After two months of hard work, we are releasing a new version of your favorite outdoor navigation system. It brings again an incredible amount of modifications and improvements. We pick the biggest highlights from the changelog:

• the new route planner
• new in LoMaps
• unified system of LoPoints
• possibility to highlight selected categories of LoPoints above the map
• new notification centre

Now let's take a closer look.

Planning routes faster and more clearly

As you already know, the planner draws a route based on the selected route profile. What is a routing profile? It is a set of certain parameters that the planner uses to plot a route on the map. It can be a means of transport, such as a car or a bike, but also a sport activity, such as walking or cross-country skiing.

Based on your numerous suggestions and our monitoring of the planner's use, we have undertaken a major transformation of the route profile selection and planning logic. Clicking on the profile selection button will now take you directly to a menu of all profiles for the selected router. Click on the selected profile to activate it, and the entire route will be recalculated according to your new selection:

Data analysis reveals that most routes are planned with a single activity, requiring a quick modification of the entire route with a different profile to view it all in a new context. We've now sped this up to two clicks.

A different profile for each segment

Many of you are planning a combined route. For example, you want to drive to the start of the hike and then continue on foot. Of course, we have the option to choose a profile for each route segment separately. We just moved it to the action menu. Click "Continue with..." to change the profile for the next route segment, not the whole route.

What about custom settings?

Of course, it wouldn't be Locus Map if it didn't offer additional options to customize the app. Each LoRouter profile (except for manual mode) includes the ability to change various route calculation and route time estimation parameters. Just hold your finger on the profile select button, and additional setting options will appear:

TIP: As a proper geek, you can place the button to change parameters directly on the planner's desktop. A long press then quickly changes the profile to manual mode:

Detailed instructions on how to use all the options of parameters and their settings when planning your trips will be discussed in a future article.

LoMap always on display

With the new Locus Map, you'll never drive out of an area covered by LoMap and see a blank screen instead of a map. Once the app detects you're off the map, it automatically switches to online mode and streams map data from the internet. You can, of course, turn this option on or off in the settings:

Bulk update

Those of you who use offline LoMaps will appreciate the ability to update multiple map packages at once. You can choose from a list or update all of them at once.

Locus Map Lite now also offline

This news isn't Android-related, but we still want to brag a bit: Locus Map's little brother for iPhones and iPads, Locus Map Lite, can also work with offline maps, as we wrote here. So if you have Apple friends, feel free to tell them.

Online&offline LoPoints in one

LoPoints, touristy and interesting places on the map with lots of information and photos, used to be available separately in online and offline versions, and were also switched on separately above the map. We've managed to simplify this tremendously - everything is hidden under one button in the content panel, and you don't have to worry about whether you have an internet connection or have downloaded the right offline LoMap.

Of course, you can turn off the automation in the settings and display online or offline LoPoints separately. Important note: the new system only works with the latest LoMaps, so make sure you update them.

Highlight the selected category

If you arrive in an unfamiliar city and need to quickly see all the places to eat on the map, just tap the content panel and select the appropriate LoPoints category:

Since there are a plethora of categories available, you can also search them in full text:

What about points of interest from other sources?

You can also display other databases in Locus Map, for example, from OpenAndroMap. There is a separate display button for these in the content panel. Here you can also find LoPoints from older versions of LoMap:

So you don't miss anything

We've created a brand new notification system for the actions the app takes - when and how it downloads maps, backs up your routes and points, syncs with the cloud, and more. You can also get a look at your notification history:

We've also added a button for quick access to manage system notifications, where you can set everything up so that you're only notified of exactly what you need to know.

And now we can only wish you a nice holiday with Locus Map!

Článek Version 4.30 – improved planner, LoMaps, LoPoints unification and much more se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

After two months of intensive work, we bring you again the new version of your favorite outdoor navigation - Locus Map 4.24. In addition to a number of minor fixes and improvements, we of course have a few highlights for you. So let's briefly introduce them:

LoPoints - the most interesting places on the map

As you know, LoPoints are places on the map marked with icons. They are available online and offline and can be displayed on top of any map. LoPoints are clickable - if you click on them, you'll see lots of tourist information about the place, often including a description or photos from Wikipedia. Alternatively, there are photos from users who have visited the location and documented its current appearance. You can view the photos both in the app and on the web, including the user gallery. We continue to deepen this user interactivity with map data, as you can see in the following news:

Ratings and comments

You can now add a review to each LoPoint, consisting of a rating and a few words about what you liked or disliked about the place. The rating is similar to Google Play, that is, the highest praise is for 5 stars, the lowest for one star. You can comment on your rating, add recommendations, tips or warnings for others. Of course, all within the framework of civilized and polite attitude.

1 photo for LoPoint = 1 LoCoin to your account

Do you know what LoCoins are? Yes, that's right, our "virtual currency" with which you can buy maps in the Locus Store, and also purchase Premium features. Until now, LoCoins could only be obtained for money either directly in the Locus Store or on our website. Now, you can also earn them for photos of places you've visited.

The ability to add your own photos to LoPoints to document their current status for other members of the community of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts has been around since last year. From now on, we want to give back at least a little bit for your contributing to a good cause: 

For every approved photo you attach to LoPoint, we'll credit your Locus account with 1 LoCoin.

So for 30 photos of interesting paces you can get a LoMap of Croatia, for 225 photos you can get half of Germany, for 869 photos you can get Premium Silver for a year, and if you are creative enough, for 2099 photos you can get Premium Gold for a year! And that's worth it :).

Track recording just got a little bit better

Another topic for modification has become recording the tracks of your trips and training sessions, which we haven't touched on in a while. We've looked into it a bit more and made two major improvements based on your recommendations:

Lower battery consumption

We've optimized the recording process, cleaned up elements that were putting unnecessary strain on performance, and the result is significantly lower battery power consumption - you can save tens of percent if you use it all day. Even with the display on.

Attention, you are in motion, and you have a paused recording!

Many of you have expressed the wish that it would be good to have a notification in Locus|Map to alert you in the following situations:

• track recording is running, but you have interrupted the activity
• track recording is interrupted but you are moving

And because we're equipping the app according to your wishes, we've added the notifications. You can turn them on or off as needed in the settings of each track recording profile.

Share tracks with photos

Locus Map is bursting with ways to share your track with friends. With a link to the web, export to GPX, KMZ and other formats like HD JPEG with map and detailed stats... The only thing we were missing was a nice "Instagram" picture to share on your social networks.

So we added it, in three versions. You can share the track with the map in the background:

With an image based on the activity on the track:

Or with your own picture, taken during the ride:

Plus, something for geocachers and route planners

Log labs offline

Passionate geocaching players, specializing in lab caches, will also find something for themselves. We've taken Locus' capabilities up a notch again and added the ability for them to log their catches offline, i.e. without the need to be connected to the internet. 

And to save data, you can also set a maximum number of log downloads per cache.

More accurate time estimation on the route

Estimating time on the route is a pretty important factor for many people when planning hiking tours or cycling training trips. So far, time estimation has been very approximate based on general criteria and parameters. Now we introduce the possibility to adjust some factors according to one's own abilities, which makes the time estimation much more precise.

For the "walking" and "hiking" routing profiles, we have added the ability to adjust the default speed on the flat. This becomes the basis for calculating the time estimate, which incorporates other internal parameters such as elevation, gradient angle, and surface type. These are already taken by the application from routing and elevation data. The default speed can be set between 2 - 12 km/h, so even recreational runners can use it.

Road cyclists, on the other hand, measure their abilities mainly by power in watts, which they monitor with wattmeters on their bikes or trainers. When the personal power value is defined as the basis for calculating the time estimate on the route, we immediately get much more accurate results. There is a range from 60 to 240 W of average rider power:

Finally, something for geeks

It wouldn't be Locus Map if we didn't have something in reserve for the enjoyment of tech-savvy users. As you know, Locus Map can work with the BRouter offline router. This can be set up as an alternative to our LoRouter if you want to use your own routing profiles. We have now made it possible to set all supported parameters of these custom profiles in Locus Map. But how to work with them and how to get them into Locus is for another blog post, so another time.

Enjoy the summer!

Header photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash

Článek New Locus Map 4.24: review your favorite places and take photos for LoCoins! se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

The day's hike is going great, you still have 10 kilometers to go, and the sun is shining, but so what? There's a rumble of thunder, a blackened wall looming over the horizon. An ominous spot with a purple center grows on the radar right in front of you, heading in your direction—a storm like a hell. You've got to take cover somewhere. There's a shelter on the Locus Map just a kilometer down the road from here. But can you fit your whole party in there? You wish you had a photo of it...

You've come on holiday and are planning a trip around the area with your friends. There are several attractions on the map that encourage you to visit. Some rocks, a ruin, a view... But is it really worth including them in the itinerary? What do they really look like?

It's terribly hot, you underestimated it on the hike with your water supply. The nearest pub is on the trail, but only in about an hour. You check the map, and look, there's a spring just down the road. Is it just a spring seeping out of the swamp, or is it covered, with a trough, and can you conveniently refill from it?

We’re sure you've experienced similar situations on your wanderings through nature. "If only I had a photo of that..., to know what it looks like..." - these and similar questions from our users inspired us to create the possibility to add our own photos to places on the map (so-called LoPoints). Having them available both on your mobile phone for a quick preview and above the map on the web for careful route planning is something that many outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate. No text can describe reality as well as a picture.

A lot of LoPoints already have photos from Wikipedia. However, Wikipedia does not contain every shelter or view tower, photos are usually only provided with the biggest attractions - tourist, historical and natural attractions - castles, chateaus, museums... Pubs, ruins, signposts, stops, shelters, wells... are still without photos. And now we want to help you change that.

Photos directly from your mobile

Adding a photo to a place of interest on the map is quick and easy:

• tap LoPoint on the map, and a panel with details will pop up

• tap the camera button
• select the option to either take the photo now or select a photo from the gallery that is already taken

• after confirming the photo or gallery selection you can add more snaps if you have them
• close the window, and the photos will start uploading in the background and you can continue to use the app normally

Not on the internet? No problem, everything works offline too. Photos will upload when you connect. By default, uploading is only enabled via wifi, but if you're not worried about your mobile data, turn wifi-only off in the app settings.

Which photos are the best?

Those that accurately depict the object or place in question. Best if you take several photos of the same place from different angles. And now some tips:

• If it's a view tower or a lookout point, include a view of the countryside from there.

• For more complex buildings or monuments, include the most interesting details

• Photograph information boards preferably in such a way that the text on them is legible in the photo - both in the app and on the website, the photo can be clicked through to the detail

• For restaurants, you can take a photo of the menu if it is legible

You can "like" each photo in the app and on the website.

Which photos are inappropriate?

Each photo is checked before it is attached to a place on the map. Images that in any way fit into the following categories will not be added to the locations:

• showing recognizable human faces
• depicting violence, racism, politics, memes, profanity or other obscenities
• photos of poor technical quality - blurry, too low resolution, too dark, too light…
• graphically modified photos - tilted photos, with labels, texts, frames, and other decorations
• images unrelated to the location or otherwise irrelevant

You will receive info about the acceptance or non-acceptance of photos within a few hours. 

If by chance an inappropriate photo slips through our careful filter, or for some other reason you find it unacceptable, you can report it to us:

We will check it again and possibly eliminate it.

What about privacy?

Adding photos to places on the map is seen as a voluntary service to the public. By submitting a photo, you agree that the image will be published on the map via Locus Map with the author's credit. We therefore strongly recommend that you only submit photos that are not in any way private, showing for example members of your family or your home.

In addition to the map, photos are also displayed in the public photo gallery that is part of your user profile. This is currently only accessible from the Locus Map application:

We also reserve the right to publish selected photos on our website or social media to promote the app or user competitions. 

So if you are on a vacation or just on a trip in the neighborhood, take photos and help others discover the world!

Článek Take photos and help others discover the world! se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

Sometime around this time, in 2021, we slowly began to release the first version of the new generation of your favorite outdoor navigation - Locus Map 4. After a year, we would like to offer you a small summary of what we have accomplished during that time. A lot has been done, mainly thanks to you and your support, both moral and financial.

Brand new app

Let's start with what is most visible:

New user interface

• We clarified it, simplified it and adjusted it for one-handed operation. And both for right-handers and left-handers
• We added options for custom configuration of elements on the display - zoom buttons, map rotation and centering buttons, track recording, function panels - all of them can be combined for several variants of their visibility on the desktop
• The new content panel allows you to easily control everything you see on the map screen - maps and map themes, LoPoints, shading, photos…
• Routes and points got new slide-out panels with information and controls - all in one place, within easy reach of your thumb
• The new bottom-up main menu contains all the basic functions. Of course, it is fully configurable
• Last but not least, Locus can be switched to energy-saving dark mode, even automatically depending on the time of day

We've also added our own content and got rid of dependencies on external applications:

Our own maps, points of interest and router

• LoMaps - our tourist maps of the world are now available in a free online version for all users, not only in the application, but also on our new web route planner
• LoPoints - these dynamic points on the map, describing civic amenities or natural attractions are now available online and offline. In the online version, we managed to enrich LoPoints with information and photos from Wikipedia, and we improved their search on the web.
• LoRouter - our own route calculation machine for planning and navigating to a destination. It is available online in the application and on the web, as well as in the offline version for the most demanding outdoor fans.

Synchronize the application with the cloud, the web planner and across multiple devices

Locus Map has always been a purely mobile application with no server background. There was a radical change a year ago - you can now sync routes and points automatically:

• From mobile to cloud and back - you no longer have to worry about data if your mobile is lost or damaged
• From the cloud to the web library and route planner - what you plan on the web is right on your mobile and vice versa
• Among several devices - do you have a mobile phone and a tablet with Locus? You record the route on your mobile phone, save it and you have it on your tablet right after. The number of devices connected in this way is not limited.

Over the year you've synchronized over 1 million tracks and routes.

Brand new web planner and route library

We used to think that planning a route right on your mobile phone was enough. And we did our best for that and developed the route planner in Locus to the best of its kind on the market. But the big PC screen just makes sense for planning trips and entire vacations. And so we developed a web-based planner with an associated library of users’ tracks and points.

• You plan the route on the web then you go on a trip with Locus on your mobile phone
• You can record the expedition in the mountains with the help of Locus, at home on the couch you can see the route on the big screen of your laptop

We are constantly working on the web planner and library. A lot of improvements await you this year.

It wouldn't be possible without you

Web services, synchronization, cloud, servers, storage, user support, continuous development - it all costs a lot of money. But thanks to you, we manage to get it all running. We are sure that the new subscription financing system really works to your and our satisfaction.

If you continue to support us in this way, we plan a lot of other great things:

What awaits you

• further development of the application - improved search, new dashboard, satellite maps of the whole world (finally!!)
• web planner and library - import of routes, other maps from other providers, more detailed graphs
• more app purchase options - we'll introduce also one-time period purchases with no auto-renewal

Thank you once again for supporting us!

Článek Thanks to you, we have completed the first successful year of the Locus Map 4 project se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.