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Auto load images / bad internet connection / crash of locus

Wolfgang shared this problem 5 years ago
Closed

Hi,

since years I often have the following situation: Locus hangs and asks me to wait, restart or give a feedback.

I always thought it's because of my big database. Yes this may be related too but now I'm sure to have a found an other reason. It seems often to happen when locus tries to load an image and the internet connection is bad.

We have a (big) forest around with a very bad coverage of internet. If you have internet there it's Edge with one dot and you're almost not able to get any bits through the connection. When now locus tries to download some images (auto image download enabled) it freezes. The last time I mentioned this I switched to airplane mode and immediately locus was performant again.

For testing purposes I kept auto load images off for a few weeks now. I never had this freezing situation again.

I would like that locus tries to get an image even on very bad internet connection. But it should not affect the application performance.

Thanks Wolfgang

Replies (3)

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Good day Wolfgang,

in geocaching settings > Auto-load images, are currently three options for downloading images. Which one causes you troubles? "Image caching" is basic system how images are downloaded and displayed and use standard Android methods. Should cause no troubles. Image downloading system on the second side is more complicated and here I can imagine that it may cause lags and slow down. May you try "Image caching" option?

Menion

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Hi Menion,

I did use "image downloading". I'll try now the caching function for some time. It would not be my preferred function. I'd like that such images are hold after a restart. But it would be better than an application hang.

Wolfgang

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Hi Menion,

in the past I now used the caching function. This helped me so that I did not have any big application hangs on bad internet connection. But I'm not sure if the images really have been cached. Sometimes I looked at the listing and I saw the image and later (without any restart) when I came back to the listing it was gone.

I just mentioned that the topic is "in progress" does it mean that you are still in code review/rewrite?


Thanks Wolfgang

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Hello Wolfgang,

thanks for reminding me of this problem. I've spend some time on it now and seems that one more improvement is possible. So implemented and in next Beta version will be possible to test it. Thanks.

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Hi Menion,

many thanks :D I'll wait for the next release and then do some testing.

Thanks Wolfgang

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I experience the same problem and I'm sure it is related to bad connectivity. I have the setting on "Image downloading". I'll try the "Image caching" option.

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Did anyone try latest 3.33.1 version? I made some changes here so the issue should be solved (I hope).

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Hi Menion, sorry for late replay. Sure I try it all the time. But in the last time I was in regions with good signal. When I know more I let you know, but this may take some time. Not always in regions of poor signal I need a spoiler picture ;)

Thanks Wolfgang

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So today I was on a tour with bad internet connection. I had some crashes but I don't think that they are internet connection related. So just let forget it, this may happen.

But what I mentioned is the following:

I have setup Auto Load images with the option Image Caching. I was happy as I got the spoiler pictures on my phone. Then I switched back to map view. When I now switch back to the cache listing, the images are gone and lost. Tested this later once again with same result.

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Hello,

in case of crashes (should not happen!) you may always create and send me a bug report with the small comment "what happens".

About the loading of images: method "image caching" is an old good method that uses internal caching system of Android that does not guarantee permanent caching as you may see. What we try to improve here, is method "Image downloading" that permanently download images into Locus/data/geocaching .

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Hi Menion,I always send bug reports, but without any comments ;) Often I don't know why or I don't have the time at the moment.

Regarding the "image caching" I set this up, because you asked me in the first answer here to test it. I'll now switch back to "image downloading" and will have a look how this will work.

Will probably take some weeks to get any feedback.

Thanks Wolfgang

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Ah sorry, it's been a few months already so I've forget.


Anyway image caching cause no serious lags or crashes except fact, that images are not always cached. It's ok .. you system just decided that images are too huge to keep them in the cache. So give a try to the improved version of "image download" which was introduced in the latest 3.33 version, thanks.

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So today I was the first time, since I started this thread, with "image downloading" on tour. I could almost cry. Locus stopped working, hang,... it did not make fun at all. The reason was bad internet coverage or very slow internet and locus tried to download one or more images. When I then switched to airplane mode locus was fine again!

I send you two crash reports, this time with a few words.

Here some screenshots, but I guess they will not help to identify the problem.

Thanks Wolfgang

(3.33.2)

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Good day Wolfgang,

thanks for the screenshots. I'm trying to find out more about this problem that happens to you. Only what I've found are some issues on 4.x Android device. I see I never asked you. What Android version is in your device?

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Hi Menion, my main device I use with locus has 7.0.

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Hello, I'm worried I'll have no simple solution for you.

Just made one smaller improvement that (hope) may help so give it a small try with next version, otherwise please do not use this last option and if you will want to have images available offline, use "GC Offlinizer" feature. Thanks.

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Hi Menion, thanks for the update. I'll let you know if it helps. GC Offlinizer is an absolut great tool but I only use it for holidays not at home. Because at home I usually don't know where I am really going and in most cases I don't need any pictures - but if there are pictures they are loaded (like it's setup and wished) but if I have a poor connection.... Maybe you're tuning helps :D Thanks!

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Hi Menion,

if your improvement does not help..is there any button to download pictures manually?

The problem that locus hangs is that when I open a listing with embedded pictures and I just want to read the text it tries to download pictures, because I activated this. But currently with poor internet connection locus freezes. Is there already a way to active download pictures? I do not mean the Offlinizer or is that the only manual way? The Offlinizer grabs all pictures maybe I only would like to have a special one. Maybe you make empty frames if there is a picture missing and with click on it, I can choose to download all pictures or only this single one. I think this would help much.

Just an idea....


Wolfgang

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Hello,

you may give a try to option "Auto-load images > Disabled". You will then see empty box instead of images and tap on this box will open web browser which should load required image.

Menion

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