What do you use Trail Sense for?

[kylecorry31]

I built Trail Sense because I wanted an app that I could depend on when hiking (or in the event I ever found myself in a wilderness survival situation). So far, I've used it for several hiking trips - going so far as to not even need to use a map on an overnight backpacking trip (I still brought it with me though), and I use it every day for weather forecasts.

[jer194]

I have just discovered your app, and I am just experimenting with it, discovering all of its features.
It makes me speechless, I have to say: clean UI, a cool toolset (eg even metal detector), lots of useful things, and even opensource!
(I like sensors ...)
Congatulations, and thank you!

[kylecorry31]

Thank you so much!!

[ybrhue]

Can you use trail sense to navigate existing tracks by importing one gpx file like in osmand?

[kylecorry31]

@ybrhue as of right now you can't, but I have issue #535 to track that as a future feature.

[Lee-Carre]

Were I still in my youth, then I would've used it for expeditions (Cubs, Scouts) and Geocaching. Plus, I'm sure it would've been handy while exploring Australia (Victoria) with family.

However, today, I find it useful for map (OSM) surveying.

Part of why I like it, though, is that it gives a tech-infused nostalgia of weekend adventures.

[Lee-Carre]

Interesting. Thanks for explaining. Wasn't aware of the metadata advantage.

I wasn't meaning to suggest tilesets (only single large images, like you say) or to directly use offline data from other apps. Reimplementing OsmAnd would be quite a mission.

My thinking-aloud question was re using those apps directly. I'm failing to see the gain of exporting from OSM to use that export in TS. Especially when using OA or OM yields good results.

Maybe my assumption is faulty: that the use-case for using an image as a custom map, is for specific sites whose own map is more detailed than OSM (and adding all that, even if licensing allows, to OSM would take longer).

Unless it's for purposes of integration; being able to use TS's many other features with an OSM-Carto background, instead of having to switch between multiple apps?

[kylecorry31]

It can be that the image is site specific and more detailed, but my main goal here was to be able to take a picture while on the trail and calibrate using that. If you already have an offline map downloaded, that is most likely the preferred solution - TS is a backup for when you only have access to a physical map or no internet.

Also, when I mentioned that I was using a PDF export of OSM, that was just one example of something I use - you can take a picture of a printed map or download any image or PDF for use in TS - which could be really useful for the average user who might just find a PDF on the trail's website or take a picture of a trail sign. I figure most people would use TS with a picture of a map, and the geospatial PDF would be only a small percent of users.

[Lee-Carre]

I think I have a better understanding, now. Thanks.

If you already have an offline map downloaded, that is most likely the preferred solution — TS is a backup for when you only have access to a physical map or no internet.

I now recognise that I'm assuming that the route (of where to download data for) will be known in advance, and that there would be opportunity (time, network access, power, whatever) to actually download that data in regular map apps before departure.

Snapping a photo and setting a few calibration points will certainly be much quicker (and reliably so) than detailed technical prep.

I suppose I'm too used to surveying near civilisation (ample power supply, always some kind of network connectivity (nearby)), rather than being out in the wilderness (PV panels for charging, no network reception at all) 🙂. Perhaps also the Scout's motto of “be prepared” was drilled into me well, when young.

[kylecorry31]

Exactly! I also do a lot of prep before going on a new hike - but I know a lot of people who will show up at a new hiking location without a map of any kind haha

[Lee-Carre]

Follow-up:

• estimating the dimensions (especially height) of large structures (e.g. buildings) (really, any distances beyond what's practical for a tape-measure, until I get a laser rangefinder)

An even wilder idea (returning to surveying) would be to measure distance (in a single dimension) by computing linear displacement from the accelerometer data. A virtual, endless tape-measure of sorts, which should be more accurate over short distances than GNSS. Imagine lacking a laser rangefinder, and a sufficiently long tape-measure, while wanting to measure the length of a building-sized feature, or the width of a tunnel.

StreetComplete v41 can measure distances via the camera (using Google's newfangled augmented-reality). I've yet to try it, though.

Thought it was a novel approach. I was reminded of Trail Sense using the camera as a sight for more accurate bearing measurement (for triangulation, which will be even more useful, now).

Though, a laser rangefinder is still on my techno-toys shopping list 😄.

[leavenode]

I don't typical have a SIM in my phones when I leave the house with them, so I like them to have as much offline capability as possible. Your app is brilliant for that - makes my phone into something like an electronic multitool.

[kylecorry31]

Thank you!

[Shadowstrike-code]

It's useful for everyday use

[MedwardR]

I am involved with Trail Life USA (similar to Boy Scouts) and I have found this app extremely useful during my various wilderness excursions. It's proven to be a reliable method of navigation in many scenarios, especially with its offline capabilities, and I could easily recommend it to anyone. Often I will plan out trips in Gaia and then import them into Trail Sense, which I use for all of my navigation during the trip. The photo maps feature is also very cool and I have used that as well.

This project is easily one of my favorites and I look forward to its further development!

[kylecorry31]

Thanks! I haven't used Gaia, is it easy to import the trips into Trail Sense (I'm assuming it's a GPX export from Gaia)?

[MedwardR]

Yes, Gaia allows you to export saved data (beacons, paths) as a GPX file, which can be easily imported into Trail Sense. This works with exporting a single path/beacon or many.

[kylecorry31]

Perfect, thank you - if there's any way you think I could make that process easier, let me know.

[MedwardR]

Actually, something Gaia lets you do is share GPX files into the app. It is already possible to share a raw location to Trail Sense, but then any other data (name, elevation, notes) must be entered manually.

Gaia can share paths/waypoints/folders as a GPX file, which would be a more seamless alternative to saving it in local storage and then opening Trail Sense and importing it.

If a file of an unknown type is shared to Gaia, it just throws an "unknown file type" pop-up.

screen-20231023-174531.1.mp4

[kylecorry31]

Thank you for the suggestion, I've added 2 issues to track this functionality: #2018 and #2019

[Wumbo-11]

Hello developers, could you please tell me how the trail and beacon system works? I was quite confused when implementing the trail on my trips and hikes when it could not follow my GPS trail and was not displayed on the front of the compass circle.

I figured out how it works only through the action between two points when I tried to create a new trail. I mean, every time I stopped somewhere, I had to use a new marker (point) to be able to connect the previous trail with the current one (and it was just a single line).

How can I make it more flexible, aligned and updated according to the contours of the road and the GPS turned on, by creating a new line every few meters or every time?
(it is similar to a tracker system but without relying on the internet).

I hope you understand what I'm saying, or you can make a button on the beacon and trail so that it can display the updated GPS trail every time. (that would be very useful for exploring new places without losing the previous trail).

Thank you,
Greetings, Otcho.

[kylecorry31]

Hi, I'm not sure I follow - I'll try to rephrase what I think you said: You want to record a trail and view it on the compass. The way you are currently doing that is by either using beacons or placing a waypoint on the path - both of which you are doing manually. You want this to be done automatically for you as you hike.

It sounds like you may be looking for the Backtrack feature. This feature will allow you to record a path in the background and you can adjust how often it does that. If you stop and start Backtrack, it will create a new path - so you won't lose the previous trail. I'm working on revamping all the guides this month, but here's a link to the current guide on Backtrack: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/blob/fe533adace6ca20e710593b93556ad48988b9134/app/src/main/res/raw/navigate.md#how-to-trace-back-your-steps-backtrack

If you want to see that Backtrack path while you hike, you can use the radar compass on the Navigation tab. This should be enabled by default, but if you had disabled it you can enable it on Settings > Navigation > Enable both "Show nearby beacons" and "Show nearby radar compass". On the same screen you can adjust the radius of what the radar compass shows.

Let me know if that is what you were looking for - if not can you clarify further?

[Wumbo-11]

It worked perfectly, thank you for your instructions. I was very helpful for that.

[kylecorry31]

Glad that helped!

[vkuehn]

Hi,
Currently looking at some tracking apps which either are open source, work offline, could export tracks and hope fully could help in situations like hiken, boot travel etc. So came across yours
Looks promising so far.

[kylecorry31]

Thanks!