[Q] Caching Google Maps Data? - Vibrant General

Is there any way to cache or download the data for Google maps? I'm going out of the country and taking the Vibrant. I'd like to use the map (and broken GPS), but data is $15 per MB for international T-Mobile. Is there any way to download the map data and have it cached for a week? Thanks.

The license for google maps specifically says you aren't allowed to do that. You need to get something like Navdroyd that allows you to download map data. That one uses OSM data, but it's more detailed in other countries. The US data is a little rough. You might be able to get a better deal on data using a pre-paid SIM in the country you are going to as well. Might be edge/gprs only, but it's good enough to maps.

http://damiendebin.net/archives/gMapMaker/
I recall brut was at least planning to make brutmaps compatible with this, since it already can cache Google maps tiles.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=630887
Also, more simply, what about running brutmaps with caching on and viewing the area you'll be going through? That way you'll be caching tiles in advance.

One other option is to use a computer to print the maps you need to hi-res pdf. You can then use a pdf viewer to view them instead of Google maps.

CoPilot. Nuff said.

google has a map editor app that, from what i can tell (haven't tried it yet), lets you save and edit maps/directions/etc. in google maps.

Related

Trip to Alaska...want to Pre-Cache GPS Sat Maps

just as the topic states, I am going to be taking a trip back to alaska in about a month. I wanted to Pre-Cache maps for pretty much any gps program ( im willing to buy it if it works ) that would work on my advantage. on my nokia N800 there was a program called Maemo Mapper and it was amazing as far as pre-fetching maps for a selected area at a selected zoom level....With it I could pre-fetch the whole island im visiting and have it stored on my mem card...but thats linux heh. I'm not lookin for road maps either,only sattelite images such as googlemaps. Any input as far as what your using, and if its capable of caching maps and then pulling them up later with NO internet or cellular coverage whatsoever...thanks!
Im trying Virtual Earth Mobile right now, and the map cache feature is there, however you would have to navigate the entire path i was to travel in order to prefetch the area...no select specified area. and secondly but most importantly, the zoom level for virtual earth mobile is crap compared to say google earth, VEM wont let me get close enuf with satellite to do any good.
I would be very much interested in this if you ever find an answer. I know that you if you download the images manually which is a very pain staking process then you can use a number of programs. Like I said it very long process and for a small area it works.
Let me know how it works out for you
I know under linux using maemo mapper, it was a very valuable option, and it was widely used. I tried downloading a program called tracky, which supposebly pulls googlemaps images and then will cache them for later viewing, but I am struggling with getting it to download the maps properly. ....we cant be the first people that have needed to cache an area of googlemaps at a certain zoom level....
on a totally different note...i was trying to install a game called "the mark" a sniper game...installed fine, loaded game and graphics glitched, had to manually reset via the reset hole on the back. rebooted ameo and it was like I had just hard reset....no programs, had to retap stylus and reset time/date. Now the microdrive and the storage card have ALL the files on them, just none of the associations for the programs installed on the microdrive are there...and all my settings/home screen are back to stock! WTF happened when i just simply reset the phone?did something with the game I intalled corrupt the phone? I was hopeing that AP4.0 would be out before something like this happened....If there isnt a way to restore the file associations, I will just backup the files I need off the drive and storage card, and then actually do a hard reset and format the microdrive
backup, backup and backup. I had something similar happen too... just use spb backup.
heh, I used to have spb backup on my phone, then i realized...that most of the time I did a hard reset was to wipe clean alot of the scummy programs...which was what I was including in my full backup. do i decided to go without it...now I wish i still had it anyways im not really that mad..only takes me a couple hours to get everything back the way it was manually. soooo....anyone else out there care to comment on their gps software?
I don't know man. I wuld love to have the same thing. I have a wireless router at home, and am probably going to cancel my unlimited data plan for awhile. There must be a way, free hopefully.
Before you cancel your unlimited AT&T plan, you should check out the currently available data plans. Last time I checked the unlimited plan was GONE, replaced by a plan that has a monthly data cap. (5 GB?)
Unlimited data ? In the great white north there is no such thing as unlimited data. $80US buys about 100MB a month!
well i've got a little more than a month before I'm heading off for a much needed vacation. Someone out there hopefully knows of a gps program where i can cache the maps to either the microdrive or storage card for viewing with my gps when I have NO data connection. As far as data plans go...I have tmobile's unlimited data plan...and with my minutes and unlimited texting, its less than 75 a month....now I'm not sure if thats truly an "unlimited" amount of data, but I have downloaded several 1-2 gig movies thru windows mobile torrent without any trouble....(and thats thru the GPRS connection cause tmobile dont have 3g in the US...at least not that im aware of yet.
Did i actually find something new that our advantages cant do? ( not due to hardware lacking, just no software to support it) I may end up digging out my N800 and charging up my solar bluetooth gps receiver...it just sucks to bring multiple devices..was hopeing to show off all the advantages power
I use Ozi Explorer, and generate large google earth maps using MAPV Ozi .. it's not the easiest to use (not native english program), and the calibration of the maps is wrong (must be manually calibrated).. but it's much easier than a series of stitched screen captures.
Since I cant rely on the local cell network where I live (and thus Google Maps), I just went ahead and bought Street Atlas 2008 since it was cvheap and included all North American maps. But while the maps are accurate the driections and voice prompts suck.
Next Im going to try Tom Tom Navigator, but its a lot more expensive.
Just suggestions if you cant find a way to cache Google's maps...
touchlasvegas said:
Did i actually find something new that our advantages cant do? ( not due to hardware lacking, just no software to support it) I may end up digging out my N800 and charging up my solar bluetooth gps receiver...it just sucks to bring multiple devices..was hopeing to show off all the advantages power
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries. I FOUND IT!!
Not only can you store the maps, even sat view, google maps is built into it, among several other useful utilities. This is awesome. It also caches map images automatically, and you can change the destination folders. I'll attach pics of automatically cached images.
Features include speed alert, trip computer, geocoder, dashboard view with speed, altitude, percentage of slope, and g force. Much more.
So what's the catch?........That's right, its not free. Trial automatically quits after 15 minutes, but you can start the program over. You cannot save the maps with trial version. However, it says you can download street and sat maps on the desktop then transfer.
Why was this so hard to find? This should be for sale all over the net.
http://www.aximsite.com/boards/gps-...le-directions-address-address-navigation.html
Enjoy.
Edit: Wouldn't let me attach the other pics.
hi im a little late but better than never...
1. (the above postet) Tracky
its very useful for your plans, you even can tell the programm the amount of space it should use on the staorage card to store your 'offlinemaps'. has a lot other more or less usefull functions too. in the momemt i try out if this is stable and reliable like gpstuner.
2. GPSTuner
is another one that does the job. i think its a bit longer on the market than tracky. it support some more map sources like topographic maps, not only googlemaps. i have used this for all my (offroad) outdoortrips like inlineskating the last few years. it has lovely statistic functions also. even a (survival ) trip by car across west africa (16 hours for 600km driving, wich means a hole lot of data to capture) was correctly handled by the program without any problems. in the moment it is my prefered app for the job.
3. GPSMeter
this is very close to gpstuner, but i dont know if it's capable to precache maps. i stop monitoring this one because the other 2 programs are already serving all my needs.
the are a dozend or more programs out there but they are more specific to things like gecaching, and (in my view) to complex to be used as 'every day all prupose gps tool'.
i hope this helps mad

Google navigator

Hi,
Have anybody tried google navigator on the HD. I heard it's supposed to work with the hd. Anybody know if a dataconnection is needed, or can we download the maps and use it "offline" with the built in GPS reciever ??
anybody know where we can find a trial ?
oldings said:
Hi,
Have anybody tried google navigator on the HD. I heard it's supposed to work with the hd. Anybody know if a dataconnection is needed, or can we download the maps and use it "offline" with the built in GPS reciever ??
anybody know where we can find a trial ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Attached Google.
This is freeware
thx for reply. But isn't this the same that came pre-installed with the HD.
I tried Google Maps but that uses the data connection. I heard on google navigation you can save maps on storage and the use it "offline", so no need of data-connection, only GPS reciever.
Sorry, I should have read your thread properly, been a long day.
Google Navigator attached
I haven't used this application to be honest, but just installed it and a data connection appears to be required. I'll play with it and let you know if this can be disabled.
I have also downloaded the trial from http://www.pdafun.net/
and first time I started it I saw it downloded dato. I then used HD tweak to stop all data connection, and went in to Google navigator and changed som settings.
I can still start the prorgam wihtout any problems and activated GPS. It find my postition(still noe data connection used, yet). But don't know how to get a map. I only see a "world" map.
SO would be nice to know how we can download offlien maps so we can use with GPS and not need to use dataconnection, since it says it's possible
Without sounding flipant, the CAB is 1.73Mbs so I would expect it does not contain map data, bearing in mind that TomTom Maps are in the region of 1Gbs.
Maybe you have to download from somewhere else though.
<double post>
The map are downloaded using Data connection, they are download on demand by the software.
Google Navigator
the meaning of offline Navigation in this Software is that you can specify an interested area and tell the program to download the related topo, road maps, etc to the device over a data connection at a a given Zoom level. (wifi or gsm)
once the download is complete you can switch off the data connection or remove the sim and use the application to locate/Navigate your self in the downloaded area. The purpose is to enable you to use the phone to navigate yourself in a area without network coverage and/or to cutdown on the data download cost over GSM.
FYI
Google Navigator works fine on the HD except for the 3D view. it creates some areas of the map to disappear. I wrote to the developers on this bug and they said they will correct that error in their 4.9V but till the latest version the problem is still there.
is it just me or is the trial version of this completely useless? what is the point in disabling the only features that actually make this different to google maps? surely a time-limited version rather than feature-limitedwould make more sense?
I for one will certainly not be shelling out for this unless I know it works (and on my phone too).
this is most unlike google, who's software (until now)I have always been most impressed with. google maps is simply phenomenal, but does lack the turn-by-turn voice commands necessary to operate it whilst driving.
the data, for me (and many who own this type of device - why on earth would you have a device this capable without some data included?!) is not an issue. but i need to see it in action before I can abandon Tomtom properly...
is this software actually from google or just based on google maps? I still can't work out why I have to pay for this when everything else google is free (and this looks decidedly shoddier)?!
kindregards
dr_nick
Apparently Google Navigator has nothing to do with Google. The developers are just using the name "Google" because it taps into the Maps database. Caveat emptor.
Google Navigator is one of the worst PDA Apps I've ever seen.
Not only do they #1 -- Use the FREE google maps service, and charge you for their crappy front end, but #2 -- Put the name "Google" in the title of their product, so you think it's actually from a reputable source.
Google really needs to put a stop to this company because they are basically ripping people off.

Store Google Maps locally

Hey guys,
wondering if there is a way to store the map data locally?
This way I dont need to always use the wireless connection to get maps on the run, and im sure it would speed up the application too.
Of course i dont expect to store the whole world, just my city. Is there a method to do this?
tia!
sephstyler said:
Hey guys,
wondering if there is a way to store the map data locally?
This way I dont need to always use the wireless connection to get maps on the run, and im sure it would speed up the application too.
Of course i dont expect to store the whole world, just my city. Is there a method to do this?
tia!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I made myself a simple workaround - just make screenshots!
gpsVP
This is what the open source project gpsVP is all about.
http://code.google.com/p/gpsvp/
Code is free, and there is ateam working on enhancements.
I have had it running on the X1 for past week. Works great.
I have tried both Google and MS map caching. Not Openstreet yet.
In addition I created my own raster map using Mapcruncher to calibrate coords.
It take s a bit of getting used to, as user documentation is catching up.
You can seed the cache while connected to PC/Landline. Starting at the most zoomed-in level you want, the app will automatically download the higher levels maps.
Hi,
Nowadays I'm testing this one:
http://terracrosser.com/
This program has two parts:
- Mapper.exe
You have to copy it to the PC and it allow to select an area at gooblemaps or yahoomaps and tke zoom levels.
It dowloads the images with the size you have selected and at the end compress them in 1 file (that you have to copy to the PDA​
- Terracrosser itself: for the PDA.
This is not a navigation program. It show in the photo or map image where you are.
The speed is not very fast, development is in progress. Also depends in how many maps have you download and the resolution of them.
Nice program and very, very nice downloader. Very simple.
I use NoniGPSPlot (http://aeguerre.free.fr/Public/PocketPC/NoniGPSPlot/EN/index.php) it's free (I donated though for the extra features & because it's awsome) and there's a free map downloading app that lets you cache maps from google, yahoo, live and openmap, builds the image (or slices to help with memory usage) at whatever zoom level you want. You just then load them into NoniGPSPlot and you've got the ultimate GPS tool, with no data connection required.
I mostly use it to log walks for Geotagging my photographs. I can download maps with footpaths on so I can plan in advance a route, the dog gets a good walk, I get some good shots and can geotag them later in lightroom, and we never get lost!

Make google maps possible to use offline - store maps on sdcard ?

Hey,
Ususally im in places where i have no 3g coverage(for example while bicycling :] ), so i can't use google maps on my htc magic there. Im looking for something that will let me change google maps cache size, which I believe is very hard. Currently cache has only 1mb, and allows to store just small fragment of map.
There are some other solutions like, RMap and AndNav2 that can work offline, but google maps is used in several other useful apps.
Im learning android development just now so im thinking of writing some proxy app that will record downloaded maps tiles into sdcadrd, and later it would be possible to use them again without internet access.
I think all i need to do is to make google maps use 127.0.0.1 instead of google server and write proxy app that will be running on android device.
Do you think its possible?
Or there is another way to do that that I'm not aware of?
Im recommending Mapdroyd (lovely OSM maps) and its free
http://www.mapdroyd.com/
I don't know why google maps can't just cache to the SD card (let us have a setting to turn it on or off!) It would be really handy for low/no signal areas. I don't think as of now it's possible at all, but maybe google will enable it in the future.
codito said:
I don't know why google maps can't just cache to the SD card (let us have a setting to turn it on or off!) It would be really handy for low/no signal areas. I don't think as of now it's possible at all, but maybe google will enable it in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google just badly wants to know all your whereabouts to better geotarget ads ;(

How to cache my entire city and insert it into Google Maps?

The Google Maps app for android caches the map tiles of areas you visit. Also, the GM Brut mod allows you to cache map tiles to the SD card. I'm on a very limited data plan, so I'd like to have my entire city cached to my phone memory/SDcard. So far, the only way I can think of is to manually scroll all over the city using different zoom levels which very annoying... and stupid given the fact that it'll be erased if you install a new ROM.
Long time ago when I got a iPhone 3G, I remember I easily download all the Google Maps of my entire city using a desktop application called GMDL (Global Map Download Tool) which after download it, you convert them into iPhone maps cache format using an option it have. Then you navigate inside iPhone and put the maps "cache" you downloaded into the map cache directory... and voilà, easy as that.
My question is: Is there a way like the one I've explained to do that? Again, I want to be able to use Google Maps anywhere in the city without having to download the maps on-the-fly over my data plan. Is there a practical way to achieve this, so I won't have to scroll several times (once for each zoom level) over the entire city?
A desktop application that can export to GM format would be the best solution.
Thanks.
alainalemany said:
The Google Maps app for android caches the map tiles of areas you visit. Also, the GM Brut mod allows you to cache map tiles to the SD card. I'm on a very limited data plan, so I'd like to have my entire city cached to my phone memory/SDcard. So far, the only way I can think of is to manually scroll all over the city using different zoom levels which very annoying... and stupid given the fact that it'll be erased if you install a new ROM.
Long time ago when I got a iPhone 3G, I remember I easily download all the Google Maps of my entire city using a desktop application called GMDL (Global Map Download Tool) which after download it, you convert them into iPhone maps cache format using an option it have. Then you navigate inside iPhone and put the maps "cache" you downloaded into the map cache directory... and voilà, easy as that.
My question is: Is there a way like the one I've explained to do that? Again, I want to be able to use Google Maps anywhere in the city without having to download the maps on-the-fly over my data plan. Is there a practical way to achieve this, so I won't have to scroll several times (once for each zoom level) over the entire city?
A desktop application that can export to GM format would be the best solution.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check this
http://www.mapdroyd.com/
I've considered MapDroyd, but it is an Android application. Is there any desktop application which can do all things I explained GMDL do? I remember it was an easy and confortable application to use.
Thanks.
alainalemany said:
I've considered MapDroyd, but it is an Android application. Is there any desktop application which can do all things I explained GMDL do? I remember it was an easy and confortable application to use.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe try this one then
http://code.google.com/p/gmapcatcher/
Man thank you very much, you're a quick replier
I'm not sure it can export to Android devices... are you sure?
alainalemany said:
Man thank you very much, you're a quick replier
I'm not sure it can export to Android devices... are you sure?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check If the downloaded maps are in a picture format, if it is then you can use gallery to view the map, unless Google maps can open it, which I doubt. Those are the only two I know of that can help you.
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 4G using XDA App
alainalemany said:
I've considered MapDroyd, but it is an Android application. Is there any desktop application which can do all things I explained GMDL do? I remember it was an easy and confortable application to use.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't it be easier to spend $20 on CoPilot Live and get the entire North America coverage?
There was an article just a couple of days ago that states that Google maps is going to offer an offline option but it probably won't come for many months.

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