Nearby POI selection in navigation

[Ciutnik]

Currently, the set of POIs we are informed about in navigation only applies to motor vehicles - cars or motorcycles: fuel/charging station, parking, speed camera. It certainly won't be useful for cyclists and pedestrians (and it may not even be interesting for all motorists).

I understand the current limitation to only four categories (performance), but it would be nice to be able to independently select POIs visible during navigation for each profile independently. Would that be possible?

[devemux86]

@Ciutnik indeed we need a function like this for all travel types.

We can define some popular categories and I will include them in the settings.

For example see the POI categories / tags used in the search screen:

• Offline search POI categories #195 (comment)

[devemux86]

How search with so many possible keys / values could be possible?
We already have predefined categories (as most apps do), what alternative is there?

We can always use key=value in the search field, or only the key or only the value, it will still find results.

[Ciutnik]

We can always use key=value in the search field, or only the key or only the value, it will still find results.

Yes, and it works well! But if I could add this result to the information during navigation, it would be great for me 🙂 Hence my proposal to allow entering the any key value instead of selecting a ready-made POI group. Of course, this is just a loose idea that may not be easy to implement.

In OsmAnd, this is solved in such a way that instead of a dozen or so POI groups, we can see several dozen categories on the map (and in the navigation, as far as I remember). It seems to me that we can select any POI included in OSM to be permanently shown on the map as a layer.

[devemux86]

This could be possible: search for POI before navigation, use the POI results in navigation's display / announcement.

Then we would not need any POI categories in navigation? Any search result (categories or free search) can be used.

I had also thought about it when I implemented the nearby POI, but preferred to start with a simple implementation
and extend it in the future as we will meet new user requirements, as we are discussing it now. 🙂

[Ciutnik]

Or maybe permanently associate these free searches with profiles? Of course as an option. As I wrote in the first entry, everyone could select four of predefined categories of POI in their profile and/or enter their own key for serach results.

[devemux86]

Or maybe permanently associate these free searches with profiles?

This is also a good idea for nearby POI in navigation, we could store favorite searches or do custom searches.

[devemux86]

Next Cruiser will allow to select the nearby POI in navigation between all available POI categories.

The available POI categories are the same as in the search screen. They are mentioned here.

If we need more detailed POI categories, we can discuss it. e.g. split some of them?
Important: we have to translate the names of the categories in 15 (voice) languages.

[devemux86]

@r11d11 we can do this.

In navigation settings and search screen.

[Ciutnik]

Great. Works as expected. Thanks! 👍

There is only a "clash" between the icon on the map and the icon resulting from the above function. I know that for some reason you want to use Google icons, but maybe it is possible to make the icons resulting from the search as similar as possible to the icons on the map?

For example, a tourist attraction icon: on a map it's a star, and in search results it's a asterisk. But on a map, a asterisk is a viewpoint, etc. 🙂

[devemux86]

@Ciutnik

Important:
Changing map icons is difficult, as it requires changing all the themes that use them.
Also, each theme may use different icons, so we should not expect similarities.

App icons are easier to change, if it is needed.
If there are specific suggestions from here, I'll be happy to discuss them. 🙂

[Ciutnik]

Of course I didn't mean changing the icons on the map! 🙂

I was just thinking about making the search icons and the icons from the theme (Motorider is probably the most popular choice) similar.
Are the theme icons (source: jar) embedded in the app or in the map file?

[devemux86]

Motorider and other themes use the same large collection of icons.
You can see it here and is included in the app.

All map icons have been prepared carefully (some time ago) because they need special coloring to be readable.

If you think an icon in Motorider could be changed, but from the existing collection of icons,
please write in the Motorider thread:

• Motorider map theme 5 #612

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It is often easier to change an app icon, if you can make specific suggestion with the replacement from here.

[devemux86]

Nearby POI selection in navigation is available for testing in the latest:

• Cruiser 5.0.0 (Beta) #610

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We have separate settings for display panels and voice announcement:

• Settings | Navigation | Panels | Nearby points of interest
• Settings | Voice guidance | Announcement | Nearby points of interest

So we can choose for nearby POI:

• Only display them
• Only announce them
• Display + announce them

As these settings seem like too many, do we need a separate selection for display + announcement?
Or keep the settings only in "Navigation" and announce them anyway when their display is enabled?

[devemux86]

Even better, we can make the nearby POI voice a single switch, like the nearby favorites.
(it will work for the enabled POI in navigation settings)

[DolomitesTom]

I am of the opposite opinion. I want to see and be able to select the nearby POI, but don't want to have them announced. I am for the 3 options mentioned above.

[devemux86]

This is only about voice, the detailed POI switches remain in navigation settings.
A POI voice switch turns on / off the POI announcement, like in nearby favorites.

[DolomitesTom]

if this is like in b7, it is ok, I thought you want to delete the settings in announcement and announce it as soon as the display is active.

[devemux86]

The detailed POI settings in voice guidance were replaced with one switch like the favorites.
The detailed POI selection remains in navigation settings:

[DolomitesTom]

The nearby POIs are not shown during navigation, only the favorites. I have configured both to be shown on the left side. Is there a wrong setting?

[DolomitesTom]

Unfortunately I can't tell this anymore, since I just had an error when opening, all offline maps got deactivated and it switched to online maps (maybe to quick opened the app after reboot of the device?). But normally I have Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg and Switzerland active and POI France, Germany and Luxemburg.
Nearby POIs: fuel stations, Eat and Drink, Café, Biergarten, Supermarket
Route was 915 km, my next 2 day-trip

Question: the option for the distance is "Always", slider from 0.1 to 5 km. What does "always" mean?

[devemux86]

How do you use different offline maps and poi?
Do you activate the poi separately in the "Offline POI" screen with the extended menu?

the option for the distance is "Always", slider from 0.1 to 5 km. What does "always" mean?

This is the distance from which the nearby panels are displayed.
"Always" means they appear always on the screen.

[DolomitesTom]

Do you activate the poi separately in the "Offline POI" screen with the extended menu?

yes

"Always" means they appear always on the screen.

in panels or additionally on the map? and till which distance?

[devemux86]

It is the display distance of panels before we reach the nearby POI.
Then these panels disappear and the next panels can be displayed.

[devemux86]

I still think that we do not need such complicated settings.

We can turn on / off the nearby panels in navigation's quick options.
(long press direction icon at top-left)

[DolomitesTom]

just made b9 crash. was in simulation and had selected another route from my routes.

[MotoUKRider]

@DolomitesTom Interesting. On my S20, I plotted a short route (through London), set it to "simulate" and as that was "navigating", I then loaded a local'ish GPX route and Cruiser automatically reverted to simulating that route, no issues.

[devemux86]

We can make a change in the nearby POI search in navigation:

• Nearby POI are now searched first in the activated offline poi databases.

• We can change this and if you have disabled the POI in search settings,
  the nearby POI can be searched directly online, which will be faster.

[DolomitesTom]

Sounds good

[devemux86]

I wrote a new algorithm for the nearby POI that is dozens of times faster.

Testing Bayern map and populous "Food" POI on a long route of 484 km:

• Old algorithm: 77 sec

• New algorithm: 8 sec 🚀

[devemux86]

The good news is that this fast time remains the same even if we enable all nearby POI categories.

(the old algorithm got slower with more categories enabled)

The magic of mathematics! 🪄

[Ciutnik]

The magic of mathematics!

Words of appreciation for the magician! 👍

[devemux86]

• You can select the nearby POI in navigation between all available POI categories in Cruiser 5.0.4 #641
  (in navigation settings)