We've taken our time with the new version of your favourite outdoor navigation app - we wanted to give it a proper polish and bring some major improvements before the start of the 2024 season. And we've done it - we've got a brand new route planner with an integrated dynamic itinerary linked to the route navigation, the ability to put the app directory in a freely accessible storage area, and lots of other nice touches.

Navigate with the planner

Sophisticated route planning is one of the cornerstones of Locus Map's features. That's why we've done a lot of work in recent months on the planner as well as routing, profiles and other setup parameters. However, the "Navigate to" function could not use this potential in its original design and defacto duplicated the planner function in a somewhat clumsy way. So we decided to combine these two functions into one. 

So how does it work now?

• Choose a destination - via "Navigate to", by direct selection on the map (point of interest, your own user point, long-tapping any place on the map...), in your library, from a search result...
• Tap on the navigation button - the route planner will start and a route will be generated in the last used profile from your current location to the selected destination. Now you can change the profile (activity, means of transport), add waypoints on the route, check the elevation graph, and surfaces, and just take full advantage of the comprehensive route planner. Or don't, and go straight to the next step:
• Start the route navigation - the button in the top bar starts the selection between navigation and guidance, and then you're ready to go.

What are the advantages?

• Removing a redundant route planning interface for navigation
• Simplification of the user interface
• Linking fast navigation from A to B with a comprehensive planner while maintaining the speed of its launch
• Quick possibility to edit the route, add waypoints, recalculate in another router or profile (large selection of profiles and their customization through many parameters) plus other benefits of the route planner (elevation graph, types and surfaces of roads...)

Plan routes with an itinerary

The itinerary has been part of the route planner for a few years now. However, until now it has been somewhat neglected, with extra input from the top bar. And since it is a live part of the UI in the web planner, we decided to make it more visible in the app as well. 

How is the itinerary in the planner used now?

• The bottom slide-up panel, the so-called "bottom sheet", now contains two tabs that are switched by a button on the top right: charts and itinerary. The default is to display the itinerary, even though there is nothing in the planner yet. This is because you can also select the start and finish directly in the itinerary.

• You can choose the start as before directly on the map or in the itinerary - tapping on start will display a menu of all options: 

• You can add additional waypoints (shaping or via) either directly on the map or in the itinerary:

• Use the itinerary to reorder, delete or reposition waypoints quickly.

• Tap between waypoints in the itinerary to see intermediate route segments that can be recalculated in another profile:

• Of course, on the map you have a fully editable route in addition to this.

So what are the advantages?

Route planning options are now more handy (they used to be hidden in menus), there are "more" options and something different suits everyone. You can plan on the map, in the itinerary, or combine both. The Itinerary is now an equal planning tool to the map.

Plus a little bonus - you can view a detailed route graph directly from the planner:

Photos from Locus Map in Google Photos? YES!

And not only there, and not only photos. Thanks to the new option to move the app's main directory to the Android/Media sector, the system gallery gets to them too. And you can easily access other app data, the geocaching folder, local exports of geocaching logs, and so on.

It's a refreshing breeze of freedom since the fateful moment in Android 4.4 when apps were forced into the impenetrable private Android/data sector. While Android's recommendation is still to use the Android/data sector, you can easily set your main directory to "Private folder in Android/Media" in Locus Settings > Backup & File System > File System Manager and forget about the nightmare of inaccessible app data.

You also have this option on an external SD card, but we don't recommend it due to data vulnerability and unreliability of the cards.

GPS auto-off is back

This feature, which made life easier and saved the battery for long-distance travelers and wanderers, had to go, as it didn't work properly on many phones - a lethal combination of battery optimization and a number of system permissions for location access made it impossible to exist.

Fortunately, we've managed to discover a way to restore the feature so that it's fully functional on Android 12+ phones. However, you still need to have Locus Map excluded from all battery optimization options (but Locus Map can't do without that now anyway). If you don't know how, this site will give you the details directly on your phone.

However, we've placed the option in the Expert settings section. Its use is really specific and has no justification for normal day trips.

More improvements for geocachers

In the previous version of the app, we've made a lot of geocaching features available that were originally only accessible through the Geocaching4Locus add-on. However, experienced cachers immediately threw a few things at us that we had forgotten in the rush. We hereby apologize and add the missing options to the app:

• the ability to update a cache directly in its details
• filtering of owners’ caches
• filtering of unpublished caches
• badge for downloaded caches

And don't worry, it'll get to the labs one day too, we're working on it!

So we wish you all a beautiful spring and a nice start to the new season with your favorite outdoor navigation!

Featured photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Článek New Locus Map 4.22 combines navigation with route planning and shares photos to the gallery se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

As the main hiking and biking season is coming closer and closer we've been working hard on some improvements in Locus so you can enjoy it even better.

The greatest feat we've made in this new version is a major improvement of handling GPS data sent to Locus by your mobile device and also behavior of Android operation system towards Locus running in the background.

Quicker GPS fix, more accurate location

A few weeks ago we wrote about issues with GPS data and tackling their inaccuracy by Locus track editing tools. Last month we've been working on better handling the data by the app itself. And the result is great, accuracy and stability is better by at least 20%! Compare skyplots of previous version and the newest version shot from the same place:

And check the recording accuracy on Menion's favorite running track:

No more killing Locus track recording

Especially one particular issue worried us and many of our users - modern Android systems are still more and more aggressive regarding battery optimization. This resulted in killing Locus process or the GPS unit when running in the background and interrupted track recording or navigation. Each device has its own way how to exclude Locus from this optimization but in many cases no measure, no procedure was enough to prevent Locus from being killed by the system. Fortunately, we've finally found a way how to maintain Locus smooth running in background and here's the result of the latest user testing on a Huawei phone (one of the most aggressive ones) - no killing Locus or track recording of 23 hours!

New additional icons for your activities

One of the main Locus advantages is its versatility. Hikers, bikers, runners, all of them use Locus for their activities, training, workouts. And what about inline skaters, scooter riders or paragliders? Many of them asked us to add icons of their beloved sports so that they could personalize their track folders and recording profiles. And so we did:

Outdoor map navigation available also in Turkish!

Thanks to all Turkish translators who participated in our crowdsourced translation project! Locus Map is now available in 26 languages.

Enjoy your early spring hikes and bike rides with new Locus!

Článek Welcome spring season with improved GPS location in the new Locus Map 3.30 se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

Sometimes it happens that your track recording is faulty - it is inaccurate, contains "bumps" or "bounces" or is inappropriately shortened when a part of it is missing. All these bugs are result of Locus Map receiving bad GPS data from your device - mobile phone or tablet. In this article, we'll discuss reasons of this, how to prevent it and how to fix wrongly recorded tracks.

What is bad GPS data?

We use the term to describe any circumstance where Locus receives location data that does not accurately represent your activity. Bad GPS data can result in your tracks having missing or extra distance recorded or recorded inaccurately,  inaccurate elevation values (gain or profile) and more.

Reasons and effects of this are obvious: your device may have simply lost a connection to GPS satellites and did not record any data - your recorded track shows straight lines ignoring paths or roads on map. Or, your device may have recorded trackpoints that deviate from your true path.

Typical examples:

Why does it happen?

Before we mention environmental reasons of receiving bad GPS data it's necessary to realize that Locus Map runs on personal Android devices equipped with GPS units of which data measuring is far from perfect; in fact, there is some degree of error inherent in any GPS recording. Different devices do simply have different qualities of GPS hardware and software - meaning that even if your device is working at its peak performance, there will always be a margin of error in the accuracy of its recording.

Mobile devices and satellites overhead communicate with extremely fast signals requiring precise detection and any slight inaccuracy in the signal's reception, or disturbance to the signal itself, can translate to a significant dislocation of your reported position. Therefore, environmental factors such as dense trees, steep hillsides, tall buildings, or even heavy cloud cover can impact or even interrupt the travel of the GPS signal between your device and the satellites.

Can we prevent this?

We can't advise you to avoid environments that are going to be problematic for a GPS signal - dense forests, canyons, hill sides. That would be against the purpose Locus Map has. However, we can recommend:

• to use a hi-tech device that can communicate with all available positioning networks - GPS, Glonass, Beidou and Galileo. The more satellites visible for your device above your head, the more accurate positioning
• make sure your device is mounted/carried as high up and unobstructed as possible, instead of buried deep in a pocket
• set up your Locus recording profile effectively - GPS accuracy tolerance, time and distance intervals of recording trackpoints. You always have to find a compromise between smoothness and accuracy of the recording. Don't set up too short intervals (too much data with higher risk of deviations). On the other hand, too long intervals result in a shortened track with approximate progress.

How to fix bad track recording?

Most of malformed tracks can be repaired in Locus track editor. It can be launched by tapping "Modify track" e.g. in detail screen of the track:

• with track editor, you can fix an inaccurate track - just re-position wrongly located trackpoints:
  
• complex deviations (trackpoint clusters) can be cut out of the track:
  
• single GPS bounces consisting of a few or just one deviated trackpoint can be deleted:

Issues with GPS data and accurate location belong to the most often asked at our helpdesk. Hopefully this article can help you understand this topic and give you some advice.

Michal Stupka

Illustrations by author and Strava 

Článek Issues with GPS? Check a few tips how to tackle them. se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

Smartphone battery consumption is one of the most disputed topics across user communities of all mobile platforms. Android  not excluded - screens are growing, number of CPU cores is increasing, the performance is higher and faster... all this means, of course, a sacrifice of higher energy consumption. Besides the screen the biggest fuel eaters are all signal receivers - GSM, Wifi, Bluetooth, and certainly GPS. That's why all navigation and tracking apps suffer from relatively high energy drain. If we are in the middle of civilization and we can charge our phone twice a day, usually we don't care. When we set out to wilderness it can be a problem. Quite simple solution is connecting your device to a powerbank - some offer a really huge capacity and can charge your device even 10 times. It may happen that you are in the wild on your own and save each gram of your backpack load - then you're looking for another solution.

I don't want to haul the power bank so what?

Locus Map can significantly decrease its energy needs with the Internal GPS auto-off feature. In a principle it is a timed switching of the GPS on and off in longer intervals - normally, the GPS chip monitors position of the GPS satellites above your head and continuously calculates your location. That is recorded as a chain of trackpoints (in case the track recording is on). According to the recording profile setting these trackpoints can be recorded by single meters or after a few seconds of movement and the recording is quite detailed - such detail can't even be properly displayed on some maps, not mentioning poor accuracy of GPS in rugged terrain. That often results in line full of curls and curves that we never went along. The feature of automatic switching GPS off significantly decreases number of recorded trackpoints that are recorded according to the settings by tens or hundreds of meters - GPS chip is switched on in much longer intervals and the energy is saved. A typical use case for this feature is a long-distance mountain range hike - we need to save the phone energy, weight of our load and we proceed very slowly in demanding terrain so it will do to record a trackpoint each 5 minutes.

How to set GPS auto-off up?

The feature can be found in Settings > GPS&Location. It has a few parameters:

• GPS update interval - tell Locus what time must pass between GPS switches/fixes. Beginning with 60 seconds you can save pretty much energy.
• Minimum accuracy - GPS unit progressively connects satellites and calculates your location from their signal. The more satellites it connects, the more precise is the calculation and your location. Beginning with 100 meters you can get quite acceptable results but take it as the extreme value - Locus is programmed to accept the second best location fix so finally the measurement is always better than your set value. Keep in mind your value here is always the same or smaller than the accuracy value in the recording profile settings - otherwise such a trackpoint might not be recorded.
• Maximum search time - this parameter is for real energy savers who don't care much about their recording accuracy but its endurance. It defines the time in which GPS seeks for signal for your location calculation. It can take some time especially in rugged terrain - in deep ravines, canyons, dense forests or in streets lined by high-rise buildings - it may happen that Locus switches GPS off sooner than it fixes the location. Latest phones get the fix quickly but some older models can locate you a lot longer, so be aware of it.
• Keep auto-off enabled - GPS will be switched on/off in intervals even when the screen is on and the phone is actively used. When you uncheck this option the interval switching turns off and the GPS is on in standard way - continuously. Until you stick you phone back to your pocket.

[caption id="attachment_9827" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Track recording with interval GPS auto-off on. You can see the "shortcuts".[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9828" align="aligncenter" width="350"] The same spot without interval GPS - the recording is much more detailed.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9829" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Example of using this feature in mountain terrain[/caption]

The autumn is knocking on the door quite loudly so it's high time to test your GPS - go ahead outdoors!

Článek How to save the battery with GPS auto-off feature? se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

You can visualize a lot of things above the map in Locus. Geocaches, your planned routes or recorded tracks, all of them comfortably hovering above any map you choose from the map manager. You can even pin another map above the background one or a paper one that you have previously scanned. Besides all these Locus can display plenty of auxiliary tools that help you get oriented, make you aware of your location, speed, movement direction and phone rotation, distance of objects on map etc.

Of course all these sidekicks together on map make a decent mess and only a true Locus freak will have all of them switched on at once. Now we're going to go through them one after another and you will then decide which ones to switch on and which ones you don't need for your outdoor fun.

Useful assistants

All of them can be found in Locus settings > Maps > Map objects. That's for sure a little bit simplifying name as they are rather Auxiliary map objects. When you open their offer, the first one is:

Accuracy circle

As you probably know, the GPS chip of your phone sends to Locus location data calculated from signals of the GPS satellites above. The more satellites the device "sees", the more accurate the calculation is. The accuracy circle displays the area of your calculated location on the map. The more accurate the calculation, the smaller the area. This is good to know when geocaching, for instance, when you need to know your exact position and its possible deviation. Here's an example how the GPS accuracy looks like at the window in an ordinary family house:

Scale

Scale is a classic item that has been part of maps for ages. It brings the map content into a real context - you see that a certain exact span on the map corresponds to a certain exact span in reality. In Locus it's rather a relict of the past as there are much more options of measuring distance in a much more exact and detailed way. Old mappers, however, would miss this feature, that's why it remained.

Time rings

Almost every parent notoriously knows the question kids always ask when the family is traveling somewhere - "And when are we there??" This tool helps to answer. Based on your recent average speed it calculates the distance you will travel in 1, 2, 5 etc. minutes. And in any direction.

Distance rings

You'll orientate in unknown terrain much easier with this tool - the landscape character often deceives your ability to estimate distance. For instance, the watchtower over there looks like at your fingertips, whereas, it's two kilometers away and prettily up the hill. Of course, it's beeline distance... besides the scale it's another way how to measure distance on the map.

Dynamic elevation

Rather than an orienteering tool this serves for displaying geographic value on the cursor position - elevation. By shifting the map under the cursor you immediately know elevation of various places around. For the proper functioning of this tool you have to download elevation data of the particular area or be online - Locus downloads elevation values itself from Google.

POI grouping

POI - points of interest, are all points in Locus that carry some additional information that can be displayed by tapping on them. If you visualize some points in the points manager and there are many of them together in some place this option groups them under one icon with a number describing amount of them in the group.  Clarity and readability of the map is therefore maintained and you are aware where and how many points are situated.

Line to GPS

Another option how to measure distance between you and any place on map quickly and accurately. When this option is checked a line stretches between your GPS position and the map cursor with its virtual length and bearing.

Course bearing line

If you need to visualize exactly your targeting on the map provided you'll go directly straight, check this. It can be very useful for sailing and other water sports overall as it helps to maintain your exact course.

Heading line

It's actually a prolonged indicator of your device orientation direction. It helps with orienting on the map when you know precisely what lies in what direction. What's the name of that hill? Aim your mobile on it and look at the map screen - the line crosses your target.

With this auxiliary equipment you'll become a king of orienting on map and in terrain!

Článek What are map objects and how can I set them? se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

In September we announced competition for the best story with Locus Map. The prize was a 1000 CZK voucher to the LaLoca Music Bar in Prague and publishing the story here at our blog. From all sent contributions we selected right this one. Its author is Martin Vlach from Brno [CZ]. We edited the story a little bit and called it:

A Locus Story

I've experienced a real lot with Locus Map. I've been using it for several years for geocaching, car navigation, saving nice places suitable for staying overnight in my hammock and, above all, for planning and recording my bike trips.

I often get lost on my bike. It's a piece of my character that I take calmly as an integral part of my advetures. Locus Map saved me many times and helped me in many ostensibly helpless situations. Loads of stories from my expeditions come to my mind - crawling in fog, roving in the night, in the woods... In the beginning I thought I could write some of them but finally I realized that what I consider the most intense experience with Locus is actually quite a trivial story.

Once I rode my bike along the edge of a forest when, all of a sudden, I stumbled upon two lonely little girls, perhaps eight years old. At the first sight they looked quite anxious and terrified. All the same, I felt their devotion to be brave - they didn't cry and walked hand in hand. Almost unbelievable. They came to me and started explaining they had got lost in some orienteering competition. They had been struggling to find their lost way for a long time and were totally at their wits end what to do or where to go.

They showed me a map that I couldn't understand a bit. I didn't have a clue how to help them but I knew I was supposed to do something. For a while I was a bit perplexed and then I remembered I had a tablet with Locus Map in my rucksack. I pulled it out and we started to make our way out of it. The girls told me they had started at some football pitch and that's where we focused our search. And for sure I found some pitch in the map and as it was probably the only one in wide neighborhood, we set out there.

I won't pull the story further - it ended happily. The pitch really was that one the girls had been looking for, they met their friends and shone with happiness. They thanked me again and again, munched cookies as they had been starving for a long time and I had a very pleasant feeling. Like when a man accomplishes a very good deed. The story left the special feeling in me for a long time, even until now. Like I should have lived it, like it had waited for me. Despite I hadn't met the girls before nor met them again afterwards, I still know that I won't forget their inner strength.

Enjoy your lives and thanks for Locus Map. I don't leave my house without it :).

And we thank Martin for his kind words and wish him a lot of fun when wandering with Locus Map!

Článek Martin Vlach: A Locus Story se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

Soon after a man learns how to ride a bike and starts rolling first kilometers he gets interested in his speed, passed distance or how high hills he battled. And mainly the boys. Having thrown their pushbikes away, having changed to a decent bicycle and taking part on a ride with their dad they start nagging about some comp gear. It wasn't otherwise with myself. Actually, there was a difference - I bought my first cycling computer long after my grad age as such gadgets weren't available in my kids days.

In the beginning the speedo-and-odo meter was enough but with growing tech development around grew also the taste to try all the new stuff. With the GPS coming also the navigation or track recording options emerged, sporttrackers brought heart rate or pedal cadence monitoring... The market today offers myriads of gadgets of various brands, equipped from elementary functions to hundreds of features for prices of a few bucks to hundreds dollars. And now, what to choose?

Cyklocomp?

Relatively simple device displaying elementary properties of the bike ride by monitoring movement of a magnet mounted on a wheel. Beginning with the most simple ones, providing just that speed and odometer, upto hi-tech devices full of sportstracking features for pro cyclists. The cheaper with wired transmission of data, the more expensive with wireless technology.

[caption id="attachment_8737" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Sigma computers, photo by livetoplaysports.com[/caption]

Pluses

Battery life, costly models full of functions in a tiny box, toughness of the wireless models, price of the cheapest around a few bucks, relative accuracy of monitored data.

Minuses

Vulnerability of wired models, miniature display - necessity to switch among displayed data... and of course no track recording, no navigation, position on map, geocaching guidance etc.

Handheld GPS?

A.k.a a receiver of global positioning system signal meant revolution in leisure outdoor activities after its leaving military-only area of usage. The early models offered just coordinates and altitude on a dark tiny display of a device resembling a brick not only by its shape. Since then the GPSies "civilized", the display enlarged, overall dimensions diminished and a map was added. And of course many various features for outdoor sports - track recording, navigation, geocaching... All this in a compact robust device. However, quite pricey. Above all those connecting features of cycling computers, sporttrackers and GPS devices, for example the Edge by Garmin.

[caption id="attachment_8736" align="aligncenter" width="748"] Garmin Edge 810, photo by Garmin.cz[/caption]

Pluses

Water, dust and shock resistance, relatively long battery life. Until recently unprecedented sensitivity to the GPS signal.

Minuses

Also the most costly models are equipped by a quite small display (Garmin Edge 810 only 2,6"), narrow selection of maps, made usually only by the device producer or its exclusive partner. Today in the time of smart phones GPS handhelds are too single-purpose devices for a lot of money.

Locus Map dashboard?

The dashboard feature is available in the paid version of our application, Locus Map Pro. It enables to display the cycling computer functions and external sensors data such as heart rate, pedaling cadence etc. above a map of your selection on a huge screen of your smartphone. Together with outputs of other Locus Map features like track recording, navigation or guidance on geocaches. With help of the smart display switch before track direction changes you can save your battery life so the phone works for the whole time of your trip. All this for only 8 USD! What do you think, what kind of cyclocomp would you fetch for this price?

[caption id="attachment_8671" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Locus Map dashboard in full action[/caption]

Pluses

Unbeatable price, universality, full customizability, there is no need of carrying a few boxes with you, you have everything in your phone, so while on a cycling trip you're also taking pictures, listening to music or communicating with the outside world.

Minuses

The need to own an android smartphone :) and a robust holder on the handlebars, preferably lockable, if you do not have a waterproof model.

Resolution?

Top athletes will surely appreciate the amount of monitoring functions of advanced bike computers and sport testers for precise and detailed evaluation of their workouts, the possibilities of Locus Map dashboard will not be enough for them. On the contrary, children need the most simple and durable solutions, so they'll be satisfied with a small cyklocomp. Expedition mountaineers and wilderness explorers will certainly prefer to take a robust GPS unit on their adventures. Well, and what about the rest? I think the answer is clear - Locus Map!

Článek A bike computer, a handheld GPS or Locus Map dashboard? se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.