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Auto loading of offline maps broken

Georg D shared this problem 2 years ago
Solved

When zooming out to move to a certain region, I often get mostly white map displayed. Manual switching maps works, but is cumbersome - a reliably working auto-load maps would be nicer. It works in general, e.g. when not zooming out much but only panning from Germany to France or Switzerland.


I am aware that automatic change between vector maps v3 and v4 does not work (https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/never-had-such-a-problem-locus-as-v-3-38) but I have no idea how I can determine which map has which version (see https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/24653-how-to-determine-vector-maps-version). Hence, I assume that maps having the same icon (LoMap) and being of little age difference (e.g. 4 months) and coming from same provider (e.g. Locus store) will use the same version.

As I've I've configured "Automatic map loading"="Auto-load maps of any type" and documentation says it "swiches on map of any tiype covering the desired area", I do expect that one of my raster maps is loaded that does cover the area instead of showing void.


As I've I've configured "Automatic map loading"="true" and my first/manually selected map and world map can be assumed (see 2nd paragraph) to be of same type/version and both are stored in the very same directory, I do expect auto-loading of the world vector map works.

Replies (6)

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Hi,

map auto-loading can't switch vector to raster and vice versa. So automatic loading can:

  • load only V3 vector maps if any V3 map is selected,
  • only V4 maps are loaded if any V4 vector is selected
  • and raster maps are automatically loaded only when any raster map is selected. The description "Auto-load maps of any type" means that app loads different type of map format but has to be a raster-based map.

It's not possible to combine vector and raster-based maps for autoloading.

Would you please check that any map of the same type covers the area where you get the white screen?

Thanks, Petr

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Hi Petr, thank you for clarification :-) Your post's content makes me a little sad in context of world map - there is no OpenAndroMaps vector world map (only raster) but most of my maps are OAM vector because they show much more details than LoMaps for my preffered activities hiking, climbing, via ferrata and cross country skiing. Hence, I have to live with "white areas" between countries or maual map switching :-(


@your whole post: As auto-loading is not intended to switch between vector and raster maps, IMHO the option name "Auto-load maps of any type" shall be refined to "Auto-load maps of any raster map type" and/or documentation https://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:maps_settings from


auto-load maps of any type - at first Locus Map checks availability of  identical map type and then switches on map of any type covering the  desired area
to

auto-load maps of any raster map type - at first Locus Map checks availability of identical map type and then switches to map of any other raster map type covering the desired area. Please note that automatic switching between raster and vector maps is not possible.

so users' expectation is matching actual software capabilities instead they assume it's one still unresolved issue of the auto-loading bug series that came up IIRC 4-8 years ago.


@"Would you please check...": As you wrote in https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/24653-how-to-determine-vector-maps-version#comment-97912 that all maps with LoMaps-icon are of same vector map type, the currently selected map (Switzerland) is the same as the world map which I do expect to auto load. But it does not, also not after several minutes (manual switch to world map renders within 2-5 seconds depending on zoom level). I also did check again, directory mapsVector on interal storage is empty, directory mapsVector on SD card contains both switzerland<timestamp>.osm.map and world.osm.map -- and I assume these two are the files reflecting as "Switzerland<timestamp>" and "World" in Maps manager (the map details window doesn't show the file path).

IMHO it's surprising Locus only fails with it's own LoMaps - auto-loading of OpenAndroMaps v4 XOR v3 works fine. As written, I mostly use OAM. Thus, for me, this topic can be closed but if you have an vote collecting topic asking for auto-switching between different vector map types (mixing not required for my purpose of world map), I'm happy about a link so I can vote.

Cheers, Georg

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Hi,

I'll ask colleagues to consider a better description for auto-loading. But on the other side, these texts are in the Raster or Vector section that should define the "scope"


I'm sorry but I'm not sure if I can understand you. Did you set "World" map as Global Map? (Menu > Settings > Maps > Advanced features > Pre-load global map > select World (LoMap)

No matter if you use OAM map, raster map or LoMaps map. Locus automatically displays the global map if you zoom out to ZL <=10 (when LoMap World map is selected as Pre-load global map).


Do you use World map as Pre-load global map, please?

Thanks, Petr

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Hi Petr,

I understand your point of view; you have developer perspective, so you're much more involved with the app & know it much better than me as a user - thus, a wording maps of any type is clearly defined for you, but not for me. I do not know whether Locus uses the word type, format or category to distingush between file type *.sqlitedb and *.map


No, Pre-load global map is disabled. Done so because when enabled, I was unable to switch between different world maps, e.g. political and topology. IMHO disabling Pre-load global map shall not disable auto-loading thus showing only white.


Cheers, Georg

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Hi,

I apologize for this old and still unfinished topic. The texts for maps auto-loading should be improved in the next version.


Regarding the autoloading - is there still any problem we can help with?

Thank you

Petr

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Hi Petr, 2022-01-05 you wrote the text should be changed in next version. At time of your post, v3.56 was current, now v3.59.0 is public and the configuration looks the same:

ee18430f80c875b54bba9bba13f66cbc

Also, the according section in the manual https://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:maps_settings was not altered.

Was the change postponed or do we have a misunderstanding?


Best regards, Georg

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Ahh, I'm sorry I think we forgot on it. I asked my colleagues to improve this description.

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Texts improved in the latest 3.59.0 (LM Classic) or 4.9.0 LM4

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Hi Petr, "Auto-load maps of any|identical source" is IMHO more clear, thank you ๐Ÿ™‚ In the doc page https://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:maps_settings it's also reworded ๐Ÿ™‚ When reading the doc, I stumbled across

Automatic map loading

Loads available vector maps according to actual GPS position. There is no need to select maps when out of one, Locus Map switches it on automatically.

which you maybe want to change to


Automatic map loading


You manually select which map to display or you let Locus automatically load available vector maps for currently displayed position. This also ensures a seamless map display across the whole screen in areas where coverage of two maps blend into each other. It works only for maps of the same format, e.g. either mapsforge version 3 or 5.


in order to

  • correct the content: It's not about the point GPS position but about the whole bounding box of screen display
  • explain how to avoid that one part of the screen has perfectly nice maps, the other only few objects but mostly void (i.e. large objects that reach from the current map coverage area into the screen area that is out of coverage)
  • avoid confusion & questions why auto map loading sometimes works, sometimes does not work (not all vector maps do auto-load but only same mapsforge version)

Best regards, Georg

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Done.

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Looks good ๐Ÿ‘

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