C’est un tutoriel très agréable, montrant de nombreuses fonctionnalités de maaloo Geocaching.
Merci à Anthony!
Here are the links to all HowTos for easier access.
Map
Use the map
Download map
Download ready made maps
User defined map
User defined map: examples
Install OSM Vector maps
Install themes for vector map files
Tracking
Edit tracks on the map
Create own track on map
Geocaching
Login to geocaching.com
Import Waypoints / Pocket Queries
Add stages to cache
General
Calibrate compass
This is an advanced topic and it works only with maaloo Outdoor 8 Version 2.9.3.1 or newer.
This app can use OpenStreetMap vector map files in the mapsforge-format. Currently the version 0.3 of mapsforge is supported with some limitations.
You can import themes into the app. Themes are drawing rules for the vector data. Which data has to be drawn and which color has to be used decides the theme.
Themes are organized in a .zip-File with normally two folders ‘symbols’ and ‘patterns’ which contain .png-icons. SVG-Icons are not supported. The ‘patterns’-folder can be deleted because patterns are not supported.
The .zip-file contains one or more XML-files with the drawing rules. The files must not be saved in an additional folder as parent folder.
The .zip file structure should look like this:
my_theme.zip / symbols / icon1.png (and many more Icons)
my_theme.zip / theme1.xml
my_theme.zip / theme2.xml
Important! Windows Phone does not allow to link .zip files with apps for direct access. The solution is to rename the file from .zip to .mtz (Map Theme Zip ;). The app is associated with the file extension ‘.mtz’ and knows that this file is a zip-file.
You should transfer the MTZ-file to your phone, e.g. by mail. Click on the .mtz-file which will open maaloo Outdoor 8 and import the theme.
Afterwards the theme should appear in the theme selector. Press the ‘…’-button to select the theme from the imported themes list. Press the green OK-button to use the selected theme.
To enable the full rule dependencies to the map data you should disable the speed optimization in the map options. Map / Map options / Map / Speed Optimization = None. The default settings for this option is Medium which disables some types of ways and tags in lower zoom levels, to speed up the rendering somewhat.
There are some sources of themes in the Internet. The themes for mapsforge 0.5 are not fully supported. Better use the mapsforge 0.3 themes. If there are ready made zip’s for download, you should use the ‘normal’ or ‘PC’ versions. the specialized versions for certain apps have different folder structures.
Installing OpenStreetMap vector map works on the PC quite simple. You must connect your phone to the PC, e.g. via USB cable. In Windows Explorer the drive for the phone should appear. In the folder ‘Downloads’ we want then copy the map file. But in order.
1. Download OSM vector map
As source of the map files we us the very well-prepared maps of OpenAndroMaps.
You can download any regions under “Map Downloads“.
If you like the maps, please support this project with a donation.
2. Unpack .map file
The downloaded zip file must be unpacked. Most browsers open the file directly when you click on the download. It contains a map file and other .zip files. Select the map file and mark it for copy with Ctrl + C.
You do not need the .zip-files with render-themes for other apps, because maaloo has its own render theme.
Some users had problems with corrupt files. The Chrome browser or Firefox (with Addin “Down them all”) works better when downloading files.
3. Copy the map file on Smartphone
Per Windows Explorer we go to the phone drive in the folder ‘Downloads’ and then copy the map file (Ctrl + V).
The PC part is complete.
4. Import map in maaloo
The map file is now prepared on the phone and must be transferred to the local storage of the app. This can be done using an arbitrary file manager app on the phone. The official ‘Files‘ app performs good services here. Install it from the App Store.
Switch to the ‘Files’ app to the folder ‘Downloads‘ on the phone. There you will find the just copied map file. Click on the map file. The ‘Files’ app now asks what to do with the file. Possibly a list of apps is displayed that can handle this file type. Should maaloo be currently the only app that can do that, it will be opened directly.
5. Map is imported into maaloo
maaloo is now called and imports the map in its own local storage. Possibly this will take some time. You will see a success message.
The map is now available in the map management under Offline / Imports and can be activated.
6. Cleanup
Since the map has been imported in the local app storage, the file can be deleted from the phone folder ‘Downloads’.
7. Clear Cache – now and then
The app calculates map tiles from the vector data. Thus not every map tile needs to be recalculated again and again, this are stored locally in the cache. Over time, this cache gets bigger and bigger and consumes your phone storage. You can clear this cache manually. Proceed as follows.
8. Limitations of the vector maps implementation
The speed of the rendering in zoom level 10 – 14 is not fast. But each map tile is rendered only ones, as long you do not clear the cache. So the next time you use the same area on the map, you get the map tiles from the cache much faster.
The implementations draws no street names.
You can edit and fine-tune your tracks on the map. You can add or delete track points or move points to another position. Each point of an track can start the edit-mode for this track. Zoom in to at least zoom level 16 to see all track points.
Follow this steps to edit tracks:
[This feature is available in the Outdoor-version only.]
You can create your own tracks/routes directly on the map. Plan your trips in advance or just click your path while you are offroad. You can use this feature to plan alternative ways on your trip.
Follow this easy steps:
[This feature is available in the Outdoor-version only.]
Here is a list of possible settings for your user defined map.
Open the settings page of the user defined map as follows:
1) Home screen, first page
2) press the small download button of the big Map button
3) scroll to the Online page
4) in the list of map providers scroll down to the last entry and press the + button of the ‘User’ map provider
The settings page looks like this
![wp_ss_20140822_0009[1]](https://maaloo7.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/wp_ss_20140822_00091.png)
6) Edit all settings according to a map provider of your choice including all the letters, symbols and brackets exactly as shown. Close the page with the OK-sign.
7) You find a new map provider entry in the list of User defined maps. Chosse this new entry and press the OK-sign to use it for the map
……view online: maps.google.com
……view online: maps.google.com
……view online: kartor.eniro.se
Nearly all map providers do not allow bulk downloads. Do not download this maps, only use them for map browsing.
