The Map Orientation button it a toggle and will show the arrow either red or black.  When the arrow is red, it points straight up the long axis of the mobile device.  This orientation indicates the user’s current position is at the center of the display and the top of the map will always be orientated in the direction the device is pointing.  For example, picking on this button to turn it red will cause the map to move until the user’s current position is at the center of the display and the map will rotate until the top of the map aligns with the direction the device is pointing.  As the device rotates, the map will rotate so the map is always oriented where the device is pointing.  This is useful if the user wants to walk in a certain direction and needs to see where that direction is on the map.

When the arrow is black it will be rotated to the right and indicates the mobile device is not aligned with the map.  In this state, the map will maintain its current orientation and not rotate if the device is moved.  Anytime the user pans the map such that the user’s current position is not at the center, the orientation button will toggle to black and the map orientation will not change if the device is rotated.  This is useful to maintain the map orientation on the device regardless of the user’s orientation to north.

3D

The 3D button toggles the display from a vertical aerial view of the map to a rotated view that gives a simulated 3D representation.  The user can also rotate the map by picking with two fingers and sliding the fingers up and down the map display.

Share

The Share button appears on Android devices and texts the user’s current location to another Hunt user.  For Apple devices the user can simply select the blue current location icon and an option to share the location is presented.

Map Display

The Map Display button presents various controls to change the way maps and map features are displayed.

Map Mode

Map mode is either Online or Offline.  Online indicates the Online World Map is selected for the displayed map.  Offline indicates one or more offline maps have been selected for the displayed map.  Refer to the Maps section for a description of creating and managing the online and offline maps.

Map Type

The Map Type determines the primary way the map is displayed and what basic features are displayed.  For example, Streets type vividly displays street and roads along with major urban landmarks.  Less detail is provided for terrain and other geologic features.  For Hunting, Hillshade, Satellite and Satellite Streets provide the best views of terrain in mountainous regions.  Hillshade is a grayscale elevation representation of terrain and the Satellite views are actual aerial photography.  See the Maps section for a more detailed explanation of map styles.

Marker Names

The Marker Names toggle turns the display of marker names on the map on or off.

Map Borders

The Map Borders toggle turns offline map names and associated borders on or off.

Topo Lines

The Topo Lines toggle turns topographic lines on or off on the map.  Topographic lines trace out paths of constant elevation on the map.  They are very valuable to determine hiking difficulty for a proposed path across terrain.  If the Distance Units on the Settings Menu are set to an English value (feet, yards, miles), the topo elevation values will be in feet.  If the Distance Units are set to a metric value (meters, kilometers), the topo elevation values will be in meters.

Measure

Measure is a Pro feature requiring an In-App Purchase.  The Measure button toggles to a red X when selected.  In the red X mode the user can select successive points on the map and the cumulative distance between the points will be displayed at the top of the map.  Random points can be selected as well as existing markers or the user’s current position.  Selecting the red X will exit the feature, remove the measurement path from the screen and return to a mode where selections on the map are not measured.  Along with the distance, the travel time along the path is also displayed.  The travel time is calculated from the travel speed set on the Settings menu.  The units of the distance is shown based on the Distance Units set on the Settings menu.  If the user desires to see the distance in miles then the miles radio button should be selected on the Settings Menu.  This feature is beneficial for planning a hiking path.

Compass

The Compass icon shows the current direction of North on the displayed map.  If the map orientation button is in the Red Arrow mode, the compass icon will rotate as the device is rated to always show the map’s north direction.  If the map orientation button is in the Black Arrow mode the map orientation will be fixed with respect to the device and the compass icon will also remain fixed as the device rotates.  That is, the compass icon always shows the map’s north direction. At any time the user can pick on the Compass icon and the map will rotate with north directly up the map.

Camera

Camera is a Pro feature requiring an In-App Purchase.  The Camera button activates the camera and the option to take a picture of a distant object and create a marker on the map at that location.  For a detailed description of this feature see the Using Camera Features section.

Current Position

The Current Position marker represents where the user is currently located on the map.  Hunt uses the GPS location from the mobile device to determine the user’s location.  The light blue transparent circle around the blue dot represents the margin of error in the GPS reading.  As Hunt collects readings from different GPS satellites, the circle will get smaller indicating more accuracy.  If the circle is large, it is best to give the App time to get a more accurate reading or move outside or away from large structures so the device can see more satellites.  The blue cone protruding out of the circle indicates the direction the mobile device is pointing based on the internal compass reading of the device.  The wider the cone the more error in the measurement.  As the device has time to more accurately measure the compass reading, the cone will get narrower.  It is important to understand the visual representation of error shown by the circle and cone and how that might influence the accuracy of markers created with the camera.  See the Getting Accurate Compass Readings section for more information.

Markers and Distance

Markers are displayed on the map by a balloon.  Red markers are those created by the user.  Yellow markers are marker locations shared by other users.  Blue markers are other user locations that have been shared with the user.  When a marker is selected, it name is displayed along with an associated picture if the camera was used to create the marker.  A marker’s distance and travel time from the user’s current location is displayed at the top of the map when a marker is selected.

Maps

The displayed map is the primary feature of Lenzmark Hunt and is viewed on the Home screen.  The Home screen is where the user interacts with the app and where all primary operations occur.  The user can specify what map or maps are shown on the Home screen by going to the Maps sub-menu.  The Maps sub-menu is shown below.

The Maps menu has the Online World Map at the top and a list of Offline Maps below that.  The user can select either the single Online World Map at the top or any number of the Offline Maps.  Online refers to viewing the map while dynamically downloading detailed map data from the internet for the portion of the map being viewed.  Offline refers to not having an internet connection (such as while hunting in a remote area) and needing to view maps while “offline”.  To accomplish that, the offline maps are downloaded from the Online World Map while the device has an online internet connection.  Those offline maps can then be loaded and displayed later when an internet connection is not available.

Downloading maps for offline use can take some time depending on the speed of the internet connection and the size and type of the map selected.  Satellite images take longer than other map styles and download more data.  To download an offline map do the following:

1. Select the Online World Map on the Map dialog.

2. Go to the Home screen and select the map type to be used for the offline map (i.e. Hillshade, Satellite, etc.).  Map Type can be found on the Map Display button in the lower right corner of the Home screen.

3. Pan or zoom the map to the location where the desired offline map will be created.

4. Return to the Maps dialog and select the + button at the bottom of the screen.

5. A window titled Select Region is displayed which allows the user to define a rectangular area for the offline map.  The three step process for defining the region is listed in a help prompt at the top of the screen.

6. The user can move and zoom the map additionally as needed to get the desired region in view.  The user will first select the World Lock icon in the upper right to lock the map in position so the region can be selected.

7. A red box will appear with circles (handles) on each corner.  A single finger pick in the middle of the box is used to move it. A pick and drag on each corner handle is used to resize the box.  The user will place the box over the map area to be downloaded.  Note, the larger the area the longer the download will take.  Some portions of the map slightly outside the box will also be downloaded to make sure there is complete coverage.  Map detail for all zoom levels of the selected area will be downloaded regardless of the current view of the map.

8. After the box is placed on an area of the map, the user selects the Save to Disk icon in the upper right and enters a name for the offline map when prompted for it.

9.  A progress bar will be displayed as the map downloads and a dialog will report when the download was successful.  After the download, the display will be returned to the Maps dialog and the new offline map will be listed and selected.

When one or more offline maps are selected, the map on the Home screen displays rough details for all areas of the map except areas where offline maps are loaded.  In those offline areas, the full detail is always displayed regardless of the internet connection’s presence.

The available Map types shown on the Map Display dialog depend on which maps are selected.  If the Online World Map is selected then all Map Types are available.  When offline maps are selected, the available Map Types to display are made up of the map types from the selected offline maps.  For example, if two offline maps are selected and one is of type Hillshade and one is of type Satellite, then both Hillshade and Satellite options will appear on the Map Display Dialog.

It is best practice to download multiple map types for each offline map area.  For example, if the user downloads both Hillshade and Satellite maps for an area, then the user can use the Map Display dialog to easily switch between the two display styles while viewing the area offline.

If offline maps are being displayed, Lenzmark Hunt will still attempt to download detailed map data for other areas if an internet connection is available.  But the selected and loaded offline maps will always display detail in their area.

Maps are made up of tiles, which are small square portions of the map patched together.  When a map is downloaded it is made up of a certain number of tiles.  It is important to know that satellite maps download four times as many tiles as other maps.  By default, Hunt allows the user to download a base number of map tiles.  When a user purchases the Pro Feature set the user is allowed to download up to 24,000 total map tiles.  If the user attempts to download more tiles than has been granted, the user is presented with the option to purchase an additional 24,000 tiles which increases the tile limit.

Each offline map on the Map menu can be deleted or shared with other users by sliding the map entry to the left to expose the options.  If the map share option is selected, the map details are sent by text to another hunt user.  When the other user selects the map in the received text it is added to their offline map list.  The first time the new map entry is selected the user is prompted to download the map according to its details which include the map style and boundary.

Markers

Markers represent a notable point on the map and are represented on the map by a balloon.  Markers can be used to mark and label a terrain feature, record game locations, and mark rendezvous points.  A marker can be created by simply pressing a single finger on the map and entering the marker name.  Pressing on the blue Current Location indicator will create a marker at the user’s current location.  Markers can be created with the camera by taking a picture of an object.  See the Using Camera Features for more information.

For Apple users, a marker can be moved by picking on the marker and dragging it to a new location.  Android users need to delete and recreate a marker to move it.

Red markers are those created by the user.  Yellow markers are marker locations shared by other users.  Blue markers are other user locations that have been shared with the user.  When a marker is selected, it name is displayed along with an associated picture if the camera was used to create the marker.  A marker’s distance and travel time from the user’s current location is displayed at the top of the map when a marker is selected.

The Marker menu shows the list of markers.  Selecting a marker in the list shows the user where the marker is on the map.  A marker can be deleted or shared with other users by sliding the marker entry to the left and selecting the appropriate option.  Markers can also be shared by selecting them on the map and then selecting the share icon.

Settings

The settings menu provides to following settings:

User Name – The name of the app user.  When the user shares their location with another user the name in this field is associated with the marker that is created on the other user’s app.

Distance Units – The value of this setting is used as the default for distance entries and reported distance values.

Distance Types – Maps are displayed from a top view and distances on the map are horizontal distances.  When the camera is used to create a marker from a picture taken of a distant object, the distance to the object is entered.  This Distance Type setting should be Horizontal if distance measurements are horizontal.  If the distance measurements are actual line of sight (such as actual distance uphill or downhill) then the setting should be Line of Sight.

A range finder is typically used to determine distance to an object and it generally returns the equivalent horizontal distance.  In that case this setting should be set to Horizontal.

Travel Speed – When distances are measured with the Distance tool or a Marker is selected, the travel time is displayed at the top of the screen along with the distance. When selecting a single marker, the distance and travel time is relative to the current location. The travel time is calculated based on the Travel Speed setting. The default Travel Speed is 2.5 Miles Per Hour which is a brisk walk.

Tips and Guides

Using Camera Features (Pro Feature Set)

Map Markers can be created with Hunt by taking a picture of an object in the distance such as game, other hunters, or terrain features.  After the picture is taken the user has the option to enter the distance to the object or manually place the marker on the map using the camera direction as a visual aide.  Distance is generally acquired with a range finder.  To initiate the process, the user selects the Camera icon in the upper right corner of the Home screen.

After selecting the Camera icon, the camera is activated and the camera view is displayed as shown below.

To capture a picture, the user points the bulls-eye found in the center of the screen at the object of interest and presses the Photo Button at the bottom of the screen.  The camera view can be zoomed on Apple devices by using two fingers to pinch or expand the zoom magnification.  For Android devices, there is a zoom slider on the bottom portion of the screen.  Before the user can take a picture, the application waits for the device sensors to stabilize.  The bulls-eye is red initially and changes to green after a few seconds when the sensors are ready.

After taking a picture, the user is prompted to enter the distance to the object the picture was taken of.  The distance can be acquired from a range finder which normally returns horizontal distance (which coincides with map distance).  After entering the distance, the user is prompted for the name of the marker and the marker is added to the map at the appropriate location.

When the user is prompted for the distance, the user is also given the option to skip the distance entry and proceed to manually placing the marker on the map.  If the user selects Skip, the photo that was taken and the map are displayed as shown below.

A line is shown on the map starting at the user’s current location.  The line represents the direction the picture was taken.  The user can now manually place a marker anywhere on the map while using the reference line as a visual guide.  The lock icon in the lower left can be used to keep the map from rotating.  After the marker is placed on the map it can be moved as desired until the user finishes setting its location.  At any time, the user can select the ruler icon in the lower right to enter the distance rather than manually set the marker.  If the distance is entered, the marker is created on the reference line at the specified distance.  To exit the marker placement screen and return to the Home screen, the user should select the Home icon in the upper left.

Some mobile devices have inherent compass error.  Compass calibration is an important aspect of using the camera to create markers.  It is recommended to calibrate the compass daily but it is not necessary to continue using the application.  When calibration has not been performed during the last 24 hours, a reminder message “Time to calibrate” is show in the upper right corner near the calibration gear.  The message is a reminder but not mandatory.

The Calibration Gear icon in the upper right corner of the camera view starts the calibration process.

Step 1 of the calibration involves rotating the phone in a way that causes the device sensors to perform their own calibration.  The calibration rotation can be performed at any time.  A Reset/Zero Calibration button on the bottom of the Step 1 dialog allows the calibration process to be reset to a zero value.

After performing the rotation calibration of step 1 the user selects the Calibrate button on the bottom of the Step 1 dialog.  Step 2 involves calibrating the camera with the device sensors.  The user takes a picture of a unique distant object that can be clearly identified on the map.  The user is presented a view of the map with a guideline showing the direction the camera is pointing.  The guideline is an approximation and will likely not pass through the object.  The line is for reference only.  The user then picks a point on the map to place a marker on the object the picture was taken of.  The check-mark in the upper left completes the calibration process after the marker is created on the map.  Hunt determines how far off the object was on the map from where it thought the object should be.  That offset is automatically used for all pictures going forward until another calibration is performed.  As a side note, the Reset/Zero Calibration button resets that offset back to zero.

Getting Accurate Compass Readings

Lenzmark Hunt uses the mobile device’s built in compass for certain operations.  The compass’s accuracy can vary under different conditions.  When map markers are created using the camera, it is important for the compass to be as accurate as possible. The following are considerations and techniques for getting accurate compass readings:

1. Keep the mobile device away from metal objects when using Hunt.  Vehicles and phone cases with metal inserts can negatively influence the compass.

2. Calibrate the compass using the calibration option on the Camera picture dialog.  See Using Camera Features for detailed information about the calibration process.

3. The camera calibration has two steps.  Sometimes a calibration reference object cannot be easily found in the vicinity.  At a minimum, perform the first calibration step of rotating the phone as described in step 1 of the calibration process.

4. If the compass calibration was performed poorly or is suspected to be off, a good option is the rest the calibration offset to zero and rotate the phone as shown in step 1 of the calibration process.

Tracking Game Movement

The Hunt user can mark game sightings on the map. As hunters spot game on subsequent days, Hunt’s markers preserve a record of the location of previously spotted game and anticipate locations where game could be bedding and grazing.

Marking Downed Game

After a hunter has bagged a trophy it is often difficult to locate the game.  When the hunter arrives at the suspected location, the terrain looks different and unfamiliar.  After the game is downed, the user takes a picture of the game location with Hunt and marks the location on the map.  As the hunter gets closer to the game he can see his location on the map relative to the game’s location.  At any time the hunter can select the game marker and get an instant distance measurement from his current location to the game.

Guiding Stalkers to Game

Consider a guide leading a hunter into bedded game via radio.  Using Hunt’s camera feature, the guide takes a picture of the bedded game and marks the location on the map.  The guide also marks the location of the hunter.  Using the measuring tools of Hunt, the guide gets the distance between the hunter and the game and conveys that to the hunter.

Tracking Group Members

Members of the group should install Lenzmark Hunt and put their name in the User Name field on the Settings menu.  When a group member wants to send their location to members of the group, they share their current location with a group text address or an individual user.  Apple users share their location by selecting the Current Location icon on the map and then selects the share icon.  Android users share their location by selecting the share icon on the left side of the home screen.

Saving and Restoring Data

If the user needs to delete markers or maps and restore them, the user can share (text) the items with themselves and then restore them again later from the received text.

To contact Lenzmark support, send email to support@lenzmark.com