Custom "Sat Nav" style App - Android Studio

Hey
Just doing some research for a uni assignment involving navigating the campus. One of our ideas is to build an app that allows users to navigate by following a line on their phone (like google maps but for walking around campus, including interiors, room numbers etc.). What should I be looking at to create this sat nav style application. My main concern is how to calculate a line that follows the shortest path between two places (following walkways). If anyone has some examples or tips on how to achieve this it would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers for your help

Related

GPS mapping...

I would like to use the GPS on my phone to map my position on a static map or a jpeg. I don't want to use the web at all, I want to store my maps in static images and pull up the appropriate map and be able to find my position on that map
Does anyone know if this is possible and how it would be done?
Thanks.
TW,
BeeLineGPS
I realize you want to be able to import maps, something you cannot do with BeeLineGPS (http://www.visualgps.net/BeeLineGPS/BeeLineGPS), but I'd still strongly recommend the program. It does not do anything over the Internet but it does do just about everything one could do with GPS data. As far as getting some kind of reference of where things are on a blank map, you can import waypoints or mark them on your phone and you can export the movement you've tracked into KML (Google Earth).
From their website: "BeeLineGPS is a high performance Pocket PC cache navigation and management software tool. Import GPX files and manage thousands of waypoints with the advanced Waypoint Manger. View, manage and hunt geocaches with ease and confidence while having fun, a perfect paperless solution. BeeLineGPS also includes active waypoint technology where a waypoint can trigger a warning window for speed traps, safety cameras or play a sound byte while on a guided tour. Other features include waypoint averaging, altitude profiling and a comprehensive trip computer. BeeLineGPS is the ultimate GPS tool for your geocaching and outdoor needs. BeeLineGPS waypoint database can support thousands of waypoints with over 120 icons to depict specific locations."
It's 30 day shareware that eventually turns into nagware but you may find it's worth the $30. Here's the cab: http://www.visualgps.net/BeeLineGPS/BeeLineGPSInstall.CAB
I have not used this at all, haven't even installed it yet, but you might want to look at MyMotion
Very interesting, thanks guys.
I think MyMotion is the closest I've seen yet. I don't really care about tracking where I've been - does anyone know of any open source similar to MyMotion?
TW,
http://www.mgmaps.com/
with
http://www.mapcacher.com/
and
http://debin.net/gMapMaker/
Any thoughts on installing to my tilt? I'm not having much luck...
TW,
i'm newbie on gps stuff so i would like a software that i can track my phone for an example... in every 30minutes the phone autorun gps send the coords to some place on internet or something and then turn off gps again... this on background and i can track on my pc at home or something... this is usefull in a robbery... can this be done? thx in advance ;P
tiger.woods said:
Very interesting, thanks guys.
I think MyMotion is the closest I've seen yet. I don't really care about tracking where I've been - does anyone know of any open source similar to MyMotion?
TW,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you should take a look at GPStuner. It does a lot of things
- Maps can be downloaded from the phone, or from a computer and stored on memory card. (i currently have 50 JPG covering 200 sq km)
- It records your track, gives information about your current speed, altitude, average speed...
- You set up points aywhere on the map and it will lead you to them, or search nearby points. I use it for things that do not come on Tomtom, like bus stops, libraries or free WiFi hotspots
- You can save your track and open it on Google Earth
Another similar software is tracky, but I like GPSTuner more
chinomoreno, it's not polite to hi-jack a thread... start another with your question.
You can also use LEM's TrackMe, using it off-line it will store your data on your device until you decide to upload it (by example when connected with Wifi or ActiveSync). It also stores .kml files you can use in Google Earth.
We've kind of moved off topic to tracking software as opposed to being able to find a point on a static map or image... is it really that difficult to do???
TW,
Desktop app exportable to kaiser
I use Memorymap on my desktop and it can be fully exported to pda. Incorporates standard maps and arial photographic images which you can flip between:
http://www.memory-map.com/
tiger.woods said:
We've kind of moved off topic to tracking software as opposed to being able to find a point on a static map or image... is it really that difficult to do???
TW,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PathAway, but it's way more than what you're asking for. You can create a map, calibrate it, then upload it. You can do large maps, small maps, etc.. And you can pull in topo or sat maps in on the fly over the data connection too if you don't happen to have a map already made.

My GPS app only works if another GPS app is running.

This is my first "real" app for Windows Mobile. I've got a HTC Touch Diamond(Alltel). I've been programming in VB .net for a year or so but I'm NOT an good programmer. I'm a noob that is stumbling along. It's a tribute to .net that I'm able to produce the apps I have.
I've got a basic app working using the sample .dll from MSDN.
Working is relative though - it only works if I start some other application that uses GPS like google earth.
I've went through serveral ways of getting the positon information including this one that I leeched from someones explaination:
-------------------------------
Dim gps As Microsoft.WindowsMobile.Samples.Location.Gps
Try
' -- opens GPS device connected to GPS API
gps = New Microsoft.WindowsMobile.Samples.Location.Gps
gps.Open()
Dim pos As Microsoft.WindowsMobile.Samples.Location.GpsPosition = _
gps.GetPosition()
'call invoke process
UpdateLAT(pos.Latitude)
UpdateLON(pos.Longitude)
gps.Close()
Catch ex As Exception
' -- position is unavailable
Finally
If gps IsNot Nothing AndAlso gps.Opened Then gps.Close()
End Try
--------------------------------
It pulls a positon fine - I used a TImer to run that code once a second and it'll post a empty positon till I open some other app - and then it updates fine. Once I stop the other app - it stops updating the position. It looks like the positon values I'm reading only get updated if some other process has the gps running.
What am I missing? I've googled and found all sorts of C# stuff. but NO examples besides in C# that doesn't work after using one of the C# translators to convert it.
So much of the "help" for this type of stuff is theory or high-level and assumes more knowledge than I posess - I need an actual EXAMPLE to build on.
Can any of you guys help?
BTW: Here is a VERY good example of "help" that leaves a huge gap of explaination before you actually have an idea how to code for it: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb202050.aspx

[APP] Crumbs (looking for a fellow developer!)

So I recently got very interested in Windows Phone 7 (mango) and I had been thinking about starting to create my own apps for a while. The result is the idea for an app that is as follows:
Name: Crumbs
Possible abbreviation: to send somebody a "crumb"
In short: An app that capable of: writing/creating, organising, sharing and following instructions, AKA crumbs.
What I want to achieve with this is a new option into social networking, but this time it's also very useful and not just fun to show off. What could these crumbs be? Well, I've thought of some categories already:
Routinely task:
like the stuff you do every morning, shouldn't forget, etc.
Work/study task:
some sort of study schedule, with certain points you should handle to complete the whole task.
Preparation/cooking task:
doesn't need any explanation.
Scavenger hunt/adventure:
wouldn't it be great if you can give a list of instructions to someone with some reward at the end?
Travelling:
similar to your adventure, but could contain various flight data or a couple of options (so you don't "finish" an item, but finish 1 item in a dillema.
Other: always have some other category..
User defined: if a user wants to make his/her own category.​So these are the categories, but as you've already seen, each category has different types of commands/operations one has to perform to complete the whole task. So when writing a new one, you could filter the entry-options by the ones most important for that category and give the users a seperate option to add another operation than the ones listed by default. Some possible operations and their integration ideas are as stated below:
Action: very straightforward, do something and when executing the crumb you simply check the box when done. Maybe some option with a timer that alerts you that you should be done with the operation soon (for example: cooking).
Navigate: go to a specific location and then you check the operation. Possible GPS integration/maps?
Input: give certain input to go on. For example useful when creating an adventure (go there, look for the church and read what's on it) or something else that should need a password or any other input.
Alert: to alert yourself/the executor OR (and this is important) some other user that you've arrived at a certain operation in your crumb.​
Yeah, you read it right, another user. Because one other important aspect of almost every app nowadays is SHARING. So ofcourse, there will have to be the option to share crumbs. People will be able to manage their crumbs on a phone ofcourse, but if there's a lot, wouldn't it be easy to have them stored online too? A place where you can rapidly type, organise and share your crumbs. So there should be a format to save them in (.crumb looks fantastic ). So, you simply send someone the crumb using a public link you create for your privately stored crumb. But what about something called instructors/friends? Wouldn't it be awesome if you can allow certain people to GIVE you crumbs straightaway, so you'll get alerted and know you have to do something (OK, "your mom" wouldn't be awesome, but useful nonetheless). To make things easier for this, the users will have to be able to manage these friends/instructors too and have their own cookie jar/cake box to receive their crumbs directly in (on the website and in the app). I sense some Facebook/social integration, don't you?
Then there's this weird habit of people: they've got calendars and tasks on them. Wouldn't it be great if the crumbs are linked to calendar and/or outlook-task items?
Sooo... This is my (already quite complex) idea. To conclude things once again: the outlook task system isn't capable of managing real tasks. You can give certain progress percentages, but that's just something that could be managed by this app, since it's much more in depth.
Problem is, I'm not that good at developing (yet)! So if any developer out there is willing to take this thing on with me (I just feel this could turn out great), please let me know. Meanwhile, I'll keep dreaming on and I'm a quick learner, so I hope to show a mockup of some sorts soon . I've already thought out some sort of menu structure/frame everything should be hung up in and that's what I'll be working on the time to come.
And keep in mind:
This idea is NOT for sharing by anyone but me right now. That it may be very clear that this idea is not for your own use!

Google Maps / Earth : automated plotting from DB

Hi XDA!
I know the forum is mostly aimed at mobile dev but the people here are so good i thought it the best place to ask a question regarding dev in general.
I have a database (mySQL) with rows that contain latitude/longitude values representing the locations of customer complaints. I'd like to plot these on Google Maps / Earth and put up a dashboard so that we can see if there's any particular location that's a 'pain point'... any idea how to do this? I need the plotting step to be completely automated cos I already know how to automatically insert new rows into the mySQL table whenever a new complaint comes in.
I've done some Googling and i usually see people talking about manually importing an Excel file with the co-ordinates... This won't work for me cos we get thousands of calls coming in daily and the whole process needs to be completely automated for it to be practically feasible.
Ok, some background about me: I'm not a 'proper' developer... I've never worked in a structured dev environment. I'm just someone who knows a little bit about dev and I've had to write some code cos there was nobody else to do it
I can do some mid-level Java (I've written a few servlets that run on tomcat ...they listen for HTTP requests and respond with some XML... nothing hectic) and I know enough about mySQL to be able to work with it comfortably.
I'd really appreciate any help with my plotting question

New To App Development and Could Use Some Guidance

Hiya,
I am new to android app development and am trying to make my first project. I am interested in making a very simple app that captures customer information and project details and then at the end gives the option to print and email the captured information.
For example the first page of the app would ask for date,name, phone number and email. The second page would consist of a number of boxes that can be bubbled to select material to be used. Lastly would be a page that had total and deposit amount boxes to fill in and the print and email buttons respectively.
My questions are as follows;
1. What program is the best to use to help develop such an app?
2. Can it even be done?
3. Can it be deployed on a tablet device?
4. What resources do you know of that could help me in this over ambitious endeavor?
5. How do I create a gui with custom colors and such?
Any and all help will be greatly appreciated and I look forward to helping others with the knowledge I obtain from this journey.
Thank you,
Newbie

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