"map coordinate icon" - GPS waypoint

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Hi, again...

I just was emailing about "offroad" type of icons - and would like to get 
your opinion on an icon.

On many of the "official" ie. USGS or BLM type of brochures they are not 
only listing trailhead, camping, viewpoint (vista), photo, staging area, 
etc. they are listing trail difficulties (similar to others that you have) 
except for they call them "green" (green circle for easy), "blue" (blue 
square for intermediate) and "black" (black diamond for difficult) is 
there already (or could you make one for such a trailhead? i.e. the letter 
TH or an ATV icon inside a green circle, blud square and black diamond?}

AND finally, they are often including several GPS points along the routes 
labeled with lat and lon - they say so users don't get lost. To date, I've 
been at a loss for what kind of icon would be universally accepted 
for "map coordinate" - I've BEEN using a small red lightening bolt - but 
somehow that doesn't seem like it would be universally accepted or 
understood.  What do you think???

Thanks again

bob jarrett
http://offroading.home.att.net/
http://offroadinghome.blogspot.com/

Original issue reported on code.google.com by grg...@q.com on 8 Sep 2009 at 11:40

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Hello again :)

I understand your problems.

What will not work with the designs of our icons, is that the icons are all 
white on
a color.
As Offroad is a sport, it will be under Sports category with a red color.
I can't imagine blue squares and green circles inside a red icon. Will be so 
ugly :)
We only could trace the form (squared, circle, diamond), but no color.

Right now, I can't find a good way to indicate a "point". Maybe just an arrow 
with a
dot. Hmm hard to explain, see the attached icon after this text.
Actually, I don't know any standard for this kind of icon.

Keep in touch, we will see how we can handle the "trail head".

Original comment by nico.mol...@gmail.com on 9 Sep 2009 at 11:04

• Changed state: Accepted

Attachments:

• followpath.png

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I saw a graphic on a tv show the other day which might work for "GPS Waypoint" 
- it 
was basically a circle with four short lines crossing at 0, 90, 180, 270 - sort 
of 
like a "cross hairs" - I don't know.  The mark on the map is intended to mean 
that 
there is a location where there is a known and recorded GPS coordinate.  The 
waypoint name associated with the icon should be looked up in the legend to 
find the 
coordinate.

I sort of think it should relate somehow to sattelite/ a "G" or something - 
that's 
why I settled on a "lightening bolt" cause it sort of signified sky, or 
"beaming 
down" or something like that.

this isn't as easy as one woulde think.

bob

Original comment by grgrj...@gmail.com on 16 Sep 2009 at 2:23

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On the trail difficulty above.   You need to pretty much stick with BOTH the 
shape 
and color.   I know if you go skiing - they use the "black diamond" term to 
mean a 
very difficult trail.  

How about a simple white pointer like you have but just put a black diamond, 
green 
circle or blue square in them.

All three colors would also show up well with a light yellow background.

Original comment by grgrj...@gmail.com on 16 Sep 2009 at 2:28

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After recieving your response to my email, I purused the remainder of your 
projects 
and see that you are thinking about a white set of icons.  The black, blue and 
green 
icons I suggested do seem like they fit into "traffic or travel" signs.  They 
are 
meant to mean a "trail with the described difficulty" - and could be used for 
ski 
runs, hiking trails, offroad routes, climbing routes etc. etc.

just a thought
Dj

Original comment by grgrj...@gmail.com on 16 Sep 2009 at 3:02

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Once you get involved in this you sort of can't stop thinking about it.  I've 
now 
had another thought for "GPS waypoint" - possibly the letters GPS or even just 
a "G" 
inside a "V" shape - sort of like an arrow pointing down at the "point".

OR, even making the descender of the "P" into a downpointing arrow.

just another thought

bob

Original comment by grgrj...@gmail.com on 16 Sep 2009 at 3:06

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hello Bob,

Thanks for all your ideas.

For the GPS Waypoint, I like the "crosshair" symbol.

As I understand your needs in colored-shaped-trails on white background, I 
don't know
yet if we can do something like this. IMHO, I would not do this.
I would like Matthias opinion too, please, on all of this.

Original comment by nico.mol...@gmail.com on 16 Sep 2009 at 8:03

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Please give me some idea what IMHO means!

Original comment by grgrj...@gmail.com on 17 Sep 2009 at 1:20

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IMHO = In my humble opinion

Original comment by myBCN...@gmail.com on 17 Sep 2009 at 7:26

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"In my humble opinion" like Matthias said :)

Original comment by nico.mol...@gmail.com on 17 Sep 2009 at 7:41

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Ok, now that I put it all together knowing the meanings. Let me see if I 
understand.

The GPS icon - you like the idea of a 4-sected circle type cross hairs (?on a 
white 
background? or red?) [see below - could work for map/route/traffic as well as 
it 
does for sport]

The three trail difficulty symbols - you don't like?  Is it just the color, the 
shapes, the background or the whole idea altogether?

Google Earth (where I would like to use them) is usually a dark brownish/green 
background (where the trails go) except for the clouds.  So any light color 
would 
show up as a background.  I mentioned white because: you said you thought the 
"Red" 
would look crappy.

As I understand you have officially accepted red as "sport" and I can 
understand how 
you wanted to put it in the "sport" category (i.e. skiing, atv, hiking, etc. 
etc) - 
However I did mention white because I thought that (if everyone thought red 
looked 
crappy) then white was an alternative because you seem to have designiated that 
color for "routes" traffic etc. - which these COULD be considered as well.

Just the symbol (circle,square,diamond) alone - does NOT have any standard 
meaning!  
However, nearly everyone (at least in the US) who have ever been on a 
designated 
trail WILL recognize a sign with a "black diamond" on it as "hard, most 
difficult, 
not for beginners, trouble" etc. - even if there is absolutely no other wording 
on 
the sign! If you just saw a sign with a circle - you wouldn't have a clue what 
it 
meant (hole, flying saucer, period, etc.)

And IMHO, black on red does look great (designer colors); Blue on red also 
looks ok 
(depending upon the shades); Green on red - well hey those are christmas colors 
(youse got a problem wi' dat?- as they say in New York).  However - if you ask 
me 
black/blue/green look best on white which makes sense to me from your naming 
schemes.

Anyway youse guys bin at dis much longer dan me! If you thought that it needed 
more 
explanation then a Green circle with the letter "E" inside, Blue Square with an 
"M" 
and a black diamond with "D" could make sense as well. [But that opens up 
another 
can of worms for language translation].

dj

Original comment by grg...@q.com on 18 Sep 2009 at 1:44

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Hello Bob

Sorry to answer so late.

We have been thinking in what we can do, and what we can't do in the project.

We want to respect the one and only rule : white shape and colored background.
So we cannot answer your requests of green circles, blue diamonds, etc.

But, we are still thinking in doing a "map coordinate icon".

These are the latest news.

--
Nico

Original comment by nico.mol...@gmail.com on 15 Oct 2009 at 8:45