AlpineQuest & OfflineMaps

I am searching for a full featured GPS App to be used primarily for mapping offroad trails I am also looking for a GPS App that can be modified or allows plugins or addons.

In my searching I am having a hard time finding a GPS App that supports adding waypoints quickly or easily, I have come to the conclusion that what I am looking for does not exists, it seems every GPS App wants you to stop take a break and manually create then label each and every waypoint this is ok if your only adding a few waypoints per day.

Predefined Waypoints : Let me explain in more detail exactly what I am looking for and why... My idea is to allow the user to predefine way points so all you have to do is hit a Pre Defined Button on the screen and with one touch it will drop a Pre Defined way point on the screen.

For example your driving down a trail and to the right you see another trail going off in the distance, you could simply touch the screen button labeled TR and it would set a waypoint TR on the current track, the waypoint would be named TR1 meaning Trail Right the 1 would mean its the first one you marked, the next time you hit the TR button it would be TR2 and so on .

How is this useful? I like to document the trails I ride on and think of myself as a Trail Verifier since most the trails I ride out West I have already mapped out before my trip using Google Earth. Many trails have other connecting trails you do not always know about before hand they are discovered during the ride, some trails are easily forgot or missed on the return trip or next trip if its a loop trail.

Dropping the TR1 way point on your GPS screen would remind a user and allow the user to take the GPS data and load it into Google Earth or similar programs and see where TR1 goes in relation to where they were. Manually adding waypoints just takes up way too much time out of the ride trip and is why I would like to automate the process.

Other Pre Defined Way Points I would like to have available to me on my screen would be.
TR = Trail Right
TL = Trail Left
F = Fast Section Of The Trail
S = Slow Section
TH =Trail Hazard (marks a hazard on the trail)
SU = Steep Up Hill
SD = Steep Down
B = Brake Normal
BH = Brake Hard (TH and BH might be located right next to each other on the map)
C = Coast
START = Start of a trail section
END = End of a trail section
H = Hide all the predefined buttons with one touch so you can clear the screen of clutter and see your map if more map detail is needed, the H button would not be hidden so you could tap the H again to restore all the buttons you previously hid.

By being user definable / configurable each user can configure each button to suit their needs.

All the buttons would be ghost buttons or translucent buttons (not sure of the correct terminology) so you could still see your map on the screen, once you got use to tapping the buttons the time spent looking for a button will diminish greatly.

Will this modification encourage distracted driving YES for those who are dumb enough to attempt it whilst in motion my goal is to greatly reduce the amount of time spent on adding way points to a track, try adding 50 way points a day manually it sucks, time yourself how long it takes to manually add a way point.

If you imagine yourself going down a trail you can see the usefulness especially for someone that was pre-running a off-road race course or laying out some other off road event. You could add M = Mud W = Water Crossing etc. anything you might find useful and advantageous to the racer, it would be like putting up signs on the trails.

Suggestions, thoughts ?

Thanks in advance, sorry for the long read.

Hi and thanks for your interest in our application and suggestion.

I do completely understand your need, it make sense. Right now unfortunately there is no way in the app to create pre-defined waypoint like you would like to have.

The creation of waypoint currently take 3 clicks if you do not enter any name, so it's quite fast. Unnamed waypoints are displayed as "Waypoint 1", "Waypoint 2", etc:
- From the map view, click on the map centre, then on "Waypoint" (just under "Create a landmarks"), and ok "Ok" to validate (leave field name empty);
- If you're recording a track using the Location Tracker and want to include the waypoints in the track, click on the status bar icon, then in the tracker's window on "Waypoint" and on "Ok" to validate.

It's difficult to do this is less clicks without adding new buttons on the map, something that we don't do anymore (we've lot of requests to add buttons for various actions, all making sense, but it's simply not possible).
However the ability to have predefined waypoints is interesting. I'll try to add this in a future version. I can't give you a release date since the next version will be a major update and there are still lot of work on it.

Sorry for not being able to help you more
Best regards

Thanks for your quick reply.

Any suggestions on who might be able to help, a program that utilizes plugins or addons, I am sure your more in touch with the industry, maybe even a open source group?

I do not have a good knowledge on other apps, since I only work on and use this one.

Hi,
Could this be solved with a new custom item.
In the list off custom items add:
1Favourite icons.
A tap on favourite icons leads to the long list of icons wich has opened in this way the option to select.
2 by selecting you can create a short list of favourite icons.
3 tap okay and the shortlist is in the custom item list.
4 put the short list as number 1 on top of your custom items.
5 tap left main menu button. Because it is number one it is imediately opened
6 tap the icon you want and it is with two taps only on the map.
If you don't put it on top three taps are needed to get the icon you want on the map.
7 when you want to remove it or edit it select none
8 question delete forever yes/no/edit
No means it is still in the list off custom items you can choose from. Yes means you have to start from 1 should you want to create a new list of favourite icons. Edit means the long list of icons is opened with the option to select or deselect a favourite icon.

If you use more then one custom items and every now and then you want another one at the top since that is only two taps and it is available
an option -move to top- would be conveniant.

Only two taps, custom items is brilliant i think.

Perhaps add a few extra icons to the long list.
L= track to the right. _|=track to the left.
+= crossroads. Etc.
/\= highest point. Etc. etc.

Hope this makes sence, if not, just delete.
Friendly greetings
Jos
Real pleasure to use A.Q. Thanks

Hi again,
On second thought.
Ad audio/record files to placemarks could solve this problem too, perhaps better.
1 put a voicerecorder on top of the list of custom items.
There is a choice menu to set the thing to record for 20/40/60/ endless seconds.
2 press left mainmenu button.
It starts recording immediately and produces a placemark as well. Recording stops after set time. This would mean one tap only and you have got what you want. If set to endless a second tap is needed to stop.
3 at home edit the audio notes to ordinary placemarks or icons.
One strike, two down on the request list.
Also this would benefit more users i think since it is so easy then to make any note on any subject.
Edit later, at home, to text, icons. No typing and only one tap
en route needed.
If useless just delete.
Friendly greetings
Jos