0.5.0 (alpha-5) Released! 🚀 Custom waypoints, 3D view, compass, Reforma support and more...
Hello truckers! Version 0.5.0 (alpha-5) is going live on Android and iOS for all Patreon backers!
Here’s the changelog, followed by a few highlights and what’s next.
🚀 New / Improved
Custom waypoints! Tap anywhere on the map to place a pin. You can place up to 9 pins to customize the route to your liking. You can also place pins without an active job.
Compass that highlights north.
3D camera mode: Tap the compass to switch between 3D follow, 2D follow and 2D north-up.
Maps updated:
Added! ATS Reforma + Sierra Nevada (most requested map in #map-mod-requests 😄)
ATS 1.55 ➜ 1.56
ETS2 1.55 ➜ 1.56
ETS2 Promods Europe 2.75 ➜ 2.76
ATS Promods Canada 1.4.1 ➜ 1.5.0
ATS Expansion 17.0 ➜ 18.0
Backend server infrastructure testing. Optional Patreon login on startup so we can begin testing the backend (details below).
🐛 Fixed
Fixed some cases where disconnected roads caused the app to suggest longer alternate routes.
⚠️ Known Issues
Routing can send you to the wrong company when two companies share the same name in a city.
There are still a few problematic spots that cause roads to get disconnected, particularly in some cross-country borders in ETS2
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🖼️ Screenshots!
Custom waypoints:
Compass, camera modes and 3D view:
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What's coming next?!
Backend server
Starting with alpha-6, we're moving the navigation calculations to run on a backend server in the cloud instead of locally in your phone. Until alpha-5, all map data and shortest-path calculations ran locally on your mobile device, which creates issues that grow as we add more maps:
RAM usage: Keeping a full map in memory is heavy. Devices with 3 GB RAM or less often crashed, especially on large maps like ProMods.
CPU usage: The whole map data gets uncompressed each time the app starts up, this is the "loading navigation data..." prompt at the bottom of the screen. On newer devices this takes a handful of seconds, but on some older devices this can take up to 5 minutes; and navigation routes will not show until this is ready
App size: Each supported map increases the app size considerably, and map mod combinations would make this sky-rocket
Overall, navigation calculations, especially on large maps, are taxing on mobile hardware, which is not really suited for these kind of tasks. Moving the heavy processing to the cloud will drastically reduce RAM and CPU usage on your device. Lower-end devices should work without crashes or long load times. More efficiency also means less heat and lower battery usage.
This change also opens the door to many more maps and combinations of map mods. The server has ample RAM to handle many maps at once, and we can serve only the mods you use on demand, so the app size can stay small and fixed. And of course, it sets the foundations for later multiplayer features, like sharing locations between users.
Status: The backend server is live, and the app now offers Patreon login at startup to help test it. In alpha-6, login will be required to verify an active subscription before the server computes routes. Please check that you can log in and that your tier is detected. If you have issues, contact us on Discord #support. We aim to validate the backend during alpha-5 so it is ready for alpha-6.
So, what's next?
The priority for alpha-6 is getting the backend server running and routing calculations working. The exact complexity is still a bit uncertain. With any luck, we will be able to include a bunch of new maps soon.
If the backend is working, the remaining piece will be Google and Apple authentication, and we should be very close to a public release :)
Also on the list:
Next-turn display with distance to the turn.
Search for companies and cities by name.
Quick search for nearby gas stations with a single tap.
As always, remember you can upvote the features and map mods you want in our official Discord server.👉 Join here: https://discord.gg/RdC99Er37U
Thanks for your patience and support. Each update gets us closer to the public release, and we are still aiming to launch this year.
To all the project Patrons: Your support makes this project possible and lets me dedicate more time to it. Thank you ❤️- Nico