• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Geo-referenced .PDF on Android ?

B

b.b.wolf

Lurker
I have been searching the web to see if there is an android app that would display geo referenced .pdf files and show real time positioning with the on board GPS chip.
This would be used on a Creative Labs 10" Zio Android Tablet. (when they are released)
 
b.b.wolf said:
I have been searching the web to see if there is an android app that would display geo referenced .pdf files and show real time positioning with the on board GPS chip.
This would be used on a Creative Labs 10" Zio Android Tablet. (when they are released)
Click to expand...

Am I getting this straight: you want to see, displayed on a map, who's got a certain pdf file on their Android device and where they are? So then that pdf file would be a Trojan Horse that activates e.g. the Latitude app? (Or the 'Send My Location' app. etc.).
 
A geo referenced .pdf is a file that contains a map referenced with gps coordinates. If you are positioned in a location that is on the map, your gps would pinpoint your location.
Sorry, it is not anything sinister or big brother related as you were contemplating.
 
Geo referenced .pdf files are generally public domain, so there would be no cost as opposed to TomTom or Garmin software. Another benefit of geo-referenced .pdf files are you can create you own personal maps very easily.
 
b.b.wolf said:
Geo referenced .pdf files are generally public domain, so there would be no cost as opposed to TomTom or Garmin software.
Click to expand...

Google Maps, Google Nav, and Mapdroid, a.o., are free. And at least on a par with Garmin and TomTom maps, if not better.

Another benefit of geo-referenced .pdf files are you can create you own personal maps very easily.
Click to expand...

Can you please explain to me what the benefit of that would be vis-a-vis so many free maps?
 
Google downloads maps incrementally requiring a full time data connection.Don't know Mapdroid, although I expect the same. If you were out of the metropolitan area, the google maps would lose their data feed and you have no map to reference.

Many of the geo.pdf's are topographical, not street maps. Perfect for jeep type travel. For Arizona alone, the USGIS has 1998 (32 GB) 1:24,000 scale (hi-res) topo maps which can be downloaded in .pdf format for free.
 
GeoPDF: TerraGo Technologies as one of Adobe's business partners has created a plug-in for Adobe Acrobat that allows you to embed a coordinate system and attribute data into the PDF maps you create.
Click to expand...
(extract from US Army Corps of Engineers fact sheet)

There is more interesting detail about GeoPDF's capabilities in this geocaching.com topic.

@ b.b wolf: Seeing as the capability you're looking for already seems to exist on the PC with the addition of the free TerraGo Toolbar, and that Android handsets almost all have in-built GPS, I'd imagine that GeoPDF is already in Google's roadmap for Maps. Just my guess, but it seems ideal for mobile applications. I'm definitely going to keep my eye on this!
 
b.b.wolf said:
Google downloads maps incrementally requiring a full time data connection.Don't know Mapdroid, although I expect the same. If you were out of the metropolitan area, the google maps would lose their data feed and you have no map to reference.
Click to expand...

No. Once you've programmed a route in at least Google Nav, Google Maps, and Mapdroid, afaik, all the required maps have been downloaded and cached. You can now switch to Airplane Mode (no connections), and drive the entire route with the cached maps as long as you leave your GPS locating on.

Many of the geo.pdf's are topographical, not street maps. Perfect for jeep type travel. For Arizona alone, the USGIS has 1998 (32 GB) 1:24,000 scale (hi-res) topo maps which can be downloaded in .pdf format for free.
Click to expand...

Google Nav, and Google Maps can be switched from street map to satellite view.

How much SDcard space do hi-res topographical maps for Arizona require, as opposed to the temporary caching of all needed, zoomable, maps for a given route?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom