New Feature Ideas

This is a continuation of #1911, since that was getting too long.

Please feel free to post new feature ideas in the comments on this issue. I would love to have some other thoughts about what should be included in this app (no guarantee that I will include them, but I will consider each idea). No idea is a bad idea here, worse case I may say that I will not include it in Trail Sense. Some features may be better suited as plugins or a different app. Plugins will allow the usage of Internet when available, but must have offline support.

Some set in stone goals of this app:

• Trail Sense must not use the Internet in any way, as I want the entire app usable when there is no Internet connection
• New features must provide some benefits to people using the app while hiking, in a survival situation, etc.
• New features must be based on peer-reviewed science
• New features must not increase the app size much (available size is dependent on feature importance). App should remain under 10 MB.

For reference, some things I have considered in the past and removed were:

• Animal behavior
  • I can't say there is enough science / supporting evidence behind Solunar theory for me to make accurate predictions of animal behavior in general, though if someone provides strong evidence I will consider it
• Heart rate sensor
  • I don't want Trail Sense to move into the medical sector, there are increased regulations on that in Google Play and not something I'm willing to provide support for.
• Decibel meter
  • This falls outside of the officially supported use cases of Trail Sense.

For phones that make use of auto dark mode and which have an amoled screen, it would be nice to have a "system black" theme.

Which would save noticeably more battery compared to the dark grey the current (single) system theme uses.

For phones that make use of auto dark mode and which have an amoled screen, it would be nice to have a "system black" theme.

Which would save noticeably more battery compared to the dark grey the current (single) system theme uses.

Thank you for the suggestion, by auto dark mode do you mean the sunrise/sunset driven theme? If so, please see this issue: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2192

I mean the system wide theme changer of android, which changes themes of apps by sunset/sunrise or custom time.

But thats not the important part, i wanted to say, that i miss a theme, that enables when the system requests a dark theme. Addtionally to the current system theme, there should be a "system black" theme, which changes the background to black instead of darkish grey.

Simplest thing to notice the difference is in Trail Sense to change to system theme and then black theme. I would like a system theme with that black background.

I mean the system wide theme changer of android, which changes themes of apps by sunset/sunrise or custom time.

But thats not the important part, i wanted to say, that i miss a theme, that enables when the system requests a dark theme. Addtionally to the current system theme, there should be a "system black" theme, which changes the background to black instead of darkish grey.

Simplest thing to notice the difference is in Trail Sense to change to system theme and then black theme. I would like a system theme with that black background.

Thank you, I see - I was not aware that was a feature on Android. Here's the issue to track that: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2592

Hi, I know the new feature ideas list is quite long but please consider the integration with brouter. it is a famous open source app able to generate paths, totally offline. It can be really helpful to automatically create a path from your position to a beacon or between multiple beacons (useful also as a backup for the backtrack feature). Additionally it generate also turn by turn instructions that could be helpful to send as notifications while following path. Thanks

Hi, I know the new feature ideas list is quite long but please consider the integration with brouter. it is a famous open source app able to generate paths, totally offline. It can be really helpful to automatically create a path from your position to a beacon or between multiple beacons (useful also as a backup for the backtrack feature). Additionally it generate also turn by turn instructions that could be helpful to send as notifications while following path. Thanks

Thank you for the suggestion, I've created this issue to track the research into this: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2595

List of ideas I currently have at the moment. Some of these may not be possible due to me not knowing how things work.

Feature Requests

• Ability to calibrate Trail Sense compass with another physical known accurate compass.
• Ability to use yaw axis of gyroscope as a short term compass when aligned with a physical compass
• Ability to calibrate compass with Sun or moon through augmented reality
• Display current temperature reading on navigation screen
• Use Ambient Light sensor as potential trigger for trail sense theme

List of ideas I currently have at the moment. Some of these may not be possible due to me not knowing how things work.

Feature Requests

• Ability to calibrate Trail Sense compass with another physical known accurate compass.
• Ability to use yaw axis of gyroscope as a short term compass when aligned with a physical compass
• Ability to calibrate compass with Sun or moon through augmented reality
• Display current temperature reading on navigation screen
• Use Ambient Light sensor as potential trigger for trail sense theme

Thank you for the suggestions:

• Here's an issue to track the compass calibration. https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2603 I put a note in there about why it wasn't saved in the past.
• For using the AR calibration mode elsewhere, see this issue: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2419
• I do not have plans to add the current temperature to the navigation screen, because I would like to keep those tools separate. It is displayed on the weather tool and will eventually be displayed on the climate tool (#1904). I also have plans make the weather tool widely available if you device does not have a barometer (#2090).
• Unfortunately, due to the way theming works on the Android framework that TS uses, it needs to be set on load. If the light sensor is used, there will be a noticeable delay when opening TS. I'll investigate it though: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2604

Hello, would you be willing to add millimeters, teaspoons, and tablespoons to the unit converter? I appreciate the desire for simplicity, there are too many units too capture them all, but I think those are common enough to be worth adding

Hello, would you be willing to add millimeters, teaspoons, and tablespoons to the unit converter? I appreciate the desire for simplicity, there are too many units too capture them all, but I think those are common enough to be worth adding

Thank you for the suggestion, here's a ticket to track that: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2605

Thank you!

As Android 5.1.1 is the last acceptable version of Android (for me in terms of privacy, functionality and usage of reliable and controllable equipment : Galaxy Note 4). As it is also the last version where you can have a minimum control over the OS. Would You consider to produce a version for it? Thank You.

As Android 5.1.1 is the last acceptable version of Android (for me in terms of privacy, functionality and usage of reliable and controllable equipment : Galaxy Note 4). As it is also the last version where you can have a minimum control over the OS. Would You consider to produce a version for it? Thank You.

Hi, thank you for the suggestion. I have looked into Android 5 support before, but there was too much effort involved to port Trail Sense over to it.

New user, so I apologize if this is just a usage / settings error. I'd like to be able to turn the GPS on for a few seconds or until the location provider reaches a specified accuracy level before specifying a beacon / photo map calibration point. OTOH this may be limited use for regular hiking. My personal use case is accurately marking survey pins such that I can find them again, which is much easier if I can mark the point in a 10ft radius rather than 100ft. I could see this also being useful for hiking with photo maps when the calibration points are close together.

New user, so I apologize if this is just a usage / settings error. I'd like to be able to turn the GPS on for a few seconds or until the location provider reaches a specified accuracy level before specifying a beacon / photo map calibration point. OTOH this may be limited use for regular hiking. My personal use case is accurately marking survey pins such that I can find them again, which is much easier if I can mark the point in a 10ft radius rather than 100ft. I could see this also being useful for hiking with photo maps when the calibration points are close together.

Thank you for the suggestion, I believe the feature(s) you are looking for will be implemented by these:

• https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2464
• https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2461

Firstly, trail-sense app is extremely cool and well made, thank you.

On the bubble level I was wondering if you could put the value of the hypotenuse in the 3rd orange circle. I looked at the code a bit to see if I could add it myself but it wasn't obvious to me. It seems like you are already calculating the value of it to place the bubble, but I don't see how to make the text label, nor ensure that it moves with the bubble. (I don't code kotlin/make apps)

In this example you're 22 degrees off in one direction and 45 in another. But the phone itself is on a ~50 degree plane and i think that's what that bubble should show.

~50 = √(22² + 45²)

It might also make sense to add it with the single decimal point values? What to label it though -- I don't know. It's not z.

Thanks again!

Firstly, trail-sense app is extremely cool and well made, thank you.

On the bubble level I was wondering if you could put the value of the hypotenuse in the 3rd orange circle. I looked at the code a bit to see if I could add it myself but it wasn't obvious to me. It seems like you are already calculating the value of it to place the bubble, but I don't see how to make the text label, nor ensure that it moves with the bubble. (I don't code kotlin/make apps)

In this example you're 22 degrees off in one direction and 45 in another. But the phone itself is on a ~50 degree plane and i think that's what that bubble should show.

~50 = √(22² + 45²)

It might also make sense to add it with the single decimal point values? What to label it though -- I don't know. It's not z.

Thanks again!

Thank you for the suggestion, I've created this issue to track it: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2767

Hi, I love your app and I think I might have a feature idea that might fit in it well. Striking clock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striking_clock) - my city have one, but I move further away from it and I can't hear it now ;-(

It would fit in Tools/Clock. Every quarter it would emit quarter sound and additionally in every hour it would emit hour sound. Properly multiplied. Example:

• 13:15 - "bim" - since it is quarter past.
• 13:30 - "bim", "bim" - since it is two quarter past.
• 13:45 - "bim", "bim", "bim" - since it is three quarters.
• 14:00 - "bim", "bim", "bim", "bim", "bam", "bam" - since it is full hour, 2 pm.

Possible configuration options:

• enable
• start time - for example default 6:00
• stop time - for example default 22:00
• "bim" interval - 15, 30 or disable. 15 for default.
• "bam" - exact, single or disable. exact (2 bams for 2 am/pm) for default.
• enable in silent mode - enabled by default. Use case: I have the phone constantly in silent mode, but I like to hear alarms, timers and I would like to hear this feature. But some people might like to don't hear this if they are entering silent mode in theaters etc.
• loudness adjustment
• mix or interrupt current audio - I observed different behaviors for sounds in Android. Some sounds are mixed with currently played audio and some are pausing it, emitting and returning to playback. It would be nice if there would be an option to define it if possible.

Use cases:

• Sometimes I'm doing something absorbing, and I'm loosing track of time. It would be nice to hear simple audio clues what time it is. Manually setting and unsetting alarms is tedious. This feature would help to track time without interruptions and touching phone.
• Visually impaired people could also benefit from it.

Risks:

• I'm not sure if this is the case, but it might use some additional energy to track alarm for every quarter.
• It might consume some energy to emit sound. Not sure how much tough.
• bim and bam sounds would add some kilobytes to binary.

Keep on great work, and thanks for what you already did :-)

Hi, I love your app and I think I might have a feature idea that might fit in it well. Striking clock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striking_clock) - my city have one, but I move further away from it and I can't hear it now ;-(

It would fit in Tools/Clock. Every quarter it would emit quarter sound and additionally in every hour it would emit hour sound. Properly multiplied. Example:

• 13:15 - "bim" - since it is quarter past.
• 13:30 - "bim", "bim" - since it is two quarter past.
• 13:45 - "bim", "bim", "bim" - since it is three quarters.
• 14:00 - "bim", "bim", "bim", "bim", "bam", "bam" - since it is full hour, 2 pm.

Possible configuration options:

• enable
• start time - for example default 6:00
• stop time - for example default 22:00
• "bim" interval - 15, 30 or disable. 15 for default.
• "bam" - exact, single or disable. exact (2 bams for 2 am/pm) for default.
• enable in silent mode - enabled by default. Use case: I have the phone constantly in silent mode, but I like to hear alarms, timers and I would like to hear this feature. But some people might like to don't hear this if they are entering silent mode in theaters etc.
• loudness adjustment
• mix or interrupt current audio - I observed different behaviors for sounds in Android. Some sounds are mixed with currently played audio and some are pausing it, emitting and returning to playback. It would be nice if there would be an option to define it if possible.

Use cases:

• Sometimes I'm doing something absorbing, and I'm loosing track of time. It would be nice to hear simple audio clues what time it is. Manually setting and unsetting alarms is tedious. This feature would help to track time without interruptions and touching phone.
• Visually impaired people could also benefit from it.

Risks:

• I'm not sure if this is the case, but it might use some additional energy to track alarm for every quarter.
• It might consume some energy to emit sound. Not sure how much tough.
• bim and bam sounds would add some kilobytes to binary.

Keep on great work, and thanks for what you already did :-)

Thank you for the suggestion and excellent write up. I'll plan to add that: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2826

hi. thanks for the good app. there are a few suggestions:

1. in the tab with all utilities, when you open any and go back, the top of the list opens, not the previous place.
2. in viewing the sun through the camera, the ability to change the time of day, this is very useful in tourism, to know how best to put up a tent without the morning sun.

hi. thanks for the good app. there are a few suggestions:

1. in the tab with all utilities, when you open any and go back, the top of the list opens, not the previous place.
2. in viewing the sun through the camera, the ability to change the time of day, this is very useful in tourism, to know how best to put up a tent without the morning sun.

Thank you for the suggestions. I have plans to add both of those:

• https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2061
• https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2222

Hi, I don't know if it would quite in line with the app's focus, but I wanted to suggest the idea of calculating golden hour and blue hour - either as part of the astronomy tool or as a separate tool within the app. Their time is based on the sun's position, and it'll vary depending on location and season, but since it can already calculate the sun's position it might be possible to have it piggy back off that feature while remaining small & offline.

Have a good one

Hi, I don't know if it would quite in line with the app's focus, but I wanted to suggest the idea of calculating golden hour and blue hour - either as part of the astronomy tool or as a separate tool within the app. Their time is based on the sun's position, and it'll vary depending on location and season, but since it can already calculate the sun's position it might be possible to have it piggy back off that feature while remaining small & offline.

Have a good one

Thank you for the suggestion, unfortunately I do think that is better suited for a photography app rather than Trail Sense.

Hello, would you be willing to add milligrams to the unit converter?

Hello, would you be willing to add milligrams to the unit converter?

Thank you, yes I can add that. Here's an issue to track: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2851

I'm looking for additional field guide page suggestions. If you would like to get a page added, please read through the following discussion post and leave a reply there: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/discussions/2876

Thank you!

Some of my favorites for new feature ideas.

• Option to keep display on at least while in map perhaps /w battery % limit.

• Selectable TTS announcements based on set intervals of time or distance. For example every hour announce current time, time to sunset, ETA, etc. Every change in mile announce distance from/to start or beacon. If not TTS so long as text e.g. "Current time is 2 PM" is in notification third party apps like voice notify can do the voice announcements.

• In gray area where map name is displayed one or two widget like selections to show bits like current speed, total distance, distance to beacon / start rather than map name.

Some of my favorites for new feature ideas.

• Option to keep display on at least while in map perhaps /w battery % limit.
• Selectable TTS announcements based on set intervals of time or distance. For example every hour announce current time, time to sunset, ETA, etc. Every change in mile announce distance from/to start or beacon. If not TTS so long as text e.g. "Current time is 2 PM" is in notification third party apps like voice notify can do the voice announcements.
• In gray area where map name is displayed one or two widget like selections to show bits like current speed, total distance, distance to beacon / start rather than map name.

Thank you for the suggestions!

1. Here's a new issue to track that: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/2915
2. I do not have plans at the moment to support TTS, but I reopened this issue in case anyone would like to contribute this feature: https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/511
3. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to add this one since there would be a lot of work involved to make that possible. If you have backtrack enabled, you can see the total distance in the notification or in the widget panel (long press bottom navigation - you may need to add the widget in settings). I have plans to add a spedometer to the widget panel as well. As for the distance to a beacon, if you are navigating that will show at the bottom of the map.

Hello can we make additional alarm system for bubble level? if it moves for some very small degrees for a routine period then the alarm rings. this can be helpful for detecting earthquakes locally... i appreciate the project!

Hello can we make additional alarm system for bubble level? if it moves for some very small degrees for a routine period then the alarm rings. this can be helpful for detecting earthquakes locally... i appreciate the project!

Hi, I'm trying to figure out how this would be used in a real world scenario, can you ellaborate?

I'm thinking if you leave your phone on the ground while camping and it detects vibration, either you would already know something is happening, the earthquake would be too small to matter outside, or it would be a false positive (ex. rolled over in the sleeping bag and hit your phone). As of now, I'm not sure that I will include it - it sounds similar to https://github.com/kylecorry31/Trail-Sense/issues/679 which I had previously evaluated.