More Waypoint Icon Choices
Planned
Please add more waypoint icon design choices. The following would be nice...
- Trailhead icon
- A green flag icon (representing a starting position)
- A checkered flag icon (representing a finishing position)
- Arrow icons (different directions)
- A red “X” (or multiple colors)
- A fish or fishing pole icon
- A bench or picnic table icon (representing a place to rest)
- A ranger station icon
- A rifle (representing a place to hunt)
Perhaps a whole new designed set of icons would be something to consider... the current ones are a bit bland (with all due respect).
(The current science beaker/chemist icon boggles my mind... what would that be used for?)
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I agree the existing icon list is underwhelming and not useful for folks who send time in the outdoors. It is also clear that everyone has their own needs and ideas as to what will work for them. I'm a photographer - so my list may be different than others. Trying to satisfy everyone desires would make the icon pack overwhelming. I find the icons the weakest part of GAIAGPS ap which is otherwise strong. I suggest the following:
- Allow color coding (why have all those tear drops when one with a color option would do nicely. This would be the same for hiking, fishing, trail heads etc. Color could be used for personal preference - one trail icon that a could be color coded easy, medium or hard trail, Start and end of trail, one tent icon with coloring coding green or red for has cell service or not. fishing icon could be red for a hot spot or black if you got skunked! Whatever - everyone will have their own method of using color - but you could get by with many less icons.
- Keep the default list small and allow users to upload our own icons. I find most of the default icons near useless for me.
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@srheid Good points. Well said. A minimal default set would be good (with the ability to adjust colors as one chooses). Perhaps having a large library of icon "add-ons" the users can individually add to their own "default" list would be a good option.
Maybe the Gaia team can chime in? There's currently 29 up-votes for this feature.
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Well I do not see any action from the company on this, did I miss it? Requests from a year ago till today and zip from the company......Bet if we owed money they would be very proactive.
Sorry getting more and more frustrated by the tactics around here, for one, vote on features? Come on, if you got many (as icons does) people all asking for icons, THEN DO SOMETHING!!! Oh wait some genius decided a beaker and science crap was exactly why 4x4, hikers and sportsmen needed in a map app......
Jim
New paid member but not renewing unless there are changes....
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I love the features of Gaia and I use it for hunting, so an entire class of waypoint icons for hunters would be phenomenal! A list would include (for deer in particular):
Blind, tree stand, buck, doe, rub, scrape, game trail, tracks, trail fork, blood, scat, trail cam, water source, truck.
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As a first responder I have started using Gaia GPS during wide area search drills and missions. It would be incredibly helpful if the standard urban search & rescue images were available for use as waypoint icons. There are 24 icon images in total. Several options could be the icons come with the Gaia app, as an add on to the app or a feature that allows the user to create/add/upload their own personal icons for use. Thanks.
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I also would like to use custom icons. Since there is no one set of icons that will fit every users needs, it is probably best to allow a user the ability to import them from the web or Gaia's website. Taking it a step further, it would be nice if Gaia had utility/tool on their website that allowed the user community the ability to create or customize icons (to Gaia standards) and add them to an online library (public or private).
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I've been reading the forums posts about custom icons and I see that additions are marked as planned but 2 years has passed I don't see any way to add new icons such as a picnic table, or trail junction. We can we expect new icons or the ability to add our own? Many of the stock icons don't make sense such as tree, flower, tear drop, triangle, circle, square, shark fin (?), lab beaker, hamburger, chainsaw (?), king's crown, (inexplicably) cell phone, and a check in box.
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I see that Gaia GPS has added 56 news icons many of which match the requests on this thread. Maybe Gaia GPS doesn't want end users to add their own icons, so this is a big step forward. Still I'd like to see an icon for a park bench, a lower-case "I" for an information sign (frequently seen at a parking lot trailhead), bridge/footbridge and trail intersection i.e. an "X" made of 2 mildly squiggly lines.
Still, I struggle to understand why the following icons exist. Many describe temporary or mobile waypoints. Get rid of most of these and make room for useful icons.
- Chemist
- Circle
- Deer/moose/elk (1 icon for all 3 is enough)
- Disability
- Emergency phone
- Heart
- Mobile phone
- Pitch (running person)
- Polling place
- Prison (really?!)
- Restaurant vs fast food
- Scat
- Snowflake
- Square
- Stone
- Suitcase
- Triangle
- Water (2x)
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I probably won't use any of them. For the past 20 years I have been using my own, small icons. These are all too big for me. I also wonder, along with ccwindows, why all those specific icons exist. And wonder why I don't seem to need a hundred different giant icons. All I want is to be able to add my own small colored icons. I could upload images of how these large icons obscure the map, but we all have our own mappIng needs, and I think that those who want large icons should also get them. I actually do sort of get the point of looking at a map and seeing a picnic table, and quickly finding a place to camp or eat. But mostly I know where I am and where I am going, and simply don't use those icons, whether hiking, canoeing, cycling, or driving. Having had the capability to add my own custom icons for 20 years, i am at a loss to understand why it is so difficult here. I recently attended a meeting where someone held up a piece of working electronics from 1920, and said that Americans can't make this quality these days. i agree. So much great tech, so inadequately implemented. Every 10 years or so I completely maintain my 70 year old (Dad's) Star-D tripod. 30 minutes. Still works like new. Think a modern one will last that long? Sorry...old codger rant...sigh. I am really all for progress...or I wouldn't be using Gaia.
Nonetheless, I am grateful when i turn on my device and see that GaisGPS has been updated in some significant way, so I don't want to leave the impression that i don't see that progress. It's just that in this case, I don't see progress, just change. YMMV.
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This is such a welcome update!
It is a great addition to what Gaia had. Many of the icons I mentioned, as well as others, were included. So happy that Gaia is actually listening to us.
Unless Gaia figures out a way for users to customize the icons, there is going to be missing icons for every user. I completely agree with imaginarian above (and have voted up his comment) that customizing is the future for Gaia.For me, the mountain, binoculars, new building icons, ghost town, mine, camper (allowing for at least another "camping" symbol) and fresh water were big additions. Some are still missing (propane and dump station, for example) and some seem to be duplicates (three icons of a deer/elk head? Maybe one is a moose?) I don't get that.
Just the same, again, I really appreciate that Gaia is actively trying to improve their system. I am looking forward to continued updates and as they continue to hire programers. I look forward to the addition of more icons or a fully customized icon system. Knowing they are really trying may keep me around for a third year as I wait patiently for continued improvements.
Keep up the good work Gaia! -
Again - a nudge to support the hunters you are trying to win over from other platforms...
A separate icon pack for hunting would be great - so you don't have to overwhelm the other users with icons that they don't need or understand.
And there still is no game bird of any type - others have suggested quail, turkey, and duck. It might be easier to use a pheasant, turkey and duck - as the pheasant might make a more recognizable icon and could stand in for grouse, quails, partridge, and pheasant. Right now I am using the "scat" icon as its the only thing with something "flying" - but a terrible choice for representing a game bird. It was nice to see the bear, moose, deer, elk. Something similar needs to be done for the small game hunters, A rabbit and squirrel might be nice as well. In addition a bird (turkey)track icon - to represent game bird sign and differentiate from big game sign (scat and tracks).
Other missing icons are a "spring" - natural water source, A "guzzler or water tank" - man made water source, and a glassing point or scenic view icon - usually a pair of binoculars - to represent a good place to take in the view or look around.
Thanks and its a great app - but lack of reasonable icon packs for different types of recreation, is getting a little frustrating...
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Sean, this thread started 3 years ago, but there was an update to the icons about 9 months ago. The current assortment came from that update. Gaia appears to be updating their icons, not very fast and it still needs work as many have suggested, but there has been updates to the icons since this thread was created.
The best thing to do is comment in here about what you'd like to see and "vote up" those comments you like.
The technology is there to get more, and there are plenty of icons around the web for Gaia to use. As users, we just need to keep trying to influence them to continue to make updates like they did last year.
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