Offline SEARCH (NOT routing) for cities, streets, POIs

FYI, you can already do offline search for city names and items on similar abstraction level, just not (yet) on detail level like addresses. Go to main menu (3 lines on top left) > more functions > search > GeoNames and GNS.

POI search works already great. Please add also offline search for cities and streets.

Why can Scout do offline navigation with OSM Maps and Locus not?

Well ... "why". Simple answer ...

I'm checking a Scout developers page - http://www.scrobbler.com . Team behind scout app has on this page ... "The European team consist of about 130 employees, working in two offices ...". Well in Locus case, we may write - "The European team consist of one Android developer, one server developer and two support/marketing/universal employees, all home-working". So maybe this is the reason why Locus isn't able to do some advanced tasks like full offline or full hardware supported 3D tasks.

And Michale ... Petr is working on offline address search already for more then month, so ... no worry it will come probably soon ;)

I love the message, Menion. Last time when I was in Praha some weeks back, I had no time to get in touch with you. Next time I'll try my best to meet you and Petr and invite you for dinner :-)

I'm sure it will work fine :). Btw. I missed first sentence on scrobbler page, where they wrote that they have more then 600 employees. Well ... really huge team behind it.

You won't have to wait too long ;)

great! I can not expect to use offline search

Offline addresses require special database/file ( same database that is used for offline "Points of interest" feature ) and this database is distributed in one pack with LoMaps.

Yes yes, this's clear but he (and me) means: can I use this db file (which is in that LoMaps zip) also with own vectormaps eg from andromaps?

I tried once LoMaps last year but first it is fast outdated (no update available anymore after purchase) and second it was not very good working (had some visible tags of streets which covered the whole map when low zoom).

Would much prefer to use often uptodate andromaps therefore with bought LoMaps POI db. Possible?

Sure it is possible. There is an only simple convention - database has to have same name and be in same directory as map. So if you map has name "my_map.osm.map", then database has to be in same directory with name "my_map.osm.db".

Some time ago, there were restriction to only LoMaps + DB. This is not anymore needed, so feel free to use this database with all possible vector maps. Ah only limitation is version of maps. It needs to be based on format of MapsForge V3.

Thank! I just downloaded the whole Germany map now and tried the offline search but even with the original LoMap, I see "No offline address data here yet!". But I have the both files: _germany.osm.map (md5=343B8061AD7DF2227D3BAE73D220487A) and _germany.osm.db (md5=0519CC55D999A4A1F98258293E7B32A0) in the vector map folder and the map is working.

What is wrong here and to do?

Do I have to switch something on?

Hi franc,

if you look at the version info it says that the map is created in june 2015.

But the offline address search works only with maps created in april 2016 or later.

I have downloaded the two germany maps north and south created in april 2016 yesterday and with these maps the offline search works as expected.

So you have to possibilities:

(1.) Wait for the new complete germany map until it is available.

(2.) Buy germany north and south maps.

By the way. Yesterday I thought the offline address search is not working. But you have bad luck if you search Hamburg in the germany south map ;-).

c.s.g.

Dear franc,

as c.s.g. already noticed the latest LoMaps are needed for offline addresses - the Germany complete map is about one year old and does not contain offline address DB. There are no plans for update Germany complete map. The only solution is to purchase Germany North or South map.

Thanks

Petr

Oh no, I didnt pay attention about that old map. Thought all maps are updated and didnt doublecheck that.

So thank I will donwlode then the south and north maps, even when it is a bit unconforteble as I am in the mitte of germany ;)

Wow!!! Now it works, I just downloaded the North and South and good heaven!!! This thing searches addresses offline!!!

WOW!!!

Great stuff, I thought it just did the POI which is nice but not soo important, But addresses, like a navi tool, great!

Thank!

Fine :) I'm glad that the mystery is solved. We had to split Germany map into two parts because maps and db files were quite big and it also caused some performance complications. Enjoy the new feature and please feel free to post some problems / mistakes.

Thanks

Petr

Just offline navigation is missing now. Shouldn't be a problem with nowadays powerful phones today?

Was it the same with the France LoMap?

But here it is slightly different, maybe an error somewhere, because this map is shown in Locus Store as Version 2016.04.01:

.

but after downloading it, it shows only 31.03.2016:

.

.

And indeed offline address search not works :(

What was wrong? Wrong date in Locus Store?

Hi Menion,

you wrote:

"Sure it is possible. There is an only simple convention - database has to have same name and be in same directory as map. So if you map has name "my_map.osm.map", then database has to be in same directory with name "my_map.osm.db"."

It is necesery to have in convencion ".osm" in name for link between map file and database file? Because I use map from freemap. This map have app for updating and name of file doesn't end ".osm.map" but only ".map".

And when I'll update the map I need rename the map and put into name ".osm".

Hi,

offline search should be available in the latest France complete map but there are probably some issues with France (complete) maps. We'll check it as soon as possible.

Thanks for understanding

Thanks for understanding

Will there be an update of the map (France compete) in Locus store? Will I be able to download it again, or need to bye again?

Dear Franc,

we had to split France complete maps into two separated maps - France north and France South. Maps are availlable in Locus Store. Moro about it in separated topic http://help.locusmap.eu/topic/offline-adresses-support-in-locus-pro-3-17

Thanks for understanding

Hi,

we use own (not public) utility for generation of offline addresses that is independent on Mapsforge generator. For this reason it isn't possible to generate own offline address DB at this moment. We've sometimes discussed the possibility to publish this tools for comunity but there isn't any final decision yet.

Thanks for understanding

Hello, only do so user review ... maybe it's good publishing tools / methods for generating database of POIs and addresses for searching offline.

I think it would be a good idea because it allows those who use custom maps (map range) to generate the database for the portion they use.

For example, in my case it has been very useful tool data generation routing GraphHopper, as it allowed me to generate data paths that include more than one country.

For those who want to use a "plug & play" system, then there are the LoMaps, which you have just downloaded all in one.

Greetings.

At least the search for info present in a general vector map, like POIs and Categories/Names should be IMHO available. Even simple 900kB J2ME GPSMid application did have indexed and full text search of its vector map, generated from PBF by J2SE OSM2GPSMid.

A vector map application without native map search is in some sense like a document viewer without text search.

I agree that full address index is different topic, as not present in all maps. But what is present in the map should be searchable. At least chosen subset.

@Libor Poutnik Striz

I can only agree. I'd like to offer fulltext search over all objects in offline vector maps that user use. But we use technologies that do not allow such mechanism. To develop own solution? I'm not sure if we're to able do it, time consumption of such task...

Thank you for testing. Could I ask you for City, Street (letters) you tried to search? We'll check it

Any.

Examply:

1. Berlin

2. manteuff

After 70 Sekunden!!! it finds the Manteuffelstraße (there is only one in Berlin, I know).

I tap the 1A and after a short while it shows that house but same moment Locus crashes.

I repeat: with the Emulator Genymotion there is no problem, it is found nearly instantly.

Please test it also with a real SGS4, only then you can find that bugs.

I just did it again to test (above example) and sent a crash report, this you could check, it contains all information I guess.

Thanks

Hello franc, I probably see your error log. Request crashed on timeout after 10 seconds.

Quite interesting. I have just download map of north part of Germany. Start typing of "Be", Locus starts searching and I get results after 3 seconds! And now, important information - I'm testing it on two years older Samsung Galaxy S2 (my favorite). Are you sure that you do not have any ultra slow SD card? May you try to place your map + db into internal memory? At least to check a difference. Thanks

OK, will check, but not sure, if I will have that space, my internal sd is full full.

Not that I know that my external SD-Kard is slow, first thing I hear.

Maybe I have to much apps running in Background, can that be that reason?

I still have a S2 in petto, but this tool is really slow if I compare to S4, oh god, that was difference. And no space on the internal mem. Very fast full and nothing goes anymore.

I use my phone a bit heavy I admit, I have a lot running. Maybe really this is it?

Oh! With the update (I guess that the reason) 3.17.2, it us working!

Good!

One thing: I don't find the number of my street, the numbers stop at about 70 but the street has nearly 400 numbers.

The numbers are present in OSM though.

Is this cut due to performance?

Dear franc,

would you please post more information about issue into separated topic on Locus forum: http://forum.locusmap.eu/index.php?topic=5016.0

Please write how to reproduce the issue: Name of map. name of City, street name. You can post for example also the GPS coordinates or id of OSM elements. Thank you for help

Oh I just found my error: I had the German South map but the German North Address DB was set.

This contains only partly data it seems.

Weird that it contains data of Kassel at all.

The German South DB is complete and I guess there fore it takes much longer now but it shows up at the end and no crash like before :)

That is the inconveniant thing of a North and South map, if you live in the border of both :(

I can understand that it's quite inconvenience to have two maps / database for one country but we aren't able provide better solution right now.

Good day, it is correct observation. If exists offline addresses for certain are, they are always used for reverse geocoding without ability to choose default source.

Do you think that optional selection of source also for this kind of search is useful?

Quick map switch, generally loaded of LoMaps may be little bit slower after first use after app start. But it should really be only for the first time.

I use the show addresses with a long tap on the map is quite rare. So for me there is no urgent need for this function. Nevertheless, it may be useful in some cases.

Now, after several launches the application, the window "Quick map switch" opens in just over three seconds. If I remove from the directory new LoMap, window opens instantly

Yes, and when you open it, close it, open it? Then all other "open it" except first should be fast as before. Is it correct? I'll look at it later if there is possibility to improve it.

I opened and closed Locus during the day about five times. Also, now I'm opening and closing the panel several times. Despite this, every time I call the panel, it opens for three seconds. I use the map Kazakhstan.

Hello. You are correct. I found an reason why new maps are quite slower to load in side panel compare to older maps. This issue will be fixed in next 3.18.0 version. Thanks