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Audio/video notes

⚠️ Android only
This feature is currently not available for the iOS version of the OsmAnd app.

Overview​

Your audio and video recordings can come in useful in the future, for example as memories of where you've been. They are available in the My Places menu and are visible when Audio/Video Notes plugin is enabled.

The Audio/Video Notes plugin extends OsmAnd's functionality by allowing the user to create their own notes in various formats, such as photos, video or audio, and associate them with their geographic location or current location. You can make recordings only when the plugin is on, using the Audio/Video Notes widget and/or the Map context menu. The received data is automatically saved in My Places, from where it can be conveniently managed and shared.

All created audio and video notes compose the Record layer. When enabled on the map, it changes the view of the recorded data and there are more settings to manage the recordings. In the Record layer, audio and video notes are placed as POIs on the map, thus creating a user narrative visible only to the device owner.

Audio video notes intro

Setup​

The audio/video notes are provided with the Audio/video notes plugin, and require the following setup:

  1. Enable the Audio/video notes plugin in the Plugins section of the Main menu.
  2. If needed, add the widget to the device screen.
  3. If needed, configure the recording settings per profile.

Plugin settings​

For each profile, you can configure the Audio/Video recording options.

Menu β†’ Plugins β†’ Audio/video notes β†’ Settings

Audio video plugin settings Photo Android

ParameterDescription
Camera appYou can choose whether to use the system app, or the OsmAnd camera to take Photo notes.
Camera picture sizeSets the size of the photos to be taken. The camera capabilities of the device determine the number of available options. If no option is selected, the app uses the size from the system settings of the device's camera.
Camera focus typeEstablishes the method of how camera focus is set. The number of available options is determined by the capabilities of the device camera. Basically, there are three following options: Autofocus; The camera continuously tries to focus; and Focus is set to infinity. Autofocus is the most popular one and establishes the automatic mode for the camera; continuous makes the camera detect movements and refocus accordingly; and the infinity option makes the lens to focus on a distance and thus keep objects in focus no matter how far it is.
Camera shutter soundIf enabled, a sound is produced when the camera makes a shot. Please note, that as required by privacy law, in some countries devices will not have a camera shutter mute switch. If you use system app, sound should be disabled in the camera app.
Audio output formatProvides a choice of formats for an audio file. The number of available options as well as which one is used as default are determined with the parameters of a specific device.
Audio bitrateThis option provides a choice of bitrate options for an audio file to be created in. The available bitrate options range from 16kbps to 128 kbps, or the Default option. The default option is determined with the default microphone settings of the device.
Use system appIf enabled, OsmAnd uses the system application to record video in Video notes .
Video output qualityThis provides a choice of options that determine the format of the output image. The number of options available is determined with the parameters of a specific device. The default option is the Highest quality option.
Recorder splitIf enabled, old video recordings will be automatically re-written and replaced with new video recordings if the storage size reaches the size limit.
Clip lengthThis determines the upper time limit for recorded video clips. There are options with the range from 1 minute to 30 minutes.
Storage sizeThis establishes the size of the storage intended for recorded video. There are options with the range from 1024 MB to 62 GB. A specific range of options, as well as the default option are determined with the parameters of a specific device. A system message will remind on the storage size reaching the established limit.
A/V notesThis option re-directs you to the Audio/video notes in My Places - central storage of all Audio/video notes ever made in the app.
Reset plugin settings to defaultYou can establish the default values for all of the A/V notes settings.
Copy from another profileOpens a dialog to select a profile to copy the Audio/video note recording configuration from, and establish it for the current profile.

Manage a single note​

You can manage your information, thoughts, ideas, etc. tied to a geographical place, as follows:

  • create a note;
  • view all notes as a list in My Places;
  • show the specific note on the map;
  • rename a note in My Places;
  • show all notes on the map;
  • play the note;
  • create waypoints in a track;
  • export to JOSM;

Create​

You can create a photo, video, and/or audio note in any of the following ways:

  • with the Widget - if the note should be tied to your current geographical position;
  • with the Context menu of a point on the map - if the note should be tied to the selected point on the map.

1. Create and tie to your current position​

The Audio/video notes widget is used to create a note tied to your current position, and thus, avoid any search for a suitable point for a note on the map. Simply tap on the widget, and make the note.

The functions provided by the Audio/video notes widget depend on how it is configured in the Configure screen menu. The widget either immediately opens the camera to make a note, according to the established settings, or asks first what format to create a note in, and then opens the respective recorder dialog.

Audio video plugin widget Android

2. Create and tie to selected geolocation​

To create a note tied to a selected point on the map, use the Context menu of the point:

  1. Long-tap a point on the map, and the Context menu opens.

  2. Tap Actions, and select one of the available options from the list:

    • Take an audio note - to make an audio note and tie it to the selected point on the map;
    • Take a video note - to make a video note and tie it to the selected point on the map;
    • Take a photo - to make a photo note and tie it to the selected point on the map.
  3. Depending on the selected format of the note, the respective recorder dialog opens.

Audio video plugin  Context menu take a note

Recorder dialog​

For an audio / video note, respectively the audio, or video recorder shows up. And you can:

  • stop the recording with the Stop icon,
  • see the length of the record,
  • hide/show the video screen.

Also, it is possible to stop the recording with a tap on the Audio/video notes widget, regardless of whether the Context menu, or the widget started the recording. For a photo note, the camera functionality shows up, and you can take a photo, view the result, and accept and save it, or take a new photo.

Video note recorder

note

Automatically, all photo, audio, and video records are saved to: Menu β†’ My Places β†’ A/V notes tab.

View in My Places​

My Places is the central storage for all notes. It allows you to view all notes listed as a list; open a specific note; and to manage the entire list of notes. To open My Places, follow the path:

Android: Menu β†’ My Places β†’ A/V notes

Audio video plugin My places menu

Show on the map​

To show a specific note on the map, use the list of notes in My Places, find the needed one and tap it. As a result, the map shows up, highlights the location of the note, and opens the Context menu. It is possible to work with the note by selecting the options in the context menu.

Audio video plugin My places menu Context

Play​

To play a note, use the respective option in the Context menu opened for the note:

  • on the map;
  • in My Places.

Also, Details will help by giving more data, like: the latitude and longitude; the date and time of the record, if any photos.

Audio video plugin Context menu Audio video plugin My places menu actions

Rename, delete, share​

To manage a note in My Places, tap the vertical triple points of the note in the list, and the available options show up, as follows:

  • Watch / Play - to play/show the note,
  • Share - to share the note,
  • Show on map - to show the linked place on the map and the Context menu,
  • Rename - to rename the note,
  • Delete - to delete the note.

Audio video plugin My places menu actions

Recording Widget​

The widget

The Audio/Video Notes widget creates notes, photos, audio and video files and links them to the user's current position. The widget has several options that can be set as the default action performed by the widget when the screen is touched.

Adding a widget to the screen is necessary if you prefer to avoid searching for geolocation on the map and link notes to your current default location. To add or customize a widget, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to:
    Menu β†’ Configure screen

  2. Select Left panel or Right panel.

  3. Tap Audio/video notes, and the context menu of the widget opens.

  4. Select the option you prefer to use by default by tapping on the widget:

    • On request - open a selection of options.

    • Record audio - start recording an audio message.

    • Record video - start recording video.

    • Take a photo - start taking photos.

The widget

Manage multiple notes​

Manage in My Places​

The options on the bottom bar can be used to manage the list of notes in My Places, as follows:

  • Sort - opens a choice of how to sort: by type, or date, and on selection an option, sorts the list respectively.
  • Share - shows a check list of all notes, including those added as waypoints to GPX files. First, required notes are checked, then the Share icon on tap at the right-hand top corner of the screen provides the available sharing options, and finally, the checked notes are shared, according to the selected option.
  • Delete - shows a check list of audio, photo and video notes only. First, required notes are checked, then the Delete icon at the right-hand top corner of the screen is clicked, and after confirmation, deletes the selected notes.

Audio video plugin My places menu Three actions

Share with GPX waypoints​

Android: Menu β†’ My Places β†’ A/V notes
You could share all Notes including GPX that has selected notes as waypoints on My Places screen by clicking on bottom menu button share. A checkbox will appear next to each note to select specific notes. There are two checkboxes above the notes: A/V notes by date to select all notes and the Locations checkbox. The Locations checkbox allows you to add a separate GPX file with coordinates and data.

Share 1

Each note contains the time at which it was created, the amount of data, and if it is a record, the time of recording, location data, you can add GPX data. File formats: Audio - 3gp, Video - mp4, Photo - jpg.

Show all on the map​

Notes can tell you a story, once displayed on the map: e.g. where to notice signs, which door to open, how to find a way out, an optimal path to go, etc. It is possible to show all notes altogether instead of one by one.

To show/hide all notes altogether, use the Recording layer. Once toggled on in the Configure map menu, the Recording layer shows all notes on the map.

No notes on the map Notes are on the map

The Recording layer can be reached out, as follows:

Android: Menu β†’ Configure map β†’ Recording layer

Show notes on the map

Waypoints created from notes​

If an audio/video/photo note is added to a track, a waypoint is created. Waypoints exist within the track. If a track is visible, its waypoints are visible. So, audio/video/photo notes can be visible on the map altogether, or by the specific visible track. In the latter case, audio/video/photo notes are displayed as track waypoints.

NOTE
If a track is exported, the waypoints cannot be viewed, or played, because audio/video/photo notes are stored on the device only, and available only to the user of the device.

Notes and waypoints on the map Waypoints on the track

Create waypoints​

There are two ways to create a waypoint: automatically and manually.

Automatically, a waypoint is created, in case if the user takes an audio/video/photo note when the Trip recording is in progress, regardless of the geolocation if it is tied to the current position, or any place, and thus, regardless of the means used for that: if it is the Widget, or the Context menu.

All waypoints added automatically get an automatically assigned name. The name is created, according to the format specified below for an audio/video/photo file, and has a shortlink. The example of the waypoints on the figure above shows automatically and manually created waypoints, where first four were created automatically, and the last one - manually.

Manually, a waypoint is created via the Context menu, as follows:

  1. Select the required audio/video/photo note on the map;
  2. Tap Actions, and then tap Add track.
  3. Select the track that the waypoint is intended to be added to.
  4. The Add track waypoint dialog opens, and allows the user to set some properties, like: the name to the waypoint, an icon, color, etc. Once done, tap Save.
note

The name of a manually created waypoint can be established by the user.

Manually adding a waypoint to track

View waypoints​

A waypoint is available for viewing as a waypoint on the map and in the list of waypoints of a specific track. Deleting the waypoint does not delete the respective audio/video/photo note.

An audio/video/photo note is available for viewing on the map and in the list of A/V notes in My Places. Deleting the audio/video/photo note does not delete the respective waypoint.

On the map, a waypoint and an audio/video/photo note can be visible, or not. It is determined by what layer is currently toggled on for the profile.

VisibleLayer toggled on
Only waypointsTracks layer
Waypoints and notesTracks and Recording layer
Only notesRecording layer
NoneNeither Tracks, not Recording layer.
note

When neither Tracks, nor Recording layer is toggled on, both waypoints and notes can be shown by tapping them in My Places. In this case, the map shows the locations of the tapped note, or respectively, the locations of all waypoints of the tapped track.

GPX file with waypoints​

If to view the GPX file of the track added with a waypoint from an audio/video/photo note, the waypoint will be like on the example below, having the coordinates, the timestamp, the name of the respective note, and the shortlink.

Waypoint in a GPX file

Miscellaneous​

File name details​

The Audio/video notes plugin generates audio/video/photo files in the following format:

{SHORTLINK_LOCATION}_Description.{avi,mp3,jpg}

where SHORTLINK_LOCATION indicates the latitude and longitude of the location that the file is linked to. The SHORTLINK_LOCATION is encoded, according to the specification https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Shortlink.

Export to JOSM​

To view everything later, you can export the track together with all the media and see them in the JOSM editor. Please note that you'll need to put the media in the corresponding folder (you'll know which one if you click on a video note and see the message about a missing file. Just put it in the indicated folder).

Audio video notes in Josm

So there you have it: your personal notes linked to the map and stored in one place. Document your adventures!