Elevate - Openandromaps hiking, cycling, sightseeing themes

[eartrumpet]

http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/elevate.png">http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content ... levate.png">http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/elevate.png[/img]



The Elevate map themes

I developed Elevate for mountain hiking in the alps. At first it was based on the standard hike and cycle theme of Openandromaps, but has been completely revised since. I added additional variants by and by for other uses, by user requests.

It's been developed and tested with OruxMaps and Mapsforge 0.4.0. Locus uses its own mapsforge extension so complete functionality isn't always for sure.

Everything should be self-explanatory without a key, as far as it's possible with the possibilities of mapsforge. Therefore I based it on the presentation on paper maps and guideposts in German and Austrian areas.

Unified symbols are used which are the same as in Openstreetmap/Mapnik, as well as the colors of their captions. At higher zoom levels names of amenities and areas are shown. As many things which are relevant for hiking and travelling as possible are shown without coming too much to the front or eliminating one another - e.g. big symbols or captions.



Variations:



Elevate - Hiking

Key aspect is to have good overview for all features which are relevant for mountain hiking and perceptibility of paths and track, especially their difficulty and character (or if there isn't any information about that). As Elevate is the basis for the other variations characteristics like the display of landscape features are included in those.



Elevelo - Cycling

As this is a cycling version instead of hiking routes cycling routes are shown strongly. The highly emphasized footways and paths of Elevate are slimmer and difficulty and visibility isn't marked.

Also mountain bike levels of difficulty are marked.



Elements - Backcountry

For sparsely populated/mapped areas, mostly backcountry usage.

All elements of Elevate and Elevelo (except mountain bike difficulty levels) are shown, hiking and cycling routes as well as the highly emphasized footways and paths in one map, as well as showing everything as soon as possible. Therefore the colored dots at low zoom levels aren't necessary.

In densely mapped areas this variation is not recommended, in those it is slow and unclear.

If cycling and hiking route are on one way the cycling route is rendered dashed above the hiking route so both are visible.



Elegant - City

This is a light version which is especially useful in cities, for example for sightseeing or for everyday life.

Neither hiking nor cycling routes are shown. The highly emphasized footways and paths of Elvate are discreet and difficulty and visibility is not marked.

Additionally for better overview at lower zoom levels peaks and colored dots are missing. Therefore this variation is most suitable for finding names of localities.



Downloads in various sizes and map key here:

http://www.openandromaps.org/en/legend/elevate-mountain-hike-theme">//http://www.openandromaps.org/en/legend/elevate-mountain-hike-theme



If you have any comments, questions, wishes... feel free to post here, this is why I created this thread.

[eartrumpet]

It's not even 4 months since I posted on the old Oruxmaps forum my first public version of my mountain hike theme, but lots of things happened.



Most important is the support of Christian of Openandromaps which made it possible to share my theme on his project website, and has added tons of features which I and others wished for to his maps. Also I got great feedback and inspiration from lots of comments and emails and lots of testing and developing. All this lead to a new, (mostly) original theme which is now used by several other themes, some announced here.



Thanks a lot, I never imagined that. Also thanks to Orux for making such a great app!



As I haven't posted something about Elevate here since the start of the new forum, I use the recent big update of Openandromaps and Elevate as a reason to start a thread again.



Most important hiking features like trail_visibility, wilderness_hut, safety measures etc. are there now. I don't know any online OSM map which has that many details for hikers, and this one is offline and as a space saving mapsforge file.



So if anyone hasn't tried http://www.openandromaps.org/">//http://www.openandromaps.org/, feel free to download some of the latest maps and a hiking theme like Elevate! And don't forget to donate if you like the maps, making them is using up a lot of hardware.

[eartrumpet]

New update:

1.3.1 01/02/14

- improved pattern protected_area z16+, rendering of safety measures ways, wetland pattern, zoom-min for landcover, hike nodes, piste:downhill

- added name for graveyard/cemetery, .nomedia file, slight indicator for sac_scale T5/T6, earlier names for camp_site/caravan_site

- removed cycle networks at zoom 11-14 in Elegant

[eartrumpet]

New test version Elevate 2.0 Beta:

http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/ElevateBeta.zip">//http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/ElevateBeta.zip



As I developed Elevate at hdpi resolution (233dpi), a often mentioned point was that everything is too small on very high resolution smartphones with xhdpi (300dpi+) or even xxhdpi (450dpi+). I want to solve that problem with the new version, so now are two new options included - Elevate_L und Elevate_XL.



It was necessary to completely rework the symbols and patterns, so a lot has changed in the normal version too.



As I don't have access to xxhdpi smartphones I would really appreciate comments of owners of xxhdpi device, like Galaxy S4, HTC One, Nexus 5, LG G2, Sony XPeria Z... about Elevate_XL!



I am happy about any other kind of feedback as well.



PS. Thanks to dsvilko for the size conversion script!

[Uli]

On my S4 Active Streetnames are a bit too big.

But that can be convenient in certain surroundings.



Written with S4 Active on TapaTalk

[eartrumpet]

On my S4 Active Streetnames are a bit too big.

Thanks for your feedback.

Do you have any font size multiplicator set in Oruxmaps?

Is the symbol size OK?

Best regards,

Tobias

[Uli]

I have set the multiplicator ftom 2 to 1 and now the size is great.

At least on my S4 Active the symbols have just the right size too.

Thank you.



Written with S4 Active on TapaTalk

[eartrumpet]

Good to hear, thanks a lot!

[Maki]

Hi Tobias, I briefly tested the "L" version on my Galaxy Nexus and I'd say it works great. Icons are the right size, before some were hard to see and/or muddy (chairlift comes to mind). That's really much much better.



Quick tip: you can use digital zoom to simulate a different device. It will look jagged, but size-wise you get a good idea about how it works.

[eartrumpet]

Hi Maki,

thanks for the tip, great idea! The dpi simulation of genymotion isn't working that great, so this works better.

Best regards,

Tobias

[eartrumpet]

A second test version, now including a variation of Elevate which show cycling routes instead of hiking routes:

http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/beta/Elevate.zip">//http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/beta/Elevate.zip

http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/beta/Elevate_L.zip">//http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/beta/Elevate_L.zip

http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/beta/Elevate_XL.zip">//http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/beta/Elevate_XL.zip

[Maki]

I briefly tested the "velo" version, it seems to work ok. My only remark is that paths are light and thin. Especially when there is some "busy" landuse below they may get almost invisible. I understand they are out of scope, but IMHO a bit more visibility would not hurt.

[eartrumpet]

Thanks again for your feedback, Maki.

You're right, at the moment I'm using the rather delicate "Elegant" version of paths, which are good for city usuage in comparison to the massive "Elevate" version with emphasis on footways and paths. Maybe something inbetween would be right, I'll look into it.

[eartrumpet]

I updated the test versions above, including fords and toll roads, and some better visibility for paths in Elevelo.

[eartrumpet]

Elevate 2.0 is released today, and has lots of important changes. The most important ones are new sizes for very high resolution devices, and a variation which shows cycling routes.

All changes here: http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/changelog.txt">http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content ... ngelog.txt">http://www.openandromaps.org/wp-content/users/tobias/changelog.txt



The map key is also updated.



Many thanks to dsvilko for the size conversion script, that made this a lot easier!



All downloads can be found here:

http://www.openandromaps.org/en/legend/elevate-mountain-hike-theme">http://www.openandromaps.org/en/legend/ ... hike-theme">http://www.openandromaps.org/en/legend/elevate-mountain-hike-theme