Zoom settings

[Matjazz]

Hello,

first I've noticed difference in scale when switching between raster and vector maps. I have to change zoom to keep the map scale:



http://postimg.org/image/5nboensnp/"> http://postimg.org/image/n4kdniitx/">

same scale but raster at zoom 15 and vector at zoom 14.

I believe this could be easily fixed if Oruxmaps would keep the scale instead of zoom level when switching maps.



I also noticed on https://www.openandromaps.org/en/legend/elevate-mountain-hike-theme">Openadromaps:

Hiking routes

(Hiking)



Hiking routes are rendered below paths and tracks starting at zoom level 14 (OruxMaps: 15), till level 13 (OruxMaps: 14) transparent above them...

Just now I noticed that Locus displays more info at same magnification:



Can you find water source in Oruxmaps:

http://postimg.org/image/3wx8qx0id/"> http://postimg.org/image/5d8r923f9/">



This is where it really got me:

http://postimg.org/image/7qm3mbsgl/"> http://postimg.org/image/oxnabu40l/">



Oruxmaps has grown on me and I bought donation version but this is a huuuge minus in my book. Why are features rendered one zoom step later?? Can this be fixed??

[Matjazz]

I've edited the elevate.xml render theme from OpenAndroMaps and decreased all zoom levels for 1 (changed max-zoom="X" to max-zoom="X-1" etc) It helps a bit but the map still becomes coarse at zoom 11.



In the meantime I bought Locusmaps. I like the Orux UI and more open policy better but richer rendering of maps tips the balance to Locus. I'm keeping Orux hoping that this issue gets fixed

[eartrumpet]

You're right, Locus does render mapsforge maps different. But the rendering is not richer, it's much less detailed.

Mapsforge maps are meant to be scaled to screen density of the device, so that a map at 160ppi looks exactly the same as with 480ppi. To do that, not only symbols and line width are scaled, but also map tile size. So if you have a map tile size of 256px at 160ppi, you get 768px at 480ppi.

Locus uses a mod of a very old mapsforge version with no scaled tiles. So with modern devices with very high pixel density, you still get 256px like for devices years ago. The only thing that is scaled is line width and symbols. But as these grow larger (3x as large at 480ppi), the space on a 256px map tile gets more crowded, and less can be displayed. So when looking at the same zoom level, less and coarse information is shown.



Here are some comparison of a densely mapped are at zoom level 17:

https://s26.postimg.org/nrcx84hl5/orux.png">https://s26.postimg.org/ciu56ledl/locus.png">

At first, it looks as if Locus shows more - but this isn't the case, as the area is only larger as the tile sizes are smaller. The same area can achieved by OruxMaps by using the zoom button.



Now here you can see what details are available if tile size is adjusted:

https://s26.postimg.org/41umvo9op/comp.png">

In Locus, streets are rendered much too fat, so they overlap and swallow too much space. Only a few symbols are displayed, as most are eliminated because of too little space.



So the scaling policy of OruxMaps is true to how the maps are meant to be displayed and can be scaled to every pixel density without loss of details. The only disadvantage is that with larger tile size direct comparison to online maps with old 256px tile size is not possible (although there are more HD maps coming with larger tile size as it's necessary to keep the legible on high density devices - see http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/High-resolution_tiles">http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/High ... tion_tiles">http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/High-resolution_tiles)

[Matjazz]

I use Oruxmaps and Locus maps in the wilderness an there Locus is more informative as you can see in screenshots I posted above where I took screenshots and compared them at the same scale rather than at the same zoom level.

If users find Orux rendering more useful that's fine with me I would just like the option to set the tile size or whatever needs to be set to make Orux render vector maps like Locus & MOBAC

[Maki]

If you go in the map settings and set the zoom to 60% or 40%, does it get better?

[eartrumpet]

If you go in the map settings and set the zoom to 60% or 40%, does it get better?

This, and use maps settings > mapsforge settings > mapsforge text size/symbols scale factor, that should emulate the Locus view quite well (except the lines aren't fat).



Of course I use the maps in remote areas, too, and designed Elevate for that (the Orux view is the intended one, the Locus view is just a poor workaround to make it legible on high density displays). The above example just showed how wrong the map rendering can get when tile scaling is missing.

[eartrumpet]

Btw, if you use Elements.xml (provided with Elevate), you see every map element as soon as it's available in the map.

[Matjazz]

Thanks for all your help guys. The zoom and symbol/text scale trick does make it better but it also makes already slow Orux (compared to Locus) even slower.

For now render themes with decreased zoom-min/zoom-max levels seem to be a good compromise and I've made a Notepad++ script to easily modify updated render themes.

Locus hase one huge drawback: It crashes too often. I don't think Orux ever did so I'm definitelly not ditching it.