Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

From using Maemo Mapper so far I am guessing it doesn't have street address, route mapping, etc build in (like MS Street, Trip Maker, etc does) correct? Is there any way to store address like MS Street or Trip Maker so I get find address while offline.

Next question is exactly how to do this. I used the Route-> download and looked it downloaded but I don't see a route. How do I get route to work and get voice direction for it? The Maemo Mapper help doesn't seem to give great details on this. Also, so I do edit the route, like add in way point (like the while dot you can put into google maps) to follow the roads I want it to. Detailed instructions on this would be helpful.

Another question is there anyway to store locations. Like can download locations all Mc Donalds, Wal-Marts, etc in my current Map view and store them into Maemo Mapper automatically somehow?

The last question is does Maemo Mapper have some kind of night mode?

Thanks in advance!

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

I've used my N800 as a flashlight on many occasions, so I'm not sure why Maemo Mapper would need a night mode beyond that.

Maemo Mapper does remember addresses to a certain extent in some buffer, but I have never been able to use the buffer in Maemo Mapper -- I would expect to be able to tap on an address and have it pop into a form, but it doesn't work for me.

But in general, I think Maemo Mapper is great.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Night mode means reversing the screen colors to so that the white background becomes black, etc. making the map not so bright at night.

No, all addressing is done from the map repository you happen to be using. I suspect your looking for a way to generate routes while off-line is this is something Maemo Mapper can't do.

Sounds like you just have route view turned off, from the menu go into view, show, and make sure route is checked off.

This would be POI which MM supports, just do a forum search to learn more.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Be aware that the brightness may be dimmed substantially below level "1" -- the easiest way to do this is with Advanced Backlight. That helps in the night.

With regards to recent addresses, that's currently d-pad only; scroll up and down, then click the center button. Tapping does not work.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

I'm going to take a risk and try to bump this thread. see if there may be new updates.

I am also looking for a way to be able to plot routs while offline or better yet if you miss the turn to have it recalculate the rout to a better one. I would really like to use the tablet as a full fledged GPS.

If this is not possible is there another mapping program that can do this?

Thanks in advance

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Quick answer - no. In order to route and reroute offline, the maps have to be vector based, and none of the maps available is. Those maps are proprietary, and commercial, so you have to pay for them. Since MM is free, I don't think Gnuite is going to pay for tens of thousands of copies of vector maps from NavTeq. If you want a full-fledged GPS, you have to pay for it. The maps MM uses are raster maps, freely available, and they cannot be used for routing. It's just not possible. There is one free app that does routing, using vector maps from the US Census Bureau, but the data isn't complete, and knows nothing about one-way streets, for example. Using those maps, you will often be routed the wrong way on an interstate or any other one-way street. RoadNav, the app in quesion, is a Linux app, but AFAIK it hasn't been compiled for Maemo. I've used it on my EeePC, but that wasn't worth the trouble. I have full-blown GPS mapping apps with routing and autorerouting on my Palm, and in a standalone driving GPS, and they work well. I use MM for the nice satellite photo maps, so I can see what I'm driving by, and the other devices for actual routing and directions.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

So I'm in the same boat. I've seen a number of mentions of having to buy vector based maps, but no one has mentioned if there is any pay options available for the Nokia's?

I'd be happy to pay $30-$40 for Streets & Trips for the N800. Because as it is now, it doesn't seem like there is a good way to have accurate street level maps for the entire US without it taking too much space on the memory cards. Even trying to download close zoom levels for Florida for Maemo mapper seemed like it was going to take multiple GB of memory.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

If you're just talking about accurate street-level maps, they come with the OS2008 gps mapper stuff, easily downloaded -- I think it was 500 megs for the western states or something. I don't know why you are worried about taking a lot of space on your memory cards -- memory is cheap. I have 6 gigs, it cost me almost nothing.

If you're talking about accurate in the sense of one-way streets, I haven't noticed that as a problem; I find that signs saying One Way work nicely while I am driving. I don't need my gps program to tell me how to respond to them.

And it seems to me that Maemo Mapper DOES reroute one to a certain extent. Are these queries and quibbles based on using Maemo Mapper and the other programs in real life, or just theoretical, arm-chair quibbles? In practice, they work great.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Most mapping companies simply don't bother with any Linux apps, and not that many with MacOS. It's a Windows world. The only mapping app for Nokia that I know of is Wayfinder, and I really can't say much about it, because I haven't bothered to register it or even try it out. I already have enough paid-for apps on other platforms, and Maemo Mapper is enough for me, at least on the Nokia.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

In response to "free POI's" there are several free sites, some databases require conversion, but it took a long time to download all the WalMarts.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

In my case I've tried to varying extent to use Maemo Mapper, Wayfinder, and RoadMap. I haven't got very far with Wayfinder, because at the time I was looking to use it I had two memory cards with 256MB each, and there didn't seem to be a way to just grab an individual state's map so that I could fit it onto one card.

I tried RoadMap, since it is vector based and so I thought it should take up a lot less room, and offer the other advantages of vector maps...but I didn't get very far there either because I couldn't seem to get around the need to enter in the starting point of my route as GPS coordinates instead of as an address.

I got the farthest with MaemoMapper. Thanks to some great instructions here I was able to download a couple of maps for Florida, but even for this relatively small area, the size requirements were huge even just for zoom level 3. I was able to download a zoomed out map of the Miami area, whic gave me a blurry version of some of the major highways...but that was as useful as I was able to make it.

Trying to pick up even the every other zoom level (and skipping zooms 1 and 2 as suggested) for the whole U.S. seems like it would take much more room than could fit on even a 32GB card. I certainly feel like I could be doing something wrong though. Can anyone else let me know if they are able to use Maemo Mapper for street level views of their entire country/region and fit it all on one memory card, or if the idea is to only download individual routes or cities?

I keep comparing this to the first map program I purchased for about $10 in '95 or '96, that managed to fit the whole U.S. on a laptop that probably only had a 2GB hard drive, and was able to do routes and POI all without ever going online. I'd like this same level of functionality on my N800, without having to buy a 32GB card and dedicate to just mapping. If it isn't possible that's cool, I didn't get the N800 for the mapping applications, it would just be a nice to have feature.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Odd, I went to Miami last summer and used MaemoMapper to go there and did not need over 700 MB to fit the maps (that was before MM2 though). What I do is set MM to download a specific number of tiles along the route at a medium view. At the end of the route (or places I intend to stay, I pull up the closer view

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Oh and I currently have northern NJ and NY city at zoom levels 3 and 6 stored no problem. A bigger memory card is a good investment anyway.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Well for me I tend to not plan out routes or even destinations very far in advance (I had less than 24 hours notice that I was heading to Florida, and ended up downloading what maps I could at the airport).

The way things are now it seems like all in all it is just easier to take a Thomas Brothers map of the U.S. everywhere I go. Quicker and easier to find a location, and no worry about having to download anything before hand.

Approximately how much space does it take for the maps you have of Northern NJ and NY? This is where I live, so it would be nice to have it available if I can fit it in a reasonable amount of space.

I do plan on getting a bigger card soon, but I mostly want to use it for music as I have a fairly decent size collection, so the less space other things take up the more music I'll be able to fit on.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

So, did you try the western (or eastern) states map with, I think it's called, Mapper? That works great for giving street-level views, including letting you know where the local pizza parlor is.

On my N800, I've had street-level views of all of Southern California from Los Angeles to San Diego in Maemo Mapper. I only had a few levels; I think it was level 3, 7, and 12 or something. I didn't notice how much space was used, since, as I say, I have 6 gigs. And I used Maemo Mapper for routing -- the voice isn't that good, so it was probably my imagination that I heard it say, after I made a wrong turn, "a-hole! I said turn right!"

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

my current maps DB is 243 MB.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

If you have a phone you can tether with, you should be good. What I did on my trip was wherever I stopped overnight I just got on the net and downloaded the maps for where I was. in MM you can map a route starting from your current GPS location, so that can be a help say if you're in a new town, have no clue what address you are in and need directions to somewhere specific.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

ok, to sum up this thread for those who would be searching.

You can't use any mapper software to do offline route guidance (at least in the foreseeable future) because it is expensive and proprietary vector maps that GPS companies keep to themselves.

please correct me if I am wrong

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Does anyone know where Maemo Mapper stores the maps? I see my POI information is under /home/user but what about the map data? I ask because I downloaded just a small section of NW Austin (perhaps 10 square miles or so) and it filled my / partition. I don't see the maps anywhere any place (on / or /media/mmc2).

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Guys, I see some of you mention downloading specific maps (e.g NJ to IND) only, how would I go about doing this?

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

You can see (and change) the location of the maps under Manage Repositories. Each repository has it's own database. I think the default location is /home/user/MyDocs/.documents/Maps.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

I don't have my N810 in front of me. I'll look again. I only saw where I could change POI's, but I could've missed it. Thanks!

John

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Assuming you have the map repositories set up already in Maemo Mapper, the simplest way is to "download by area". While connected online, zoom and pan so that your area of interest is completely shown in on the screen. You can't stop *exactly* at the state boundaries but you can get reasonably close.

Go to Manage Maps and select to download maps by area in the Setup tab. Pick the zoom levels that you want to download (avoid levels 1-5 as they are very detailed and take a lot of space and also only pick every second or third one above that ... 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16. To give you an idea of reasonable detail, I have the whole world at zoom level 16, my entire province at zoom 14, my entire region at zoom 12 and my city and surrounding area at 10, 8, and 6. The area tab is already pre-filled out with the extents of your screen. Press OK.

Maemo Mapper should show a progress bar as it downloads the maps of that entire area for each zoom level. It might be best to start at zoom 10 and only get more detailed maps for specific cities. I find that zoom level 6 gives me street names for everything but the tiniest street.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Hi everyone.

Thanks for all the answers, but I´m almost more confused now then before :) :(

What I want (from the guys that uses MM frequently) is a step by step how you plan your tripp with MM.

Example: how you add starting point (if not use of GPS position)
How do you enter destination. Can you search street names or do you enter long/lat? (Can you do this without downloading gigs of maps to your MC)

I´ve tried the Maps app (wayfinder) 7 days tryout period.
I think it works great.
Can MM compete with this, in case of navigation?

I´ve seen a lot of MM videos on Youtube, but everyone just shows how you can zoom in satelite views and checking your GPS signal and so on (sitting by your desk).
Nobody ever shows how you atcually USE the MM like a GPS on the road. (like I want to)

Thanks for a great site
(and yes I´m a newbie to the whole NIT community :p )

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

If you want routlng you have to use vector based maps with networked vectors.
No

Leave fancy routing to Google, Garmin, DeLorme, TomTom etc.
RoadMap is in a fledgling stage.

Use MM as you would use hardcopy gas station road maps. You can download satellite imagery and many POI's, track your routes incorporat Google routes.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Henrik, to keep the map download as small as possible, select only a few zoom levels, and keep the route download to 1 tile wide. You can get a very long route in a small download if you do it intelligently. If you have a long stretch on interstate, don't download high zoom levels (low zoom numbers) because you don't usually need a lot of detail for interstate driving. Get more detailed maps for your destination area, and any planned stops. I usually compromise, by getting a zoom level of 4 or 5 for the route, and no other levels. This gives a pretty detailed view, and doesn't take up a lot of room on my card. You might get a zoom level of 12 or 15 or so for the entire route, just so you can see the whole thing on one page, and that won't take up too much room. Do not get every zoom level for everywhere, or you're looking at gigabytes of storage, and you will likely never use much of it anyway.

For the start and end points, you can use an address or lat/lon, or both. I generally just put in the address. MM saves addresses, so if I want to start from home that's already in the list to be picked, and you can also choose to use your current position as the start point. If you want, you can start another route using the end point, or easily download the reverse route. I suggest installing MM and reading the help file, which is excellent and very complete. If you decide you don't like it you can always uninstall it.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

If you have a planned trip in mind, the best strategy (in my opinion) is to first download the complete route via the "Route | Download..." menu item. You can string multiple segments together by just using the menu item multiple times. In this way, you can build an entire road trip.

Once you have the route in place, save it via "Route | Save..." to be sure you don't lose it. Then, use the "Maps | Manage Maps..." menu item in combination with the "Along Route" option to download all of the maps along that route, at whichever zoom levels you think you'll need.

If you plan on straying from the path at times (e.g. to explore a city or see the largest ball of rubber band in the world), either increase the radius when using the "Along Route" download, or download those specific areas via the "By Area" download option.

Assuming you stick to your route, you should have all the maps and directions that you need to complete your trip. If you decide to change your trip mid-way-through, however, you'll need internet access in order to download the appropriate route and/or maps.

Maemo Mapper may not be as robust as more-costly options, but with a little planning, it should have everything you need to execute a trip efficiently, easily, and without getting lost.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Hmm so I can build a custom route by using segments then.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Great instructions, I´l give it a try.
Just like you wrote, often you already know where your going, but you don´t know HOW to get there.
And if you have point A and point B, you don´t need the rest och the world in your NIT :p

Thanks again

// Henrik

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

LM, if you mean a route different from what Google will give you, then yes, you can break it into segments, using addresses along the way. I haven't tried to combine routes, but it might be possible. As a last resort you can keep loading routes as you go.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

n810 newbie here... Mostly I have used Maemo Mapper around town, its fun to drive with google satellite around the neighborhood and on the commute. I just made my 1st long road trip with the n810 guiding my way and did not need the headlights to light my way as the google street maps provided plenty of light... SO, what happened to the NIGHT MODE part of this thread?? I would hope for a better choice than to tweak the display down to 1.

During my trip, I seemed to drive off the edge of the world :rolleyes: (so much for Columbus and that round world theory) as the maps on my trip did not download completely. Driving in the black abyss was an adventure. It was neat to see the world return once I found my way back to the mapped sections. :D
I just need more practice making my routes and downloading the right zoom levels. Gotta say its a great program for free!

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Sorry to disagree, but you are wrong... MM does support routing, in fact MM is the only mapping tool I have got to work that WILL route my journey through Bangkok..

Now, if I could the internal GPS to work at the same time THAT would be worth celebrating...

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Do you understand the difference between "used for routing" and your interpretation of "support routing"?
MM allows one to use another software package such as as google with which one can create and then import routes.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

You are half-right. MM does not do the routing it gets the routs from a website like Google that translates it into coordinates that make up the routing so you have to be connected to the internet to get a new route.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

How am I "half-right"? Besides rephrasing my second sentence what is wrong?

Do you think greenwoodmonkey was able to use MM stand alone to route thru Bangkok?
Or do you think that sgosnell's statement is wrong, as greenwoodmonkey stated and I disagreed with greenwoodmonkey's statement?

MM can't route.

Routing requires GIS capabilities of networking, knowledge of the roads (such as one-way or not) and would be difficult to support on the meager resources of an N8?0. If it could run ArcInfo it might be able to do it with the correct database.

This is similar to those who advertise "Phone Capability" with their eBay ads for an N8?0, and delude buyers into thinking it's capable to be used as a stand-alone phone.

I am just trying to keep expectations of potential users of N8?0's and MM within bounds of reality.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

I am completely sorry and have to apologize I meant to quote greenwoodmonkey not you gemniii42.

You are correct and I am sorry for the confusion.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

Apology accepted.
I'm sensitive to these GIS/mapping issues.
I've been out of work (GIS related) for over a month on sick leave (back surgery) AND I've been up since 0600 EST Monday tracking the woot-off so I had a lot of time on my hands to respond.

posted from my NIT

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

I have a quick question, how feasible is it to create a mapper for the NIT that does use vector based mapping like normal GPS devices. I think it would be awesome to be able to use it as a full blown GPS w/o internet

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

There is Roadmap, which is a start for a vector base,
And if you want the whole ball of wax:
There is a debian package for Grass GIS
but the Arm package alone is about 20 megs. I would assume porting would be a pain.

Re: Maemo Mapper - how to get Routes, Addresses, Locs etc
 

This seems like a pretty good reference for all the different vector formats:
http://www.vterrain.org/Culture/vector.html