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Future Android App's handling of OSM data

21 May 2023
by mark70
in forum cycle.travel
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Question about the anticipated Android app for CycleTravel:  is the plan for the app to be able to function in Offline mode (locations without cellphone reception or with intermittent reception)?   
If the answer is yes, then will the app be able to utilise an OSM mapping database that already exists on the cellphone without creating its own version of the OSM database?
I ask because the OSM database can be quite sizeable if it covers multiple countries, and it may already be on the phone by way of manual download or via another pre-installed app (for example, OSMand).

I would understand if there is no current answer because it is too early in the development of the CycleTravel app.

Thanks
Martin

Comments

Sun 21 May 2023, 08:51

The good news is that it will have offline mapping – in fact I’ve just finished coding it!

Unfortunately there are many different ways of encoding OSM data. OSMand uses its own format called ‘.obf’ which isn’t something that cycle.travel understands. Similarly maps.me (and its descendant Organic Maps) use their own ‘.mwm’ format. In theory if another app uses the ‘.mvt’ format that cycle.travel uses then it might be possible to share data at some point in the future, but in reality I think it’s pretty unlikely I’m afraid.

Fri 26 May 2023, 03:52

Thank you for the detail in your answer, and I fully understand your explanation from a software build/maintain perspective.

Without implying it is a user requirement, I would be relieved if your app allows the user to selectively download only the regions/countries he needs for offline use.

Fri 26 May 2023, 13:56

Yes – on both the iPhone and (forthcoming!) Android app, you select ‘tiles’ covering the area you want to download.