dmd² docs
GPX Manager
The GPX Manager is where you manage your loaded GPX files. A true adventure rider will need to master this app feature.
João Pereira
GPX File is King
The GPX file is the standard file type for adventure riding. GPX is the file that your friends will share with you, it is what you will get from most trip builders, it is what many websites share online and what many communities and events create to share with their users.
Most navigation apps will also allow the users to record their trip, this will also be recorded in a GPX file, which you can export and share.
Each GPX file can contain one or more of the following data types:
Tracks - Each track is a list of track points, connected by a straight line that generates a path. No routing, no instructions. Ideal for off-road because the underlying map is not relevant.
Routes - Each route is a list of route points, which the app will calculate a path to connect based on user selected routing profile. With turn instructions. Ideal for road riding.
Waypoints - Annotations on the map, a pin with information - goals, warnings, anything of interest.
The DMD2 objective is to make loading and managing multiple GPX file an easy experience, respecting its contents and making the user interaction simple and minimal.
Our app also offers some unique tools that will allow you to make decisions and access information in real-time, continue reading and discover how unique DMD2 is when it comes to GPX files.
The GPX Manager Dialog
Everything related to the GPX management is concentrated in a single dialog, the GPX Manager. You can access it by tapping on the GPX button in the Map view.
The dialog contains 3 main areas:
The bottom buttons - Load File, Recorder, Close - the text labels are self explanatory.
The loaded GPX files list - Where you select a file, quickly toggle its visibility in the map, sort and share it.
The selected file content and available options
Loading a GPX is very easy, just tap on the "Load File" button in the bottom and it will open your device file manager where you can select the file.
The GPX File List
The list on the left shows all your loaded GPX files. If you tap on any of the list entries you will notice the values on the right (Tracks / Routes / Waypoints) will change, this is because the labels on the right panel always reflect the selected file on the list.
The list elements are as following:
Hide All / Show All - this will toggle hide / show all GPX files and their content on the map.
Share the currently selected GPX file (the selected file from the list is the one with a blue border - check "4.").
Set the order of the current selected GPX file - move it up or down the list.
Current selected file - you can tap on any entry to select another file for interacting with its contents and options - notice the blue border around the entry representing the current selection.
Hide / Show icon - you can tap on the eye icon to toggle the GPX file visibility. Green eye means the file is loaded and visible on the map and the dark blue eye icon with a dash over it means the file is hidden and none of its contents is visible on the map.
Notice how this file entry has a green background - this means you are currently riding on top of one of the lines (track or route) for this file. We call this your current "active file".
Content and Options
When you select a file from the list you will notice the contents on the right panel will change, this allows you to quickly view the GPX file contents and access sub menus for each of the content types (Tracks / Routes / Waypoints).
Tracks Button - Shows how many tracks are included in the selected file - tap the button to view the track list details.
Routes Button - Shows how many routes are included in the selected file - tap the button to view the routes list details.
Waypoints Button - Shows how many waypoints are included in the selected file - tap the button to view the waypoints list details.
The selected file total distance (including all tracks and routes).
Progress Priority - Makes the selected file the "active file", which is the one showing the progress details in the map (we will talk about progress later).
Invert direction - Every track and route has a direction from start to finish, in the map they will have directional arrows on top of the line, use this toggle to invert the travel direction of all the tracks and routes for the selected file.
Delete - Deletes and removes the selected file from the list.
Settings - This is the only button that is not related to the selected file, settings apply to all files! (We will talk about settings later).
Sub-Dialog - Track Manager
This is the sub-dialog that lists all the tracks for the selected GPX file. When you select a GPX file in the first dialog, and then press the "Tracks" button on the right panel, this is the dialog that will show up and this is where you manage the tracks for the selected GPX file.
Track List - Much like the root dialog you have a list on the left where you select the track you want to manage, you can also toggle the visibility (eye button on the list entry), there is also the sorting options and "hide / show all" button on top of the list.
Track Description and Length for the selected track.
Line Color - Tap on the color to set the line color in the map.
Start a navigation to reach the track start or end (useful to find your way to the track line start or end points).
Start a navigation to reach the closest track point (useful to return to the track at the closest point to your current location).
Progress Priority - Same as the GPX file root dialog, it makes the selected track the "active track", which is the one showing the progress details in the map.
Invert Direction - Inverts the track direction (notice all track lines include direction arrow) - this will invert only the selected track.
Sub-Dialog - Waypoint Manager
This is the sub-dialog that lists all the Waypoints for the selected GPX file. When you select a GPX file in the first dialog, and then press the "Waypoints" button on the right panel, this is the dialog that will show up and this is where you manage the Waypoints for the selected GPX file.
Waypoint List - Much like the root dialog you have a list on the left where you select the waypoint you want to manage, you can also toggle the visibility (eye button on the list entry), there is also the sorting options and "hide / show all" button on top of the list.
Waypoint Details - Name, description, distances.
Navigate To - Start a navigation to this waypoint location.
Connect w/ Lines - will create a straight on the map connecting all visible waypoints (used on some desert events where the GPX file only contains waypoints).
Search Near - Allows you to search for locations and points of interest close to this waypoint.
Track Point Distance - Shows a dialog with the distances for the waypoint regarding its position on the closest track.
Sub-Dialog - Routes Manager
This is the sub-dialog that lists all the Routes for the selected GPX file. When you select a GPX file in the first dialog, and then press the "Routes" button on the right panel, this is the dialog that will show up and this is where you manage the Routes for the selected GPX file.
Routes List - Much like the root dialog you have a list on the left where you select the route you want to manage, you can also toggle the visibility (eye button on the list entry), there is also the sorting options and "hide / show all" button on top of the list.
Route Details - The description and length.
Route Color - Tap to change the route line color in the map.
Progress Priority - Same as the GPX file root dialog, it makes the selected route the "active route", which is the one showing the progress details in the map.
Invert Direction - Inverts the route direction and recalculates it.
Create GPX Track - Will convert the selected route into a track, creates a new GPX file containing the track and loads it to GPX manager without replacing the original file.
Route Profile - Shows the selected profile used to calculate the route, tap to change the profile and recalculate with the new profile.
Start a navigation to reach the route start or end (useful to find your way to the route line start or end points).
Start a navigation to reach the closest route point (useful to return to the route at the closest point to your current location).
Minimize Dialog Window
If you want to quickly view the location of any of the listed elements, tap on the minimize button in the top right corner of the dialog window.
With the window resized to only half its size, you can then tap of any of the listed entries and the map will move to its location.
Tap the button again to restore the window to the default size.
GPX Progress
One of the user-favorite features for GPX files is the DMD2 real-time GPX Progress information, it will automatically show on the left side of the map as soon as you are on top of any GPX track or route line.
GPX Settings
This is where you fine tune the GPX related features, its a big list of settings but the default settings should be what most users will want.
The available settings are:
Show or Hide: Toggle the visibility of the different GPX related map elements.
Sizes & Opacity: Adjust Line Width and opacity, set the Waypoint and direction arrow sizes.
Color Defaults: Set the default line color and overwrite file or user colors.
Auto Find POIs: Choose up to 3 POI categories, the app will search for them along the active track or route line (the one you are on top) and show them in the map and their distance in the progress box.
In the image (on the left) you can see the settings where you select the POI categories, select the ones you want to be shown along the active track or route (notice they only show when you are riding on top of a line).
You can select as many categories as you want, they will all show on the map, but notice that the progress box (where you can see the distances) (right image) will only show the 3 top selected categories - you can drag the POI categories up and down in the settings list.
Line to Closest Point: When you are close to a track or route but not on top of it, it will draw a straight line between your location and the closest line point, this serves as a reference so that you can get back to the line.
Auto Waypoints: Automatically adds waypoints for start and end of the track and for a user selectable distance interval.
Progress Warnings: Various warning types like wrong direction and away from track and how do you want the warning to be displayed.
In the photo you can see an example of the "Return to Line" warning, not only it shows a warning box on the top right edge of the map but it also draws a line to the closest point in the active track, the line even includes distance to the point (for the line to show you need to enable the previous mentioned setting "Line to Closest Point".
Additionally you can enable Voice Warning and Screen Flash (which flashes a screen edge border to call for your attention).
Track Extra Instructions: App generated instructions for tracks, attempt turn-by-turn will try to generate navigation instructions and curve angles shows the next curve angle both on the map line and with a pop-up box.
When you enable the setting "attempt turn-by-turn" DMD2 will look ahead of your current position on the track and attempt to do a route calculation - returning turn-by-turn instructions.
It will check the result and if it looks good it will load the result as an underlaying line, this way you can always view the original track line and the calculated result and if there are deviations you can always choose to follow the original line and ignore the generated line and the instructions.
When a calculation is not possible or the validation failed, DMD2 will wait until you ride at least 200 meters on the track and then will try again.
Route Settings - Settings for GPX Routes, icons size and instructions warnings.