AlpineQuest & OfflineMaps

It took me ages to find where this new option was, since it was not where I was expecting to be

I guess that we are not quite on the same wavelength about this feature, so I'll go through my thinking...

My starting point is a GPX file that contains landmarks for thousands of pubs in the UK. I would expect to only import this file once within the Explore Landmarks dialog - which is where I discovered the new ordering options (and they work perfectly well). However, once that GPX file has been loaded, all future access to those landmarks is made via the Displayed Landmarks dialog, since I have no need to re-import the file.

Unfortunately, the ordering options are not available within Displayed Landmarks - which is where I would have expected to find them. Also, even if I set a sort order during the GPX import, when I view them within Displayed Landmarks, no ordering has been applied.

I think that the main point of this ordering feature is that it needs to be dynamic, since the relative ordering, by distance, is directly affected by the current location of the GPS. This needs to be reflected, dynamically, within the Displayed Landmarks list.

As an example, I live in West Yorkshire, yet the pubs that appear at the top of my pubs list in Displayed Landmarks are all in Cornwall... that's an awful long drive for a beer

I've just been investigating some walks in the Yorkshire Dales, which has prompted me to think of another ordering option. This would be to order by distance from the current map centre point, rather than current GPS location. So in this particular case, I would centre the map on the start point icon of the route that I was interested in, open up the Displayed Landmarks list, select my Walking World landmarks GPX file and see the description of the route I have centred, as well as other routes nearby. Unfortunately, as things stand, the list remains unsorted so this is not what I actually see, however, the potential is definitely there and it would be a fantastic feature for planning walks.

To illustrate this, I've attached a screenshot showing a start point icon with a displayed route and the route description in the lower half of the screen, which is not the correct one...

Hi and thanks for the feedback.

The current ordering feature is a first version and can be improved for sure. As you have noticed, right now it's only in the Landmarks Explorer. It has been requested for ages so it's good to finally see it there anyway. And like it's not often the case, I have even updated the online help about this feature: http://www.alpinequest.net/en/help/1.4/ ... ks/sorting.

I didn't add it to the "displayed landmarks" list just because I didn't think about it. I usually don't use this list to select items, I'd rather click on the point directly on the map to display its menu.
But it can be easily added.

Concerning the current ordering, note that:
- The "distance" ordering is already based on the distance from the screen centre, and not the GPS location. Most of distances in AlpineQuest are based on the screen centre. I like that because it works with the GPS location (simply "lock" the GPS location on the screen centre), but it also works with any location, just like you are suggesting.
- The ordering is already dynamic. To see that: open the Landmarks Explorer, and browse your GPX file. Then, select the "Distance" sort by for the waypoints. Have a look at the closest waypoint. Then close the explorer (close icon at the bottom left), and move the map close to another displayed waypoint. Long-press on the landmarks menu button to browse your GPX file again. In the waypoints list, you will see that the first waypoints has changed (the list has been re-sorted based on the new centre location).

So I guess that the only thing to do is to add the same dynamic sorting ability to the displayed landmarks list (with a button where you are suggesting), and that would be good. I am right?
Best regards

Yes, I take your point about using the distance from the cross-hair rather than the GPS fix and I agree.

I'm really eager to see sorted waypoints in the Displayed Landmarks as this will be a killer AQ feature - at least for me

This feature is now available in version 1.4.2.
Best regards