Gaia GPS User Manual

Gaia GPS User Manual
1
3
108
■To download maps in Gaia GPS, follow these easy
steps: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
108
Getting Started with Gaia GPS
■To mark a waypoint, follow these steps:
. . . . . .8
How to Create a Planned Route . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Managing Your Tracks
22
How to Import Tracks from Dropbox: . . . . . . . . 34
How to Print your Tracks: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
How to Make URLs to Open Gaia GPS at a Coordinate
37
How to Display or Hide Your Tracks on Maps . . . . 38
How to Backtrack Along a Saved Track . . . . . . . 40
■How to Change the Color of Your Saved Tracks
Downloading and Creating Maps and Overlays
. 43
44
How to Make the Map Orient to the Direction of Your
Movement and Scroll as you Move . . . . . . . . . 44
How to Use the Map Warper
. . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How to Add Map Sources to Gaia (for
programmers/cartographers) . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
How to turn on and off POIs:
. . . . . . . . . . . . 53
How to Turn on Your Waypoint Overlay:
. . . . . . 55
Battery and Data Usage Saving Tips
58
How To Reduce Battery Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Information for International (and Alaskan) Users
63
Gaia GPS Description Translations . . . . . . . . . 63
■ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Topo Maps (Worldwide) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Issues and Troubleshooting
67
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
How to Report an Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Enabling GPS for Gaia GPS on Your Device . . . . 71
GaiaCloud
77
Share Your Adventures with GaiaCloud . . . . . . . 77
How to set up your GaiaCloud account: . . . . . . . 78
How to Use the GaiaCloud Website:
. . . . . . . . 80
GaiaPro
83
GaiaPro allows you to use and download layered . . 84
maps. You can stack many map layers, and adjust the
transparency of each - even offline. . . . . . . . . . 84
How to Download Layered Maps . . . . . . . . . . 88
How to Turn on Gridlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Information for Prospective Gaia GPS Users
94
Offline Topo Maps Manual
97
Searching
108
108 2
108
GaiaPro Public Lands Layer:
Getting Started with Gaia
GPS
USGS Topo Map:
■
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/jmjaeger/6932_gis/usgs_map_symbology.pdf
World Topo (OpenCycleMap by Thunderforest):
3
■To download maps in Gaia GPS,
follow these easy steps:
Then choose the layer you would like to download from
your list of map layers. Then tap "Download Maps".
First, search or pan the map area to find the area you
want to download. Then tap on the layers button to
choose the map type you'd like to download.
Next, drag your finger diagonally along the screen to
choose the area you would like to download.
4
Gaia GPS will only download the selected area of the
currently visible map.
Then, make sure to adjust your max zoom levels. Note:
the more zoom you allow, the more detail you will be
able to see of the downloaded map, but the amount of
space the map will take up on your device also
increases.
5
Finally, choose a name for your saved map. This will
help you find your map when it is stored under the list
of saved maps on the Saved Screen.
6
You can check on the progress of your saved map
download by pressing
on the blue progress square on on your main map
screen.
7
■To mark a waypoint, follow these
steps:
Next, decide what sort of waypoint is best for you. If
you would like to mark a waypoint that is near you, so
as to remember the spot you are currently at, tap "Drop
Pin Near Me". If you would like to plan a future route
using waypoints, tap "Create Route". If you want to
simply mark a spot somewhere on the map, tap "Drop
Pin". If you would like to mark your spot by taking a
picture, tap "Take Picture".
To begin marking a waypoint, first tap the waypoint
icon on the top of the screen.
After you have placed your waypoint, a menu will
appear allowing you to adjust the settings of your
waypoint. You can change the name to help you to
remember why you placed the waypoint.
8
Also, you can adjust Latitude and Longitude to
precisely place your waypoint. Then tap "Save" to keep
the waypoint, "Cancel" if you've made a mistake, or
"Save and Guide" if you would like Gaia GPS to guide
you to the waypoint you are inserting.
Now your waypoint is saved in your saved waypoints
list.
9
Tap on the blue half circle at the bottom of your screen
to open your track recording screen.
3.
Then slide the toggle from "Paused" to "Recording" to
start recording your track
4. When you are finished, slide the toggle from
"Recording" to "Paused" to stop recording your track.
When you want to finish and save your track, tap on
the plus sign, which saves and archives your current
track, and allows you to start recording a new track.
10
o record a new track in Gaia GPS:
■T
2.
Tap on on the plus button to start a new track. If you do
not press the plus button, your track will be labeled with
the wrong date.
11
■Follow these steps to change your map source:
1.
To access your other map sources, tap on the layers
icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.
2.
Tap on the new map source you'd like to use. Then tap
on the map screen to return to your map screen and
see your new map source.
12
Next, tap on "Create Route".
How to Create a Planned Route
Follow these steps to create a planned route using
waypoints in Gaia GPS.
First tap on the add waypoint icon to begin creating
your route.
13
Then, begin planning your route by long pressing on
places you would like to mark. You can delete points
by double tapping them or move them around as you
make the route by long pressing them and dragging
them to their new location. You can also add a new
point by long pressing on the line between two points.
You will see the total distance of your route in the lower
left hand screen. When you are happy with your
planned route tap "Save".
When you are happy with your planned route tap
"Save". On an iPad, you will see the list right away,
there is no need to tap any buttons to see the list of
route waypoints.
You can tap on the "i" for info button to see a list of
your route points.
14
Then you will receive bearing information to your
planned route. If you do not want to go to your route
right away, tap the x next to the bearing information to
collapse route guidance. On an iPad, you need to tap
on the blue button on the left side of the screen, then
tap "Saved", then tap "My Data", choose "Routes", tap
on the route you'd like guidance for, and finally tap
"Guide Me".
■
15
■How to Get Guidance and Bearing to a Saved
Waypoint:
1. Tap on the menu button in the upper left-hand
corner:
Then tap on "Waypoints" to see your saved waypoints.
2.
16
3. Then tap on the waypoint you'd like to receive
guidance for.
4. Tap on "Guide Me" to receive guidance to your
chosen waypoint.
17
5. Then you will see your map with route guidance pop
up. You can tap on the blue half circle to hide the
guidance temporarily, or tap the "X" to get rid of route
guidance when you are finished.
18
Tap the "Locate" button (looks like a crosshairs) on the
map once to lock on your location, twice for "heads-up"
mode.
Double tap the trip computer to rearrange it.
To find the accuracy of your GPS signal, tap on the
satellite icon at the top left-hand corner of the trip recor
ding screen (accessible by dragging the blue half circle
up on the main map page).
While recording, get the best battery life by
backgrounding the app and turning off push
notifications, wifi, and cellular data to conserve battery.
You can also remove your SIM card to increase battery
life.
Get guidance to waypoints, photos, and tracks via
Details pages.
For best results, do your map downloads and data
exports in wifi or strong 4G coverage.
Swipe the rows of your Saved things to the left delete
them one-by-one.
■
Non-Obvious Features in Gaia GPS
19
The "lock" function of Gaia GPS is typically used by
people who wear gloves.
Locking the screen, in the app, lets you see Gaia GPS
occasionally, without having to interact with the iPhone
to unlock it.■ The lock mode also enables the iPhone's
proximity sensor, which blanks the screen when the
phone is in your pocket, and saves some battery life.
■
WARNING:
If your goal is to track with the least power
consumption, you should start tracking with Gaia, and
then use the hardware button to background the app,
and not use this lock function.
■
To lock your screen:
1. Tap on the menu button on the upper left hand
corner of the main map screen
2. Then tap on "Lock Screen".
20
1. First, tap on the three line button in the upper
left-hand corner of the screen.
Then tap on settings.
The blue datum is your chosen datum.
2. Then tap on either WGS84 or NAD27 next to Datum
to choose your datum.
21
Managing Your Tracks
If you are looking for a particular trail in Gaia GPS,
you'll need to
first locate where the trail should be on the map source
by scrolling around or
dropping a waypoint with coordinates where the trail is
located
.
If you do not see the trail, try
switching to other map sources
that may have the trail.
Most popular hiking trails are on one of our map
sources already, but some less popular trails will not be
marked on a map yet.
If you are unable to locate a trail on a map, the next
step is to search the internet for GPX files of the trail.
Then download the GPX files you find and
import them into Gaia GPS
.
You should also check out
cloud.gaiagps.com
for tracks that other Gaia GPS users have shared,
which you can add to your GaiaCloud account.
After you follow those steps, you'll have either a trail to
follow on one of our map sources, or a track imported
that you can use to follow along the trail. If you cannot
find a GPX track or map source with your trail marked
on it, please email
[email protected]
and we'll help you find a way to plan your trip.
22
■
Import KML and GPX through GaiaCloud
■
Import GPX Files through Email
(same method for DropBox or opening files from other
apps)
Import GPX Files through iTunes (version 6.4 or
higher)
Waypoints included in Tracks:
If your imported track includes one or more waypoints,
they will display on the map when you load the track,
and they will be clickable.
Waypoints will also show up in your waypoints list on
the Saved screen.
Resources to Find Data to Use:
There are many resources to find GPX data files with
waypoint and track information you can use in Gaia
GPS.
cloud.gaiagps.com
has a lot of public tracks that you can add to your
GaiaCloud account. To add a public track, go to the
"Gallery" tab and click on a file's name and then click
on "Sync to Cloud" to add it to your GaiaCloud account.
EveryTrail.com
has a large repository of GPX files, as does
mtbguru.com
.
Please note that KML must currently be imported to
GaiaCloud (first option above) or converted to GPX.
We will soon re-enable local KML imports via email and
iTunes too.
23
1. First, bring up your saved screen by tapping on the
three line button on the left-hand side of the screen,
and then tapping on either tracks, waypoints, or routes.
Next tap the particular track, waypoint, or route you
would like to export.
2.
24
3. Scroll down on your track, waypoint or route's details
screen and tap on the "Export" option.■
After you tap export, this page will pop up giving you
two options to export your track or waypoint. You can
email the track or waypoint, or you can upload it to
Everytrial.com.
25
Finally, if you chose email, type in your recipient's
email address. Then tap send.
26
3. Tap on the name of the track you'd like to crop
27
4. Tap on the pencil icon to start cropping your track.
Please note that when you tap "Crop" your changes
are finalized and cannot be revoked.
5
6. Then slide the "Start" and "End" toggles on the
bottom of the screen from left to right to crop your
track.
The graph on the bottom of the screen shows your
elevation change over time.
■
Finally, tap on the scissors icon when you are finished.
Gaia GPS now includes the ability to crop your saved
tracks.
This is very helpful for times when you forget to turn off
your track before you get in your car to drive home.
You can also use it as a fun way to show your tracks
off, as it draws the tracks on your map and shows your
elevation changes on a graph on the bottom.
■
1
2. Tap on the three line button on the left side of the
screen to access the Gaia menu. Then tap on your
saved tracks to access your saved tracks.
28
Reposition Points:
Tap and hold on a point and then drag it around to
reposition it.
Delete Points:
Double tap on a point, and then a message will appear
asking if you'd like to delete the point.
Add Another Point to the End of the Route:
Tap and hold on another spot on the map to add a new
point to the end of your route.
Add Another Point Between Points:
Long press on a line between points to add another
point between existing points.
Drag as you create the point to place it wherever you'd
like it to be.
Note:
At any point you can tap on the "i" for info button in the
upper right-hand corner of the screen to see the list of
points in your route and the distances between them.
5.
29
Tap save when you are done editing your route to save
your changes.
Then tap on "Routes" to see your list of saved routes.
1
2.
Tap on the three line button on the left side of the
screen to get to your saved routes.
30
3. Tap on the route you'd like to edit.
Tap on the pencil on your route's detail screen to begin
editing the route.
4.
3.
There are several ways you can edit your saved route.
Gaia GPS allows users to edit planned routes.
(
also see iPad article
)
31
1
2. Tap on the three line button on the left side of the
screen to access the Gaia menu. Then tap on your
saved tracks to access your saved tracks.
3. Tap on the track you'd like to rename.
32
4. Tap on the pencil next to your track's name to
change its name.
to return to your list of tracks.■
5.
Tap on the name of your track
and then type in the new name
you want.
Then tap "Done" to
save your changes, and hit
cancel at the top of the screen
33
2. Tap on the "Open in..." button.
How to Import Tracks from Dropbox:
First, download the Dropbox app to your iPhone or
iPad.
Then open the gpx file in the Dropbox app.
1. Then press the export arrow in the lower left-hand
corner:
34
3. Then choose "Gaia GPS" from the app options.
4. Then Gaia GPS will open and load the file.
Note: Gaia GPS has a file limit of 15 MB. Files over 15
MB should be split up into several files so that they can
import into Gaia GPS.
35
How to Print your Tracks:
If you would like to see your track online on your PC
and then print it out, we recommend signing up for
GaiaCloud. (Manual entries:
how to use GaiaCloud
,
how to use the GaiaCloud website
)
You can adjust your zoom on your track and then print
it out in whatever size you would like simply by printing
from your browser.
36
How to Make URLs to Open Gaia
GPS at a Coordinate
You can create gaiagps:// URLs that open Gaia in a
couple of ways.
Tracks
When you upload a track via the email importer, Gaia
emails you back a link to import the track. You can also
extract these links from the email and post them on
your website if you wish.
Here is a link to one of Halfmile's Pacific Crest Trail
track files, that will open Gaia and import the track:
gaiagps://uploadedtracks/agdnYWlhZ3Bzcg4LEgVUcmFjaxjLxMsDDA
Locations
You can create a URL that open Gaia GPS to a given
lat/lon and zoom. Here is an example you can click
from your iPhone or iPad to open Gaia:
gaiagps://map?lat=37.8354
lng=-122.0828
z=14
37
2. Then tap on "Tracks" to see your list of saved tracks.
How to Display or Hide Your Tracks
on Maps
1. Tap on the menu button in the upper left-hand
corner of your screen:
38
3. Slide the toggle next to your track's name to "ON" if
you want to see the track on your map, or "OFF" if you
want to hide the track from your map.
39
2. Then tap on "Tracks" to see your list of saved tracks.
How to Backtrack Along a Saved
Track
■
1. Tap on the menu button in the upper left-hand
corner of your screen:
3.
Tap on the track that you would like to backtrack along.
4.
Then tap on "Guide Me."
5.
40
On the guidance label at the bottom of the screen, tap
on the circular arrow button to reverse the guidance to
guide you from the end of the track to its beginning.
41
You can also upload pictures to attach to tracks.
Upload files to
cloud.gaiagps.com/upload
The next time you sync with GaiaCloud, uploaded data
will appear on your device.
42
■How to Change the Color of Your
Saved Tracks
Tap on the color that you'd like for your saved track.
Then tap save to keep the new color.
1. Go to your list of saved tracks and tap on a track's
thumbnail to choose its color.
2. You will then see a color wheel.
43
Then you will see the locator icon turn purple and the
map will orient to your direction as you move.
Downloading and Creating
Maps and Overlays
How to Make the Map Orient to the
Direction of Your Movement and
Scroll as you Move
If you would like to orient your map screen to the
direction of your movement and scroll automatically as
you move, you must turn on "track up" mode.
1.
Tap on the locator icon (looks like a cross hairs)
on the main map screen twice.
2.
44
How to Download Maps Along a Track:
First, make sure you are using a map source in your
main map screen that covers the area your track is
located in.
You also want to have the source on your main map
screen that you'd like to use with your track.
1
2.
Then, go to your Saved screen by tapping on the three
line button in the upper left-hand side of the screen,
and then tapping on "Tracks".
Scroll down on your details screen and tap "Download
Maps for Track" to begin downloading maps of your
track.
3.
Then tap on the track that you want to download maps
along.
45
■
46
3.
Tap add next to any map layers you would like to add.
You can remove them later by tapping remove.
Then tap on the plus button to add more map sources.
4.
You will now see your newly added map source on
your map list.
Tap on the map source to use it on your main map
screen.
To access the additional user added map layers in
Gaia GPS, follow the steps below:
1. Tap on the map layers button
2.
47
4. Use the controls on your map screen to animate the
NEXRAD Weather overlay.
Tap on the overlay button to access the NEXRAD
Weather overlay.
To overlay NEXRAD animated radar weather over your
maps:
1. Tap on your layers icon on your main map screen.
■2.
3.
Scroll down to the NEXRAD Weather toggle and push
the toggle to the right to adjust the transparency of the
48
NEXRAD weather overlay.
49
Once you have saved and rectified your map:
How to Use the Map Warper
This site works best with the Chrome web browser,
or Firefox. It has some bugs in Safari.
Since this is a new feature that is still in beta, we would
love to receive feedback from anyone who has used it.
Please email us at
[email protected]
to tell us about your experience.
To import a map:
2.
Copy and paste the URL from the Gaia GPS link by
right clicking on "Gaia GPS: Import Map Source" and
choosing
"Copy URL" or "Copy Link Address".
Then paste that link into an email to yourself. The URL
will look like:
gaiagps://addmapsource/Lake+Tahoe+Scenic+Map%5E%5Ehtt
3.
Open that email on your device. Click the Gaia GPS
import URL in the email or copy/paste it into Safari.
Then Gaia GPS will open and add your map source
with a message stating "Success Map Source Added".
4.
"Rectify" the map by choosing points that correspond to
the reference map (OpenStreetMap).
We recommend placing at least four points of
rectification, add more if you would like your map to be
more accurate.
50
The code for this site was originally created for the
New York Public Library. Jeff Johnson, friend of the
company, spun up a copy we can use in Gaia. Many
thanks to Jeff for his efforts!
1.
Click on the Export tab for the map
3.
Upload a map file. The file must be an image file, such
as a JPEG, PNG or TIFF. A PDF file will not work.
1.
Visit
■http://warper.mapstory.org/
2.
Create an account.
51
How to Add Map Sources to Gaia
(for programmers/cartographers)
Gaia GPS can use any tile server that is set up to use
TMS coordinates. The URLs for these server tiles are
like http://some.server/Z/X/Y.png
Sometimes, programmers and cartographers contact
us and ask how they can add their map sources, once
they have created them.
We spun up a site at
http://www.gaiagps.com/addmapsource
that allows users to add their own map sources to their
copies of Gaia GPS or share them in our public gallery.
52
Next, tap on the Overlays button to access your
waypoint and POI options.
How to turn on and off POIs:
To control whether POIs display on your map
screen, follow the steps below.
First, tap on the layers button on the right-side of your
main map screen.
Then tap on the the POIs you would like to display.
53
All POIs with a check mark next to them will be
displayed.
If you are on an iPad, you can turn on and off your
POIs like this:
54
2. Next, tap on "Overlays" to access your waypoints
and POI overlays.
How to Turn on Your Waypoint
Overlay:
1. Tap on the layers icon in the upper right-hand corner
to access your maps and overlays.
55
3. Then, turn on or off your overlays by tapping on
them. Tap on "My Waypoints" and when there is a
check mark next to "My Waypoints" or any other
overlay, then it will display on your maps.
56
You can add the Public Land layer within Gaia by going
to "Add More Layers..."
The legend is as follows:
Gaia users can display
Public Land Ownership data, which is useful for
hunting, fishing, exploring, and other purposes.
■Please note that t
his overlay won't work very well unless you have
GaiaPro, because it needs to be layered with other
base maps. You might have some basic use for it as a
regular Gaia user.
57
that explains how to use your iPhone as a GPS
tracking device, including detailed information on how
to reduce battery loss.
Battery and Data Usage
Saving Tips
How To Reduce Battery Loss
We know that a lot of Gaia GPS users take extended
backcountry trips and need to conserve their iPhone or
iPad batteries.
There are some things you can do to increase the
battery life of your device, such as lowering your
brightness, turning off your equalizer, or restricting your
location services only to Gaia GPS while you are
hiking. There are also settings in Gaia GPS for power
saving that allow users to choose not to look up
waypoint elevations or use GPS until they activate it.
If you have "No GPS Until Activated" turned "ON" , our
app will not find your location or track your movements
until you tap the "Locate Me" button (it looks like a
cross hairs and is located in the top right corner of the
map screen) or until you record a track.
However, the app will still use location services to find
your compass direction unless you tap on the compass
band on your map screen to collapse the compass
band.
Apple has a
useful site
that lists ways to preserve battery life. Additionally,
Adventure Alan has a
super informative site
If you have "Offline Mode" turned "ON", our app will not
download any more data using cell service or wifi,
which can result in less battery loss on your device.
58
How to Use Offline Mode:
1
2. Tap on the three line button on the left hand side of
the screen, and then tap on settings.
Scroll to the "Power Saving" section and swipe the
toggle next to "Offline Mode" to make it blue and turn
on offline mode.
Offline Mode is a setting in Gaia GPS that allows users
from blocking Gaia GPS from accessing any data over
a cell or wifi connection.
This means that if you turn on Offline Mode the app will
be unable to download or display any new maps that
you haven't already downloaded for offline use.
Offline Mode is useful if you want to test your
downloaded maps or avoid data charges when
traveling.
To turn on Offline Mode:
3.
59
1
2. Tap on the three line button on the left hand side of
the screen, and then tap on settings.
3. Scroll "Map Downloads" and tap on the toggle next
to "Auto-resume" and make sure that the toggle is
white, which turns off "Auto-resume" so that your maps
will not "Auto-resume" downloading when you open the
app.
60
How
to Turn Off your Cellular Data Connection:
It can be very useful when traveling to turn off your
cellular data connection.
This will save battery and prevent users from incurring
roaming or data charges.
To turn off your cellular data connection follow these
steps:
1. Open the main settings app on your device.
2. Tap on "Cellular" to change your cellular data
settings.
3.
61
Slide the toggle next to cellular data to turn off cellular
data. It is off when the toggle is white, and on when it is
green.
62
Information for International
(and Alaskan) Users
Gaia GPS Description Translations
Chinese
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Korean
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Swedish
63
NRCan Raster Topo (included as part of the default
USGS topo source)
NRCan Vector Topo (add this source via the Map
Layers menu in the app)
Canada Topo West
OpenCycleMap
MapQuest OSM
MapQuest Imagery
HikeBike.de
We have three dedicated Canadian map sources, and
a few international map sources that include Canada.
International map sources that cover Canada:
These map sources can be added through the map
layers menu by tapping on the plus sign in the upper
right hand corner.
Then tap "Add" next to any source you'd like to use in
Gaia GPS.
64
■
Topo Maps (Worldwide)
USGS Topos
(US, AK, and Canada)
USFS Topos (change layer to view)
OpenCycleMap
,
OpenHikingMap
, and
OpenLandscapeMap
NRCanada Vector Topos
Aerial Maps
(Worldwide)
■
CalTopo USGS Aerial (US Only)
MapQuest Open Imagery
MapBox Cloudless Imagery (GaiaPro required)
Road Maps
MapQuest OpenStreetMap
MapBox Streets (GaiaPro Required)
Special
Slope Angle (Skiing and Mountaineering)
CalTopo US National Park Services Visitor Maps
USGS National Map
■
LINZ New Zealand Topo
Weather Info
Other Sources
Our Paid Providers
CalTopo
delivers US topo, aerial, and many other special
purpose maps for the United States.
ThunderForest
provides the very best outdoor maps based on
OpenStreetMap.
MapBox
provides the world’s most up-to-date OpenStreetMap
service on the planet, as well as a cloudless, worldwide
satellite imagery map source. We also host some
specialized maps that we create with MapBox.
Wunderground
provides awesome weather info.
Gaia GPS offers the best US and Canadian
government topo maps, as well as international
OpenStreetMap-based topo maps.
Gaia GPS also lets you download worldwide aerial
imagery. The three main aerial sources for Gaia GPS
are:
There are a variety of other special-purpose map
sources in Gaia GPS as well.
Gaia GPS also overlays NEXRAD weather information
on maps, so you can see where the storms are.
GaiaPro users can also view forecasts, tides, and
animated radar.
You can also use Gaia GPS with any web map that
provides an open tile server, subject to any terms and
conditions of the provider. You can find
instructions for adding tile services to Gaia GPS here
, or email
[email protected]
.
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We are grateful to CalTopo, Thunderforest, and
MapBox, who provide affordable services that we can
include in Gaia GPS and our other apps.
To change your units to either metric or imperial units:
1. Tap on the button with three lines on the left hand
side of the screen to access the main menu in Gaia
GPS.
2. Tap on settings.
3. Then scroll down to units and choose either metric
or imperial to choose your unit type.
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Issues and Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
If your phone is in airplane mode, the GPS won't
operate, and Gaia can't record tracks.
The compass will not work if you are in a car or if you
are near metal or magnetic things.
If Gaia GPS won't get a GPS signal, first make sure
location services are turned on for Gaia GPS:
■http://help.gaiagps.com/knowledgebase/articles/171276-gaia-gps-isn-t-locating-me-how-do-i-fix-thisIf location services are turned on, shut down the app
completely by double press the Home button (large
round button on bottom of iOS device). Then swipe up
to shut Gaia GPS completely down.
If shutting down the app doesn't work, rebooting your
phone will do the trick.
If Gaia GPS stops working, you can delete it from your
phone and re-download it from the App Store for free
as long as you are signed in with the same account
you originally used to purchase the app. You can save
your data by
syncing with GaiaCloud before
deleting the app. If this ever happens to you, we're very
sorry for the problem. Please
email
us and tell us what happened.
Please note:
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How to Report an Issue
To report bugs
tap "Contact Support"
on our UserVoice page
or email
[email protected]
.
The best bug reports include this information:
Step-by-step instructions to reproduce the bug in the
simplest posible way, starting with "turn the app on."
Tell us what device (iPhone/iPad/iPod) you are using.
If you can, tell us what version of iOS you are on, and
what generation your device is.
If the app crashes, include the crash logs from your
device
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If an app crashes, the device records crash logs that
you can send to us. We use these logs to help find and
fix bugs. You an retrieve logs easiest using your
computer, and also with your iPhone/iPad.
To find a crash log using iTunes and your computer:
How to Find Crash Logs
1) First, sync your device with iTunes
2) Send us the logs by email. You can find them in one
of these places, depending on what kind of computer
you have:
Mac:
~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/MobileDevice/
your device's name
/GaiaGPS_
the date of the crash
_
your device's name
.crash
Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Apple
computer\Logs\CrashReporter\
your device’s name
\GaiaGPS_
the date of the crash
_
your device's name
.crash
Windows Vista/7:
C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Apple
computer\Logs\CrashReporter\MobileDevice\
your device’s name
\GaiaGPS_
the date of the crash
_
your device's name
.crash
■
To find a crash log using your iPhone/iPad:
1.
Go to the main "Settings" app on the device you are
encountering issues on
2.
Tap "General"
3.
Tap "About"
4.
Scroll down, and tap "Diagnostics
Usage"
5.
On the next screen tap on "Diagnostics
Usage" again
6.
Then you will see a list of all the crash reports on your
device.
Scroll until you see a crash report that begins with
"GaiaGPS_date" and then tap on
that report
6.
Long press on the text and then slide the toggles to
select all the text display in the report. Then tap "Copy"
to
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copy it.
Send it to us and we'll get back to you as soon as
possible.
7.
Finally, compose an email to [email protected]
and paste the contents of the crash report in there.
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Next, tap on "Privacy" and then choose "Location
Services"
Enabling GPS for Gaia GPS on Your
Device
1.
To change your settings, first tap the settings App.
2.
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To change your iPhone GPS settings to allow Gaia
GPS to access GPS services, scroll to Gaia GPS and
swipe the switch to "ON".
3.
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Additionally, you may have turned on "No GPS Until
Activated" in Gaia GPS's settings. If you have "No GPS
Until Activated" turned "ON" (toggle is blue), our app
will not find your location or track your movements until
you tap the "Locate Me" button (it looks like a cross
hairs and is located in the top right corner of the map
screen).
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To add Gaia GPS to another device after you
purchased Gaia GPS, simply log in
on your device
with the same Apple ID that you originally used to
purchase Gaia GPS.
Then search for Gaia GPS on the App store and you
will see a "DOWNLOAD" or cloud button instead of a
"PURCHASE" button show up.
Tap on the download or cloud button and the app will
be added to your device and you will not be charge
again. If you see a purchase button, log out of your
Apple ID until you find the one you originally used to
purchase Gaia GPS.
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You may find with Gaia GPS that your recorded tracks
are not the same length as the track lengths displayed
on other iPhones, Androids, GPS devices, maps, or
trail markers. Even the most recent models of iPhones,
which have better GPS chips, can easily vary by 5-30%
from other readings.
Despite the fact that Gaia GPS is calibrated to poll the
GPS for maximum resolution and accuracy, the
following factors confound estimation.
We continue to explore ways to improve estimation of
distance from GPS data, but there are limitations that
will always exist.
■
1.
■Trail Markers and Maps are Measured in Multiple
Ways Trail markers and maps use multiple methods to
determine the length of trails. The most accurate
measurements are done with a measuring wheel,
which is rolled along the trail and has a revolution
counter. Even with a wheel there is plenty of
opportunity for errors. The wheeler must be careful that
the wheel does not slip, and wheelers have to decide
which parts of trails to measure when there are difficult
scrambling sections or two ways around a tree in the
middle of a trail.
Trails are also measured
using maps estimations, which can be very inaccurate,
or using GPS devices, which vary in resolution.
2.
■Your Device's GPS Accuracy GPS accuracy varies across iOS devices, the newer
the device the better the estimation. If you use an
iPhone 5, you will get a more accurate distance
recording than a friend using an iPhone 3GS.
Additionally, thick tree cover and cloud cover, or even
tall buildings, can interfere with your device's
connection to GPS satellites.
3.
■Inaccuracies
Accumulate
Over Time When a computer, like an iPhone, Garmin, or Android,
records GPS locations, each location or track point,
has a small amount of possible error.
This error adds up over time, so your tracks are likely
to be recorded as longer than you expect.
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Enable GaiaCloud, and sync your data automatically,
all the time. You can verify your data is successfully
backed up at http://cloud.gaiagps.com
Do an iTunes or iCloud back-up prior to major updates,
or on a regular cycle.
Export your data from Gaia GPS prior to an update.
Whenever there is a major update to iOS or Gaia
GPS■ (such as iOS7 or Gaia GPS v8), there is some
chance of data loss from a local device. To avoid this,
we both provide multiple back-up mechanisms and
also built in a failsafe data copy step, which triggers
before major Gaia GPS updates (but not before iOS
updates).
Back-up Options
To avoid data loss, please use one of the following
back-up mechanisms before doing a major update of
your device, or of Gaia GPS:
Data Migration Failsafe
If you update Gaia GPS and find your data does not
appear, you may use these steps to recover your data.
Gaia makes a copy of your data before upgrade, so
this provides a last resort for recovery:
1. Download iExplorer:
http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/
2. Go to the Apps section of iExplorer and scroll to
Gaia GPS.
3. Locate the database (Locations.sqllite) file
Library
Private Documents
■.
4. Locate the photos directory in Documents
Photos.
5. Locate the tracks directory in the Library
Private Documents
Tracks.
6. Create a folder with all the folders and files from
steps 3-5.
7. Zip the folder and send use that zip file to
[email protected]. (On a Mac you can create a zip
file by right clicking on the file or folder and choosing
"Compress")
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GaiaCloud
Share Your Adventures with
GaiaCloud
Share your GPS info and photos with friends
Display your trips on the best maps online at
cloud.gaiagps.com
View gorgeous 3D slideshows of your trip and photos
on
cloud.gaiagps.com
You can enable GaiaCloud through the settings screen
in Gaia GPS. You can also flip a switch in Settings to
make the syncing automatic - Gaia will back up your
changes whenever you make or edit something, and
save changes to the server whenever you are online.
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Note: GaiaCloud syncs the info about saved maps,
but not the map data itself if it's larger than 3,000
tiles. We put this restriction in place to prevent
users from accidentally downloading a lot of data
when syncing GaiaCloud.
How to set up your GaiaCloud
account:
To back-up and sync your tracks, waypoints, photos,
and maps between your devices, simply log into
GaiaCloud.
If you ever get a new iOS device or delete Gaia GPS,
you can log into GaiaCloud on your new install of Gaia
GPS, and re-sync your Gaia GPS data.
1.
Go to your settings screen.
If you see a synced map that has not downloaded
and want to download it to your device:
1) Go to Saved tab.
2) Press the menu button, and select "Resume
Download"
Technical Info
GaiaCloud is a server we set up that runs on Amazon's
S3 infrastructure, and it does not use iCloud.
3. Tap on "Last Sync" to set up your GaiaCloud
account.
4.
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Then tap either "Make a Gaia Account" or "Log in with
Facebook" to create your GaiaCloud account.
Then GaiaCloud will begin syncing and backing up
your data.
5.
A message will appear telling you that you have
successfully created an account or logged in.
6.
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■ Click on info and then click on sign in to access your
account.
How to Use the GaiaCloud Website:
3.
Then tap on your username to choose which type of
data you would like to see.
4.
If you want to see your data that is not currently on
your devices (if you have deleted a track, waypoint, or
map),
check the box next to "Show non-synced"
Gaia Cloud (Gaia GPS's service that backs up and
syncs your saved info between your devices) has a
website where you can manage your Gaia GPS data.
You can also use the site to download your tracks,
waypoints, or photos from photo waypoints directly
from the site to store or use on your computer.
1. Go to
cloud.gaiagps.com
and l
og in with the same credentials you used to create your
GaiaCloud account on your iPhone or iPad.
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GaiaCloud now has the ability to share tracks via
permalink, Facebook, or Twitter.
To access these options, choose one of your tracks
from your tracks page and click on it to see its detail
page.
Then tap on the share tab at the bottom of the page to
share your track.
81
You can reset your GaiaCloud password here:
■
https://cloud.gaiagps.com/user/password/reset/
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GaiaPro
GaiaPro is an optional subscription for Gaia GPS,
which provides additional map sources, features,
weather data, and priority phone and email support
.
Here are the features GaiaPro provides:
Layered Maps
,
How to Download Layered Maps
MapBox Cloudless Satellite, and Up-to-Date
OpenStreetMap
Weather Forecasts
H
igh-Res Photo Syncing
Custom Icons for Waypoints
Dedicated Email and Phone Support from within Gaia
GPS
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2. Next, tap on the name of a map to layer it with your
other map sources, or tap and hold on the three line
button next to the map's name to drag it up to your
visible layers section.
GaiaPro allows you to use and
download layered
maps. You can stack many map
layers, and adjust the transparency
of each - even offline.
1. To use the layered maps feature, first tap the
layers button.
84
3. Then drag the toggles underneath the map layers to
adjust their transparency.
85
The combinations are endless - you can overlay
topos on top of aerial imagery, and show physical
features along with their labels. You can add
hill-shading to OpenStreetMap, to get a classic
shaded road atlas. While online, you can even
overlay real-time NEXRAD weather.
For when you are offline, you can download all of
these map sources at once so that you can
customize your layers offline.
This also simplifies the download process so that
you can download several map sources at one
time, even if you don’t want to layer them.
86
We think this is a good model, because it lets us offer
the GaiaCloud service totally for free to all users, and
avoids incurring significant ongoing costs for photo
storage.
If you use GaiaCloud to sync and back up your data,
by default we sync low-res versions of your photos.
If you are a GaiaPro subscriber, GaiaCloud will sync
high-res versions of your photos.
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3. Swipe your finger across the map to choose which
area you want to download. Also, make sure to choose
the amount of zoom you would like to be able to
access for the downloaded maps when you are offline.
How to Download Layered Maps
To download layered maps first create your customized
layered map.
1
2. Tap on the map layers icon and then scroll to tap
"Download Maps" to begin downloading maps.
4. Use the layer icon in the upper right-hand corner to
choose which of your layered maps you would like to
download by tapping the toggles next to each map
layer's name.
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If the toggle is blue the map will download, if the toggle
is white, the map will not be downloaded.
5. Then, when you are happy with your selections, tap
"Save" to begin downloading your maps.
89
2. Then scroll down and tap on "Grid Overlay" to
access your grindline options.
How to Turn on Gridlines
1. First, tap on the layers icon in the upper right-hand
corner of your main map screen, and then tap on
"Overlays" to see your overlay options.
90
3. Then, tap on any of the grid overlay options you
would like to use on the main map screen.
91
GaiaPro Now Offers Customized Waypoint Icons
2.
Tap on "Create Waypoint" or "Create Waypoint Near
Me" to use customized waypoint icons:
3.
Tap on the waypoint icon in the preview screen to
choose a new waypoint icon.
4.
Finally, tap on the new icon you would like to use to
identify your waypoint.
5. You can also change your waypoint icon later by
tapping on the icon in your saved waypoints screen.
Follow these instructions to use customized waypoint
icons:
1.
First tap on the waypoint icon on the main map screen
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You can add GaiaPro to any device, or restore GaiaPro
if you deleted and reinstalled Gaia GPS.
You can either log in with your GaiaCloud account, or
restore using your iTunes account.
1.
In Settings, select GaiaPro.
2.
Tap login in the top right.
3.
Enter your GaiaPro email and password.
4.
If you don't have a Gaia account, tap Restore in the top
right, and use your iTunes account instead.
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There are a variety of other special-purpose map
sources in Gaia GPS as well.
Gaia GPS also overlays NEXRAD weather information
on maps, so you can see where the storms are.
GaiaPro users can also view forecasts, tides, and
animated radar.
You can also use Gaia GPS with any web map that
provides an open tile server, subject to any terms and
conditions of the provider. You can find
instructions for adding tile services to Gaia GPS here
, or email
[email protected]
.
We are grateful to CalTopo, Thunderforest, and
MapBox, who provide affordable services that we can
include in Gaia GPS and our other apps.
Information for Prospective
Gaia GPS Users
Topo Maps (Worldwide)
USGS Topos
(US, AK, and Canada)
USFS Topos (change layer to view)
OpenCycleMap
,
OpenHikingMap
, and
OpenLandscapeMap
NRCanada Vector Topos
Aerial Maps
(Worldwide)
■
CalTopo USGS Aerial (US Only)
MapQuest Open Imagery
MapBox Cloudless Imagery (GaiaPro required)
Hunting Maps (US, GaiaPro required)
Land Ownership
Colorado Game Units
Montana Elk, Deer, and Mountain Lion Zones
Nautical Maps (US)
NOAA Nautical Charts
Inland River Charts
Road Maps
MapQuest OpenStreetMap
MapBox Streets (GaiaPro Required)
Special
Slope Angle (Skiing and Mountaineering)
CalTopo US National Park Services Visitor Maps
USGS National Map
■
LINZ New Zealand Topo
Weather Info
Other Sources
Our Paid Providers
CalTopo
delivers US topo, aerial, and many other special
purpose maps for the United States.
ThunderForest
provides the very best outdoor maps based on
OpenStreetMap.
MapBox
provides the world’s most up-to-date OpenStreetMap
service on the planet, as well as a cloudless, worldwide
satellite imagery map source. We also host some
specialized maps that we create with MapBox.
Wunderground
provides awesome weather info.
Gaia GPS offers the best US and Canadian
government topo maps, as well as international
OpenStreetMap-based topo maps.
Gaia GPS also lets you download worldwide aerial
imagery. The three main aerial sources for Gaia GPS
are:
GaiaPro subscribers get access to special hunting
overlays.
You can also access sea and river charts in Gaia GPS.
We develop these map sources for our boating app,
Skipper, but make them available in Gaia GPS as well.
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Gaia GPS
is a more full featured version of
Offline Topo Maps
.
Offline Topo Maps
allows you to download topographical maps from all
over the world for use when you do not have a cell
signal. You can also add waypoints, and the app will
navigate you to those waypoints.
Gaia GPS
allows you to do all of that and more. With
Gaia GPS
you can record your tracks while you hike. Along with
displaying your saved track on a map,
Gaia GPS
records your speed over time, altitude changes, and
overall time spent moving along that track. You can
also export these tracks and trip data to share with
friends or import other tracks so that you can follow
tracks people have already mapped.
Gaia GPS has
GaiaCloud
, which backs up your tracks, waypoints, and maps and
allows you to view them online. You can upgrade from
Offline Topo Maps to Gaia GPS within the app, which
simply replaces Offline Topo Maps with Gaia GPS,
while allowing you to retain your waypoints.
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Yes, Gaia GPS can use external GPS devices such as
the Dual XGPS and Bad Elf to gather its GPS
information.
This is especially useful for users that have wifi only
iPads or iPod touches that do not have built in GPS
chips.
Download the companion apps for these devices that
confirm that the devices have properly connected.
Once the external GPS is connected to your device
correctly, Gaia GPS will use the superior GPS
information that comes from your external GPS device.
Companion app for the Dual XGPS :
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bluetooth-gps-status-tool/id422661436?mt=8
Companion app for the Bad Elf :
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bad-elf-gps/id391764718?mt=8
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Then choose the layer you would like to download from
your list of map layers. Then tap "Download Maps".
Offline Topo Maps Manual
First, search or pan the map area to find the area you
want to download. Then tap on the layers button to
choose the map type you'd like to download.
Next, drag your finger diagonally along the screen to
choose the area you would like to download.
97
Gaia GPS will only download the selected area of the
currently visible map.
Then, make sure to adjust your max zoom levels. Note:
the more zoom you allow, the more detail you will be
able to see of the downloaded map, but the amount of
space the map will take up on your device also
increases.
98
Finally, choose a name for your saved map. This will
help you find your map when it is stored under the list
of saved maps on the Saved Screen.
99
You can check on the progress of your saved map
download by pressing
on the blue progress square on on your main map
screen.
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To begin marking a waypoint, first tap the waypoint
icon on the top of the screen.
Next, decide what sort of waypoint is best for you. If
you would like to mark a waypoint that is near you, so
as to remember the spot you are currently at, tap "Drop
Pin Near Me". If you would like to plan a future route
using waypoints, tap "Create Route". If you want to
simply mark a spot somewhere on the map, tap "Drop
Pin". If you would like to mark your spot by taking a
picture, tap "Take Picture".
After you have placed your waypoint, a menu will
appear allowing you to adjust the settings of your
waypoint. You can change the name to help you to
remember why you placed the waypoint.
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Also, you can adjust Latitude and Longitude to
precisely place your waypoint. Then tap "Save" to keep
the waypoint, "Cancel" if you've made a mistake, or
"Save and Guide" if you would like Gaia GPS to guide
you to the waypoint you are inserting.
Now your waypoint is saved in your saved waypoints
list.
■
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1.
To access your other map sources, tap on the layers
icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.
Then tap on the map screen to return to your map
screen and see your new map source.
2. Tap on the new map source you'd like to use. ■
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1. Tap on the menu button in the upper left-hand
corner:
Then tap on "Waypoints" to see your saved waypoints.
2.
104
3. Then tap on the waypoint you'd like to receive
guidance for.
4. Tap on "Guide Me" to receive guidance to your
chosen waypoint.
105
5. Then you will see your map with route guidance pop
up. You can tap on the blue half circle to hide the
guidance temporarily, or tap the "X" to get rid of route
guidance when you are finished.
■
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1.
Go to the settings screen and then select "Upgrade to
Gaia GPS".
2.
Press the "Restore" button in the top right corner.
3.
It will ask for your iTunes login, and then it will restore
the Gaia GPS features.
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