12 posts tagged with "update"

This release introduces Dropbox integration for importing and exporting your GIS data, along with performance improvements and a shapefile import fix.

This release focuses on performance and stability - especially for users working with large datasets in the field.

Version 3 is a ground-up rebuild of the user interface. This isn't an incremental release - every major screen has been rebuilt using Jetpack Compose, Android's modern UI toolkit. The result is smoother animations, a more consistent look and feel, and a foundation that lets us ship new features faster.

Why Now?​

For the past several months we've been working on bringing Mapit GIS to iOS - a completely native Swift application built from the ground up. That process forced us to rethink how the app should work: the navigation, the editing workflows, how features are presented on the map.

Rather than let the Android app fall behind, we decided to rebuild it in parallel. The iOS work gave us a chance to step back and reconsider things we'd lived with for years. Version 3 brings those lessons back to Android.

The iOS app is coming soon. More on that shortly.

Redesigned Screens​

The following sections have been completely rebuilt:

• Projects and layers - cleaner project management with quick access to layers
• Add/Edit features - streamlined data entry with feature name prefixes and smart defaults that remember your last-added values
• Settings - every settings section (Survey, External GNSS etc.) rebuilt from scratch
• Style management - easier symbology editing with a refreshed style picker
• Online services - WMS, WMTS, WFS, XYZ and now GeoJSON layers can be brought as context information
• Offline maps - improved stability, including a fix for crashes with larger MBTiles files (500MB+)
• Attachment gallery - a new gallery view with metadata info panels
• Billing and licensing - cleaner subscription and license screens

Glass-Styled Navigation​

The app now features a glass-styled bottom navigation bar with quick access to GPS, search, and the main menu. The search experience introduces categorised tabs for Places and Documents. Selected features appear in a polished bottom sheet, and the entire navigation overlay has been rethought for one-handed field use.

Smarter Editing​

Editing geometry has been significantly improved:

• Long press to edit – tap and hold on any line or polygon to start an edit session instantly
• Inner ring editing – full support for editing polygon holes, including vertex dragging and midpoint insertion, all constraint-aware
• Improved symbology - edit session vertex styling has been redesigned

External GNSS Improvements​

Connection reliability for external GNSS receivers has been a focus:

• Bluetooth stability - fewer disconnections, no duplicate status toasts, better UI feedback during pairing
• TCP GNSS fixes - resolved timeout issues after extended use and disconnection problems on Android 14+
• Foreground service improvements - Android can no longer silently kill your GNSS connection in the background (enable notifications for Mapit GIS to enhance this)
• GPS info sheet - completely rebuilt with a cleaner layout and better organisation of GNSS stats
• Position averaging - a new averaging sheet for high-accuracy point collection

Note: If you are using external GNSS receivers via Bluetooth or TCP and experiencing disconnections, the foreground service changes should help significantly. For enhanced user experience ensure the notifications are switched on for Mapit GIS app in Android Settings.

Additional Changes​

• Save GeoJSON layers to GeoPackage - online GeoJSON sources can now be saved directly into your project
• Cluster tap expansion - tapping a map cluster now expands to show individual features in a bottom sheet
• Test connection buttons - verify PostgreSQL and FTP/SFTP connections directly from settings
• Dynamic documentation - in-app help now loads a live table of contents from the docs site
• Field editing improvements - edit layer fields with a better UI; columns can now be renamed and dynamically changed to required fields
• Translation updates - new strings for search, GPS, attachments, projects, and offline maps

Where Mapit GIS is Heading​

Version 3 is the foundation for something bigger. We're working on cloud infrastructure that will let you manage and create GeoPackages from the web - no device required. Team collaboration, project sharing, and sync across devices are all part of the plan.

We're also exploring tighter integration with desktop GIS tools. The ability to prepare projects in QGIS and push them directly to Mapit GIS in the field (and back again) is something we've wanted for a long time. Early days, but it's on the roadmap.

More details on the iOS release in the coming weeks. If you've been waiting for Mapit GIS on iPhone and iPad - it's nearly here.

Mapit GIS 3.0 will be available on Google Play soon.

Bug fixes​

Import from Shapefile - some users were unable to import the data. This problem is now resolved. Other minor bug fixes.

Project Management​

Ability to divide your work into distinct projects, with full import and export functionality. Each project can have its own layers, settings, and data. You can create, switch between, and remove projects as needed.

The best way to back up a project is to export it using the Export Project feature available in the Project Options.

The data exported that way can be imported back into a new project later if needed.

• FTP/SFTP Export: Export Data to FTP/SFTP Server. Please set the connection details in Settings → Remote Connections.
• KML import improvements: Now placemark name and description are imported to fields if such fields exist in the layer.
• UI Improvements: Improved layout for ‘Edit Layer’ activity.
• Bug fix: On some devices with Android 10 versions, users were unable to use the ‘Remove last vertex’ function. Now fixed.

• Data Quality Checks: Added some data quality checks, particularly related to empty geometry for some records for imports. Before, the import failed when such features were presented; now they are skipped, and overall import is successful for correct geometries.

• Support for NAD 1983 UTM Zone 15N (WKID: 26915): Files with coordinates projection WKID: 26915 (NAD 1983 UTM Zone 15N) can now be directly imported without prior conversion to WGS84.

• PostgreSQL Export Improvements: Show/Hide ‘append’ or ‘overwrite’ table option for PostgreSQL Export. It can be enabled in Miscellaneous settings. The PostgreSQL Export setting now accepts the hostname or domain alternatively IP address needs to be provided.

• Enriched export options: User can choose export coordinate (lat, lng), z or x, y, z for projected CRS as separate fields. It can be enabled in Miscellaneous settings.

• Project Point method: Insert new points or vertices using the distance and bearing method, which can be enabled in Survey Settings. This method also supports connection to external laser rangefinders.

• Copy Layer as empty: Copy the existing layer as a new empty layer with all settings maintained, including field setup.

• Move point feature: Move point features to a new location. Long-click the point on the map to enable this mode.

• Export data to PostgreSQL Database
• GPS accuracy and quality on the map