GPS Camera 55, Speedometer 55, Compass 55 and Planimeter 55 - import and export improvements across all apps scheduled for July 2025.

 All of the apps will get an upgrade in July 2025 with the following import/export improvements:

◆ Batch Export of Collections: Export multiple point/photo collections at once as a single KMZ file.

◆ Batch Enable/Disable Collections: Easily enable or disable several point collections in one go.

→ To use: tap the new 'more' button (left of the '+' in the collections list), choose Select, pick collections, then choose an action from the bottom toolbar.

◉ The ability to enable or disable multiple collections at once helps you focus only on the points/photos relevant to your project. Multi-collection KMZ export is fully compatible with the Google Earth desktop app and can be used to back up all your collections and points if needed. 100% of the data is preserved when importing back into the app on another device.

◆ Enhanced KMZ Import: Now supports KMZ archives with multiple subfolders and multiple KML files.

→ Import via the 'more' button on the points/photos list or the 'Open In' system option on iPhone/iPad.

Apps supporting track recording will also get:

+ When exporting all tracks of a trip to a single KMZ file (for Google Earth), the app now uses the gx:Track format to preserve timestamp information for each track point. The previously used Geometry format was losing that valuable time data.

Compass 55, Speedometer 55 and Planimeter 55 are also getting drawing tools improvements from GPS Camera 55:

◆ New drawing tools for annotating photos taken by the camera tool and ground image overlays:

+ Arrow, Rectangle, Circle, Cross pointer.

+ You can also adjust the line width.

◆ Other Improvements for July 2025:

+ Added info message at the bottom of the points/photos list to indicate when collections are disabled and their items are hidden.

+ Various fixes and performance improvements.

Final touches on Map collections before the public releases. Speedo 55, Compass 55 and Planimeter 55.

The documentation for Map Collections in the upcoming app versions is now ready in all supported languages!

We’re down to final optimizations—currently improving ground image overlays by adding thumbnail images for use in lists and preview screens.
For example, here’s a historical map of Tokyo from 1799:

The thumbnail is just 47KB, while the full ground overlay image is around 80MB:

Quite a difference!

Documentation links:

Map collections: http://hdocs.blocoware.com/en/speedometer/map-collection/

Collections de cartes : http://hdocs.blocoware.com/fr/speedometer/map-collection/

Kartensammlungen: http://hdocs.blocoware.com/de/speedometer/map-collection/

マップコレクション: http://hdocs.blocoware.com/ja/speedometer/map-collection/

Colecciones de mapas: http://hdocs.blocoware.com/es/speedometer/map-collection/

Coleções de mapas: http://hdocs.blocoware.com/pt/speedometer/map-collection/

Коллекции карт: http://hdocs.blocoware.com/ru/speedometer/map-collection/

Compass 55: Beta version 4.2 with OSGB and SK 42 (СК 42) converter is now available!

Re-designed free-text coordinates converter is available from version 4.2 of the app. You’ll find it in several places:

1. MENU > Coordinates converter.
2. On the map, in the map search > Coordinates.
3. In the point editor, to the left of the Done button or in Lat/Lon, UTM, MGRS rows.

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New coordinates converter adds support for OSGB and SK 42 coordinate systems, in addition to current Lat/Lon, UTM, MGRS. More coordinate systems will be added with time.

We started with OSGB and SK 42 as they both represent some unique challenges that we wanted to solve before looking at more generic conversions:

• OSGB. The app provides options for both approximate conversion and precise conversion with usage of a grid shift file. By default, approximate conversion is used (as in most online converters and apps). In the OSGB conversion settings section in the converter screen, if you switch to a precise conversion, the app will ask you to download grid shifts file (about 15MB). After that you can use the precise conversion and avoid error of 0..±5 feet which happens in case of an approximate conversion. OSGB settings also provide an option to insert space between coordinate components or not.

• SK 42. Former Soviet Union standard (covering area from Germany to Japan) that a lot of Eastern European users still have maps for. The app provides precise zonal conversion for SK 42, where different parameters are used for each zone and thus accuracy corresponds to sources like EPSG iself or SK42.org.

This probably makes the app one of the rare ones that can provide offline precise conversion for OSGB and SK 42 systems.

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You can enter free text in the top coordinate input text box and the app will do its best to parse it as a coordinate.

For WGS84 latitude, longitude (d, dm, dms), UTM or MGRS input you have an option to switch format between these coordinate representations. Use the Format button:

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For the point editor, converter button is available on top of the screen and in Latitude/Longitude, UTM, MGRS input rows:

The above screenshot also shows that you can have different button colors from Version 4.1

The top converter button starts with coordinates in either Latitude/Longitude, UTM or MGRS - dependent on your choice of a default in Settings > Coordinate format.

Buttons in the Latitude/Longitude, UTM or MGRS rows start with respectively with Latitude/Longitude, UTM or MGRS.

Still working on a new free-text coordinates converter (adding OSGB and SK 42).

A short preview for how this new converter will be used in the Point editor. This is recorded with the Compass 55 app, but will be available in the same way in GPS Camera 55.

Here is current documentation, work in progress:

http://hdocs.blocoware.com/en/landnav/coordinates-converter/

Compass 55: Version 4.1 with ability to change button colors is now in the App Store.

The app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/compass-55-map-gps-kit/id1120906807

More information on version 4.1: http://hdocs.blocoware.com/en/landnav/v41/

Compass 55 for iPhone/iPad version 1.9.4 is out! Siri shortcuts, voice coach, love for magnetic declination!

On the way to the public iOS 12 optimized releases of Speedometer apps, stopping by Compass 55 release, iOS 12 optimized and with Siri shortcuts! What is new?

Barometric vertical speed indicator (VSI).

A new option for the bottom/left panel.

Gives ability to measure vertical speed based on a built in barometer (present in iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 and later). In iPhone's portrait orientation show a graph, giving a bit of a history view over values:

In landscape orientation provides an instantaneous VSI scale:

Units provided are ft/min, meters/min, meters/second. Tap above unit label to set.

Scales provided are 10x, 100x, 1000x for meters and feet per second, 0.1, 1, 10 for meters/second.

Use 3 dots button on top or left side to get more information on this panel or switch to a different panel. You can also switch between these small panels by swiping on them left/right in iPhone's portrait orientation and up/down in landscape.

Please note that as with all barometers, readings will lag a bit (1-3 seconds). I was trying for a day to apply some filters to the readings until I understood that Apple already applies them. So in the end I'm just using the values as they come from Apple.

Love for magnetic declination

Making it clear for both true and magnetic norths - which one is used and what is the declination. Both current, at you location, plus for any point on a map. By default showing declination is switched off and you turn it on in settings > "Compass & Course":

Please also note that True and Magnetic north switches now have T and M appended in brackets. Having magnetic declination display to YES, where you'll find it? Here is the main screen:

Top down: you'll see declination δ in the address row. This is a declination at the map center, where red arrow points. Then COMPASS label in the app will now always show COMPASS (M) or COMPASS (T), so you'd always now if magnetic or true north is used. At the bottom there compass accuracy label that is now enhanced by a declination value for the current location.

Use of declination doesn't require data/internet as values are calculated based onto built in World Magnetic Model.

Voice coach. (PRO)

When enabled and configured, voice coach will be telling you active track distance and duration as well as current speed and altitude.

In the current version, voice coach is only running when GPS track is being recorded. This ensures that coach provides exact and reliable information, for app running either in foreground or background.

App gives a hint if coach is enabled or disabled (by default). When you tap on a MENU button, hint is on top of the "NEW TRACK" button:

Until you start a new track, this is just a label and to access voice coach configuration you can delve into Advanced Settings > Voice coach.

Once GPS track recording is running, this hint becomes a button:

Tapping on it will open voice coach settings:

You can read more on a coach here: Voice coach.

Siri shortcuts

In the current version app allows you to start and stop GPS tracking via Siri shortcuts. 

How it works? First, let the app donate these shortcuts to Siri by starting and stoping the track first. MENU > NEW TRACK and MENU > STOP TRACK will do. Then visit Siri settings for the app in the iPhone/iPad settings, find the app and pick "Siri & Search". Shortcuts will be first between "SUGGESTED SHORTCUTS". To make them yours, tap on a plus on a row with a shortcut suggestion and record your own voice command for starting and stopping the track.

From now on you'll be able to start and stop the track via Siri shortcuts and also integrate these shortcuts in the "Shortcuts" app.

This is just a beginning and all ideas on Siri shortcuts are very welcome!

Privacy Policy

Added a page to the documentation site and also a button to the Feedback screen, so you can explore the Privacy Policy for the app.

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This is it for version 1.9.4, I'm back to adding new features for the next version! If you like the app and would not mind supporting it, please review or rate the app. As easy as tapping here and leaving me a few words! Yours, Stan, the dev.

Compass 55. Version 1.9.1 is now in the AppStore. What's new?

Tiny, but hopefully useful compass on all maps. More options for the "navigate - search/browse" button.

While unifying all maps in the app, it was important to provide a unified map compass experience as well. Here is how this tiny map compass looks:

As part of this work I also changed the default behavior of the button that compass is shown around. Previously this button would just switch between "navigate" mode - when map would follow your location and direction of travel and "search/browse" mode - when you can search on the map, browse and create/edit objects. 

By default, this button now opens options for showing/hiding objects on a map, plus switching between "navigate" and "search/browse" mode:

 If you think that old way of switching between navigate and search/browse modes was more convenient, you can use map settings to revert the behavior to a one tap switch:

Option to edit/move waypoint directly on the main screen

In map search/browse mode, tap on a waypoint to reveal new option: Move:

Now you can move the map until red arrow points to the new waypoint location:

Screen elements to highlight here:

#1 - Waypoint that is being edited.

#2 - Red line from the original waypoint location to the new location.

#3 - Red arrow (in map center) showing new waypoint location.

#4 - Waypoint course/angle button. Shows/hides waypoint course/angle editor. In the image above course/angle editor is a gray circle around the new waypoint location. Tap anywhere in that gray circle to set waypoint approach angle/course. Tapping on this button #4 will hide the angle editor.

#5 - New in version 1.9.1 - geo coded address of a map center.

Bottom left red arrow button also gives you more options from version 1.9.1:

- Move to the current location

- Show/hide red arrow (map center) details. Red arrow details are: coordinates, distance from the current location, map or red arrow angle, geo coded address.

Use Cancel or Done buttons to cancel or confirm the waypoint move.

Select multiple waypoints to delete

Use "Select" button in the waypoints list screen to enable multiple waypoints selection:

Pick waypoints:

And use right bottom delete button to delete the selected points.

Select multiple waypoints to export (PRO)

Same as above, use "Select" button in the waypoints list, select waypoints and use left bottom Action button to export the selected waypoints.

Single waypoint export (PRO)

When you tap on a waypoint's annotation on a map and use Share option or when you use Share option from the waypoint editor screen, there is an extra option present - Export. This allows to export a single waypoint.

Google map option for all map screens (PRO)

Until now Google map was only available for the main map screen - all other map screens used either Apple or Custom/Offline maps. This update brings Google map as the first class citizen to all map screens:

Waypoint editor, Track view, Trip tracks.

Only one feature that Google map doesn't support - coloring tracks by speed or altitude. You'll have to switch to Apple or Custom/Offline maps to use this feature, as before.

KMZ import for waypoints (PRO)

Support for KMZ import of waypoints. As KMZ export also packs photo and audio attachments for waypoints, this way allows you to transfer waypoints from one device to another without loss of any specific to the app information.

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This is it for version 1.9.1, I'm back to adding new features for the next version! If you like the app and would not mind supporting it, please review or rate the app. As easy as tapping here and leaving me a few words! Yours, Stan, the dev.

Compass 55. Version 1.9 - What's new?

Units of measurement - REWORK

All places in the app where units of measurements would not be shown have been adjusted to show them. Same applies to degrees or mils in compass/course.

You can now set when feet or meters should switch to miles (or nautical miles) and kilometers:

By default, everything stays as it used to be. BUT, you have a lot of new options now! If you are like John who wrote me "Stan, I need to keep the app measuring/tracking in feet as this is what I'm using for everything on my farm and I don't want it to be switching to miles" - then these new options are for you.

Also feet or meters can now be used for altitude totally independently on other units.

These new settings can be access via settings > "Units of measurement".

Option for showing whole current track on the main map

Whole currently being recorded (ACTIVE) track can be shown on the main map (Google, Apple, blank and offline). As always, you can "pin" any previously recorded track to the main map (light blue), while active track will be shown in red:

I even took the liberty to set this as ON by default. If you want to disable this active track "tail", please open common map settings and you'll find new options down to the bottom:

New to version 1.9 is also ability to hide the "tail" completely.

"Photo GPX" track export option

This was initiated by David from UK and grand thanks to him for providing the requirements and also testing in Lightroom. David also kindly put a document together to describe how it all works in practice:

Photo Export GPX (Photo Geotagging)

"Photo GPX" export options ensures that you'll have a time/location sample per each second in the output GPX. Why it would not happen by itself? Imagine GPS would not be available for some time, and the app as well optimizes the track recording by filtering out some points to keep the track size smaller (Can be configured in Advanced Settings > GPS Tracking > Optimize recording).

You can find this option between current track export options: 

Support for areas - Planimeter

Idea with areas was to be able to setup "don't enter" or "don't leave" areas or flight altitude corridor areas, but then I decided to add fully-fledged planimeter functions and get to areas alerts later:

More information:

Measuring routes and areas (planimeter).

Export of planimeter objects (Routes and Areas)

Area and length units of measurement (planimeter).

Improvements in route/waypoint navigation

Based on Michel's suggestions.

1. Search bar in the waypoints list is visible by default.

2. SET TARGET menu now has one more option - to pick a nearby waypoint to navigate to:

Previously it was only Recent - by default.

3. MENU > WAYPOINTS now contains a sub option to open nearby waypoints:

Michel had way more suggestions to help him navigate as a helicopter pilot. Adding these 3 now and will focus on map related features in the next version.

Credit and huge thanks go to Michel!

Miscellany

• Performance of viewing and exporting huge tracks is greatly improved.

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This is it for version 1.9, I'm back to adding new features for the next version! If you like the app and would not mind supporting it, please review or rate the app. As easy as tapping here and leaving me a few words! Yours, Stan, the dev.

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More information for version 1.9

Area and length units of measurement (planimeter).

General units of measurement - Metric, Imperial, Nautical.

Distance units of measurement.

Altitude units of measurement.

Automatic switch from small to big units.

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Here is an overview of planned features for version 2.0:

- Distance measurement for turn by turn routes (car, bike, walk profiles)

- Voice navigation along the track (alert when more that X meters/feet away from the pinned track)

- Automatically skip to the next target along the route if missed the previous/current target

- Datums

- Magnetic variation data for any coordinate

- Vertical speed

- GPS diagnostics panel/chart

Download from AppStore (FREE, No Ads, No Subs!)

Compass 55. More love for pilots and naval navigators. Version 1.8.2.!

Relative or absolute (BRG, steer course) bearing to target.

Naive I was thinking that new airplane map pointer and course line will be it to make pilots happy! Ok, here is more love for pilots! 

Before version 1.8.2 the only way to show bearing to a target was a relative course, telling you diff between your current course and course to a target.

Now this is different with an "Absolute" bearing option which is often named BRG or course to steer. After setting "Absolute" in Settings > Navigation, the app will be showing you bearing as a course in which you should fly/drive/walk in order to get to a target:

In the example above required course to the target is 335 degrees and we are a bit off as course line on a map and green arrow tells us. Also notice how former "TARGET" is now showing "TARGET⇡" to give you a hint that this is a "steer course", not a diff.

For the former, "Relative" option, which stays as a default, app still shows you a delta between the current and required course:

This way, we can see that we are 1 degree off from the required course and adjust appropriately. Notice how "TARGET△" is used to highlight that you are using a "delta" course to the target.

Again, you'll find the switch between these two options in Settings > Navigation:

ETE - Estimated Time En route.

As app was really showing Estimated Time Enroute (time left to a target), ETA label is now renamed to ETE. New option is added to show ETE based on an instantaneous speed (averaged over short recent interval). In Settings > Navigation you can either left the default (speed average over the whole track) or this new option 'Current speed':

Bug fixes and optimizations.

No known bugs were present in version 1.8.1 and I hope I didn't introduce any in this release :)! What I found as worth tightening for iOS11 beta 1/2 has been tightened.

For the optimizations and small improvements:

Line to a target is now geodesic and shows correctly to match the green arrow direction however big the distance between you and the target is.

All route/waypoint navigation settings are now located on one screen - Settings > Navigation.

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Don't miss version 1.8 updates - course line, tilemill and mobac maps import, 5 types of map pointers and a whole lot more!