[Touch Diamond, MDA Compact IV General] low.flying.pigs:
Hello Juppes1,

Welcome to GPS Cycle Computer, and the XDA Developers forum.

If you were not already aware, post 2146 includes a modified 4.12beta14 with the changes detailed therein integrated, removing the Titlebar, essentially providing full screen on devices without Taskbar, such as your device, the Medion S3857.

Specifically regarding your enquiries and subsequent responses to date quoted below:

Firstly, regarding navigation voice, the S3857 has no hardware speaker but does have a hardware buzzer, functionality for which can potentially be integrated in to GCC to signal upcoming turns with a short audible tone, however, user assistance is required as detailed towards the bottom of post 2152. If you are technically minded and or willing to try and wish to help, you may be able to assist development for the benefit of other users.

Secondly, regarding languages, GPS Cycle Computer was not originally developed to support multiple languages. Consequently only English is currently supported. However, support for multiple languages is a standard feature in computing, and there exists no technical reasons why GCC cannot relatively straightforwardly implement multiple language support in a future version.

One method by which this is commonly done is the usage of separate language files, which link with references in the source code in all places where text is displayed to the end user.

To implement this involves replacing existing hard coded text with these references, and implementing the support for selection and handling of the language file. For selection, a suitable method already exists that could be used with minimal adaptation, utilising 'Set local\language directory ...' function in Menu > Options > Options screen.

GCC would then use the language file in the folder selected in addition to the .wav sound files as it already does. Readme.htm could also be similarly relocated, allowing for different translations.

For ease of use, English would be the default and if language files were standard text files, regardless of .txt extension or not, they would be readily end user editable. The content for English essentially already exists, and German can be readily created.

Users requiring other languages could create these by copying and then translating and editing accordingly an existing language file, and saving with a suitable file name accordingly. Some consideration should be given to the organisation of the references and language file, so it is clear the text involved and to where references relate, such as Main screen, Menu screen, Map screen, Options screens, Navigation etc. The #, or similar, preceded parts are ignored by GCC, only there for end user clarity, for example:

#location

reference; translation

#Main screen

battery; battery

lastsample; last sample

and when translated

#Main screen

battery; translated text

lastsample; translated text

It can be stated any changes would not adversely affect any existing functionality or user.

GPS Cycle Computer was not originally developed to support map rotation. Consequently this is not currently supported. However, there exists no technical reasons why GCC cannot implement support in a future version.

Map rotation is a standard feature in mapping enabled applications. Implemented correctly, there would be no adverse effect on performance for users that do not require the feature, and for those that do, performance would directly relate to the available resources of the device.

Almost any map can be rotated, however, some are more suitable for this than others. Mapping intended to be viewed North upwards often has all information embedded in the map image and thereby suffers legibility issues when rotated, for example text can be at worst upside down.

Some OpenStreetMap raster based mapping has addressed this, using a base map for the main mapping, and layers for text, and sometimes other features, allowing those to be separately orientated and in different languages. Some OpenStreetMap vector based mapping has similarly addressed this. Both are somewhat still in their infancy.

Some commercial providers of Windows CE based GPS enabled dedicated devices have developed their own mapping formats used by their applications and devices, some using mapping data derived from OpenStreetMap, that offer rotational and non rotational 2D overhead mapping, and 3D ground perspective mapping.

There exists at least a technical possibility that where GCC could be run on such a device, the mapping format could be supported to some extent.

It can be stated any changes would not adversely affect any existing functionality or user.

The above in brief gives an overview of some of the expanded capabilities in areas related to mapping further to post 2142 and post 2155.

Further information to be added.

low.flying.pigs