custom map regions #9094

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opened 2024-08-25 14:45:57 +00:00 by elandorr · 0 comments

elandorr commented

2024-08-25 14:45:57 +00:00

(Migrated from github.com)

⚠ Have you searched for similar, already existing issues?
yes

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

For those who aren't rich, storage is finite. Devices with 4-8GB storage (effectively much less as android takes up a large amount, even with the cleanest custom ROMs) are abound. They often even work better than newer ones as they tend to be sturdier and have replaceable batteries.
This makes organicmaps impossible to use, as even the currently mandatory world map takes up a large amount. (~60MB you never use. Why would anyone want a world map? You ought to know which continent you're on.)

Describe the ideal solution
A tool, preferably a desktop one like MOBAC, that lets you define regions as needed.
It'd generate a file you can copy to the android device to use whenever, and share.
Ideally with the option to select only data you really need: Places/streets, but no tourist/commercial/whatever crap for instance. OSM contributors in some regions, particularly Germany, are so diligent, they add EVERYTHING. (the upstream OSM map includes curbs and individual trash bins, for reference) A total waste of resources. It also makes the map harder to view. And these are perpetually out of date by nature, so to really give all the metadata a chance to be useful, we'd have to hammer the servers regularly which is far away from the 'organic' theme. (E.g. streaming is literally killing the planet. Why add pointless traffic? Ignoring the fact that it costs money unless you have some bourgeois unlimited plan.)

Benefits:

no internet needed on the device, which is a pain to begin with
- some people do not want any internet on their device, be it for money or privacy reasons
no wasted space
more life out of perfectly functioning android devices, matching your 'organic' theme
much less server load as you don't have to download data you'll never use
much less server load as you can quickly share what you already have locally, offline even
if it's possible to select only datapoints you need you may be able to download a giant region only consisting of roads in the space you'd otherwise only fit a small region with all the other metadata in
- this'd be great as a quick paper-map replacement

Bonus:

Now a really novel and resource saving idea would be a tool to hone in on small blocks as needed. You could generate only enough "tiles" to get x meters surrounding the route desired. 90% of a map is usually never looked at after all.

Describe alternatives you have considered

I used to recommend MOBAC with backcountry navigator, but the only generic mapsource for MOBAC has died. (4umaps.eu is gone)
It worked very well despite being tile based. You got exactly what you needed, no waste.
For example, for a reasonably sized city I liberally created a map in about 10MB. Much easier to share in pleb life, and it can be copied to any device. It's fast and works perfectly, like a big paper map, and has an additional zoom level for comfort if you chose.
Large image files are not useful as they lag like hell on android, and OSM won't let you create them anyway. (at least not in any reasonably accessible way I found) A bunch of (compressed?) images in a proper database like BCN does work well.
A real paper map. Doesn't run out of battery, doesn't lag, doesn't get on your nerves. But somehow they have become prohibitively expensive and rare. They used to be everywhere and cheap enough to wipe with. Lost? Find the nearest village, buy a bunch of maps for a few bucks, repeat as required. I can't even find one in a quick online search now, incredible.

Additional context
On an average-low device I just tried I found the search to be excruciatingly slow, even though I only downloaded a single individual region. Maybe also related to the massive amount of waste data? It even suggests store opening hours and such, which are not remotely the job of a map. Thus it ends up being a simple paper map you scroll around anyhow, like BCN.

It's weird to me that we have all these contributors creating OSM in extreme detail in their spare time, but we have no way of exporting a bunch of large-but-not-laggy-yet image files. All the sites I found are either dead or commercializing volunteer labor. As long as you don't download all the metadata, even a continent-sized roadmap should cause comparably minimal traffic. The only active and serious looking thing I found is geofabrik, but that is huge and includes everything. Also requires a small singularity to process and advanced knowledge of GIS tools, not quite practical.
MOBAC+BCN were just geeky enough to still be useful in everyday life.

⚠ Have you searched for similar, already existing issues? yes **Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.** - For those who aren't rich, storage is finite. Devices with 4-8GB storage (effectively **much** less as android takes up a large amount, even with the cleanest custom ROMs) are abound. They often even work better than newer ones as they tend to be sturdier and have replaceable batteries. - This makes organicmaps impossible to use, as even the currently mandatory world map takes up a large amount. (~60MB you never use. Why would anyone want a world map? You ought to know which continent you're on.) **Describe the ideal solution** A tool, preferably a desktop one like MOBAC, that lets you define regions **as needed**. It'd generate a file you can copy to the android device to use whenever, and share. Ideally with the option to select only data you really **need**: Places/streets, but no tourist/commercial/whatever crap for instance. OSM contributors in some regions, particularly Germany, are so diligent, they add EVERYTHING. (the upstream OSM map includes curbs and _individual_ trash bins, for reference) A total waste of resources. It also makes the map harder to view. And these are **perpetually** out of date by nature, so to really give all the metadata a chance to be useful, we'd have to hammer the servers regularly which is far away from the 'organic' theme. (E.g. streaming is literally killing the planet. Why add pointless traffic? Ignoring the fact that it costs money unless you have some bourgeois unlimited plan.) Benefits: - **no internet needed** on the device, which is a pain to begin with - some people do not want any internet on their device, be it for money or privacy reasons - **no wasted space** - **more life out of perfectly functioning android devices**, matching your 'organic' theme - **much less server load** as you don't have to download data you'll never use - much less server load as you can quickly share what you already have locally, offline even - if it's possible to select only **datapoints you need** you may be able to download **a giant region only consisting of roads in the space you'd otherwise only fit a small region with all** the other metadata in - this'd be great as a quick paper-map replacement Bonus: Now a really novel and resource saving idea would be a tool to hone in on small blocks as needed. You could generate only enough "tiles" to get x meters surrounding the route desired. 90% of a map is usually never looked at after all. **Describe alternatives you have considered** - I used to recommend MOBAC with backcountry navigator, but the only generic mapsource for MOBAC has died. (4umaps.eu is gone) It worked very well despite being tile based. You got exactly what you needed, no waste. For example, for a reasonably sized city I liberally created a map in about 10MB. Much easier to share in pleb life, and it can be copied to any device. It's fast and works perfectly, like a big paper map, and has an additional zoom level for comfort if you chose. - Large image files are not useful as they lag like hell on android, and OSM won't let you create them anyway. (at least not in any reasonably accessible way I found) A bunch of (compressed?) images in a proper database like BCN does work well. - A real paper map. Doesn't run out of battery, doesn't lag, doesn't get on your nerves. But somehow they have become prohibitively expensive and rare. They used to be everywhere and cheap enough to wipe with. Lost? Find the nearest village, buy a bunch of maps for a few bucks, repeat as required. I can't even find one in a quick online search now, incredible. **Additional context** On an average-low device I just tried I found the search to be **excruciatingly** slow, even though I only downloaded a single individual region. Maybe also related to the massive amount of waste data? It even suggests store opening hours and such, which are not remotely the job of a map. Thus it ends up being a simple paper map you scroll around anyhow, like BCN. It's weird to me that we have all these contributors creating OSM in extreme detail in their spare time, but we have no way of exporting a bunch of large-but-not-laggy-yet image files. All the sites I found are either dead or commercializing volunteer labor. As long as you don't download all the metadata, even a continent-sized roadmap should cause comparably minimal traffic. The only active and serious looking thing I found is geofabrik, but that is huge and includes everything. Also requires a small singularity to process and advanced knowledge of GIS tools, not quite practical. MOBAC+BCN were just geeky enough to still be useful in everyday life.

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