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What are obstacles for general offline POI search?

Libor Poutnik Striz shared this question 8 years ago
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I still wonder, what are major obstacles for general offline search of Locus compatible vector maps, at least for POI s ? Like pubs/restaurant/accomodation/ATM...


Do the maps come as a closed format with bunch of closed libraries, that allow map generation and rendering, but not search ?

Do licence conditions not allow to create own routines ?

Is format of map files too complicated to be POI indexed or to be searched directly?

Is it matter of amount of work, that was not decided to be worthy ?

Is it a business decision to promote LoMaps ?


OSM contributors often prefer alternative map sources with shorter update cycles than LoMaps, and absence of at least POI offline search is indirectly punishing them for their contributions. :-)

Best Answer
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Great I'm glad that you were able to try it. Honestly the offline POI feature is still in "beta" state because we're looking for final solution how to implement it. Offline POIs are separated from "Search" and from the personal points. We need to improve it - this is probably the main reason of your complications. However to your questions:

LoMap map is consist from two main parts: map file and database with POIs and addresses. Map file is created based on Mapsforge libraries. POIs and Address DB is Locus internal solution how to provide offline POIs. Mapsforge format does not provide any offline search mechanism or better didn't provide search mechanism. As I know that Mapsforge development team works on offline POIs solution but I guess that the search is not still released.

Current version of mapsforge map format does not provide any indexing of elements and for this reason is mentioned LoMaps database part created as standalone sqlitedb database that is independent on map file.

The impact of whole solution is that only LoMaps from Locus store provide offline POI search. So it isn't any business decision but only the technical limitation of used format.

Replies (6)

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1

Hm, I may be blind in looking for, but even fresh downloaded LoMaps with offlineDB for Spain ( where I leave for vacation in a week), is oriented to addresses by city/street/ hierarchy, but not on POIs by POI group and type.

I hope I am wrong at something......

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Hi,

well LoMaps support offline search for POI. Please download any LoMap from store and try search from Menu - More - POI

However I guess that you know this feature. So would you please mention the main problems with mentioned feature?

Thanks

Petr

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Well, I was a long term OSMAnd user and still discovering new Locus features and their placement.

Feature works well as I have tried it. As I am owner my first LoMap for about 30 minutes ( using OAM or PAWS), I was not fast enough to locate the feature and use it.. :-)

Thanks for the help.

But the topic is rather a question than a problem ticket.

It is a unused potential of external vector maps not being able to search for at least POIs, as addresses are more complex topic.

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Great I'm glad that you were able to try it. Honestly the offline POI feature is still in "beta" state because we're looking for final solution how to implement it. Offline POIs are separated from "Search" and from the personal points. We need to improve it - this is probably the main reason of your complications. However to your questions:

LoMap map is consist from two main parts: map file and database with POIs and addresses. Map file is created based on Mapsforge libraries. POIs and Address DB is Locus internal solution how to provide offline POIs. Mapsforge format does not provide any offline search mechanism or better didn't provide search mechanism. As I know that Mapsforge development team works on offline POIs solution but I guess that the search is not still released.

Current version of mapsforge map format does not provide any indexing of elements and for this reason is mentioned LoMaps database part created as standalone sqlitedb database that is independent on map file.

The impact of whole solution is that only LoMaps from Locus store provide offline POI search. So it isn't any business decision but only the technical limitation of used format.

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Thanks for the comprehensive answer. I quite had a picture behind Locus DB solution, but I was not sure what is or is not possible to do with map format on Locus side.

So in some way, Mapsforge format seems to be a kind of "black box".

Take the question as answered.

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Fine. And only additional info that the map format itself is well defined at https://github.com/mapsforge/mapsforge/blob/master/docs/Specification-Binary-Map-File.md

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I see. I guess theoretically would be then possible to write own indexing/searching, but it would be too much work and better is eventually wait for results of MF team.


But what I do not get is why did not they develop and provide the searching since beginning,

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