New Google Maps for WebOS - native javascript API

[gizmo21]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Anyway, the 0.2.9 has been released. I decided to release it, because it contains big changes. And I can continue in ToDo´s and wait for feedback, I´m expecting a many bugs....

• New Places photos available under marker Info scene (early and simple version)
• Fixed the infobubble styles, new truncated texts, etc.
• Completely new cross-app launch handling (still in progress)
• New Search behavior... just type everything and select from suggestions or press Enter for best match for your query
• Excluded Enter, Select and Metakey from keypress to search listener
• Cleaned deprecated code
• Some directions instructions facelift
• Tap to the direction instruction bubble toggles the directions instructions panel

will test the location launch parameters.

[72ka]

Originally Posted by gizmo21

will test the location launch parameters.

Hi, not needs to test it now, still in progress. This release contains the new background for cross app launch handling. It can parse all the same as Bing maps, but the actions are now set only for target (maploc and mapto), zoom and route. Others are in progress. The advantage of new background is more stability and easy way to add any other parameters and set the actions using a few code lines. Handling the URI´s and other stuff still in progress too...

[72ka]

Hi,
tonight I had a dream... today I tried it, a map smooth moving in my app was born! Finally, based on my early previous attempts to do the trick, now I found a way... and I´m excited! My custom map moving functions works and looks like very well. But it is in very early alpha state.

Who can try it, just download the Technology preview here: http://www.volny.cz/hp2/webos/maps/c..._0.2.9_all.ipk

Flick is disabled, just try the standard movement and let me know, how do you feel it. Tested on my Pre3.

The trick is, that when you put your finger to the screen, my custom functions started to manage the moving. It snaps the map container and apply the webkit translate transitions and if you leave your finger, at the same time (and that´s the trick) I call the map to set the new center and back the container position to 0,0 coordinates.
The transition is almost invisible and it makes me happy

And more... it allows me to do more than smooth moving, I can try to do smooth zoom, zoom while moving... I´m looking forward to over-day coding during Christmas!!

Don´t forget, this version is only for this purpose, uninstall after use, contains dirty code (may freez the app). Focused only for preview of smooth moving.

[somline]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Hi,
tonight I had a dream... today I tried it, a map smooth moving in my app was born! Finally, based on my early previous attempts to do the trick, now I found a way... and I´m excited! My custom map moving functions works and looks like very well. But it is in very early alpha state.

Whoa, what a difference. Thats the way to go. Great work.
But don't work to much during christmas :-)

[jcmarcos]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Hi,
tonight I had a dream... today I tried it, a map smooth moving in my app was born! Finally, based on my early previous attempts to do the trick, now I found a way... and I´m excited! My custom map moving functions works and looks like very well. But it is in very early alpha state.

Holy crap! Pinch to zoom! Way to go indeed Jan, we're so proud of having you here!

[72ka]

Sadly, on the Veer webOS 2.1 the trick is visible... As I sad, it is in eraly stage, it need more testing.

[shneor]

2.9 would not install on my Pre3; after download, the circle kept turning for 10 minutes until I rebooted.

[72ka]

Originally Posted by shneor

2.9 would not install on my Pre3; after download, the circle kept turning for 10 minutes until I rebooted.

Usally because of internet connection failure. Check your connection and try again. Or the installation is wrong.

[fabianlanco]

Nice work. Install was very quick (DE Pre3). Panning is very smooth. Two things i noticed: first, the map tile loading speed seems not to be able to keep up with the panning, even on previously "visited" tiles. Secondly, is there any chance of making pinch to zoom as smooth and snappy as panning? If i recall correctly, on iOS it zooms the actual tile, goes blurry and then loads the new (sharp) one.
Btw: I was on Wifi...

[fabianlanco]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Usally because of internet connection failure. Check your connection and try again. Or the installation is wrong.

Or it could be a corrupted download. Had that as well on first try. Didn't try to install tho.

[72ka]

Originally Posted by fabianlanco

Nice work. Install was very quick (DE Pre3). Panning is very smooth. Two things i noticed: first, the map tile loading speed seems not to be able to keep up with the panning, even on previously "visited" tiles.

My map pan function is independent to the API pan, there's no possibility to load tiles near, because the API "doesn't know" that the container is moved... but I'll see. In my opinion this isn' t a bad behavior, it doesn' t utilize the CPU so much while moving in compare with moving AND loading tiles... especially on the Pre3 is the device frozen until any part of the scene is downloaded...

Second, fixed the transitions on webOS 2.1 ... found better way to sync it.

Originally Posted by fabianlanco

Secondly, is there any chance of making pinch to zoom as smooth and snappy as panning? If i recall correctly, on iOS it zooms the actual tile, goes blurry and then loads the new (sharp) one.
Btw: I was on Wifi...

Done... yesterday I did it. Done for the webOS 2.2.x and 3.x.. on the 1.x and 2.1.x is the issue that API zoom is animated on this versions and this disturbs my transitions (and the animation can not disable). The zoom is smooth and included the moving while zoom - you can zoom and move the map using two fingers at the same time.

The API have only tiles for exact zoom levels. I did it that the nearest zoom is applied - the same behavior as API on the Android devices.

Next, I'm working on my own smooth kinetic scrolling...almost done, works well on Pre3. The app feels more professional than before.

[fabianlanco]

Originally Posted by 72ka

My map pan function is independent to the API pan, there's no possibility to load tiles near, because the API "doesn't know" that the container is moved... but I'll see. In my opinion this isn' t a bad behavior, it doesn' t utilize the CPU so much while moving in compare with moving AND loading tiles... especially on the Pre3 is the device frozen until any part of the scene is downloaded...

Second, fixed the transitions on webOS 2.1 ... found better way to sync it.



Done... yesterday I did it. Done for the webOS 2.2.x and 3.x.. on the 1.x and 2.1.x is the issue that API zoom is animated on this versions and this disturbs my transitions (and the animation can not disable). The zoom is smooth and included the moving while zoom - you can zoom and move the map using two fingers at the same time.

The API have only tiles for exact zoom levels. I did it that the nearest zoom is applied - the same behavior as API on the Android devices.

Next, I'm working on my own smooth kinetic scrolling...almost done, works well on Pre3. The app feels more professional than before.

nice work again.
can't you "cache" the previously loaded tiles? Or is that to hard on the memory?
Maybe it's possibble to dynamically allocate memory?

concerning the zoom: maybe it's possible to let the webkit engine render the zoom steps in between the steps suggested by the api.

Again: just throwing around ideas. No criticism, even i sometimes sound like that.

[72ka]

Originally Posted by fabianlanco

nice work again.
can't you "cache" the previously loaded tiles? Or is that to hard on the memory?
Maybe it's possibble to dynamically allocate memory?

concerning the zoom: maybe it's possible to let the webkit engine render the zoom steps in between the steps suggested by the api.

Again: just throwing around ideas. No criticism, even i sometimes sound like that.

It is hard to explain how it exactly works, even if I make it ony the fly and doing sometimes changes in principle. But the possibilities in cooperation with API are limited. And, the app is pure Javascript and I can't do so much magic as in C or other low level languages. Memory management is about variables and their use.
But, I have some ideas how to do it.. but not now, I need to build some stable release with these news and test it.

About the zoom .. it is no problem to render in the steps, I can animate it between the steps... I'll try it and compare it which method is better.

And, as I said, I really welcome all ideas. My answers are short, because I'm very tired, my son is sick, and yesterday christmas eve was horrible for us... found only max. 20minutes per day for developing - it is relax for me.

[trwrt]

The 'route with Navit' option doesn't work any more on my Veer, I don't know if it was an update of Google Maps that broke it or if it was the recent update of Navit that did it though. When I select it from the popup menu it does launch Navit but it doesn't route. Strangely, it does communicate the destination to Navit because I can see the addresses in the list of previous destinations, but whereas in the past Navit would come up and it would just start talking, now it comes up and tracks my location but no navigation takes place.

[jcmarcos]

Originally Posted by 72ka

My answers are short, because I'm very tired, my son is sick, and yesterday christmas eve was horrible for us... found only max. 20minutes per day for developing - it is relax for me.

Jan is webOS superhero!

[72ka]

Hi, yesterdayI used it two times, with the latest Navit build, and found the same behavior. I found in the Navit the name of the place, but I had to set it as destination in Navit again. Looks like Navit changes the cross-app parameters or it is just a bug. If someone knows more, let me know please. Then I can make an fix. Thank you for report.

But, sadly, I'm sick too... onlyone healthy person is my wife, who cares now not only about our baby. Any development activity are delayed, I can't concetrate and need only sleeping and drinking a hot tee with honey.

Sent from ICOO D70GT tablet

[Grabber5.0]

Get rest man, you need it. The world isn't going to fall apart over this. It may get lost, but it won't fall apart.

[72ka]

Hi, I´m still testing the dev version of google maps, on my Pre3 works well and looks stable. For Pre3 and hope webOS 2.2 users are ready for daily use. I found many other issues and bugs, now the app is significant faster. But I have to fix some issues for webOS < 2.2, where API loads the non touch UI, there is needed more complicated tricks....

Anyway, meantime I made a new app wInNeR, maybe is usable for you, see more here webOS Intelligent News Reader - "wInNeR"

[jcmarcos]

Originally Posted by 72ka

Hi, I´m still testing the dev version of google maps, on my Pre3 works well and looks stable. For Pre3 and hope webOS 2.2 users are ready for daily use. I found many other issues and bugs, now the app is significant faster.

The man just can't stop! Go Jan go! (update: I've just checked your new "winner" app, how cool!)

But I have to fix some issues for webOS < 2.2, where API loads the non touch UI, there is needed more complicated tricks....

Aha. I'd love to check your new enhancements, because that last "proof of concept" was great: Fluid zooming and panning, while expected on every other map application, is quite a challenge in webOS. I hope you can ease out those "tricks" you need for older webOS versions (it's amazing how you can support such a broad range of systems), and start enjoying your latest on my Pre 3. As always, pass new spanish translations to me, if needed.

[michel_ng]

Originally Posted by 72ka

now the app is significant faster

Wow, on my Veer the only issue i dont like is the app smoothness. Hope it will be really faster with the next release