This is really cool! Amazing for such a new project too. I love reading about all the work they are doing. Also scary that it takes 35 hours to run the map update 😆
I love comaps, but it’s very much a fork of organic maps and relies on Open street maps. Like it’s sick, I use it as my only map app, but it certainly is continuing work many others helped with, which is the sick thing about open source
I wish I could use it over Google Maps but for my use case CoMaps is next to useless. The search function doesnt provide anything close to the right location and I only ever use maps for a quick glance at where I'm going.
In order to zoom in all the way and search for specific locations, you need to download the map for the region you'll be in because since it's all stored locally on your device it doesn't download the whole world by default, that would be enormous.
Also the data is crowdsourced so if a spot you need isn't on there, feel free to add it yourself and upload it to OSM
I tried. I really tried. I just cannot get comaps to cooperate. It cannot find destinations reliably, even when I enter literal addresses. Bookmarked locations are unmanageable and depend on the appp finding the destination in the first place. You can get stuck in some menus with no way to back out, requiring you to force close and start over.
UX is a disaster. I feels like they had GIMP devs work on this interface too.
Since it relies on Openstreetmaps if an address isn't added it can't find it. You'll likely always be able to find the street, but you may need to add the specific number yourself. Then once it's entered it's available for everyone.
I use it frequently and the search is flawed. I literally introduced the name of a bank letter by letter and it would not show any of the 10 bank agencies of that bank that were nearby. Instead of the bank it showed me a water deposit kilometers away. If I partially deleted words, it would show me all the bank instances in the whole country ranked by distance (the correct output).
Yeah, it is a general problem with OpenStreetMaps-based things I think. You can use something like this to help copy a location into Comaps (or any other OSM app):
Looks similar, but I think SC is more like a game? This looks more like an editor. SC gives you a question about your current location, like when you walk past a shop it asks you for the opening hours, or what sort of pavement are you currently walking on.
But whatever works for improving OSM I'm happy with.
Interesting, I have not had perfect results with it (certainly a lot of places are not on OSM yet or up to date), but I've generally had a good time with this app.
Bookmarked locations work perfectly for me, better than google maps, and the lists/folders are really nice for organizing bookmarks.
I have never gotten stuck in the menus at all (android here).
However I very much agree that the UX could use a serious design overhaul (but its way nicer/quicker and more intuitive to use than OsmAnd!).
You should try Organic Maps which is original app forked by CoMaps. Organic Maps has better UI, shows public transport routes, shows alternative routes and a lot more. Give it a chance.
Love CoMaps, it had shockingly good routing instructions for subway trips in many European cities that I visited, and saving the maps locally let me navigate with ease before I picked up a local sim card. I don't find it very effective to search by address, but landmark or business name work well. At home I just have my usual destinations bookmarked and it has solid routing instructions, though it doesn't have live traffic updates because it doesn't connect to any remote servers.
To be honest, even a static DB of recorded road speed using time of day, day of week, time of year, averages, would be a lot better than nothing. It would mean it knows you can't really go 60 down a bendy, narrow, stone wall lined, single lane, country road. Not and live anyway. So it would stop trying to use them all the time.
But hey, if there is internet, why not query it for the latest?
I'm not joking about the Ordnance Survey bit. When I'm on walks, I often am in area with bugger all phone reception (common in the UK) and the quality of the maps means it really is as good.
It's why the lack of traffic upsets me so, because I'd love to use it in the car as my main maps for Android Auto, but without traffic, that's just doesn't work well enouhg.
without traffic, that's just doesn't work well enouhg
Yeah, that's fair enough for most of us.
Openstreetmap data isn't nearly as complete as google maps, to be sure. However, like a number of other FOSS and community-driven apps, there's always something I need to either live without (and in my current rural setting, that is traffic data), or I work around it.
One thing comaps is really good at is recording GPS tracks out-of-service, which google maps SUCKS at.
Ordnance Survey looks great! Too bad I'm not in Britain.
I'd argue there is a network effect lockin going on with Google, and it needs fixing by governments. Google, and others, should have to share basic road speed data.
OS Maps are great. You know MapMen? They love OS Maps.
45 replies
This is really cool! Amazing for such a new project too. I love reading about all the work they are doing. Also scary that it takes 35 hours to run the map update 😆
I love comaps, but it’s very much a fork of organic maps and relies on Open street maps. Like it’s sick, I use it as my only map app, but it certainly is continuing work many others helped with, which is the sick thing about open source
Oh for sure, and Organic Maps was a fork too. Open Source is awesome 🙂.
I reckon whoever that team member was introducing them all to CoMaps is probably familiar with the Fediverse, and may even be watching us now 👀
I wish I could use it over Google Maps but for my use case CoMaps is next to useless. The search function doesnt provide anything close to the right location and I only ever use maps for a quick glance at where I'm going.
I mean I had a similar experience but just started adding locations I needed, probably up to about 45 now
In order to zoom in all the way and search for specific locations, you need to download the map for the region you'll be in because since it's all stored locally on your device it doesn't download the whole world by default, that would be enormous.
Also the data is crowdsourced so if a spot you need isn't on there, feel free to add it yourself and upload it to OSM
I tried. I really tried. I just cannot get comaps to cooperate. It cannot find destinations reliably, even when I enter literal addresses. Bookmarked locations are unmanageable and depend on the appp finding the destination in the first place. You can get stuck in some menus with no way to back out, requiring you to force close and start over.
UX is a disaster. I feels like they had GIMP devs work on this interface too.
Since it relies on Openstreetmaps if an address isn't added it can't find it. You'll likely always be able to find the street, but you may need to add the specific number yourself. Then once it's entered it's available for everyone.
I use it frequently and the search is flawed. I literally introduced the name of a bank letter by letter and it would not show any of the 10 bank agencies of that bank that were nearby. Instead of the bank it showed me a water deposit kilometers away. If I partially deleted words, it would show me all the bank instances in the whole country ranked by distance (the correct output).
I do not agree about the UX, it is good.
The street addresses are displayed as City, Street Name, Street Number, State, Country.
Explain how that isn't a crime against humanity.
That might actually explain why it doesn't work that great for me... Good to know
Yeah, it is a general problem with OpenStreetMaps-based things I think. You can use something like this to help copy a location into Comaps (or any other OSM app):
https://f-droid.org/packages/page.ooooo.geoshare/
Works relatively well but is not really convenient.
A gamified version where you solve tasks. I use it all the time. Android only afaik.
http://streetcomplete.app/
For iOS you can use “Go Map!!” . It’s basically the same as street complete
Looks similar, but I think SC is more like a game? This looks more like an editor. SC gives you a question about your current location, like when you walk past a shop it asks you for the opening hours, or what sort of pavement are you currently walking on.
But whatever works for improving OSM I'm happy with.
Yes, that’s basically exactly what Go Map does, though it is a bit less gamified
Interesting, I have not had perfect results with it (certainly a lot of places are not on OSM yet or up to date), but I've generally had a good time with this app. Bookmarked locations work perfectly for me, better than google maps, and the lists/folders are really nice for organizing bookmarks. I have never gotten stuck in the menus at all (android here). However I very much agree that the UX could use a serious design overhaul (but its way nicer/quicker and more intuitive to use than OsmAnd!).
You should try Organic Maps which is original app forked by CoMaps. Organic Maps has better UI, shows public transport routes, shows alternative routes and a lot more. Give it a chance.
Last I checked Organic Maps has the exact same UI... And the devs are great, hence the CoMaps team forking it.
Used that too. It had the exact same UI with the same problems.
This is like the fifth time I’ve seen CoMaps mentioned on the fedi today and have never seen it before. Something in the water?
People are making an extra effort to make others aware that CoMaps exist and you don't need Organic Maps.
And I'm sitting here having never moved from OSMand+...
I use Atlas.
It's sitting on my table.
Which is great, but it's not always convenient.
For example, this article
Paper maps are awesome.
But so are electronic ones.
It may be due to Apple users looking for alternatives to Apple Maps now that it has ads.
Love CoMaps, it had shockingly good routing instructions for subway trips in many European cities that I visited, and saving the maps locally let me navigate with ease before I picked up a local sim card. I don't find it very effective to search by address, but landmark or business name work well. At home I just have my usual destinations bookmarked and it has solid routing instructions, though it doesn't have live traffic updates because it doesn't connect to any remote servers.
The address search definitely needs improvement, but its offline route finding is much better than Google's, at least for bikes.
It's great in many ways, and maps are great. You can get Ordnance Survey style maps.
BUT it desperately needs traffic information in its route finding. It frequently makes terrible decisions in the absence of this data.
How does an offline app get traffic data
It could download time based averages alongside the map date, not perfect but decent most of the time.
Really though this is an OSM wrapper so it would likely need to be integrated there
To be honest, even a static DB of recorded road speed using time of day, day of week, time of year, averages, would be a lot better than nothing. It would mean it knows you can't really go 60 down a bendy, narrow, stone wall lined, single lane, country road. Not and live anyway. So it would stop trying to use them all the time.
But hey, if there is internet, why not query it for the latest?
I don't think you should be using satnav to determine if you can power around a blind bend. That's a quick way to the grave
Traffic information? Did you not read the article?
This was a response to an earthquake. Not only no traffic, but no infrastructure whatsoever, including live data.
I only skimmed.
I'm not joking about the Ordnance Survey bit. When I'm on walks, I often am in area with bugger all phone reception (common in the UK) and the quality of the maps means it really is as good.
It's why the lack of traffic upsets me so, because I'd love to use it in the car as my main maps for Android Auto, but without traffic, that's just doesn't work well enouhg.
Yeah, that's fair enough for most of us.
Openstreetmap data isn't nearly as complete as google maps, to be sure. However, like a number of other FOSS and community-driven apps, there's always something I need to either live without (and in my current rural setting, that is traffic data), or I work around it.
One thing comaps is really good at is recording GPS tracks out-of-service, which google maps SUCKS at.
Ordnance Survey looks great! Too bad I'm not in Britain.
I'd argue there is a network effect lockin going on with Google, and it needs fixing by governments. Google, and others, should have to share basic road speed data.
OS Maps are great. You know MapMen? They love OS Maps.
https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=os+maps+mapmen
That's pretty cool. I sometimes use CoMaps to get around, or for seeing some of the stuff I've added to Open Street Map.
I'm using it in China right now and it is amazingly handly due to the detail of the map data. The metro line information has saved me
I come from a world where we had folded paper maps. I'm not getting it.
Physical maps are great, but they do get outdated the more time passes, not sure how relevant that would have been in this scenario but.
You're right. I still have my old Pangea map and it's useless. 😊 /s
Offline maps are such a great feature. Every OSM app has it, yet Google Maps still requires a connection for everything.
This is really nice! I hope the attention improves its popularity