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Locus Map - help desk Topic Idea Locus Map (Android)

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Category Locus Map (Android)

Comments 32

Subscribers 6

Votes 6

Add option to disable load map tiles animation

Krzysztof Młynarski shared this idea ago

Completed

Please add option (or remove that "feature") to disable load map tiles animation.

That new "small loading effect" SUX!

Best regards, Krzysztof

Loading animation for map tiles - like it?

Yes, keep it as is
5

36%
Yes, keep it, +add settings to disable it
3

21%
No, remove it completely
4

29%
Something other, below (improve, change, ...)
2

14%

Total: 14 votes

I like this idea 4

Replies (16)

Menion ●

Good day Krzysztof,

because we received mostly possitive response on new style of loading map tiles, I have to ask for better description of your "SUX". So why should we remove this effect?

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Krzysztof Młynarski ●

Hi!

This new effect is annoying.

Distracts my attention when I look at the surrounding tiles and new ones appear (load).

Is it possible to simply add the option to disable this effect in "Settings"?

A similar situation, only on the menu is a well-known Polish program "Automapa" - there is a menu option to disable the animation.

Best regards.

Happy (until now) proud Locus Map Pro user.

Krzysztof.

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Glaeken ●

It slows down map scrolling!

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Menion ●

Hi guys, seems that after three day when Locus 3.5.x is out, I received only your two negative response on this new feature and also this topic has still just one vote!!

What devices are you using? Maybe lack of CPU power may slow down your map? Also, do you have a map full of points or tracks or do you use any overlays or WMS maps? Because all these features may slow down a map.

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Krzysztof Młynarski ●

Hi!

It is so hard to add option to disable that feature on future versions?

Especially I pay for the app! I am legal user and just asking for that one small thing.

I love Locus, use it all time when I geocaching etc... I think Locus is the best app for that king of activities, just that

"feature" is really annoying to me.

I have many devices, it's not a hardware problem.

I have Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 2, Samsung Galaxy S3.

Everything else is superb, just that loading animation effect...

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Menion ●

Good day Krzysztof,

no it isn't hard, but this is not the way, how developing of Locus works.

If everyone wrote some settings he thinks that is important, then Locus will be full of settings that needs .01% of users. And if you are paid user or not, has no extra effect. I do not do any differences between users with Locus Pro or Locus Free.

In this case, I still do not see a lot of positive votes (which should mean that a lot of users is interested in this "disable loading effect").

Are you able to record a short video for me? I needs to see if effect on your devices is different to effect on my device, thanks.

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Krzysztof Młynarski ●

Ok, but it was good and now in my opinion it is worse.

I try to upload short movies of working old and new Locus on the same device.

If you can't add option to disable that effect it's ok, i will use old version.

Thanks anyway, Krzysztof.

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Zoppo ●

Hello Menion,

I agree with Krzysztof.

For me the incomplete tiles are so annoying / irritating that I went back to last version of Locus without map loading effect (this is sad because I will no longer get the enhancements of new versions). In my opinion this new effect makes Locus worse . For what should it good for to delay tile rendering with a (perhaps CPU and battery consuming) blending effect / gimmick? This doesn't increase the productivity nor does it look better than before.

Regards,

Zoppo

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Ingo Rau ●

I may be blind, but what is this all about? I read "loading effect" in the release notes, but the only thing I noticed was a slight fading in of new tiles sometimes. Hardly noticable, so I assume there's something else that gets people annoyed? Perhaps not on all devices?

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Menion ●

No, that's all :)

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Zoppo ●

Hello Ingo,

you hardly notice the new effect, that's probably the reason why you don't care. But I can see this effect very well and especially in areas that I'm interested in after moving, zooming and loading maps. New tiles are first displayed too bright / with low contrast and then it takes a short time until they're displayed the way it should be. Maybe it depends on the used raster maps.

Regards,

Zoppo

p.s. I'm just wondering which impact this new effect would have on fast moving maps

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Menion ●

As I wrote before to Kryzstof, create for me please a short video. It's of course possible, that such feature looks different on your side then on mine and that you opinion has even bigger sense. Thanks

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Zoppo ●

Hello Menion,

it wasn't easy to create a video because I don't have a camcorder or camera and as I wrote above I restored an older version of Locus that doesn't have this effect. I used now an old device of a friend and the shell utility screenrecord of Android 4.4.4 to make a video. In the video the effect is clearly visible but on the display of the Nexus 7 device it looks worse in my opinion. During playing with this effect it became obvious how much it slows down the processing of new tiles. Every time I see this effect I get the feeling that I have to wait for something that could already there. Sorry for this criticism, I'm sure you like the effect because otherwise you would have not implemented it.

Regards,

Zoppo

Files:

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Menion ●

Thank you for the video, quite a difference.

Please check on video from my device, how this "feature" should look like. During zoom in, there is no effect. During zoom out, this effect apply on not-yet-loaded tiles, nothing more.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vqsvqxa8k3c48fu/device-2014-12-20-153559.mp4?dl=0

May you please write me, what device you use, what ROM, what map and also if you have enabled/disabled shading for this map. I need to simulate same issue, that's why I ask. Thank you.

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Georg D ●

From your video, I've the impression the tile gradually fades in, like from fully transparent over many intermediate steps to fully visible. That looks nice. On my device, it appears more like quickly switching between the pictures "lines on medium grey", "plain bright grey", "tile hardly visible" then "tile full visibility". It's neither nice nor functional, so I'd prefer to directly see the tile.

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Georg D ●

You mean that "short blinking" is not a technical necessity of displaying online tiles, but it's a purposefully introduced Locus feature? The way it looks on my device (Xperia Pro, Andrioid 4.0, an older phone with limited CPU power) is neither beautiful not functional, but just a short blinking/flickering that makes the impression to be a drawing bug. Why it was introduced / what's the benefit on other devices?

I would fully understand the benefit of an animation e.g. if Locus first loaded lower zoom level tiles (e.g. 12) to quickly display a screen filling rough map and then gently animated the appearing of single detailed tiles (e.g. zoom 15). But that "animation" is just useless for me, you could delete that code and I would not miss it.

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gynta ●

see also attached clip with "whiteout" fade in/out...

Files:

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Menion ●

thanks gynta, it looks exactly same as on video from Zoppo.

Do you have any idea why this happen? Better - on which devices this happen? You use Locus on more then single device, so on all it looks same? Thanks!

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gynta ●

map is a personal *.sqlitedb

same effect on SGS2 (4.1.2), SGS2 (4.0.4 root) and SGTab10.1 (4.0.4)

and also on VM

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Menion ●

I'm testing it on five devices and two virtual and on all, it works correctly.

I wants to have a perfectly working version of Locus till end of year. And this feature, where major advantage should be nice-looking effect, seems not to work as expected. Oki guys, you have won for now :).

In next version will be this animation disabled by default. In configuration file config.cfg will be a new parameter dev_enable_tile_loading_animation , which allows to enable it.

But expect, that I plan to enable this feature by default, once I found out why it do not work as expected and once I optimize it a little bit :).

Enjoy coming Christmas and thanks for patience feedback!

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Krzysztof Młynarski ●

Thanks!

It works super now!

But please, leave people choice - add option to disable that feature i future versions.

Thanks a lot!

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Zoppo ●

Hello Menion,

in your video the effect is much more unobtrusive. Still, if I had the choice I would prefer maximum tile rendering speed and this would be probably without any effects. So, I would appreciate if this new configuration option isn't only a temporary workaround.

I tested the effect on my Nexus 7 2013 tablet on stock 4.3 with Locus Pro and a friend's Nexus 7 (old 2012 version) on stock 4.4.4 with a fresh installation of Locus Free. I personally use home made maps in CompeGPS rmap format. I know this format isn't fully suported by Locus (distortions in low zoom levels, hill shading doesn't work at all) but the advantages of this format (easy to create, can be used both on PC in CompeGPS Land and on Android in Locus, fast, small) outweigh the disadvantages in my opinion. If gynta didn't already wrote that he uses sqlitedb maps I would have thought the problem must be related to the rmap format.

I don't think the devices make the difference. In my opinion it depends more likely on how the maps were created (e.g. tile size). Maybe a good test would be to use a (small) map that is working on your device like expected on a devices that so far had problems with the new effect.

Regards,

Zoppo

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Menion ●

I'll keep it in my mind during next work, thanks.

Btw. you surprised me, that shading do not work on RMap format .. you were correct. Improved, now it works :).

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Georg D ●

@Zoppo: You can use mapsforge Vector Maps and Themes on a PC as well, using the offline version from http://www.routeconverter.de/prereleases/de (it downloads a list of OpenAndroMaps map files, then you can choose a map and it downloads the file)

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gynta ●

[also offtopic]

hello Georg

I can't found a "how to" or any hints about vector maps in the featue list

http://www.routeconverter.de/features

Can you explain in little bit more details please?

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Georg D ●

Off Topic / only loosly related to Locus

Yes, I can explain a little more in detail. It's not yet a feature of a stable release; you've to choose offline version from prerelease list (e.g. RouteConverterPrereleaseWindowsOffline.exe) and after first start and download of the map provider lists, you can go to menu > view > map and themes. There you can download the maps (e.g. the 4MB small OpenAndroMaps Malta.map) and the Elevate Theme, then apply the Elegant_City theme and display Malta.map.

You don't have to download maps twice from the Internet but can simply copy .map files to C:\Users\<username>\.routeconverter\maps and afterwards, after starting RouteConverter while being offline (when online it was a little buggy here), you can switch between the maps from a drop down (the map is centered automatically). In my short test, all maps worked, and display is quite similar to Locus.

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gynta ●

thx - it works as described by you.

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gynta ●

btw. about "And this feature, where major advantage should be nice-looking effect..."

Have a look at an other way to zoom in/out effect

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0j2onr8g5eqczbf/zoom.avi?dl=0

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Menion ●

thanks for a tip. I'll consider this :)

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gynta ●

> "Loading animation for map tiles - like it?"

At the moment only 36% like this feature as it is.

I know, i know - it's a bad view...

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Menion ●

yes, depend on point of view ;). Anyway now I'm not surprised when I see that there are some, for me unknown, problems ...

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Glaeken ●

THANK YOU!

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