Introduction

Welcome to CompassPlus!

This app provides a multitude of features including basic compass features like your compass direction, latitude, longitude, location information, altitude and speed. In addition, it allows tracking of your location as you walk, jog or drive; a distance measurement tool on a map; a mechanism to create directions that can be emailed as well as many other features. If you touch any image, a full screen view of the image will be displayed in a new window.

Shown here is the first screen. There are three basic sections on this screen, the header information, the compass information and a tab bar at the bottom that allows activating additional features.

The header section shows if this is the free version or Pro Version (after the Compass+ you will see Pro Version, if you purchase it). Below that is the latitude, longitude, speed and approximate location in English. The Tracking Off string will change to Tracking On while you are tracking your location. This is enabled by touching the tab bar item "Tracking Off" which will change to "Tracking On" when touched.

The main section shows a compass and the bearing your are header towards in degrees. The section also show the current route that is loaded (more on this later) and a New Route button you touch if you want to create a new route and/or tracking session. Please remember that the compass in your iPhone is very accurate, however, if there is a strong magnetic field near the phone, the accuracy may be diminished. Some automobiles' dashboards may generate magnetic fields and also some iPad 3rd party cases with keyboards may also contain a magnet.

Getting Started

The first time you load CompassPlus, and after the splash screen loads, you will receive a message similar to the one shown below. Since CompassPlus needs to access the location services on your device (compass, GPS), it needs your permission to use them. Choose 'Allow' to permit CompassPlus to access location services. If you choose 'Don't Allow,' CompassPlus will not be able to use the compass and GPS in your phone, thus CompassPlus will be disabled.

If you chose 'Don't Allow' and wish to give permission at a later time, go to your iPhone (iPad) Settings->Privacy->Location Services and make sure Location Services are On (green). Then scroll down the list of applications until you find CompassPlus and tap the row. You will then see two items, 'Never' and 'Always' - tap 'Always' and CompassPlus will then have access to your device's location services.

After the initial splash screen, you will be presented with the first screen as previously described. You should then personalize your CompassPlus by touching the Settings Icon. This will bring you to the Settings screen.

To get started, you must complete the Settings Preferences. This will allow you to join the system. Your name, email address are the keys for your entry. A password is required to allow you to access and download additional information from the cloud.

Simply fill out the dialog form as shown. Your name and email address will help us contact you if there is an update or if you have a problem. And the password will allow you to log into your account, if you decide to register. Leave the Debug Level at 0, unless you are given instructions based on a support call. Touch the Register switch to send information about your installation to us. This will help us troubleshoot any issues that may arise and notify you of any updates. For Map Type, you have a choice between Standard, Hybrid or Satellite. Accuracy should be set to 10 (meters) as this is optimum for most users. And the PlayBack speed is in milliseconds. This should be set to 50 for normal operations when you playback a stored route. This is the time for delay between each point you traveled that was captured by your GPS system. You can easily slow this down by increasing the number to fit your needs.

Once you are finished, touch the Save button near the bottom of the screen (you may have to scroll down) to save your settings. Also, below the Save button are a few other buttons. Upgrade to Pro Version to make use of additional features is described later in this document. Help will display this help document (you need to have an internet connection for this). And for debugging purposes, if there is a problem, there is a debug log and a mechanism to clear the debug log. This will only be used in response to a support call.

Completing Your Settings

After saving your preferences, touch Back to Compass to begin your activity with CompassPlus. .

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Ready for Use

You are now ready to use the system!

Shown below is a image of the Tab Bar section of the first screen.

The Tab Bar offers 6 options. Map It displays a map of your current position. The Map View will be described later. Tracking On (Off) sets the system in a tracking mode (or turns off tracking). When tracking mode is on, the system uses GPS to track your current position as you move. Turning it off, stops GPS tracking. The Settings button was previously described. Route info will show summary and detailed information about the currently loaded route. You can also use this option to email the currently loaded route to another CompassPlus user (or yourself if you have another device). The last two buttons Direction List (Pro Version only) and Load Route allow you to choose either a Direction session that you created or a previously created route to be loaded. These will also be described later.

This is the Route Info selection dialog. There are three choices, a Summary, the Full Route and a choice to email the route. The screens will be shown next.

This is the Summary view. It gives the name of the route, when it began and where it began as well as the ending information. The summary also includes the total distance traveled as well as the time it took. Finally, it gives a language description of the starting and ending locations.

This is the detail view showing every point that was captured during the creation of the route.

This is the email route view. You can send the currently loaded route to anyone who has the CompassPlus app. You will be able to receive route files from other users through email. This will be described in the section on Receiving Route Files.

Creating Your First Route

To get started, we will create the first route. We will give the route a description, which will save an empty route, then Turn On tracking and start our route. Once we have ended our journey, we will touch Tracking Off (which stops the tracking) and we will have our first route saved.

The free version of CompassPlus allow up to 5 routes to be saved. If you wish to save an unlimited amount of routes, upgrade to the Pro Version. More information about the Pro Version will be described later. If you are running the free version, this is the message you will see when you try to create your 6th route. Your only option to create a new route with the free version is to delete one (explained later) so you have less than 5 routes.

We add the new route by touching the New Route button. In the dialog we give the route a title, New Route Tutorial.

Then touch OK to save the empty route file. If you wish to not do this, simple hit Cancel. This will not create the new route and the previously loaded route will remain.

If you decide OK, then a message will show you that the route is saved and is ready for use.

You will notice that the Current Route: indicates the new route that is loaded.

To begin tracking your route, touch the Tracking Off button which will change to Tracking On and display the map, ready for your journey.

As you can see the map shows your current location and as you move, your movements will be tracked. Touch Compass to go back to the Compass screen.

At the conclusion of your trip, you touch Track Off and if you go to the map view, you will see your route.

Back at the first screen, touch Track On to stop tracking - it will change to Track Off and then touch Map It and you will see the map of your route.

The next section will deal with adding new customers.

Loading Routes

After using the app for a while, you will have a collection of routes. To load a particular route, from the first screen, touch Load Route and you will be presented with a list of all routes you have created. From this list you have 3 options, load a route, delete a route (explained later) and go back to the first screen.

The Route Database gives some basic information about each route created, it's title and it's actual file name, size and date created. Routes that you had transferred through email, will also be part of the list.

Touching any row in the list will automatically try to load it. The currently loaded route is always highlighted in blue. If you try to load an already loaded route, you will get the 'Route Already Loaded' message. If you select a non-loaded rought you will see the 'Use Selected Route' message and you can either Cancel or Select. If you Select, it will automatically bring you back to the first screen and you can use this route for other functions.

Deleting Routes

If you wish to remove a route from the database, tap the red-circled dash sign and a Delete button will appear. If you touch it, you will get one more warning. If you touch Delete, the file will be removed permanently from your device. There is no undo.

Map Functions

The Map View allows a number of options besides tracking a route. You can replay an existing route, with stop and start functionality, stop play (animation completely) and if you purchased the Pro Version a number of other features like annotating a route, creating a new route manually (for directions) and measuring distances.

If a route is displayed and you touch Clear Route, the route will be removed. If you wish to replay an existing route (that is loaded), touch Touch Play (or Pause) to start and pause the route that is playing. If you wish to stop playing the route completely, touch the Stop Play button. By adjusting the PlayBack speed (in the Settings Screen) you can determine how fast you would like the animation to be.

Receiving Emailed Files

You can add new routes to your database route collection by importing a route through email. When another user sends you a route through the email, you can touch the attachment to allow the CompassPlus application to import it into your collection.

In the screen at left, you simply touch the 'Open in CompassPlus' icon and CompassPlus will be shown with a prompt asking you if you wish to save the imported file. If you touch 'Cancel' the operation will be aborted. If you touch 'Save' the file will be saved to your application. If you wish to load it, touch the 'Load Files' button and you will see the file in your list.

After the file is saved, you will see the Received Database File message and the import is complete.

Pro Version Functions

The Pro Version allows you to take an existing route and annotate it for use in giving directions, creating a new route manually by tapping on the map and measuring distance between any locations. If you haven't purchased the Pro Version, when you tap the More button, you will see the 'Pro Version Only' message. More on Pro Version map functions later.

Annotating a Route 1

Annotating a Route 2

Annotating a Route 3

Annotating a Route 4

Annotating a Route 5

Annotating a Route 6

Annotating a Route 7

Annotating a Route 8

Annotating a Route 9

Annotating a Route 10

Annotating a Route 11

Annotating a Route 12

Annotating a Route 13

Annotating a Route 14

Manual Route Creation 1

Selecting 'Create New Direction Route' allows you to create a route for directions manually. This feature uses taps on the map to create points along the route you are creating. You can zoom in before you tap a location to provide a more accurate point. The sequence of events are: tap a point on the map, a dialog will pop up and allow you to enter direction information, a pin will appear at the point and then move on to the next point along the route you are creating. After you complete the route, you can save the points and then email the directions to anyone who needs them. This sample route is a trip from the Marriot Hotel to the Airport.

This shows the creation of a direction point. You see the empty field for typing your information, and then after you type it, you touch Set to save the point. You also have the option of leaving the field empty and touching Set, which will allow you adjust the linear route.

Manual Route Creation 2

Here you can see 5 points that have been plotted, each pin is a direction marker. The last point is at the destination which is the Airport.

When you have completed the route, tap the Save Points button on the top left of the screen.

Manual Route Creation 3

As was done earlier, simply give a title to the route and touch OK to save it. You will then see a confirmation of the save.

Manual Route Creation 4

After saving, you will see the text that has been created for the route. You will have opportunity later to modify the text, if desired. By touching Email (upper right), you can email these directions to any receipient who needs the directions.

Manual Route Creation 5

We see here the body of the email. Touching Send will send it on its way. If you later look at the Direction List or the Load Route list, you will see the newly created route in both places. If you use Direction List, you can edit any entry made and if you use the Load Route list you can view the animation of the created route.

Measuring Function 1

Selecting Measuring Distance will provide a tap activated measuring tool. After touching 'Measure Distance' the map will re-appear and locate the origin point for your measurement (anywhere in the world) and tap on that spot. You can zoom in before tapping for greater precision. Then find the next location you wish to measure and tap there. The dialog will then show you both the distance from the last point and the running distance if you have tapped multiple points.

Measuring Function 2

Here we see the origin point being set (a location in New York) and the second point being set (Chicago). Notice the distance measured is 703 miles.

If you don't touch the 'Cancel/End' button at the top you can keep adding points to the session.

Measuring Function 3

Here you can see the resultant map after you tap the 'Cancel/End' button. If you touch the pin it will give information about that point, the distance and the running distance.

The second image shows the measurement from New York to London (almost 3500 miles).

Pro Version Upgrade

If you wish to get additional functionality in CompassPlus, you can purchase the Pro Version. A number of features are added with this version including:

Unlimited routes
Annotation of routes
Distance measurement
Create new routes manually

Upgrade to Pro Version 1

Upgrade to Pro Version 2