Locus Map provides a solid map base in offline LoMaps, drawn from OSM data, but let's face it - there are places that OSM mappers don't visit much. There, quality hiking and cycling maps produced by local publishers or authorities can help us significantly. These belong to the basic things that everyone packs for a proper outdoor vacation.

We recently added brand new maps of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service HGSS to the Locus store, and updated a number of map packages of the Polish Compass and the Hungarian Cartographia.

To Croatia not only to the sea

We mostly go to Croatia to spend the vacation at the seaside, however, the whole country abounds in many natural beauties, which we can fully admire on hiking or biking trips. Local maps are provided by the Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS - Hrvatska gorska služba spašavanja). As part of its numerous activities, it publishes high-quality, detailed, up-to-date and clear maps.

Maps of all Croatian national parks, islands and mountains are now available in Locus. Maps are available in several scales, include marked hiking trails, bike paths, mountain huts and shelters, pubs, views and other natural and architectural attractions, camps, and other tourist amenities.

To Poland and Slovakia with Compass maps

Compass, a traditional leading manufacturer of tourist maps of Poland, Slovakia and eastern Ukraine, recently released updates to a number of its products. Maps of the Sącz, Silesian and Żywiec Beskids, Bieszczady, Bystrzycky and Orlické Mountains, the city map of Kraków with cycling routes in the vicinity, Sanok and its surroundings, Podhale, Tatras, Orava, Spiš, Zawoja, Babia Góra and the Kłodzko region have received new data.

Hungary is not just Balaton

This can be confirmed by many fans of the picturesque landscape of the Bukovské Mountains, the fertile Danube plains or the highest mountains Mátra. The established cartographic publishing house Cartographia has recently published a number of updates to its tourist maps. In the Locus store you will find new versions of maps Bakony, Buda mountains, Göcsej, Kemeneshát, Keszthely mountains, Őrség, Somló hill, Velencei mountains and Velencei lake, Vértes and Zselic.

All maps are now available in the Locus store. Enjoy your holiday!

Článek Get maps ready for your vacation in Croatia, Poland or Hungary se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

Recently, Locus Map map portfolio has been growing like mushrooms after rain. Let's sum it up - in the USA, we added splendid trail maps by NeoTreks and satellite maps by USGS. Germany, Austria, northern Italy etc.  - traditional maps of Kompass that we wrote about last time. Israel is newly covered by detailed maps from Israelhiking that can be downloaded to offline for free. And in near future the map increase won't cease - great hiking maps of the British cartography publisher Ordnance Survey Landranger and Explorer are coming shortly, we negotiate offline maps of IGN in Belgium and France.

The latest version of Locus Map brought also maps of Polish cartography publisher Compass - the only Polish map producer that we exclusively cooperate with. Let's introduce them a bit.

All began with orienteering

Similarly to the Czech provider SHOCart, whose maps we also have in our portfolio, Compass originated from the base of producing maps for orienteering sports - running and MTBO. Some time 15 years ago a group of enthusiasts started to solve the lack of quality orienteering maps by drawing them on their own. Detailed maps in big scales became their daily routine. Then there was also passion for mountain hiking so production of hiking maps was soon another logical step forward. After a few first humble attempts and acquiring more and more experience the mappers decided to produce maps commercially. The special orienteering maps were accompanied by hiking maps in 1:50 000 scale, forming today a major part of Compass production..

How do the maps look today?

From their orienteering beginnings the contemporary Compass maps brought one of the production methods - precise mapping work in terrain. So, with Compass maps be assured that what you see on the map is also in real world. Furthemore, all approved in cooperation with local landscape treasure managers - National and Natural parks. Of course, all is rendered by latest digital technology. Above the detailed topographic background, a rich layer of tourist information is placed - marked hiking routes and cycling trails, architectural  sites, natural landmarks, accomodation and catering facilitie. Compass offers the most demanded maps in Poland.

[caption id="attachment_9898" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Beskid Makowski[/caption]

Which Compass maps are available in Locus?

Locus offers 74 titles of hiking maps of Compass. It's almost complete portfolio of the publishing house. Only maps of areas covered by other our partners were excluded, e.g. Nizke Tatry that are covered by SHOCart. The core of Compass production is made by maps of Polish Beskid, Bieszsczady, Pogórze, Polish part of Vysoke Tatry mountains and foothils. The offer contains also maps of central Poland, Sudety, Kaszuby and Mazury. Besides the Polish areas Compass offers also two maps of mountains in Ruthenian Zakarpathia.

Maps are available in Locus Store in packages that can be displayed in offline mode without need to be connected to the Internet. You can select them from a list or on a overview map.

[caption id="attachment_10007" align="aligncenter" width="350"] The overview map can be switched on from the top right corner.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_10008" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Just move map on the cursor position and tap.[/caption]

Článek Compass – Polish way from orienteering to a publishing house se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

It's not so long ago when we informed here about the release of 3.19 version, full of changes, fixes, and above all, new maps of U.S. Nevertheless, we had something left in a drawer so we decided to release another version right after two weeks. 3.20, again, is mainly about new maps, this time of Europe and Middle East.

Kompass is not Compass

Two different map publishers, first seated in Innsbruck (AT), second in Krakow (PL). Phonetically indistinguishable names may be confusing but each company provides map coverage of different areas:

Kompass

One of the biggest European cartographic publishing houses offers in Locus digital maps of Austria, Germany, northern and middle Italy, Sardinia, Corsica and other areas. See the mapsheet overview:

The maps excel in  clean and clear drawing and are zoomable in several levels. They display marked hiking paths, cycling routes and symbols of tourist facilities and attractions. Kompass maps are available in the form of offline packages, containing particular map area, furthermore, it's possible to define your own custom map crop and zooms.

[caption id="attachment_9897" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Via Ferratas at Lago di Garda[/caption]

Compass

Traditional Polish hiking maps producer has prepared almost whole portfolio of their maps for Locus, including the most attractive locations of Poland and partially also of western Ukraine. The maps are available in individual map packets:

Maps are drawn in one scale, basically 1:50 000, and other zooms are, therefore,  rendered as its augmentations, respectively diminutions. Anyway, the maps are structured very nicely and in great detail. They contain network of marked hiking and cycling routes, horse-riding routes and sailing routes on the big lakes of the North. Of course, complete tourist facilities and natural and architectural attractions list is included.

[caption id="attachment_9898" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Beskid Makowski mountains[/caption]

Hiking for free in Israel

Very accurate and detailed hiking maps of the lands of our biblical predecessors are provided by the Israelhiking map server. The maps are based on OpenStreetMap and include also terrain shading. The map covers complete area of the state of Israel including Gaza strip and the West Bank:

The map is available in Locus Store in three versions - hiking, MTB and hiking trails network without background that can be displayed above any other map of the area through the  Map overlay function. All maps can be downloaded to offline for free.

[caption id="attachment_9899" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Hiking map[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9900" align="aligncenter" width="350"] MTB map[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9901" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Hiking trails for overlay[/caption]

That's all about maps and now let's talk about some news in the app control:

Finally, routepoints/viapoints distinguished when drawing a route!

The problematics of points creating a route in Locus may seem a bit tricky - Locus as a global app reflects a few approaches at once and not always it's simple to tackle them right and to explain everything precisely. Many of you were puzzled by the bunch of icons above the route points after manual drawing without router's assistance. We had no clue how many users draw routes point by point and primarily we promoted the option of router-assisted route drawing planning. However, upon your numerous requests we re-assessed our approach and the result is as follows:

• a normal manually inserted route point that is depicted as a green dot on the line during the drawing is left WITHOUT any highlighting when the route is saved. Such a route point tells Locus just to "draw the line this way" and it doesn't matter if you draw the route with or without router's assistance. Navigation along the route announces in this case only direction changes and distances (e.g. "after 200 meters turn right") and when recalculating the route with the point priority the route is directed right to the final point.
• if you want to insert a point with some additional information to the route, like "good pub" or "my buddy's cabin", and want Locus to navigate you through this place (viapoint) even when the route is recalculated, add it with the + button and then tap it with your finger again - the green dot turns BLUE and the point is ready for further editing.Save the route, icons with arrow show above the "blue" points.Tap to select the point, choose "edit" and you can change its name.If you have TTS (text-to-speech) set in your voice navigation, the voice notifies you of such a point (e.g. "after 200 meters good pub"). Of course, other navigation commands remain the same.

As you know, that's not all - other changes and improvements are listed in  the changelog that can be viewed from the main menu > about app.

Enjoy!

Článek Map avalanche is rolling on – Locus Map 3.20 is here! se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.