My ASEAN Free GPS Map Project

OK, this is the current situation. Our non-official Garmin compiler does not support junction view yet. But indications are it will support junction view in the future. Garmin is not the only navigation software around. There are other softwares such as Papago that supports junction view. Regardless of whether it is for Garmin or Papago, the data behind junction view is merely a jpeg file. So maybe we should be proactive and start preparing ourselves. After all, there are plenty of junctions around

There are a few key decisions to make before we can start.

1. How detail? Quality or quantity?
Junction view can be very detail


or

very simple


Obviously we need to spend a lot of time and need talented artists to create detail junction views. Or we can spend relatively little time preparing generic junction views

2. Data acquisition method
We do not have cars fitted with video cameras and paid drivers driving around a city to capture pictures of junctions. Taking pictures while driving can be dangerous. Will our members endanger their own lives and lives of others if they help us take pictures of junctions? Is there another way? Ideas?

3. In-house or outsource?
So far, all of MFM's content is produced by our own members with some based on public domain data. There are other parties that are interested to work together with us. These parties may have the resources that we don't. So do we create junction view ourselves or work with another party?

So dear members, please think hard and share your wisdom We need as much ideas as possible to move full steam ahead

Btw, the same issue applies to 3D buildings but since junction view is more useful for navigation, we will discuss junction view first.

UPDATE 7/12/2009
After 6 months of creating JV graphics, we had settled upon some procedures and guidelines. In the process, we have created over 2,000 JV graphics!

Along with some JV produced by Papago, users of MFM-Papago can enjoy JV pictures at more than 1,000 locations. Refer to the GDB file below for MFM JV locations.

Only a handful people were actively involved in the MFM JV project but they contributed tremendously. Kudos to bros Edchuang, Chuah and Johntan for drawing the JV graphics. Thanks also to bros Kafie1980, Anglekit, Buggs, Trekker1, Sulphur and Barnes for various contributions.

wah.. brilliant idea..no need to record by handycam..wasting our times..just take every junction pictures..i suggest to simple and easy..especially K.L with extremely junction.. .. u r champ bro..

antyong wrote:2. Data acquisition method
We do not have cars fitted with video cameras and paid drivers driving around a city to capture pictures of junctions. Taking pictures while driving can be dangerous. Will our members endanger their own lives and lives of others if they help us take pictures of junctions? Is there another way? Ideas?

Our mounted mobile phone or handy digital-cam can do the work! But we might get a blur pic due to vibrations.

I agree that we should start this project and start collecting our data. It'll be great if we could have full detailed running version of the JV, but I feel that we should embark on this project by keeping it simple. I strongly feel accuracy should precede fancy animation (if any). We could always improve as we go along...

1. How detail? Quality or quantity?
On the JV details, we can start off with simple views (without the trees or building... these can do in phase II ). I may be wrong, but I don't think we have that many members who are really really good in doing fully rendered perspective view of these junctions. The simple view could quite easily be handled by most modern graphic packages (I'm guessing here).

2. Data acquisition method
Shooting videos or taking photographs while driving is too dangerous. Let the co-pilot do it. Unless of course, you want to mount your video/digicam on the front windscreen and capture the scene.

3. In-house or outsource?
I feel that this is a hobby that we need to pursue, albeit taking a longer time to complete. To me, it is similar to tracking or collecting POIs. I'd be happy to see my own contributions being accepted and published, and that is a greatest motivator for me. I feel other members feel the same way too. Outsourcing might get the results faster, but at a cost. Furthermore, we can't say that it was done by the members of mfm.

That's my two sen.

one thing i hope that one day MFM will create map with junction view and the data come from map itself not from firmware.good news for those who have gps without Junction view feature!

yalah..love my nuvi200W..me can't afford to have another nuvi with Junction View...

My first try. Just driving back from office, along KESAS highway. Using N73 camera while driving.

Photo came out very blurr.....Findings:
1. Need to drive very slow to have a good focus.
2. Need a very high speed and fast auto focus camera, *use sport option.
3. Driving at left lane will have better angle.
4. Better to use MPV or 4WD to have good visibility of the junction.
5. Need a co driver.
6. Better do the shooting at non peak hour.....drive slowly wait till less car in your front view.....prepare to be horned by car behind.

I've failed all the above criteria... Picture came out totally out of focus....PAISE PAISE.Anyway, just for the feel and fun of it for a start. *KESAS Highway exist Jalan Kebun/Kampung Jawa---towards KL.

IMHO, best time to take these junctions is early morning of a Sunday or a public holiday when traffic is lightest.

If you have a fast lens, the street lights should be sufficient to snap a high resolution picture, else got to wait for sunlight.

What about sign board?

1. How detail? Quality or quantity?
Since it is JPEG, I vote Actual snapshot.

2. Data acquisition method
hmm... I have and can mount a video cam in my car. but need some help with the edit/extract of actual pix.
A co-driver will be good...

3. In-house or outsource?
The map has came so far with own members hard work. No nid to outsource, afterall, it's all hobby based, rite?

antyong