Page 1 of 1

An idea for offline maps usage

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 2:32 pm
by alexlong
Hi and thanks for AQ.
Users from 4pda Russain forum offered an idea – to use downloaded cache as if it is an offline map. I will try to explain the idea below.

Now we can save (download) an area using Maps&Layers → Select and save an area → Select a map and zoom → Save
This area will be a part of the total cache saved by the application no matter where (either in the default workspace or in some other workspace). But I can't determine the borders of the map (saved area).
The idea is to make application create the same cached area and it should consider it an offline map.
Something very similar is in OruxMaps where I can download an square area, name it and save. Orux creates a folder named as a map and 3 files.
This is database for an offline map made by Orux from the online area

If it is possible to make something like this in the AlpineQuest it would be great. For this purpose in the Maps & Layers menu → Select and Save an Area it is necessary to make an additional item or a checkbox to make the application understand it should save cache into different place and name this area.

In this case the application will save the map cache not in the main directory, and not in workspaces, but in separate folders that will have their names, for example, I saved the desired area with the name Test, and the application creates a folder named Test, and it will keep cache of exactly the area that I downloaded.

It should be done so that this cache can be opened from AlpineQuest as an offline map, that is, the application perceives the downloaded area as a separate offline map. In this case, I can open any such loaded area in the application just as an offline map, I will see the map borders, I can bookmark it, etc. I can use these maps in my workspaces. If I need to remove it, it can be done from the application.

Can this be implemented in this application?

Re: An idea for offline maps usage

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 5:43 pm
by Psyberia-Support
Hi Alex and sorry for the delay.
I'll have a look at this feature.
Something like an option to save a downloaded area in a file instead of using the current datastore...

Re: An idea for offline maps usage

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:04 pm
by alexlong
Yes, right. In this case the application should consider this file (or a group of files) as a map just as some other file-based maps (considering here the downloaded cache as a map). So it is very good to use it as other file-based maps and there is no need to use MOBAC or SAS.Planet or Global Mapper to create files-based maps for AQ. Users can select an area on the screen (as they do it now while selecting and saving an area), select zooms and save all this to a so called "file-based" map made by AQ.
This "map" can be added as other maps or layes to favourite maps and sets and so on including editing colours, erasing colours, opacity....
This is just an idea.