Track Appearance
Overview
Track Appearance is a customizable option in the OsmAnd app that allows you to personalize the visual display of tracks on the map. This feature makes it easier to distinguish between different tracks and understand their characteristics.
- Android
- iOS
Appearance
In the OsmAnd application, you can apply some settings by changing the appearance of the tracks, to better identify them on the map.
There are three ways to access the Track Appearance menu:
- Go to the My Places menu and tap any available track in the list (Menu → My Places → Tracks), select the Appearance icon in the track context menu in the Overview section.
- Tap the needed track on the map and select the Appearance icon in the Overview section.
- Select Appearance from the track recording context menu.
- Go to Menu → Configure map → Tracks → ⋮ → Change appearance for the tracks you have selected to be displayed on the map.
Split Interval
Select the interval at which distance or time stamps are displayed on the track.
Direction Arrows
Select the interval at which distance or time stamps are displayed on the track.
Show Start and Finish Icons
Allows you to select whether to show the start and end icons of track segments.
Color
Allows to display the track line in any color and transparency, or select coloring according to the map legend. If necessary data on the track sections are missing, such sections are displayed in gray color.
Color: Solid, Speed and Altitude are free color settings. If Speed and Altitude are not active, it means that the track does not contain this data.
Color: (Maps+ / Pro feature) Slope, Road type, Surface, Smoothness, Winter and ice roads, Surface, Difficulty of horse trails are paid color settings. A detailed description of these settings can be found in the Map screen during navigation page, specifically in the Route line appearance section. You can also select or create custom color schemes to apply to the track appearance.
Width
You can customize the appearance of the track in several menus of the application:
- Track → Appearance.
- Navigation settings → Customize route line.
- My Places → Tracks tab → any folder → Default appearance.
With the Width setting you can choose the thickness of the track line based on the width of the road or intersection with other tracks, or for example, if you want to highlight a track on the map by importance.
- Thin, Medium, and Bold are lines whose width is fixed and preset by the OsmAnd application.
- In the Custom setting you can set the required line width with a slider, from 1 to 24.
- In the Tracks tab with the Original setting, different original width parameters can be retained for each track of the selected folder.
- In the Configure Profile the route line can be set to the Map Style width, this is the default width for the map specified by the OsmAnd application.
Join Gaps
Gaps in a GPX track can occur during recording due to signal loss or interruptions. The Join segments function (Android) or Join gaps function (iOS) allows you to seamlessly connect these gaps within the selected GPX track. The segments are joined using straight lines, ensuring a continuous and uninterrupted track for further analysis or navigation.
Reset to Original
Resets all settings to default values.
3D Track
The 3D Track feature generates a three-dimensional visualization by integrating elevation data into standard 2D tracks. This functionality creates a depth-enhanced representation, enabling precise analysis of the track concerning the terrain. By incorporating elevation details, the 3D track offers a more comprehensive view of the route's topography and geographical context.
- Android
- iOS
Wall height. You can visualize a 3D track by altitude and other available data within the track, or by fixed altitude.
- Visualized by: Altitude, Speed, Fixed Height. 3D Sensor data: Heart Rate, Bicycle Cadence, Bicycle Power, Temperature, Bicycle Speed.
- Vertical exaggeration. If visualized by Altitude or Speed, you can scale 3D data to get a more prominent visualization for the 3D track in the range of None to x3.0.
- Wall height. If visualized by Fixed Height, set the fixed height for the 3D track by defining its elevation on the map in the range of None to 2000 m.
- You can combine it with 3D Relief. If the source of the 3D data is not altitude, the 3D representation will be a combination of relief altitude and the selected data, such as speed or heart rate.
Wall color. The wall color can be configured to align with the 3D data visualization or set to a different color to represent an additional data dimension.
- Options include: None, Solid, Downward Gradient, Upward Gradient, Altitude, Slope, Speed.
Track line. A line can be added to the top or bottom of the 3D track to enhance visual clarity. The color of the track line is fully configurable, allowing for customization based on visualization preferences or data analysis needs.
- Options include: Top, Bottom, Top and bottom.
The Android version of the app requires the map rendering engine Version 2 (OpenGL) to be enabled to use 3D track visualization.
Use Cases
The 3D track feature is highly beneficial for activities like paragliding, where visualizing your flight path can offer deeper insights. By rendering the track in 3D, you can leverage features such as Wall Height and Wall Color to extract valuable visual information for analysis.
Visualize by Speed with 3D. One common use case is utilizing 3D tracks to visualize speed variations. This allows you to pinpoint specific sections of the track where you slowed down or sped up. With Wall Color based on the Slope, you can observe how the terrain, particularly hills and inclines, impacted your speed. This combination of speed and slope visualization provides a detailed understanding of performance throughout the activity.
Visualize by Heart sensor with 3D Relief. Another insightful application is combining heart rate sensor data with 3D relief maps. This allows you to map heart rate fluctuations directly onto the terrain, giving you a comprehensive view of how altitude changes may have influenced your physical effort. The 3D relief feature, which exaggerates the altitude, works independently of the 3D track view. Two vertical exaggeration parameters can be adjusted to better understand the correlation between heart rate and terrain elevation.
Visualize Track height and Slope color line on a flat earth view. When visualizing altitude data, using a flat earth view is recommended to avoid issues like GPS errors, which might cause sections of the track to appear underground. In this scenario, slope changes can be visualized separately along the track line, while Wall Color utilized to represent altitude. This method ensures that even with potential data inaccuracies, you still receive a clear and accurate visualization of slope and elevation.
Change the Appearance of Multiple Tracks
The display of tracks can be changed one by one and in groups selected from the My Places menu in the Tracks tab. This tab automatically displays all tracks ever recorded, created, or imported. They are organized by folder or displayed as a list below them.
You can change the default appearance of all tracks in the folder using the Change Default Appearance option. However, if the track already has specific parameters to be displayed they won't be applied, in that case, you can reset the track appearance first to Original via Change Appearance.
With Select, you can change the appearance of certain tracks in the selected folder or the whole list of the Tracks tab. To go to Change Appearance, select the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of the Tracks tab screen and tap Select. Then tap the three-dot menu at the top of the screen and select Change Appearance.
- Direction arrows. Adds directional indicators to a track line in the form of arrows along that track.
- States: Unchanged, Original, On, Off.
- Show start and finish icons. Adds start and end point indicators to the track line.
- States: Unchanged, Original, On, Off.
- Color. Allows you to select the appropriate type of track coloring.
- Width. Allows you to select a preset or manually configured track line width.
- Split interval. Select the interval at which distance or time marks on the track will be displayed.
- States: Unchanged, Original, Select: Time or Distance.
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This article was last updated in August 2024