[APP][1.6+] MM Tracker

Hi Michael,

Thx for your useful app.
You can add LG Optimus 2x (tegra2) to the compatibility list

I hope "Pitch to zoom" will be on a next update.

Regards,

Florent

MadStu said:

Well, my suspicion lies with Android 2.3 as it worked perfectly on 2.1 and 2.2 - Every time I've run it on 2.3, I select "GPS lock" and then select "Screen Lock" and not long after I get the force close error pop up.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

OK, I've gone back to Android 2.2, I was using the cyanogen mod for the Motorola Defy and it kept giving those errors.

So now all is working perfectly again As I've said before, this is great software! Made even better by the ability to create/edit routes on the device too



Feature Request:
Sunlight Filter. On an expensive rival device it has the ability to add the night filters, just as MM Tracker has. But it also now boasts a "Sun Filter" which reduces the finer details of the map. So it would be just like the red night filter, but instead of red, it's white, and is supposed to be easier to see in bright sunlight.

Also, the ability to adjust the phone's brightness level from your app would be handy.


Stu

Thanks jedbartlett for your suggestion to get the direction arrow (vector?), that sticks out from the crosshairs, working.

You suggested that 'the setting for it is under the GPS and Tracking options - Show speed vector. It can be turned off by setting 0 (don't draw).'

Well tried that and unfortunately it makes no difference. Still no direction arrow.

Any other thoughts, including Michael's, gratefully received.

(Apologies for this late reply but I've not been able to test until recently as I've een poorly.)

Regards,

Frank

Hi Frank,
Update your MM Tracker to the latest version V1.6.5 press your menu button select GPS, Compass and Tracking scroll down to and select Use Compass for Speed Vector and select Use Compass Always.

Hello again Michael,

I used the software yesterday as our sole navigation device on a 225KM route on dirt bikes. The software worked flawlessly I have a Motorola Defy running Android 2.2


I have another suggestion for you.

On a couple of occasions, the route I'd planned looped back around along the same tracks. Then it was hard to tell which way we should have been travelling and where to turn when the route path split.

Is it possible to limit the next amount of route waypoints? So that only the next x amount of waypoints would be visible on the screen?


Thanks for the great software!
Stu


PS. The magnetic compass feature is a GODSEND!

eegah69, michael (and possibly others!)

Thanks so much for your advice.

Not entirely sure what buttons I've hit/changed in trying to sort this, but suffice to say that I'm now on 'Show Speed Vector', '1 second', and I've got my direction arrow back.

As I say, I'm not entirely sure what the difference is between what I was doing before and what I'm doing now - but it works and I'm happy!

Best regards to both/all,

Frank

Hi Michael
At last I'm able to post here - the 10 post limit is a real PIA

Thanks for your hard work on the app.
I'm a hardened/very keen user of Memory Map and I've got your Android app working on my marine charts.

I have installed Memory Map on my yacht in the Med.
We have some sophisticated Raymarine navidation kit (G Series costing upwards of 30 grand).
During the specification stage, I installed a Windows PC and fed the videoto all the diplsys on the boat - all helm stations and TVs etc.
Then using an Air Mouse and Wireless Keyboard, we can use the PC everywhere.

I'm a great fan of Memory Map and have GPS feeds into the PC so that it becomes a full backup system to the dedicated Raymarine kit. All my passage planning is carried out on the PC using Memory Map and routes are then uploaded into the Raymarine nav systems - whilst the boat is under way, the PC/MM keeps a full track of the passage.

Anyway, enough of the background.

My point is that I think you have got the wrong end of the stick about "quilting"
I've evaluated lots of different navigation systems for use on board boats/ships. Quilting is the ability to see more than one chart/map on the display at the same time as others. As you zoom, different scales appear automatically. It is a really nice feature but not essential. Memory Map for example doesnt support quilting and I've stayed loyal to MM over the years. MM incorporates blisteringly fast screen drawing routines and I shoukd think that quilting wouldprobably slow it all down.

I have recently been playing with OpenCPN - an open source project which is becoming more and more widely used - it incorporates quilting in a big way - even quilting raster charts/maps with vector charts/maps.

Here's an example - 2 different scale charts on the screen at the same time - one is a vector chart and the other is a raste oner.



You can find out more about the OpenCPN project here http://www.opencpn.org/
I've also written a Windows app that will convert QCT maps/charts into BSB format which can then beread into other progs like OpenCPN.

Unfortunately, OpenCPN is way slower on the screen (zooming and paning etc) than Memory Map.

So, my point is don't spoil your good display routines just to do quilting.

For what its worth, I would prefer to see pinch zoom - only because it would give your app a feature that is more in common with the big boys. I also think that the buttons on your display are a bit messy even though you have implemented a really useful app.

Anyway, please consider my comments as constructive - I will definately be using it as a backup to my 30 grand system!!!

I'll keep wathcing this space - anything to do with Memory Map is of real interest to me.

Actually, a slightly better example of quilting is this

As you zoom in, these different scales automatically appear.
Unless implemented well, it can be a bit of a PIA

Thanks Michael

The 10 post thing
In order to post on your thread, I had to post at least 10 posts in the general forums - all I wanted to do was to post my comments on your thread.

OpenCPN vs Memory Map
Actually, I think Memory Map is easier to use than OpenCPN
But OpenCPN is still being continually developed so my view may change in the future.
Either can be used as a PC navigation plotter - there are other navigation applications for the PC as well.

Pinch Zoom
Great - cant wait.
Sorry about using the word "messy" - my point is that the extra buttons on the screen look a little strange.
When you have done the pinch zoom, presumably, zooming will be done by pinch zoom - how would you do scale (map change) - same as now?
Again, I wonder if the buttons would get in the way.
None of this is that important - the app is great anyway.

First off a big thanks for creating this app, it turns any android phone into a high end gps hill walking device that cost many hundreds on their own, great work.

Just to let you know this app seems to work fine on my Asus transformer running honeycomb 3.1. I haven't taken it out for a spin, as a 10" tablet isnt an ideal hill walking device, so don't take this as gospel but it seems fine.

Also works fine on HTC Desire running 2.3 Leedroid 3.0.7 which is my main use of the app.

cheers

Could you tell me how you managed to see charts in MM tracker. I have a CD of Maptech charts which are .BSB files, but load into MM and the newer CD of all charts, which seem to be .qct not .qc3, but none of them work in MM tracker

Brilliant programme. Works fine in my SE xperia arc. I had been waiting for an application like this before buying my first smartphone. I am a heavy user of MM on a windows mobile PDA.
Already as good as the original MM with, I am sure, more to come.

I've just installed Android 2.3 on my phone again to test the latest MM Tracker release (1.7.0)

Initial tests showed the exact same problem I was having before. I'm getting the Force Close box appear every time I applied the screen lock in the menu.

Further testing has shown that everything seems to work correctly, EXCEPT the screen lock..

The screen lock only shows the force close prompt AFTER the lock has been turned on and after you've touched the screen.

Pressing the "Wait" option on the force close prompt does let it continue without stopping the app.


I hope this helps improve your software.


Stu.

Altitude

I've been using MMT Free for a while and a few hours ago bought the full thing and am glad I did, it's a significant improvement.

However I have noticed that the reported altitude is not as accurate as could be, for some reason.

It seems to be about 130 feet out. (I was using it an aircraft, and no I wasn't using it as my primary altimeter and nor would I!)

GPS kit can get pretty close to the correct (baromatric) altitude, normally 20-30 feet out.

Right now, MMT is reporting my altitude as 567 feet but GPSTest Plus (running on the same device) is reporting it as 459 feet. Another piece of GPS kit agrees with GPSTest Plus.

This is interesting - are you calculating altitude yourself or is it reported by the GPS unit in the phone (in my case a Desire)?

GPSTest Plus is reporting that the accuracy of the signal is within 24 feet.

Is there anything you can do to improve the vertical accuracy, MapMan?

astromark said:

Right now, MMT is reporting my altitude as 567 feet but GPSTest Plus (running on the same device) is reporting it as 459 feet. Another piece of GPS kit agrees with GPSTest Plus.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Do a search on "GPS geoid altitude"

mshere said:

Could you tell me how you managed to see charts in MM tracker. I have a CD of Maptech charts which are .BSB files, but load into MM and the newer CD of all charts, which seem to be .qct not .qc3, but none of them work in MM tracker

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Try and get an older copy of Memory Map - version 5.15 or earlier.
These versions dont have any reliance on internet for registrations etc.
They will read BSB version 4 charts from Maptech but, crucially, they write QCT version 2 formats which should read into MMT.
If not, I have written a conversion app that runs under Windows - it will read QCT version 2 files into PNG image format and provide a JPR georeferencing file. MM can then re-read this como of files into a completely deregistered chart which definately loads in MMT.

Maybe that helps - let me know if you would like the conversion app.

BTW and for a bit of fun - I often load the .PNG file into Photoshop then overlay a Google Earth image - stretch it into place and blend the layers . Then resave the PNG file and using the original .JPR file, MM will load charts like this. Note the depth contours, soundings and lights etc along with images of buildings etc and no need for an internet connection.

I ve just upgraded from Samsung Galaxy S i9000 to Samsung Galaxy S2. MM Tracker handled superbly on the i9000, always fast and never freezing.

Different story with the Galaxy S2. Using MMTracker 1.70 its always a bit sluggish (not the end of the world) but most annoyingly it freezes when I do a placename search. On the i9000 the .mmi file open more or less instataneously, on the S2 it takes about 8 seconds. On S2 when I do a placename search it just freezes.

I am running the maps of an external SD Card. I simply swapped the sd card from the i9000 to the S2. Any advice as to why im having these problems? Anyone else having these problems in relation to the Galaxy S2?

gadgetuk437 said:

Do a search on "GPS geoid altitude"

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

I understand that, but as I said, other software on the phone reports the altitude with more accuracy. I was surprise that MM Tracker didn't, and hope that it can.