New Map providers for the Search map?

[+MartyBartfast]

Dunno whether I missed an announcement, or when this appeared, but I just noticed that the Search Map (which I only rarely use), now has 2 new OSM maps available: MapTiler OSM & OSM Liberty,  which are a vast improvement on the other 3 IMO.


 

[+Max and 99]

2 minutes ago, MartyBartfast said:

Dunno whether I missed an announcement, or when this appeared, but I just noticed that the Search Map (which I only rarely use), now has 2 new OSM maps available: MapTiler OSM & OSM Liberty,  which are a vast improvement on the other 3 IMO.


 

It was announced in yesterday's newsletter. I explored the new options and I like them.

 

From the newsletter:

 

New map options on Geocaching.com

We have new map styles to choose from when searching for caches on the website. The recently added “MapTiler OSM” style and “OSM Liberty” style offer a new look to the map with different colors and icons, and a higher contrast to make arterial roads stand out on the map. Check out the new map styles by clicking on the button with stacked squares on the map screen and selecting “MapTiler OSM” or “OSM Liberty” from the vertical menu.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Max and 99

[+MartyBartfast]

29 minutes ago, Max and 99 said:

It was announced in yesterday's newsletter. I explored the new options and I like them.

Thanks, I haven't got around to that yet, but will check it out to see if I've missed anything else, and like you I like the new options.

[+thebruce0]

Yep caught it in the email. Would be nice to have the options in the browse map too, but that's probably hopeless if they're trying to phase that beloved tool out.

[+Bl4ckH4wkGER]

13 minutes ago, thebruce0 said:

Yep caught it in the email. Would be nice to have the options in the browse map too, but that's probably hopeless if they're trying to phase that beloved tool out.

 

The browse map has OSM and many other map layers available via the Set Map Preferences button at the bottom of the left column - select the Leaflet option from there.
 

It is correct that we will not create additional features for the old browse map.

[+thebruce0]

54 minutes ago, Bl4ckH4wkGER said:

The browse map has OSM and many other map layers available via the Set Map Preferences button at the bottom of the left column - select the Leaflet option from there.

 

Oh I know. But not the new ones just added to Search. Just saying

[+ChriBli]

2 hours ago, Bl4ckH4wkGER said:

It is correct that we will not create additional features for the old browse map.

That's OK. Just please keep it the way it is. I can't imagine life without it.

[+barefootjeff]

8 hours ago, MartyBartfast said:

Dunno whether I missed an announcement, or when this appeared, but I just noticed that the Search Map (which I only rarely use), now has 2 new OSM maps available: MapTiler OSM & OSM Liberty,  which are a vast improvement on the other 3 IMO.

 

Maybe they look different in different places, or maybe it's an urban/non-urban thing, but I prefer the original "Geocaching" one:

 

 

The Geocaching one includes contours, shows trails more clearly and better delineates between national parks (pale green) and other public reserves (darker green).

[+ChriBli]

16 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

The Geocaching one includes contours, shows trails more clearly and better delineates between national parks (pale green) and other public reserves (darker green).

But the OSM map shows where you can park.

[+MartyBartfast]

1 hour ago, barefootjeff said:

Maybe they look different in different places,

Perhaps that's the difference.

Admittedly the contour lines are useful but with the geocaching map all the path types are designated in the same yellow, all roads are just white, all the land is the same colour and there's no detail showing buildings (which we might want to avoid while searching).

 

 

Whereas the MapTiler shows different path classes (red dotted lines are footpaths, blue dotted lines are cycle paths), road classifications are different colours; different land use is different colours, woodland, heathland, open farmland, urban,  and it shows the buildings.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by MartyBartfast

[+barefootjeff]

1 hour ago, ChriBli said:

But the OSM map shows where you can park.

 

Yes, the OSM Liberty map shows formal parking lots at sports fields, shopping centres, etc., but around here that's not where the caches generally are. The parking waypoints on the caches themselves I find are much more useful.

[+mustakorppi]

In my area, none of the maps show contours, and only Maptiler distinguishes between fields and urban areas. It weirdly changes the color of some forest areas depending on zoom level

 

Geocaching:

 

Maptiler:

 

Liberty:

 

And for comparison, here's Trailmap, also based on OSM data:

It uses a custom rendering of OSM data with paths color-coded according to their difficulty on a mountain bike. The elevation data is merged in from a freely available Finnish government source. 

 

Different color for fens/bogs vs normal forest is tremendously useful, as are the locations of sheer cliffs. The downside is that just this screenshot is 10 times larger than the other three. Luckily we have good cellular reception and unlimited data plans.

 

All that said, surely better map providers would be more useful on the app rather than just the website.

Edited April 14, 2022 by mustakorppi