

And now a fantastic piece of news for all the holders of these beloved rugged watches. Despite all the adversities that Garmin constantly throws at independent developers, our colleague Honza has accomplished a formidable feat - he has operationalized the add-on for the latest models. More details revealed by the creator himself:

"The existing functionality of the addon is "saved" again for now, so we can continue to extend the compatibility with devices or develop it further. Unfortunately, the feature of streaming maps from the phone to the watch display is no longer available and, after unplanned restrictions by Garmin, cannot be offered any longer for technical reasons. However, other features continue to be available, including "1-click" route export to supported watches.

This has given me a new impetus to think about integration with Garmin products further and I hope we will be able to pleasantly surprise you in the future. For example, we are well aware of the lack of the ability to easily export routes with Locus Map to Garmin Edge bike computers, but more on that next time."

The First Autumn Swallow - integration with Specialized e-bikes

No, we haven’t gone mad, we have indeed just launched the first swallow in the field of Locus's communication with e-bikes.

In the trial run we launch support for e-bike really fancy - all-suspension Specialized Turbo Levo, on which we first tested the possibilities of connecting the bike software with our application beyond the previously supported sensors of speed and cadence or power… The new sensor not only reads from the bike in aggregate the already mentioned information but also adds data about the currently selected mode of assistance of the e-bike and the status of its battery. We can add all this to our dashboard and keep it all in sight when riding with Locus Map on the handlebars!

The sensor should work with most Specialized e-bikes, including road bikes, but for now, the names of the assists will appear as they are named on their mountain bikes. We will then adapt this further according to interest.

News in LoMaps

The hike/bike theme of our offline LoMaps has gained a lot of improvements over the last months, of which we especially like to highlight:

• the return of road numbering - we managed to solve a stubborn technical mystery and especially long-distance cyclists will again appreciate the road numbers on the map

• marking of ferratas - adrenaline lovers will welcome on the map clearly visible challenging mountain, iron-secured paths (hence ferratas). And soon also with difficulty marking!

• more accurate contour lines - in the new LoMaps we generate more detailed drawn contour lines from 1'' height data, while maintaining the volume of map files. We have completed Europe so far, but the machines are running at full speed, so you can look forward to further additions soon.

And finally, goodbye, Munzee…

Unfortunately, after eight years, we have to say goodbye to this interesting outdoor game. Its creators have terminated the operation of the API, thus cutting off the possibility for the game to develop independent applications. We have therefore also ended the support of the Munzee add-on for Locus Map and removed it from Google Play.

Článek New Locus Map 4.19 Heading for Even Better Route Planning se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.