Guidance voice incorrectly states number of meters before next turn
Hi Menion,
I have noticed in Locus Maps Pro 3.18.9 an issue regarding guidance voice (English). As far as I can recall, the same issue existed in previous one or two versions of Locus, but I am not 100% sure.
In versions 3.18.6 and before, when approaching a curve/roads'-junction on a route, the guiding voice used to say: After 90 meters turn (or bear or whatever needed) left (or right). Considering the normal error of the GPS (on my devices 5-15 meters range), the voice would tell the instruction approximately 90 meters before the curve/junction. The voice would almost always say the instruction "...90 meters...". In a hundred instructions, there would maybe be once something like "...70 meters...".
That was perfect, the instruction would come ample time/meters in advance, so I could prepare myself to change the direction of movement, regardless of being hiking, biking or car driving.
In version 3.18.9, the voice has enormously developed it's vocabulary and talks too many numbers. For example: After 7 meters turn (or bear or whatever needed) left (or right). The voice also knows numbers: 9, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, ... So, the problem is that, if the voice knows/talks too many numbers, it is sometimes confusing, especially if I walk/bike/drive in a noisy road and I don't hear exactly what was the number. If the number is always 90, I don't need to think about the distance (it is always 90 meters) when I hear the voice instruction.
Moreover, there is an additional and even bigger issue. If the voice would tell, for example: "After 10 meters turn..." when I am approximately 10 meters before curve/junction, that would be, mathematically speaking, correct. The problem is that, the voice says "...10 meters..." (or whatever meters, 20, 7, ...) when I am 90 meters before curve/junction. At the moment of voice activation, my GPS position on the map/screen shows my correct location in the field (90 m before). So, the voice always activates/talks approximately 90 meters before, but talks always wrong, less number of meters.
I have tested the guidance/voice several times on different routes prepared in GPSies web site, downloaded as kml files and stored in "Items". I don't import the routes but load/use them directly from "Items". Furthermore, I have tested the issue on two different devices: LG G2 - D802, on android 4.4.2 and Optimus L7 II, on android 4.1.2. Exactly the same Locus settings on both devices.
I don't have installed either, any Add-ons, nor Co-apps to Locus. Furthermore, no special settings or apps in my device, controlling speech or improving performance.
As I said, no such issues on previous versions of Locus and in the mean time, between those versions of Locus, I haven't changed either Locus nor phones' settings. Attached herewith are my Locus backup settings and two example routes that I have tested in the field.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
The same problem 
Just the other day I noticed, as the display rolled down from 300m to 299m, "in two hundred metres...".
I got the impression it rounds down, rather than rounding to nearest.
This is with the current non-beta version.
Just the other day I noticed, as the display rolled down from 300m to 299m, "in two hundred metres...".
I got the impression it rounds down, rather than rounding to nearest.
This is with the current non-beta version.
Good day Svjetlana, Viajero,
firstly I need to mention three things:
I've anyway never noticed such serious difference in distance to target and announced distance like you wrote > 90 m vs 10 m. What about your speed? We are talking here about cycling? Extra slow speed?
If you are able to reproduce it during your rides, I may create some special Locus Map version, that will print out parameters used for voice announcements, so we may found out real reason that certain notification is used.
Btw. speed used for compute of necessary time is not current speed, but moving average for a last few seconds. So if you slow down really really fast, announcement may be little delayed.
Good day Svjetlana, Viajero,
firstly I need to mention three things:
I've anyway never noticed such serious difference in distance to target and announced distance like you wrote > 90 m vs 10 m. What about your speed? We are talking here about cycling? Extra slow speed?
If you are able to reproduce it during your rides, I may create some special Locus Map version, that will print out parameters used for voice announcements, so we may found out real reason that certain notification is used.
Btw. speed used for compute of necessary time is not current speed, but moving average for a last few seconds. So if you slow down really really fast, announcement may be little delayed.
Good day Menion,
OK, I understand what you say. I have yesterday and again today hiking-tested the voice instructions by my two devices and the issue is present. As I mentioned, the voice have never made such "mistakes" in previous versions, otherwise I would notice it before.
The issue is most notably visible at low, constant speeds, hiking or biking at 3-10 km/h. Since, most of my journeys in wilderness, for years, are right at those speeds, I see the difference in voice instructions. The higher the speed, especially in car, the harder is to notice the issue (is there, to next curve 200, 250 or 300 m, hmm ?). So, I don't care very much about that in the car.
Eventually, I must say that even at those low speeds, the issue is not hard to leave with, since in most cases I see the road curve or roads' junction in the field and I just disregard the number of meters said by the voice. So, the issue is more of the matter of a precision or the matter of "it worked before better than now".
I thought of clearing the Locus cache/reinstalling Locus but I haven't tried that yet.
However, if you have any other idea or some special/new Locus test version I will be glad to assist you. Otherwise, I will happily use Locus as it is.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
Good day Menion,
OK, I understand what you say. I have yesterday and again today hiking-tested the voice instructions by my two devices and the issue is present. As I mentioned, the voice have never made such "mistakes" in previous versions, otherwise I would notice it before.
The issue is most notably visible at low, constant speeds, hiking or biking at 3-10 km/h. Since, most of my journeys in wilderness, for years, are right at those speeds, I see the difference in voice instructions. The higher the speed, especially in car, the harder is to notice the issue (is there, to next curve 200, 250 or 300 m, hmm ?). So, I don't care very much about that in the car.
Eventually, I must say that even at those low speeds, the issue is not hard to leave with, since in most cases I see the road curve or roads' junction in the field and I just disregard the number of meters said by the voice. So, the issue is more of the matter of a precision or the matter of "it worked before better than now".
I thought of clearing the Locus cache/reinstalling Locus but I haven't tried that yet.
However, if you have any other idea or some special/new Locus test version I will be glad to assist you. Otherwise, I will happily use Locus as it is.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
Locus V 3.18.9.8
Alert by config.cfg set at 15 sec. Speed 36 kmh
https://youtu.be/--RPz9tx7rk
Alert by config.cfg set at 15 sec. Speed 18kmh
https://youtu.be/X2bBtTs063c
Alert by config.cfg set at 15 sec. Speed 9 kmh
https://youtu.be/D4UG6L5LCcc
Alert by config.cfg set at 15 sec. Speed 4kmh
https://youtu.be/b6Rvp79p1YE
Locus V 3.18.9.8
Alert by config.cfg set at 15 sec. Speed 36 kmh
https://youtu.be/--RPz9tx7rk
Alert by config.cfg set at 15 sec. Speed 18kmh
https://youtu.be/X2bBtTs063c
Alert by config.cfg set at 15 sec. Speed 9 kmh
https://youtu.be/D4UG6L5LCcc
Alert by config.cfg set at 15 sec. Speed 4kmh
https://youtu.be/b6Rvp79p1YE
Hi 0709,
Yes, those videos show how it works right, although, seems to me it is navigation, not guidance mode. I haven't tested it in navigation mode. Notwithstanding, I presume Locus uses the same logic for voice triggering in both modes.
It seems that somehow in previous versions of Locus (on my devices) at those low speeds (3-10 km/h) the guidance (not navigation) TTS voice would always activate 90 m before a curve and correctly said "... 90 m ...". Unfortunately, this is not the case any more.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
Hi 0709,
Yes, those videos show how it works right, although, seems to me it is navigation, not guidance mode. I haven't tested it in navigation mode. Notwithstanding, I presume Locus uses the same logic for voice triggering in both modes.
It seems that somehow in previous versions of Locus (on my devices) at those low speeds (3-10 km/h) the guidance (not navigation) TTS voice would always activate 90 m before a curve and correctly said "... 90 m ...". Unfortunately, this is not the case any more.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
Aaaaah guidance, damn. I also confused myself as Willy (0709) and was thinking and testing only navigation mode, not guidance. Sorry, my bad because all is correctly wrote in initial post.
In guidance mode, it is a different situation. Speed does not make difference here and only important parameter is "Set next trackpoint" parameter that define moment, when notification appear.
I've imported your backup of settings and also GPX track (thanks for it) and all seems to work correctly for me (on sofa :) ). I made anyway during last month quite a lot of changes in whole navigation/guidance system. So please wait on next version (this week) and try it. If same problem appear, I'll create a special version for you, that tell us more. Thank you!
Aaaaah guidance, damn. I also confused myself as Willy (0709) and was thinking and testing only navigation mode, not guidance. Sorry, my bad because all is correctly wrote in initial post.
In guidance mode, it is a different situation. Speed does not make difference here and only important parameter is "Set next trackpoint" parameter that define moment, when notification appear.
I've imported your backup of settings and also GPX track (thanks for it) and all seems to work correctly for me (on sofa :) ). I made anyway during last month quite a lot of changes in whole navigation/guidance system. So please wait on next version (this week) and try it. If same problem appear, I'll create a special version for you, that tell us more. Thank you!
Hi Menion, Willy,
Excellent, now I can recall the reason as to why had my devices' TTS voice activated always at 90 meters before turn. My "Set next trackpoint" parameter stays 100 m from the first day I use Locus. I remember, I liked the setting, but in the meantime I forgot that it is used for triggering of the voice notification.
The same setting is still in my Locus and the voice activates at 90 m, as I mentioned before, however it somehow, in version 3.18.9, states random numbers from 7 up to 70 m.
I will be waiting for the next version and see what will happen.
Thank you for your support.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
Hi Menion, Willy,
Excellent, now I can recall the reason as to why had my devices' TTS voice activated always at 90 meters before turn. My "Set next trackpoint" parameter stays 100 m from the first day I use Locus. I remember, I liked the setting, but in the meantime I forgot that it is used for triggering of the voice notification.
The same setting is still in my Locus and the voice activates at 90 m, as I mentioned before, however it somehow, in version 3.18.9, states random numbers from 7 up to 70 m.
I will be waiting for the next version and see what will happen.
Thank you for your support.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
Hi Menion, Willy,
I have been using/testing the GUIDANCE VOICE on Locus 3.19. on a two hiking routes during the weekend.
I confirm that now the VOICE is "back to normal", no more random/incorrect numbers/meters.
If, for example, "Set next trackpoint" parameter is 100 m, the VOICE always activates 90 m before a turn and says "After 90 meters turn (or bear or whatever needed) left (or right)."
If "Set next trackpoint" parameter is 50 m, the VOICE always activates 40 m before a turn and says "After 40 meters turn ..."
(The VOICE always activates 10 m after the "parameter value", I suppose, for making the allowance for time lag/movement. That is fine, I can easily adjust how many meters before a turn I wish the voice instruction.)
During hiking along the same routes, I have also been using, part of the time, NAVIGATION MODE. Comparing the two modes, GUIDANCE and NAVIGATION, and considering their similarities and differences, it is hard to say which mode is more appropriate for hiking/low speed biking. Both of them are brilliant. I can say that even at those low, hiking speeds, the NAVIGATION mode is very useful and announces (voice) INSTRUCTIONS correctly and as expected, especially if I tweak a little bit "navigation_announcements_times=15|35|300" parameter down to lower numbers.
Excellent, you have solved the issue, and as far as I am concerned, you may close this topic.
Thank you for your support.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
Hi Menion, Willy,
I have been using/testing the GUIDANCE VOICE on Locus 3.19. on a two hiking routes during the weekend.
I confirm that now the VOICE is "back to normal", no more random/incorrect numbers/meters.
If, for example, "Set next trackpoint" parameter is 100 m, the VOICE always activates 90 m before a turn and says "After 90 meters turn (or bear or whatever needed) left (or right)."
If "Set next trackpoint" parameter is 50 m, the VOICE always activates 40 m before a turn and says "After 40 meters turn ..."
(The VOICE always activates 10 m after the "parameter value", I suppose, for making the allowance for time lag/movement. That is fine, I can easily adjust how many meters before a turn I wish the voice instruction.)
During hiking along the same routes, I have also been using, part of the time, NAVIGATION MODE. Comparing the two modes, GUIDANCE and NAVIGATION, and considering their similarities and differences, it is hard to say which mode is more appropriate for hiking/low speed biking. Both of them are brilliant. I can say that even at those low, hiking speeds, the NAVIGATION mode is very useful and announces (voice) INSTRUCTIONS correctly and as expected, especially if I tweak a little bit "navigation_announcements_times=15|35|300" parameter down to lower numbers.
Excellent, you have solved the issue, and as far as I am concerned, you may close this topic.
Thank you for your support.
Best regards,
Svjetlana
Good evening Svjetlana,
thank you for a valuable feedback! I'm glad issue is solved and you found a method(s) that is useful for you, perfect!
Just for your information, 10 metres reduction in notification is because Locus trigger this "voice action", right after it switch to next point. So in case, you setup 100 m, then when value is less then 100, like 99.9 metres, announcement is spoken. But in this case, 99.9 is rounded down to 90 metres. I have to improve it a little bit, but for now, this is a simple explanation.
Have a nice evening.
Good evening Svjetlana,
thank you for a valuable feedback! I'm glad issue is solved and you found a method(s) that is useful for you, perfect!
Just for your information, 10 metres reduction in notification is because Locus trigger this "voice action", right after it switch to next point. So in case, you setup 100 m, then when value is less then 100, like 99.9 metres, announcement is spoken. But in this case, 99.9 is rounded down to 90 metres. I have to improve it a little bit, but for now, this is a simple explanation.
Have a nice evening.
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