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View Full Version : anyone try android or apple maprika ap?



1azarus
03-31-2012, 09:43
I've had this free ap for a while but am just starting to use it. I think i'm in love. You use your phone to take a picture of ANY map, then calibrate the map to google maps on your phone (the ap helps you to do this...), and you've created a map which you can use with your phone in low-power "plane" mode, or you can turn on your gps and keep a track or locate yourself on your new map. Your new map just needs two or three identifiable calibration points -- road intersections, river bends, buildings are all good. I'm about at the average guy point for phone and computer saavy, and have not made any headway in getting another trail ap to import trail information. This looks like it'll work for me. Imagine getting to a trailhead somewhere, seeing a map posted, and being able to walk away with a gps-ready trail map! I've got to go take photos of the CT Walkbook... (that would be connecticut, not continental, unfortunately)

NowWhat?
03-31-2012, 10:09
What is the name of this app and is it for the iPhone?

Snowleopard
03-31-2012, 10:49
It's a neat idea. Let us know how it works out with the Conn. walk book maps. Some trail maps might not have many easy calibration points.
maprika for android and iphone:
http://www.maprika.com/index.html (http://www.maprika.com/index.html)

1azarus
04-04-2012, 22:21
I field tested maprika today, using a map I made from the CT Walk Book. The tracking perfectly matched the trail image, with all the related info one could hope for-- distance covered, speed, etc. I'd say the software is perfect. I've started sending CT hiking trail maps to Maprika for their posting for common usage. They say they review the user-submitted maps for accuracy, so nothing is available yet. Will keep you posted. It does seem like we all should be making maps of our local trails available electronically/ coordinated for gps use for all. Check out Maprika. I'm going to work through the whole CT Walk Book...

rafe
05-31-2014, 18:59
Hey 1azarus, I'm trying to create a map on Maprika, it keeps locking up while creating anchor points for the map I'm trying to fit (It's a map of the Bay Circuit Trail, converted from PDF to JPG.)

The JPG is kinda big, 2900 x 3760 pixels -- but what's weird is that the lock-up always happens while I'm scrolling the Google view, and always while adding the second anchor point.

I guess I'll try a lower resolution for the JPG.

rafe
05-31-2014, 19:01
Anyone know of any similar/alternate applications like this one?

The idea being that you can be looking at your location on a map of your choosing (converted, by hook or by crook into a JPG) rather than Google maps.

Another Kevin
06-02-2014, 08:08
Anyone know of any similar/alternate applications like this one?

The idea being that you can be looking at your location on a map of your choosing (converted, by hook or by crook into a JPG) rather than Google maps.

What I do is pretty haywire, and may require work that is beyond your skills and patience. But for whatever it's worth, let me share a few notes.

I use BackCountry Navigator on the phone. There may be better apps out there, but BCN happens to have been the first one that I tried that supports completely off-line mapping: I can have the phone in 'airplane mode' all day without a network connection and as long as I've downloaded the map for where I plan to go, it happily follows me. "Out of the box" it can load from Open Street Map, USA Topo, Mapquest Open, and one or two others, or you can access several paid services that I haven't tried.

I produce my own maps to download onto the phone. Sometimes they involve scans of paper maps, but that's uncommon, because (1) the paper maps don't scale: I can't zoom out to an overview or zoom in to more detail. (2) I'm not tooled up to scan huge sheets of paper; I have just a little flatbed scanner. (3) Unless the paper map identifies its projection (and even when it does, sometimes), I generally have to do a fair amount of work identifying point correspondences between it and some other map that I already have. Often it's easier simply to trace specific features of interest from the scan of the paper map into a database.

If data are available, I much prefer going to government or open-source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and importing their data. I typically resort to a scan of a paper map only when the data aren't available anywhere else. For instance, I downloaded a scan of a 65-year-old trail map (http://catskillmountaineer.com/maps-11.html) for a bushwhack that was trying to trace the route of an abandoned trail approaching [Kaaterskill] High Peak from the northwest side.

I use a largish stack of software to produce maps. I tend to collect all data except for images into a single database managed with PostGIS (http://postgis.org/). Most of the data import is managed with GDAL (http://www.gdal.org/) and GRASS GIS (http://grass.osgeo.org/). I find the GRASS user interface awkward, so I wind up doing data editing in Quantum GIS (http://qgis.org/). (Except when I'm updating OpenStreetMap - then I use JOSM.) I render the map to tiles with Mapnik (http://mapnik.org/) and simply store the tiles on a hard drive attached to a creaking and wheezing old computer in my basement that hasn't anything better to do. To do them for about a quarter of New York State takes several days, but as I said, that old box has nothing better to do. I'd like to switch to "on the fly" rendering, but so far, I've run out of time and patience each time I've tried to make it actually work.

I use Leaflet to preview the map that will appear on my phone. You can see one 'work in progress' at http://kbk.is-a-geek.net/catskills/test2.html. A few things are worth noting here. I have a great many data sources, some of which cover the same things, so often an object such as a trail will appear multiple times. Very often, either out of carelessness in a data source, realignment, inappropriate map scale, or whatever, the objects won't overlay precisely onto one another. This "cubist" appearance to the map is, I find, actually somewhat useful. If a trail (such as the Devil's Path) appears in multiple data sources, it's "important" enough that several mapmakers considered it worth including. If the sources show a braid or tangle of different alignments, it's likely to be difficult or confusing to follow: perhaps it's on tough terrain, has been through many relocations, suffers from beaver activity, or is poorly marked.

This then gives me a good basemap on which to overlay, for instance, GPS tracks for a trip report, as you see below.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/14094116978_f7b15a5c7d_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/nts2WS)
Map of the hike (https://flic.kr/p/nts2WS) by ke9tv (https://www.flickr.com/people/12834796@N00/), on Flickr

This map actually shows a number of the problems/issues with this approach. Devil's Path is shown as an "unnimproved road" over Plateau Mountain, because of an error in the Census Bureau street map. (Whatever the census takers who put that map together were smoking, I want some!) Likewise, they've put a couple of imaginary driveways south of Elka Park. The unimproved road heading off to the south *is* there, but is impassable (and forbidden) to motor vehicles. Mountain bikes are still allowed to use it. The trail alignments on NYSDEC's "official" map are off in spots. For instance, they're missing some switchbacks on the Mink Hollow trail.

Finally, my own track has some oddities. At the southeast corner, around 2600 feet elevation, I had to detour around a beaver pond that had flooded the trail. The little tight zig-zag on the west side of Sugarloaf at about 2950 feet is actually there. (The trail reaches an overhanging ledge, turns to follow it, drops abruptly down a rock chimney, and makes a switchback to come back UNDER the ledge, nearly underneath itself.) The tangle of tracks near the multiway trail intersection is where I stopped in to chat at a shelter, made camp out of sight on the other side of the old road, and went north on the old road (and then some distance off to the west side) to fetch water. Finally, on the Mink Hollow trail, there is a straight line segment about a mile and a half long where my GPS went wonky (in dense woods on the north side of a ridge is a bad place for a GPS signal). It picked up again where the trail leaves an old haul road and detours uphill to avoid private property.

All of these things are true of any map, though. A map tells one mapmaker's story. No map is really authoritative. (Which is no doubt why you were asking for a diversity of maps in the first place!)

If you have a specific project in mind, get in touch. I may be able to help.

1azarus
06-02-2014, 11:56
hello rafe... it does sound like the image is too big. there is a sweet spot for legibility and ease of program use. I tend to scan or save maps at 100 dots per inch before moving them into maprika. 70 or so just isn't enough detail. I do hit the back arrow on my droid to save the map after every couple of sync points... there must be a way to save the map with an iphone, too.

rafe
06-02-2014, 12:46
Regarding Maprika: the crash was always while trying to "pin" my own map to the underlying Google map, on the phone. It turns out that the "Maprika Map Designer" (free download) allows that part to be done on a Windows PC, and then the result uploaded to the Maprika server (where it's available to the general public) and then can be pulled down to the phone.

I don't know if it was the map size or memory limits on the phone. I used the phone to close all background apps and used a 250 dpi image instead, I got a bit farther with that. But there's really no need -- the map creation can be done entirely on a PC -- with a larger screen and more horsepower.

As for the program working on in the field, on the trail -- that part went fine. As far as I tried it. I mean, battery life may still be an issue, with GPS on. Time will tell. Fortunately my application is non-critical.

Kevin, I still need time to digest your post --

1azarus
06-02-2014, 13:45
I just toggle my gps (as well as airplane mode) on and off as needed. you can still access the map without the gps feature without using much battery power. using the gps to pinpoint my location on the map is sort of like a pizza break. or maybe half a beer.

Starvin Marvin
06-02-2014, 17:36
Anyone know of any similar/alternate applications like this one?

The idea being that you can be looking at your location on a map of your choosing (converted, by hook or by crook into a JPG) rather than Google maps.

I use Gaia GPS app. It locates and tracks and you dont have to copy any maps or take any pics. Works fine on my Note 3.

Offshore
06-02-2014, 18:01
I use (and love) Aveneza PDF Maps on iOS and Android. (I'm a professional geologist, so my cartographic standards are pretty high and unforgiving...)

From their site (http://www.avenza.com/pdf-maps):
The PDF Maps app is a geospatial PDF, GeoPDF® and GeoTIFF reader for your Apple iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Easily search for and browse thousands of professionally made maps available in the Avenza Map Store. Interact with spatially referenced maps to view your location, record GPS tracks, add placemarks, and find places.
For the geospatial community, PDF Maps compliments MAPublisher (http://www.avenza.com/mapublisher) and Geographic Imager (http://www.avenza.com/geographic-imager), both of which have the ability to export to geospatial PDF (http://www.avenza.com/mapublisher/geospatial-pdf) and GeoTIFF. The formats are also supported by common GIS applications including ArcGIS.


You pretty much rely on their map store, (hint: Google is your friend...) but the selection is getting better every day. I use the NY NJ Trail Conference maps almost every weekend. Of course you have to buy the maps, but I'd rather spend a few dollars and get out there rather than sit at my computer georeferencing maps myself. Once you buy a map, you can use it on multiple devices across platforms. For example, I use the same set of maps on an iPhone 5s, iPad, iPod Touch, and Samsung Tab 2 Android tablet. The maps download to the device, so you don't need a WiFi or cellular data signal to use the application.

Another Kevin
06-02-2014, 22:50
I use (and love) Aveneza PDF Maps on iOS and Android. (I'm a professional geologist, so my cartographic standards are pretty high and unforgiving...)

My standards are pretty high, also. (And I agree with you that the NYNJTC trail maps are pretty good as far as they go!)

What I don't like about any of the GeoTIFF/GeoPDF readers is that they tie you to a single map scale. You simply don't render the same features at 1:100000 that you do at 1:25000. I really like scale-dependent rendering. (Of course, as I said, I've mostly been doing my own maps from open data sources. The freeware GIS tools are getting to be pretty good.)

I'd like to hike downstate (or CT or MA) with a geologist someday. I've got a reasonably good mental picture of the geology of the Catskill and Helderberg provinces, and even down the foldbelt of the Shawangunk/Kittatinny ridge, but the Taconics and Hudson Highlands are often made up of glop that I can't make head nor tail of. Lots of unconformity, metamorphism, and intrusion. I'd love to go with someone who can explain to me what the heck I'm looking at. Aside from "it's schist, so don't take it for granite."

Snowleopard
06-03-2014, 16:28
Another Kevin, I grew up in Western Conn. My memory of geological maps is that it's really really complex. It looks like there are about 10 types of bedrock with 10 miles of my hometown (Thomaston). It's even more complex along the AT corridor.
Maps:
http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2701&q=519804&deepNav_GID=1641
(other link has town by town maps)
http://cteco.uconn.edu/map_catalog/maps/state/Bedrock_Geologic_Map_of_Connecticut.pdf
Don't try to open in maprika (big file).

It's interesting; I grew up mostly on thick glacial ice till (junk pushed down by the glacier ice). Don't forget when you see stuff the glaciers pushed lots of stuff around and mixed it up.

rocketsocks
06-03-2014, 16:34
I use (and love) Aveneza PDF Maps on iOS and Android. (I'm a professional geologist, so my cartographic standards are pretty high and unforgiving...)

From their site (http://www.avenza.com/pdf-maps):
The PDF Maps app is a geospatial PDF, GeoPDF® and GeoTIFF reader for your Apple iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Easily search for and browse thousands of professionally made maps available in the Avenza Map Store. Interact with spatially referenced maps to view your location, record GPS tracks, add placemarks, and find places.
For the geospatial community, PDF Maps compliments MAPublisher (http://www.avenza.com/mapublisher) and Geographic Imager (http://www.avenza.com/geographic-imager), both of which have the ability to export to geospatial PDF (http://www.avenza.com/mapublisher/geospatial-pdf) and GeoTIFF. The formats are also supported by common GIS applications including ArcGIS.


You pretty much rely on their map store, (hint: Google is your friend...) but the selection is getting better every day. I use the NY NJ Trail Conference maps almost every weekend. Of course you have to buy the maps, but I'd rather spend a few dollars and get out there rather than sit at my computer georeferencing maps myself. Once you buy a map, you can use it on multiple devices across platforms. For example, I use the same set of maps on an iPhone 5s, iPad, iPod Touch, and Samsung Tab 2 Android tablet. The maps download to the device, so you don't need a WiFi or cellular data signal to use the application.
just up loaded this last night, as I don't have a smart phone and need to work/use off line. Thanks Offshore been lookin for something like this for a while now. I tried maprika but was having difficulty/bugs when I would use it, and it was just to fickle for me.

Offshore
06-09-2014, 20:15
Happy to have helped out. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have!
(If you don't have a smart phone, they work beautifully on an ipod touch.)

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk

rocketsocks
06-09-2014, 20:23
Happy to have helped out. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have!
(If you don't have a smart phone, they work beautifully on an ipod touch.)

Sent from my GT-P3113 using TapatalkOh I have, used it just the other day while out on a 13 mile walk around town, I knew where I wanted to go, and wasn't sure which roads would take me there....So I fired up my ipod, and bingo instant 7 1/2 min topo of my area in hand, and have since uploaded a couple more. Some are a bit pricey but many are free, think I paid 99 cents for the topo...whatta a bargin.

Offshore
06-09-2014, 20:27
Thats great. Lately mine have mocked me - spent National Trails Day spreading mulch. The tryanny of home ownership strikes again...

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk

rocketsocks
06-09-2014, 20:46
Thats great. Lately mine have mocked me - spent National Trails Day spreading mulch. The tryanny of home ownership strikes again...

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk
Yes, there is always something to do around the house that keeps from our hobby.