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Using Topo Maps From OpenAndroMaps.org

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50 comments

  • Andy
    I have been using the open android maps now for a couple of months. This is such a great solution! I have all of the US and Canada on my SD card. Theopen android vector maps provide me 95-99% of what I need and use so much less space. Well done on this!
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  • James Finlay

    Thanks for the tips on large scale map downloads.  My thinking might be backwards but I am always trying to figure out how much of Southern CA I can get on a 128 G SD card or on a 2 TB external drive.  My 4 wheel tours can be  spur of the moment (within perhaps a multi-county wide region) and I don't want to have to worry about sitting down and boxing my way thru a set of downloads specific for each trip.  Understood this is different than needs of a thru hike on the PCT.  So to me a "large" area is the size I can download into match my storage capacity.  Memory is cheap and if I can store the maps on a HD and then dump them into my Android tablet when needed, works for me. 

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  • Scatter

    Thanks for the quick reply Nathan. Yeah I saw, and tried, the Browse button but it took me to a different screen and I couldn't find any way to locate my downloaded maps. I just spent more time clicking options in that area and found where the maps are located and am now able to access them.

    I guess my only comment, other then thanks for making this all available, is to allow more than four to be able to show on the drop down menu on the Map Layers option.

    LOVE BCN!!!!!

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  • Dave P

    I would agree that map choosing can be a little convoluted.  Especially when you don't use the app every day.

     

    One thing in particular, is that if you use the Browse button,  or even select MORE MAP SOURCES > USE MOBILE ATLAS  it opens to the Download folder, not the BCNAV / ATLASES folder.  A few clicks later you are in the correct location to choose another option. I don't know about other devices, but the file structure on the Nexus 4 is convoluted itself so users can get lost in what should be an easy process.

    On another note,  I was using the app in the car a while back and noticed my location wasn't moving.  I restarted the app and it updated to my real location.  Had I been on foot, It would have been much longer before I noticed (the icon status did not change).  Perhaps a notification could be added that would alert the user if gps location is interrupted for any reason.

    Thanks!

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  • Nathan

    If I may comment here.

    Your OpenAndroMap downloads may be spread out because of a failure to standardize when this was a beta.

    Downloads is a reasonable place to look for things that people have downloaded straight from the internet. Moving files from computer to phone is a rather advanced case for many.

    The intention now, is that if you use Install on BackCountryNavigator as above, that you will choose a place, or use our default, and put all maps on there. Once that is done, the browse button should open to that location.

    I recommend that if you have put maps in a different place in the past, that you install at least one using this button and move all your maps there. The same with styles.

     

     

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  • Dave P

    Your comments are always welcome, of course!

    Is  the default loactaion:  bcnav/atlases

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  • Nathan

    It is, I believe, bcnav/openandro, but you can change it to bcnav/atlases.

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  • Dave P

    Interesting,,,that folder does not exist in my case. Thanks.

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  • Nathan

    I changed my mind. I think it starts out as bcnav/atlases and I changed it in the example - since you can do that. 

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  • Andy

    I finally got around to checking this out. Thanks so much for doing this. The problem of what do I do when I forget maps (or I'm randomly traveling) is now solved. Eventually I will just download all the maps for US & Canada. I also downloaded all the same data for the roads only data we got access too a year or two ago (which is great because of the small file sizes). Well done! And since OpenAndroMaps is European based we now have a worldwide solution for much smaller sized topo maps.

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  • Lonerock44
    Are you still attempting to incorporate Elevate 3 in Map Styles for BCN or has this been dropped ?
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  • Nathan

    Elevate 3 should work as of 5.8.8 version. There could still be some things to be worked out.

    I don't know when the 3 themes will have a button for BackCountry Navigator, but you can use "Download Normal Version" in the meantime and it will work. I will reach out to the site once I confirm it works for you.

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  • Nathan

    Nothing happened to the fifth one. The menu just shows the four most recent used. There is also a browse button on that page.

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  • Wilhelm

    Looking really great. I downloaded Switzerland and the Style Elevate 2. But as soon as i zoom in, the app closes after a few seconds without a crashreport :-(

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  • Nathan

    The mapsforge people tell me its still not safe to use multiple threads with their library, even though it looked like they were ready. I am making some changes.

     

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  • Nathan

    I hope it will all be working smoothly for everyone now.

     

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  • SoutheastBackpacker

    Finally got around to trying this & it was an easy process.  Great to have backup source in case I get outside the area I downloaded on another map.

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  • Brian Dawson

    These maps are great.  I donated to help the cause.

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  • vrex

    Hi. I don't know if this place is still populated, but...

    Can someone explain in plain language how I can put topo maps on an android tablet without downloading tiles. That is just too much work. I would rather download already prepared maps.

    I have full sets of maps on the office computers, so could do something there if need be, but what I really want to do is just download topos in the areas I work - Nevada, California, Utah, Arizona - for example. I definitely need to be offline when I use these.

    Thanks...)

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  • Nathan

    THIS *is* the page for explaining how to put already prepared maps on an Android tablet. Look up near the top.

    This is the process in video form.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7hmn0MaSTQ

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  • vrex

    Nathan, I think I missed something here. When I got to the step at 12 seconds - open www.openAndromaps.org, well - the site is in German and doesn't look like the video. I couldn't hear any sound, and I am not sure there is any. So what do I do now? It looks easy enough if I can get to the places in the video, plus English would be a bonus.

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  • Brian Dawson

    Menard,  The URL for Open Andro Maps has /en on the end to bring up the english version of the site. If you copied or typed the URL you must have left the /en off the end but you can always click the "Union Jack" or U.K. flag at the top right of the page for the English version of the site.  You want to navigate to the Map Downloads for Countries and Regions page.  Here is the link for the USA. 

    https://www.openandromaps.org/en/downloads/usa_en

    This page should look like the one in the video.  Maybe not exact but close enough to follow along.  Also, the Youtube video linked by Nathan yesterday has sound.  You might want to check the settings on your device if you are unable to hear the audio.

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  • Susie Amann

    This is a fantastic resource - thanks for the link. 

    I have downloaded more than 4 maps and am now finding it impossible to get to them all.  

    They are all stored in /atlases as I can see them when my phone is connected to the pc. 

    When I click on 'Browse' , I am taken to the 'download' location, and when I try and navigate via the file structure ,the closest I can get is /sdcard/android/data/com.crittermap.backcountrynavigator.license/files and then I can't drill down any further. 

    Can you help? Thanks

     

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  • Evermolpro

    nothing happen to fifth one ,there is a browse button

    website designing company in noida

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  • Dave P
    I think the map is from the OpenStreetMap project, so there may well be overlapping data sets.
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  • Gregdlind
    I did manage to download the utah-colorado file and the theme for MTB. Both seem to work, on my nexus 9 tablet. Will play with this next week during a spring trip to st George utah!
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  • Nathan

    Well, now you could place all of California in 416 megabytes. Of course, you have to review it to see if the map is valid for your purposes.

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  • James Bowen

    Worked for me as well. Downloaded Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California for a trip this summer. This is great, my Galaxy S5 has a 64gb card so bring it on with bigger and more details, woot! Thanks Nathan!

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  • Gregdlind
    Went back to open android site and downloaded Idaho and Oregon. Same process, things seem to work great. Some of the zip files are unneeded and I delete after unpacking the original zip file. I did contribute to the open android site as you suggested. Thanks for this ability to get large areas downloaded. G
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  • jegrjegr

    works like a charm for me, downloaded denmark and spain/portugal and put them in the atlas folder on my external sd-card.

    I also create maps with the MOBAC program, using version 1.8 as it still have the microsoft satellite views available. I can choose my own zoom levels up to 19.

    But the option that we try out here has the advantage that you can do it all from your mobile when you actual need the map.

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