Immediate loading of GPX file

[Leigh]

Hi all,

FIrst of all, I just want to say that I love this app. I discovered
it only recently (after looking for something like it for a long time)
and it is nearly perfect for what I am doing. There is something I
would really like to see, though, and I'll try to describe it here.

First of all, this starts with my own web site (www.RouteLoops.com),
the goal of which is to create closed-loop routes for running, biking,
etc. One of the ways that people use those routes is to take them as
a GPX file and load them into a GPS device. (The site outputs the GPX
files on request.)

I have recently been adapting the site so that it can be more easily
used on a smartphone. And as part of that, I've been working on how
to allow a user to generate a route that can then be followed, and now
that I know about OsmAnd, that's what I'm proposing that people use.
A description of this is here:
http://www.routeloops.com/Android.html.

Here's my concern. It's kind of complicated for an average user to
download a GPX file onto a smartphone, find it, move it over to the /
osmand/tracks directory, rename it, and then call it up.

Is there any way that people can think of so that an application like
mine (RouteLoops), running on the smartphone, could generate a GPX
file, and that GPX file would IMMEDIATELY be picked up by OsmAnd?
Ideally it would be one-button operation. Someone presses a button in
RouteLoops, and that would immediately open up OsmAnd, and OsmAnd
would be set to follow the GPX route.

Thanks, and thanks for this application.

Leigh

[Pavol Zibrita]

Hi!

   Hm. Interesting use case. I can image more projects could benefit if osmand
had something like this.

   Hmhmhm...I think the easiest way Osmand could integrate such feature is tu support
some well defined intent scheme. I could imagine something like this:

gpx://routeloops.com/mysuperroute1

  A link that you could generate or send via e-mail to user. On Android, the user will click
the link, which OsmAnd could interpret as routing by gpx, connector to rooteloops.com/mysuperroute1, download
the gpx and start using it.

...for example.

Regards,
Pavol

PS: Feel free to create an issue on osmand's googlecode

[PeeWee]

This look a bit like the combination of the GPSies app/ Oruxmaps app.
With GPSies app one can search for GPX files. Once found the right one
you can longclick on the track. You then get the question "Open
with" . After that you can choose "Oruxmaps" (unfortunately not
Osmand) . After that the GPX file is loaded in Oruxmaps and is then
ready to navigate using Oruxmaps.

It would be nice if there would also be an option to choose "Osmand" .
I don't know if that would require a change in the GPSies app or in
Osmand.

Cheers PeeWee

[Pavol Zibrita]

Well, that is indead the intent behavior. So probably there is already such an
intent existing. I could look at it, and Osmand could implement the support
for such intent (link scheme). Than, it will be also in the option list, probably.

Best regards,
Pavol

[Leigh]

It sounds like that would be perfect.  The way my perfect vision of this works is:

1.  User creates their route (using RouteLoops, in my case)
2.  User presses "gpx" button, which downloads a GPX file from the RouteLoops site.
3.  Dialog box pops up saying "Complete action using"..., and it lists several options.
4.  One of those options is OsmAnd
5.  Select OsmAnd, and OsmAnd opens with this GPX file being used as the Directions>GPX route information.

The great thing is, this almost all works.  1, 2, and 3 all work.  But when I reach (4), at the moment, the list of options I get are things like Firefox, HTMLViewer, Opera Mobile, Quickoffice, Text Edit.  All of these just show you the GPX file.  So all that is needed is to get (4) and (5) to behave as above.

I don't know how to make this happen, but if there is anything I can do to help, I'd be happy to do it.

[Victor Shcherb]

Good point!

So issue only to implement GPX intent and just open map with alert dialog. Do you want to show GPX on the map or navigate using that GPX.

Victor

2011/10/20 Leigh <lchi...@aya.yale.edu>

[Leigh]

I'm not 100% clear on what the question means, so forgive me.  But I want it to work the way it's working now, except that I want it to be easier.  I want for OsmAnd to navigate using the GPX that has been downloaded.

As I write the above, I think maybe I know what your question is.  You are asking me if OsmAnd should just navigate, or if it should also show the GPX track on the map (as it does now when you select Menu > Define view > GPX tracks....).  If that is what you mean, then I would say that it is NOT necessary to show the GPX track by default.  You already have the option to turn it on, and I have not found it necessary to have the GPX track displayed when I have used the application so far.  So my feeling right now is that the GPX track should be read in, and OsmAnd should navigate using it, but the GPX track does not have to be displayed.  (I reserve the right to change my mind later.  ;-) )

Oh, and by the way.  If OsmAnd could work in this way, it would be nice to then be able to save the GPX file to the tracks directory for later use.  Maybe that's already going to happen when OsmAnd picks up this GPX file (I don't know where it will be stored locally).  But ideally, it would go into /tracks so that you could then find it again easily.

Leigh

[yvecai]

It would be great to be able to have the option to only see the GPX on
the map, too.
Just by clicking on it in any file manger, that would be a very nice
feature!

Yves

[P Wat]

I've tried using RouteLoops on Android with Firefox, but it keeps saying "Googlemaps Bicycling mode is not available in United Kingdom or anywhere outside US  ....".
This seems odd because it works well enough on PC using Firefox.
Any ideas?
Paul W

[P Wat]

Addendum. - It says the same with Chrome on Android.  Suggestions please.
Paul |W

[Poutnik]

Using Brouter app and BRouter-Web with bicycle routing profiles. :-)

--
Poutnik ( The Pilgrim, Der Wanderer )

https://github.com/poutnikl/Brouter-profiles/wiki

[Poutnik]

I got the similar result even for Firefox on PC.
something like Zero results, because I chose Bike mode
and the service may not be available in my location.

I guess it may think I am located in UK,
as I am behind the company firewall.

On 02/17/2017 03:34 PM, 'P Wat' via Osmand wrote:

[P Wat]

Hi Poutnik.  I often use Brouter when in Bike mode, but does it do the equivalent of RouteLoops?
Paul W

[Poutnik]

No, it does not. :-)
It works differently.

On 02/17/2017 04:27 PM, 'P Wat' via Osmand wrote:
> Hi Poutnik. I often use Brouter when in Bike mode, but does it do the
> equivalent of RouteLoops?
> Paul W
>

[P Wat]

Right.  So, Brouter can be kept to do its normal job, at which it generally seems pretty good for me when cycling, (thanks).

Meanwhile - Playing with RouteLoops -
On my androids (Chrome on the tablet, Firefox on the phone) it seems the only way I can make RouteLoops offer to plan a route, is in normal PC (non-mobile) mode.
Even then, some of the functions are not as easy as on PC, indeed nearly impossible on the phone.
Having eventually created a route on the tablet, it was still necessary to find the GPX in the file manager.  This then offered the option to open in either of my GPS apps.  From there, selecting Osmand, the route displayed OK.
On the phone, I gave up due to not persuading it to create a viable route.
If the "mobile mode" would work, it might be a different proposition.
Paul W