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Locus is extremely sluggish during Navigation

Viajero Perdido shared this problem 7 years ago
Solved

Hi. In the current 3.16.1 version, and also the previous version, I've found navigation made Locus very sluggish to react, almost unusable.


  1. Tap a geocache, navigate to, fast, "let's go". (I've used MapQuest and BRouter, same result.)
  2. Route shows on map, and next-turn box appears in top-left corner of screen.
  3. Panning map, zooming, etc. is now extremely sluggish. It takes a second or more to react every time.
  4. Try to escape. Tap the next-turn box, then End Navigation. Both taps take a good 5 seconds to get a reaction.
  5. Once navigation is cancelled, Locus reacts smoothly again.

I don't (think I) have anything unusual in my navigation settings. Changing number of commands from high to medium didn't help, nor did turning off hill shading. Online- or vector maps, same result.


And predictably, battery charge went down fast while actually using the navigation. So something was keeping the CPU busy.

Replies (33)

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Hi,

let's check other facts - did you use any additional map layer? E.g. overlay, calibrated map or other large KMZ file over the background map? What kind of device do you use? Understand, we have to simulate your issue so that we can find out where the bug is. I tested the navigation on Mi3 and Nexus 7 and both work flawlessly.

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Hi.


I have nothing fancy: no overlay, no calibrated map, no tracks visible, only a few hundred data points visible, and at the moment I'm using an openandromaps vector map with a tweaked version of Voluntary UK theme, and BRouter. This is on a stock Nexus 5 with Android 6.0.1 and the latest monthly patch.


While testing it just now, I noticed that it seemed to require two attempts to stop navigating. (Not the first time this happened as I remember.) After tapping End Navigation and the usual delay, it returned to the navigation screen. So I repeated the two taps to stop navigation a second time, at which point I was left with an all-black screen, just the standard Android buttons at the bottom.


I managed to escape that and restart Locus, and now - guess what - it's working properly again.


This is all very strange. When it first happened a few weeks ago, restarting Locus would not fix the problem. I think I even tried rebooting the phone; that didn't help either.


Maybe this is related: sometimes in the File Manager app I'll tap a file (eg gpx), open with Locus, then later when I select File Manager in the recent apps list, Locus pops up! As if Locus was a child app of File Manager, perhaps a second instance.


If it's only happening to me, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'll keep trying to track down the cause. Now, it's working properly for me and I can't make it misbehave. Argh.


(I've been a software developer too, and it's frustrating when an app works perfectly when you're trying to track down a problem...)


Thanks,

VP

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It's exactly that... when we need to solve some issue, we have to simulate it. If it occurs again, make an error log and send it to us, perhaps we'll find something in it.

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Hi.


Back to the original issue (slow during navigation)... I just spent some time sofa-testing, and everything is working perfectly now. Tried all sorts of things, but couldn't duplicate the slowdown, odd. I'll keep watching for it, and will try to diagnose if it happens again. Thanks for your patience.


BTW, I've followed the steps in the make-an-error-log link, but I've never seen the "Take bug report" option actually enabled, even after a crash. (I can crash Camera any time I want, Locus much more difficult...)

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Hi,


the option of taking error log is enabled in various ways, each device, each manufacturer has its own solution and instructions. Try to look for it in documentation of your device.

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I had a version from December 2015. Now I made the mistake that I updated to 3.16.2. This version is for me extremely slow. POI loading at startup, moving maps, and the worst is the zoom. Everything now takes at least 4 times longer. When I press Zoom+ for example, then first reaction is after five seconds. Rendering the entire map on the screen takes next 5-10 seconds. When I zoom out a bit more, so the map does not render, and after about 20 seconds Locus crashes. And box for sending error message disappears itself immediately. Another features I not tested. It would be the number of POIs displayed points? Previous versions of it but managed to seamlessly...


Měl jsem verzi z prosince 2015. Nyní jsem udělal tu chybu, že jsem aktualizoval na 3.16.2. Tato verze je u mě extrémně pomalá. Načítání POI při startu, posun mapy, a nejhorší je zoom. Vše je nyní trvá minimálně 4x déle. Stisknu zoom+ a první reakce je až po pěti vteřinách. Vykreslení celé mapy na obrazovce dalších 5 až 10 vteřin. Když mapu oddálím trochu víc, tak se ta mapa ani nevykreslí a po asi 20 vteřinách Locus havaruje. A i to okno pro odeslání hlášení zmizí hned samo. Další funkce jsem raději ani netestoval. Že by to bylo počtem zobrazených POI bodů? Předchozí verze to ale zvládala bez problémů...

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Hi Pavel,


understood, however, the part "box for sending error message disappears itself immediately" means what? Please try to follow instructions in this article and send the error log to us. We'll try to help but first thing is - we have to simulate your problem.

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The box for sending error messages was showed only for one second and then is gone (with Locus).

When it crashes and I can use this box, I can not send anything, because there is no button or other item for sending. Enter button makes only spaces.


I have Locus Map Free too. And this works correctly and fast. Zoom is there without any delay. On any touching react immediately.

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Hi Pavel,


Locus doesn't contain any "box for sending error messages". If you want us to try to solve your issue, please make an error log with your device system as is described here and send it to us.

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I have there a dialog box for sending messages.

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This is not Locus dialog box but Google's (your system's). We can't do anything with its (dis)functionality. Please send us the error report as I've written before. Otherwise we are not able to help.

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Hi Pavel,

Thank you for the log but it brought no news - Catlog app needs root for correct log recording and your phone apparently isn't rooted, therefore it sent no information about Locus. Please try some other method of acquiring the error log.

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I try root this phone, but without succes. :-(


But I found out why my Locus is so slow - it's the number of POIs on the map. I got there 12500 POIs. When I hid, so that Locus Pro without them was a fast as the previous version or as Locus Free (v. 2.19.0) with this amount of points.

But now I can not show them again - it takes a long time (and consumes the battery) and every time the Locus crashes.


Is there any way to revert to that version 3.14.0? Although sometimes too crashed, but was much faster and worked.

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There are ways how to get error log without rooting - http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:faq:how_to_create_debug_log#devices_with_android_42_and_higher. If you are not able to get it this way, you may try another option: http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:faq:how_to_create_debug_log#general_solution_for_all_android_versions.


Reversion to 3.14 is not possible, apps are downloaded from Google Play store where the newest version is always stored.

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Why does this only happen while I'm out driving?!?!? (Original issue: sluggish during navigation.) I'm not supposed to be fiddling with a phone while driving, or yelling at it, or throwing it out the window. (That last part almost happened.) Do you know how many times I had to stop on a recent country drive to swear at my phone?

If you received an error report on Apr 29 with a curt description of "nav hung" or words to that effect, that was me. "Locus is not responding" or similar words, tapped Report. Maybe those disappear inside Google, I don't know. Like always, it's not a crash, it's just so... darned... slow... Since it's not a crash, the crash log option isn't enabled, and anyway, I'm driving and supposed to be watching the road. Of course it works fine on the sofa.

I may have figured it out. A memory leak. I have a 16GB Nexus 5, and I normally run Locus as a service. (I think I'll stop that right away.) When I have these problems, it may have been running for several days. When I exit Locus and start it up again, surprise - it works smoothly and quickly.

When it's in "sluggish mode", all of Locus is sluggish. EG, scrolling through the itinerary list is jerky and takes a moment to draw the curvy "bang" thing at the end of the list. Selecting Locus from the App List (square box) takes a moment for it to react. And so on.


(I used the Locus-as-service option to keep navigation from suddenly stopping due to other app activity. Can it really do that? But I realized, if I'm navigating I'm probably also driving, and shouldn't be doing anything else anyway.)

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Hi, the memory leak is quite probable if the app runs continuously for several days.

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Biking for two hours is sufficient for me to bring it into 'sluggish state"

But it is only happening when navigation is running. Just running locus without navigation does not trigger the problem

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Hi,


Another test to do. Try to set up a Navigation from online service 'Ride with gps'. Make a design there and download your design as tcx ! Important download as course tcx with integrated Navigation instructions ! Import into Locus and Start Navigation from this fileimport. If all went well you should also see some street (text) info at top of Locus map screen. Slow ?

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Hello guys,


issue confirmed on older device with Android 4.x and low RAM. Thanks for a report. I wasn't able to find out any leak after first test, so I'll have to look at it more carefully. When there will be something new, I'll let you know here.

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Hello Menion,


i can confirm i have the same "sluggish" issue. In my case this problem appears after couple hours of navigation mode. Then i have to reset my phone and start LocusPro with navigation mode once again. And so on. It is really unusable. Last year versions of LocusPro did not have such issue. Ad yes, i am running Locus on phone with Android 4.2 wih 1GB RAM.

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Menion, I use Xcover 3, Android 4.4.4, free approx. 750 Mb RAM in usage 750 Mb.

Never or very rare sluggish in road navigation. In forest and mountains always huge problems. And only when in navigation mode.

Is my phone in the group old and low RAM?

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Good day Aleksander,

no matter which device you have - when app start some task and it works correctly, there should be no reason to slow down over time if doing still same task.


Unfortunately I tried to leave a single device ( very oldXperia X8! ) whole day, do:

- simple moving a map along previously recorded track - same after a day as at start

- basic navigation with voice announcements along previously recorded track, no recalculation - same as before


I have to do some more tests, to find what cause this. Without exact knowledge, how to simulate it, I cannot fix it.

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Just a question that came to my mind: Could it be related to which routing engine is used?


I Own a Moto G3 (2G RAM) and when on tour Biking the problem always occurs after 1-2 hours of navitagion. (navigating along a pre-recorded track or simply towards a destination.) For offline-Navigation i use the BRouter Engine. Usually there are some recalculations during navigation, because sometimes the route deviates from what Locus/Brouter thinks were it should be. Maybe it is somewhere within that area.


It surprises me, that it is hard for you to reproduce, because for me it happens reliably on longer trips (1h+).


lG ulrich.

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Hmm, so you are sure, that this problem happen to you even if there is absolutely no re-calculcation? (as you wrote in case of navigation along pre-recorded track)


Depend on routing engine ... if there is some memory leak, it should be everywhere, so even here. But should not. All routings are done as a separate classes that do not depend on rest of Locus.


Hmm did you tried to reduce usage of RAM of Locus. Like by using any SQLite map (now sure which you use), by disabling overlays or WMS maps or shading etc? All these stuff takes a lot of memory.


Anyway on Moto G3 this really should not happen ... I'll keep testing. Soon or later, I'll find it :)

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I use a vector map with hill shading but nothing else. Since I did not see the problem during guidance along a predefined route, I don't think it is a problem of the memory footprint of the maps or something alike.


But if there is anything I can test or capture, just let me know.

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Hm, both vector map and hillshading takes really a lot of memory. If you may, please try firstly just a vector map without hillshading, if this will make any difference. If no, and you have some sqlite base (downloaded online) map for your area, test of this sqlite map only (so no vector, no hillshading), may helps.


Vector maps keeps in memory a lot of objects (images, parameters) used for rendering. So few MB here, few MB there and memory should be close to "full". So if you don't mind, try it. Thank you!

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Last period I'm sending crash reports to Google. Menion, do you receive them?


Problem is so huge, that off road navigation is useless for me. The only solution is path calculation and saving and checking am I on the right track.

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Hello, crash report? We talked here about fact, that Locus is "sluggish" ... slow and unresponsive. It crash to you? Then it may be completely different problem.


And yes, I receive some reports, but they are usually not so useful without some comments from user who send them. I usually needs to know "how it happen" and "what comment he wrote to crash report" so I may identify it.

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What I see, is that locus becomes more and more unresponsive. Eventually even Android realized that and suggests to kill locus, because it is unresponsive (standard Android dialogue window)

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Very often "sluggish" behavior ends with crash. I had to manually close program from settings/app manager.


I will send you all reports. Check reports from lsksld1@ gmail.com, please.

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Hmm interesting (that it ends with crash), it really should be some serious problem with memory.


Email is not useful as I do not see it. Please next time it happen, write me something into comment of crash report (like "crash report from Aleksander") and write me here time when you send it. Only then I'm able to find it. Thank you very much and sorry for a complications!

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Ok, I'll add word "sluggish". I really hope you will find problem, because app is really better than any other.

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Few minutes ago again happened in the woods, on the road it has been operating normally.

I sent report. In my previous reports you can find personal detail, which I can describe, if I can somehow send you private message or email. Do you read locus.map@asamm.com?

Before last report: removed avirus, disabled overlays an disabled shading

During running Locus Pro more than 500 Mb free memory.

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Hello guys,

last week I was three days on a small vacation. Two days I made almost 500 km on moto with permanently enabled navigation on Huawei G700 and unfortunately for a whole time, absolutely no problem. Locus was slow at start, but also equally slow after full day of navigation.


I think there have to be some special settings, or something I do not usually use.


Is anyone of you willing to provide me a full backup of Locus over "menu > backup manager"? This backup contains all points/tracks, but also a settings and all possible configuration. So I may try it with almost identical configuration.


@Aleksander: thanks for a logs. I see them, but unfortunately this won't help. Only solution I see, is to be able to simulate same problem on own device and then connect it to PC and do some measurements. Thanks anyway.

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Sure. Where should i send it?

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On jiri.mlavec@asamm.com , thank you!

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Ulrich and also Viajero, thank you, I think I've got it.


I did some deeper tests with your backup and in the end, I've discovered that issue was most probably in big top left symbol of next cross. As it change during ride, all icons remained in memory (still for unknown reason) and mainly Locus recreated this big icon every second (they are in SVG format), so it consumed extra memory and mainly CPU (battery).


So even that on most of devices this issue was not visible, battery consumption was a little bit higher everywhere.


Is anyone from you using Beta versions? If so, I'll publish in the middle of next week new Beta version. When you do few more tests (simply use it few times instead of latest public version), let me then know if it works.


Thank you for a patience and help with solving of this mystery. I really hope it will help (well, I'm almost sure) :).

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Hi,


Thanks for the update. I'll , test the beta when it is out.

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offtopic @Menion

Menion wrote I'll publish in the middle of next week new Beta version.

Please dont' forget to update new words on crowdin sooner ;)

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Well I'll try, but cannot promise for now. There is quite a huge number of new texts for a completely new structure of settings for maps, so I would rather publish it without translation, because there is a huge chance that these text (or even a structure) change after some discussions and I really do not want to waste a time of all guys who help with translation.

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Thanks for taking this seriously. Though it hasn't been a problem for me lately (sofa testing: works fine, not-as-a-service: works fine), I hope to be taking a road trip soon, and will try to recreate the issue with the beta version, in as-a-service mode. If all goes well, I can report back within a week.

EDIT: Whoops, didn't read your note carefully. I'll wait for the next beta version and reinstall it then for testing.

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Tried a couple of navigations with the new beta, including a longer one of about two hours. Everything seems to be working well!


I'll continue to keep an eye on it, but it looks like you may have indeed squashed the bug. Well done, thanks.

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Perfect, thanks for confirmation, glad to hear it!

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As well, battery usage has gone down to almost nothing; just barely above baseline. :)

Did another test, same (good) result. Then did a navigation with the regular non-beta app, oh yeah, there's a difference all right, it's sluggish.

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I also noticed the improvement in battery usage. I have a longer bike tour coming on Thursday. There I can check the navigation itself.

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Interesting, how such a small change has an effect. Thanks Viajero and Ulrich, appreciate your test and help with solving of this "mystery".

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So, i did some tests yesterday: No more Problems with sluggish lagging Locus. And the Battery usage has also noticably improved.

Menion, thanks for the great work

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These are really good news. Mainly because it will affect all devices ( battery ), not just some of them that noticed this problem. Thank You all here too!

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Thanks for your hard word Menion; I came here looking for an answer as to why Locus had been so sluggish when navigating on long bike rides but it looks like you're a few steps ahead of me. Any word when this will be implemented into the core (pro) version?

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You are welcome :).


Unfortunately I need some more time to test few interesting features I did, so I'm unable to publish new version during this week. I really hope that next Thursday will be THE DAY (on 90% if there won't be any complication). Thanks for understanding.

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Awesome, thanks for getting back to me.

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I did a 3.5-hour car navigation with the beta today, and it was just as snappy at the end as at the beginning. I definitely consider this fixed.


(My other tests were shorter bike-navigations, and today's car-navigation was closer to the original situation where I originally noticed the problem, hence I thought I'd mention it.)

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Hi! I have sluggish problem too. My Locus Pro version is the newest form Google Play. What can I do to download beta version? Sluggish during navigation is a big problem on my device.

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Hello Jakub, how to download Beta version is wrote here: http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:about:free_beta_testing , anyway if you don't mind, wait a few more days, we really wants to publish new official version 3.18.0 during end of next week. Thanks for understanding and sorry for a complications.

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OK, I'll be waiting for an update.

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Hi! Have you got any information about new official version?

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Small delay, but Monday is THE day (on 99%), sorry.

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Great, I'm waiting for it! :) I'm sure, that not only me. :)

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Hi everyone! Did you notice any improvement/smoothness during map viewing and navigation mode after update?

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After short testing I haven't crashes, what is very promising. In navigation mode, when I'm not in the path and there is a question mark on the left upper corner map sometimes does not rotate.

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Unfortunately, latest updates didn't resolve my problem with sluggish/smoothess while working with Locus application.

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Good day Jakub, sorry for a very late response (vacation + preparation of next Locus Map version on this week). I also hoped that more people write me about slow and unresponsive Locus Map during navigation, but seems you are only one who reported this. In such case, it looks like there should be different problem.

What comes as first on my mind, is a map full of items (points, tracks). Is you map clear (only navigation line) or full of other loaded points (mainly geocaches), tracks? Maybe you are also using map shading, some overlays, WMS maps? All these stuff may slow down navigation, mainly in case you have enabled rotation of a map. May you check it and try to temporary disable some of mentioned features, if it helps? Thank you and sorry for a complications.

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Hi,


although this is marked as solved I have the same issue.


Locus map freezes frequently for about 200m and then jumps to the current GPS position.


I disabled map rotation and even compass view, and my map is clean.


I'm not absolutely sure but I think this happens first with release 3.38.


Any ideas how to overcome this?


Regards,

Rudi

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I did some testing and it seems I found the "issue": in Settings - Maps - Advanced features there is an option "optimize raster map resolution". If I switch this off, the navigation is working fine, no more freeze.


Maybe helpful for others.

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Good day Rudolf,

interesting and unexpected behavior. There may be from my point of view only performance problem in the app. I made many smaller improvements during last days so in the next version, the situation should be a lot better. So give a try next version (within next 14 days). Thanks.

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I did some testing while hiking and cycling, and it seems that the issue is solved, no more freezes, with option "optimize raster map resolution" switched on or off.

Great work, thanks...

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Uff perfect. I'm always glad to read such posts :). Thanks too.

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