Navigation, Waypoints and Tracks

** GPS is not turned on by default. You have to turn it on when you need it, i.e., when using My Location (center) and when recording a track.

*BackCountry Navigator only uses your device's GPS to identify your position. It does not use cell towers or WiFi to determine your location. Hence,acquiring your location will only work outdoors. Another downside of solely using GPS for determining your location is that it quickly consumes battery power. To circumvent this,you can turn off the GPS by clicking on Stop using GPS (saves power) button from the Location menu.

Turning on GPS

To enable automatically Centering on you Location, the GPS functionality of your device needs to be enabled.

1 - Go to Settings

2 - Then Location Services

3 - Make sure that the GPS Satellites box is checked/ticked

Centering the map on Your Location

To use your device's GPS functionality to automatically center on you current location;

1 - Click on the Location icon 

* This will open up the Location Menu; which gives you the option to [2] automatically center on you current location and [3] record a track

** Click My Location, it will then inform you that GPS Location has been activated [A]

You will be able to figure out if your device has successfully locked your location by seeing an [B] arrow like icon 

Recording a Track  (Detailed Info HERE)

When you click on Record Track; you will be presented with a new menu, which enables you to:

1 - Stop the track recording

2 - Pause the track recording

3 - GPS View

**But before you start recording your tracks, we must create a TRIP Data first; to fully customize your track data

Creating Trip Files

1 - Create New (Empty) Trip File

You can give your trip file any customized name. To verify and check the current trip file you are using you can click on the Trip Data icon, it would show the current trip file, how many waypoints and tracks you have on them.

The default directory for the trip data is : root//sdcard/bcnav/data/<custom_trip_name>

2 - Load Existing Trip (click on Switch to another trip database)

You have the option to load existing saved trips including their waypoint and tracks data; again, to verify, click on the Layers Icon 

** Loading existing trips will also give you the option to Delete a Trip after you make a selection.

3 - List Tracks/ Waypoints in trip: Trip Name

This menu will give you the option to search for [2] waypoints saved from a custom [1] trip

                                More details HERE on Creating Waypoints

4 - Close Trip - will basically close the custom trip you are currently on. Verifiable via the Layers Menu 

5 - Import GPX/KML

WHAT IS GPX?

GPX (the GPS Exchange Format) is a light-weight XML data format for the interchange of GPS data (waypoints, routes, and tracks) between applications and Web services on the Internet.

The GPX 1.1 schema was released on August 9, 2004. GPX has been the de-facto XML standard for lightweight interchange of GPS data since the initial GPX 1.0 release in 2002. GPX is being used by dozens of software programs and Web services for GPS data exchange, mapping, and geocaching. (source: http://www.topografix.com/gpx.asp)

For more info on GPX, click HERE

SAMPLE GPX File

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no" ?>

<gpx xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1" xmlns:gpxx="http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3"xmlns:gpxtpx="http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/TrackPointExtension/v1" creator="Oregon 400t" version="1.1"xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3 http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensionsv3.xsd http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/TrackPointExtension/v1 http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/TrackPointExtensionv1.xsd">
  <metadata>
    <link href="http://www.garmin.com">
      <text>Garmin International</text>
    </link>
    <time>2009-10-17T22:58:43Z</time>
  </metadata>
  <trk>
    <name>Example GPX Document</name>
    <trkseg>
      <trkpt lat="47.644548" lon="-122.326897">
        <ele>4.46</ele>
        <time>2009-10-17T18:37:26Z</time>
      </trkpt>
      <trkpt lat="47.644548" lon="-122.326897">
        <ele>4.94</ele>
        <time>2009-10-17T18:37:31Z</time>
      </trkpt>
      <trkpt lat="47.644548" lon="-122.326897">
        <ele>6.87</ele>
        <time>2009-10-17T18:37:34Z</time>
      </trkpt>
    </trkseg>
  </trk>
</gpx>

WHAT IS KML?

Keyhole Markup Language (KML) is an XML notation for expressing geographic annotation and visualization within Internet-based, two-dimensional maps and three-dimensional Earth browsers. KML was developed for use with Google Earth, which was originally named Keyhole Earth Viewer. It was created by Keyhole, Inc, which was acquired by Google in 2004. KML became an international standard of the Open Geospatial Consortium in 2008. Google Earth was the first program able to view and graphically edit KML files. Other projects such as Marble have also started to develop KML support.

The KML file specifies a set of features (place marks, images, polygons, 3D models, textual descriptions, etc.) for display in Google Earth, Maps and Mobile, or any other geospatial software implementing the KML encoding. Each place always has a longitude and a latitude. Other data can make the view more specific, such as tilt, heading, altitude, which together define a "camera view". KML shares some of the same structural grammar as GML. Some KML information cannot be viewed in Google Maps or Mobile. (source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyhole_Markup_Language)

SAMPLE KML File

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">
<Document>
<Placemark>
  <name>New York City</name>
  <description>New York City</description>
  <Point>
    <coordinates>-74.006393,40.714172,0</coordinates>
  </Point>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

  6 - Share Trip Data

  

You can share your trip data via the internet, as a GPX file and as a KML file.

For sharing using the internet, you must have an EveryTrail Account, you can create one HERE

7 - Find Trails (in association with EveryTrail.com)

Creating Waypoints

**There are two methods in creating waypoints.

1 - Using the Crosshair as point of interest

2 - Long-pressing on an area of the map (active)

1 - Using the Crosshair for Waypoint Creation 

Click on the [1]  Waypoint creation Icon (WCI) to create a waypoint manually based on the location of the [2] crosshair, as your point of interest.

After tapping the  WCI, a pop-up on the are of interest with corresponding coordinates will enable you to create a custom name for your selected waypoint.

Clicking on the Action button , allows you to either; save, center, goto, or delete the waypoint.

**Measure and Create Routes

When creating a waypoint via the  icon, you'll have an option to [1] Measure and Create Routes

Option 1 Lets you save your created and measured route [ from point a to point b]

Option 2 Undoes the last created point (e.g. a or b)

Option 3 Creates the route

Option 4 Ground Guidance Route (beta) which is basically a guide on which terrain or path you will you, take note that this is still in beta phase and some routes may not be 100% accurate

You can choose a custom name for your route and choose the guide type, either by Foot, ATV, Jeep, Water or Trail.

in this example, the guide shown is when using a JEEP to navigate the said points.

2 - Long-pressing on an area of the map (active) 

*before you can utilize this feature, you have to first enable it by going to the settings menu

Go to DISPLAY OPTIONS

]

Then Enable Long Click On Map

To begin creating a waypoint using this method, simple long-press on an area of interest on the map/screen.

and it will again give you options to name your waypoint and save it/edit/cancel.

** Editing / Deleting Waypoints

Simply click the TRIP DATA Icon  (which looks like a folder) and choose,

It will then open up the available waypoints for your selected trip and will give you the option to, Edit, Center, Goto or Delete a waypoint.