Introductory Guide

Basic instructions are all here on this page. Note that there may be some small differences in layout and function between the Android and iPhone versions.

For more detailed tutorials, or answers to common questions or issues, choose from the other options in the user guide menu.

Using GPS

To show your current position on the the map, switch GPS positioning on or off at any time by tapping the GPS icon. It is useful to have it off at times when you are not actually using it to save battery life – for example when just browsing the map. You can choose whether or not GPS positioning starts automatically when you start the app from the Settings page.

When you first activate the GPS button your phone will ask you to give permission for the NZTopo50 app to access your location. You can change these permission settings later if you wish using the Settings App on your phone.

Your location will show as a blue dot on the map. You may need to scroll or zoom out to see it depending on your current location. The blue indicator will also display a wedge shaped projection (if your phone has a magnetic compass sensor) which shows the direction your phone is

currently pointed in, and a black arrow which indicates which direction you are moving in (when you are moving). You may also see a larger blue circle surrounding the central one. This indicates uncertainty in the position depending on the current strength and quality of GPS signals your phone is receiving.

When GPS is turned on, the ‘follow mode’ icon will be available. Tapping this icon will center the map on your current location. Tapping it again will lock the map to your location so that the map will move as you do. Tapping it a third time will lock the orientation of the map to the current orientation of your phone – ie as you turn the map will follow your orientation and the map will be aligned to the direction you are facing.

At the top of the screen your current GPS coordinates will show on the left. When not in follow mode the display on the right shows information including the distance and bearing to the point that the map is focused on (under the crosshairs). When in follow mode your current altitude and

speed (as measured by GPS) will display. If your phone has a magnetic compass sensor and “show compass overlay’ is turned on in the settings then you will see an analog display of the direction your phone is facing.

Using the map

You can freely pan and zoom about the map using drag, pinch, or rotate gestures. The orientation of the map is showing with the compass icon or alignment indicator. Tap the alignment indicator to realign the map with North facing up.

Switch between topographic and satellite view using the satellite layer button.

Select the ‘Go To’ button to locate a place on the map by grid co- ordinates, or by a distance and bearing offset from a known position. Enter grid co-ordinates in the dialog box, and add an offset and bearing if needed, then press the ‘Go to co-oords’ button. To enter coordinates or offsets in different units use the buttons on the right to cycle through available units.

Tap the crosshairs icon at the bottom left of the dialog box and the easting and northing boxes will be updated with the co-ordinates where the map is currently centered. Tap the blue dot icon and the location will be updated with your current GPS co-ordinates (turn on GPS first if needed).

Tap the fullscreen button to toggle between full screen mode where all the controls are hidden, and normal mode.

Peak Finder

The Peak Finder button will launch a camera view that shows surrounding peaks and topography. See this page for further info.

Recording tracks

Tap the record icon on the bottom bar to show recording options. Choose an icon, color, and track name if you wish (these can also be changed later), and then press record. If GPS positioning was not already active then it will activate for you, but may take a moment to obtain an accurate enough position to begin recording. Once an accurate starting position is available your track will be recorded and will display on the map as you go.

Press stop to end track recording (select record or tap on the track timer indicator if needed to bring up the options). Once recording is completed you can select your track at any time from the map by tapping on its icon, or select it from the ‘Search’ menu by name or under ‘user tracks’, and from there you can view and edit track details as well as share the track with other people or devices.

Creating waypoints and routes

Waypoints and tracks can either be imported from existing kml or gpx files by clicking on a link or file and choosing to open them with the NZTopo50 app, or created within the app using the ‘Create’ menu option.

To create your own points, tap on the ‘Create’ menu icon. Move the map so that it is focused on the point where you would like to create a waypoint or start a route and select ‘create’

Once a waypoint is created you can add points to form a route. Select the waypoint you want to edit and choose the ‘Edit Points’ option. Position the map where the new point is going to be and choose ‘Add Point’. Use the forward and back buttons to navigate between points and add or delete points as required. The total track length is displayed at the top of the screen.

Other route details can be edited at any stage by selecting the route from the map screen or the ‘Search’ menu and then selecting the ‘Details’ option. Details including name, description, and icon, can be edited. You can also choose whether to show any tracks, routes, or waypoints on the map or whether to hide them by using the Hide/Show option.

Following routes

Make sure that GPS is switched on, then select a route to navigate to, or a route to follow and select ‘Follow’. The display at the top of the screen will now display your current bearing, the bearing you need to follow to reach the waypoint and distance to the point.

The bearing to the waypoint will show as an icon on the compass bar at the top of the screen. Simply rotate around until the icon aligns with the center marker on the compass and you will be facing directly towards the waypoint.

Use the Direction button to swap between forward and reverse following of a route. Use the skip button to navigate to the next point in the route if you pass a waypoint without getting close enough to trigger the auto skip.

Navigate to a point on a map

You can use the NZTopo50 app to identify landmarks and navigate to them. Make sure the compass overlay is enabled in the settings page and turn on the GPS. Also see tips below on compass use to ensure your compass is working well.

To identify or navigate to a landmark simply position the crosshairs over the object on the map (e.g. Matiu/Somes Island, step ‘1’ in the image below), then rotate around until the crosshairs in the compass bar are aligned with the central arrow (step ‘2’ below). You will now be pointing directly at the object.