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Online Help > AlpineQuest 1.4

Landmarks

The Landmarks feature allows you to save, retrieve and display on the map various items like locations and paths.

The application allows you to save and restore landmarks from and to various support, including off-line files (GPX, KML, LOC) on the memory card and on-line storage (AlpineQuest Community Landmarks).





The Landmarks Menu

The Landmarks Menu gives you an easy access to all landmarks related features.

landmarks_submenu.jpg

Click on the Landmarks Menu button to display the menu. You'll then find the following items:

  • Explore landmarks opens the Landmarks Explorer that allows you to manage your saved landmarks;
  • Create a landmark allows you to create new landmarks;
  • Displayed landmarks shows the displayed landmarks list that allows you to manage displayed landmarks (available only if landmarks are displayed);
  • Control time shows the time controller panel for all displayed tracks (available only if time-tagged landmarks are displayed).

The following settings are also available in the Landmarks menu:

  • Landmarks labels controls whether or not to display the labels of landmarks displayed on the map;
  • Target information controls whether or not to display the target information box (if any landmark is targeted).

Waypoints

A waypoint is a particular location marked on the map and the most common type of landmark.

preview-waypoint.jpg

By default, they are only represented by a small purple circle, but they can be named and have different colors or icons.

From the Landmarks Menu, you can specify if the names of waypoints must be displayed on the map. You can also configure the display size from the application settings.

How to create a waypoint?
How to edit a waypoint?
How to use custom icons?

preview-set.jpg

Sets of waypoints

Waypoints can be grouped into sets allowing an easier management. Sets are very useful when handling many waypoints of a common theme.

How to create a set of waypoints?
How to add, move or delete points of a set?
How to sort waypoints in sets?

Routes

Routes are ordered lists of waypoints. All points of routes can be edited like any waypoint. Routes are mainly useful when preparing a journey.

preview-route.jpg

Routes are displayed with a line joining all the waypoints.

From the Landmarks Menu, you can specify if the names of waypoints must be displayed on the map. You can also configure the display line thickness from the application settings.

How to create a route?
How to add, move or delete points of a route?

Tracks

Tracks are lists of locations representing a path. A track can be composed of multiple sub-lists, called segments. Additionally, a track can contain waypoints giving information about the surrounding places.

preview-track.jpg

Tracks are displayed as simple lines. If the locations contain time information, the time of the bounds are also displayed.

You can configure the display line thickness from the application settings.

Tracks are usually recorded using the Location Tracker, but they can also be manually created.

How to manually create a track?

Once recorded, created or downloaded, tracks can be followed, allowing the application to warn you if you're getting too far away from the planned path.

How to follow a path?
Statistics on tracks

preview-alert.jpg

Proximity alerts

Proximity alerts allow you to be warned when you approach an area.

How to use proximity alerts?

Sharing locations

You can easily share locations to others, using for example text messages (SMS).

How to share locations?

Supported on-board landmark formats

Supported on-board landmark formats \ Operations Read files Export tracks Write files
Default
Waypoints, routes, areas, tracks
Yes Yes Yes
GPX version 1.1
Waypoints, routes, tracks
Yes Yes Yes
KML version 2.2
Points, polygons, tracks
Yes1 Yes No
KMZ version 2.2
Points, polygons, tracks
Yes1 No No
WPT (OziExplorer)
Waypoints
Yes No No
LOC
Waypoints
Yes No No
CSV / TSV
Waypoints
Yes No No

1. Includes few icons and style elements. AlpineQuest won't retrieve any items stored online. Not compatible with ground overlays.

The default landmarks format

AlpineQuest uses a specially defined landmarks format, featuring:

  • Extremely fast saving and loading times (compared to GPX and KML format);
  • Barometric and accuracy data compatible (GPX is not);
  • Areas compatible (GPX is not);
  • Colors and styles compatible (GPX is not);
  • Track statistics preview;
  • Small saved size (compared to GPX and KML format);
  • Extensible.

This format won't be recognized by external application, however you can easily convert your landmarks to the GPX format.

The .GPX file format support

AlpineQuest is fully compatible with the standard GPX format.

Prior to version 1.3.8, the GPX format was used by default when saving landmarks or exporting tracks. A new AlpineQuest format is now used, however the GPX format is still supported and has even been improved, since it's now possible to copy/cut/paste landmarks to and from GPX files.

How to create GPX landmarks ?
How to convert landmarks to the GPX format ?
How to export tracks in GPX format ?

The .KML/.KMZ file format support

AlpineQuest can read various items from KML/KMZ files, including:

  • Points, paths, polygons, tracks and multi-tracks;
  • Colors and some point icons.

AlpineQuest doesn't support:

  • Ground overlays;
  • Elements linked to an online account;
  • Altitude values stored online, such as altitude mode 'ClampToGround';
  • Online styles, icons and images.

All KML/KMZ files are read-only, however it's possible to export tracks recorded with the GPS Location Tracker in KML format.

How to export tracks in KML format ?

The .LOC file format support

landmarks_loc_details.jpg

AlpineQuest is fully compatible with .LOC files from www.geocaching.com (you don't need a premium account to download them). These files allow you to have the exact locations of geocaches while being offline, however they don't support descriptions or comments.

The quickest way is to download all planned .LOC geocache files using your PC, and save them in a particular folder on your SD card (you don't need to rename the .LOC files since the geocache names are included in the file contents).

While using your mobile device for downloading the files, be careful to correctly download the .LOC files and note the complete web-pages of the geocaches, which won't be displayed in AlpineQuest.

Then, using AlpineQuest, browse the folder containing the .LOC files, long-click on the first one, and select “Display all” to display all the geocaches on the map. Geocaches are displayed using a particular icon.

If you have access to the Internet, you can also visit the web-pages of the geocaches by clicking on the link displayed in the details window of a .LOC file. There, you will have access to the description and comments.

On the right is the details you can get on a .LOC file in AlpineQuest.