Latest update and some tips from the founder...
Well, that's been a quick 7 months.
Last week, after several rounds of scrutinous testing and tweaking, we launched the latest update to
MotoGoLoco Maps - our free journey planning tool and online routes library.
Before going much further, we must send out a huge and hearty 'Thank You' to all of you who sent in feedback about the old system - good and bad. Many of the tweaks and new features that we've added are down to YOUR input, and for that we're eternally grateful.
So - what's new?Version 3 now has the following new features - we hope you like them!:
RiDE Magazine's RoutesWe're pleased and proud that
RiDE Magazine have chosen MotoGoLoco Maps as their preferred route planner for showcasing their ever-growing selection of recommended motorcycling routes.
In here you'll find the route maps for all the routes featured in the current edition of RiDE magazine, along with a library of routes from previous month's.
Using MotoGoLoco Maps you can view, edit and share these routes, print them (including turn-by-turn directions) download the GPX/ITN files for your SatNav and, for TomTom and Garmin users, transfer the routes straight onto your GPS device.
Routes Search FunctionWe received a lot of feedback asking for help in finding a specific route (either one created by you personally, or a one created by someone else and shared publicly).
Originally this could only be done via the route's individual URL (e.g.
www.motogoloco.com/map?route=1240), however it soon became very clear that we could make this much easier.
Step forward our new Route Search function.
N.B. The search pulls information from the route's Name and Description - so provided what you are searching for is included in either of these fields, the route will appear in the search results.
Creating and Sharing Private RoutesPreviously we had the option of creating a route and assigning one of two privacy options; Public (available for all the world to see) and Private (only visible to you when logged in with your User ID).
However, there IS an important third scenario - creating a route that you want to share with only a very selected few.
As a result we've added the option of sharing a Private Route with only the people who have the exact URL; perfect for organising group runs or simply gathering opinions from a group of friends.
Route 'Landing Pages'Previously when you shared a route, what was shown when the recipient viewed it wasn't always very clear.
We've changed this so that now when someone views a route they're immediately shown:
- The Route Outline (highlighted on the map)
- The Route Details box, containing the description, distance and ratings for that route. This also makes it much quicker and simpler to re-share it, export it or use it as the basis for creating your own new route.
Hide/Show the Route Itinerary box when creating a routeBibio - this one's been added SPECIFICALLY for you!!
(Ok, not really...) Quite a number of folks asked us for the option of hiding the Route Itinerary box (on the top-right hand side) of the Create Route layer, to maximise the amount of available screen space for viewing the map.
We've added a slide function to this, replicated it to the left-hand Side Bar too, allowing you to get an almost full width view of the map now.
In addition, we've shifted the overall route summary (e.g. Distance and estimated Time) to the top of the Route Itinerary box, making it much quicker to keep tabs on just how long that monster all-day route is actually going to be as you go along.
Closing Street ViewA lot of people were struggling to find the option to close Street View, so, we've moved the 'X' (it's now closer to the top-left corner), and made it a bit bigger too.
PrintingWe had a lot of feedback regarding printing routes and/or directions. As a result, we've implemented the following:
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Print Map Only - As it says on the tin - this allows you to print the current Map View of your route, without pages and pages of turn-by-turn directions, perfect for slotting into the top pocket of your tank bag.</li>
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Print Text Only - Again, self-explanatory, this option gives you a comprehensive turn-by-turn list of directions.</li>
We've also jigged the turn-by-turn formatting a little to make better use of the available space; vastly reducing the amount of paper required to print these out too (as much as 75% in some cases).
Saving Routes - Final ScreenWe've tweaked the process of saving a route slightly, so that now, upon hitting 'Save' the Route Details box appears, giving fast access to the Share, Edit and Export buttons. We figured these are the three main aims for most people creating a route.
Ordering of 'My Routes'We've changed the order of My Routes so that your latest routes now appear at the top of the list.
Right-Click OptionsWe've made this both simpler, and at the same time much more powerful.
Now, when right-clicking on the map you have the options of:
- Start Here
- Go Via Here
- End Here
This little tweak alone makes the process of creating a route using mouse-clicks very, very quick and straightforward.
Right-click your Start point, right-click your End point, then right-click anywhere in-between you'd like to include. A very quick, very simple and very effective method of creating a route line on the map.
WEE TIP - Remember you can also drag and bend the route line from it's pre-selected course, to include any roads, villages etc that you want to ride to/via.
Search Box - Increased in SizeWhen searching for a Start/End/Via point on the Create Route screen that it could be tricky to determine whether you'd got the correct address because the box was too small to read it all.
e.g.
If you were looking for '
High Street Edinburgh', and started typing in '
High Street', it was nigh-on impossible to find and select the correct High Street from the list, because the rest of the address wasn't visible.
Simple fix - we've increased the size of the search box, making this much more friendly now.
Bits n BobsEverything else has been geared towards smoothing things out and generally making the process of creating, saving, sharing and exporting a route as quick, slick and straightforward as possible.
We think you'll like what we've done (at least, we really hope you do!) and would love to hear what you think.
Thanks again,
James @ MotoGoLoco
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