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On-map balloons and popups

Former Member
Former Member
Hello, as I didn't get answers in this channel at all (I understand, this is more than a feedback-channel for the new version), I just have to post my question here...

- Will there be an option, to turn off on-map popups and info-balloons anytime in future versions?

Please, can an admin, or a developer answer this question?

All best,
Maiskolben

PS: For interested people, there is an option to turn off the popups since version 4.5.0!
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Personally, I'd say it is not a case of the information not being important... because it is, but rather that BC should give me the option not to show two popups that can be rather intrusive. Sometimes I do want to see those popups, but most of the time I don't, so find myself closing them again and again and again.

    Please see the screenshot attached showing the two popups mentioned:
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    My problem is not with the information that is shown in the pop-up balloon, which is often useful, either on a Topo Map or CNNA, but that the delay is so short, on the order of less than a second. When you are mousing around on the map, prior to selecting something or setting a waypoint, the popups are continuously in the way. Since it is easy to left click on anything, for instance a road or a contour line to get the exact same information, I don't see the need for these pop-ups at all. Others may differ, which is why an option to turn them on or off seems to be the best idea.

    I do a lot of work on Top maps, and depending upon which map at which zoom level, many POI's do not show their associated names until the cursor is hovered over them or they are left clicked. At the same time, any actual waypoints and quite a few POI's do show their names, making the pop-up redundant and often obscuring what it is you're trying to identify. I want this information, but only if I ask for it. I could live with a five second delay, especially in situations I often encounter while looking at contour lines trying to find a specific elevation, since most contours do not show their elevation until you hover or click it.

    As far as a code fix for this, ideally it would be nice to be able to both set a delay in seconds AND to disable them completely. However, having seen SO many instances of fixes and enhancements that break something else in the process, I would vote for the simplest possible code change....whether an option or an increase in the delay to five seconds.

    One other thing that has always bugged me is that out here in the West we have huge amounts of public land that are NOT National Parks, but hovering the cursor anywhere in a green background where there is no other point always produces the irrelevant balloon "National Park". Since this is most likely encoded in the map itself there is probably nothing in BC code that would change this. BTW, I am still using Topo USA 1998 100K, but I see this behavior on other 24K maps as well. This one more good reason to turn the hover behavior off.

    Thanks, Mr. Varley!
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    On my copy of BC, a single click on the Hide Overlays/Show Overlays toggle usually turns the hovering feature off until at least the next mouse click. My use of BC has been limited, but this particular hovering feature had not caught my attention as I climbed the learning curve.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    Hey cvarley,

    thanks for your response. I would like to see happen:

    - totally control of either show or hide all on-map information
    - a fixed information-area placed on the map
    - OR a drag- and dockable menue item, so I can place all the map-information where I want to (just per default as a right sidebar or so..)
    - within a fixed area, you can feel free to show all the information you show already in bc, even it will show me 100x the same "national park", its ok (for me)
    - the same for a custom drag- and "dockable" menu item (like you already have for profiles, map functions, map products, etc.), similar to the POI sidebar is shown after searching something
    - depends on how time-intensive the redesign of the "hover the map"-usability will be: a delay function would be a good beginning (if you should plan only implement this, better implement BOTH; set it off, and delay it...)

    See, Rocky is definitely right:
    many POI's do not show their associated names until the cursor is hovered over them or they are left clicked. At the same time, any actual waypoints and quite a few POI's do show their names, making the pop-up redundant and often obscuring what it is you're trying to identify. I want this information, but only if I ask for it
    So, all information are good to have, but all changes makes sense, when they are planned on the long run, only. In my opinion its not enough (on the long run) to give the user the ability to set the on-map information totally off, its necessary to think about general user expierience. A good, clean layout would turn the scale (hopefully spelled correctly). I would divorce all on-map information into a meta area, like abovementioned a fixed menue item, maybe as a free placeable textarea or something. (I know it's the opposition, but take a look at the QLandkarte "onmap-info"-philosophy, its beautiful!)

    Tranquillo wrote:
    Sometimes I do want to see those popups, but most of the time I don't, so find myself closing them again and again and again.
    So what are you gonna do, what is your idea to make it beautiful? :)

    You asked, I would like see happen, that in the next release the first step is already done: implement a 15 sec. delay, better adjustable, from 0,2s to 15s.
  • 0
    I too have been waiting for this to be resolved.
    It's one thing to have popups for POIs, WP, routes, tracks, etc. but when BC constantly pop sup with the name of the map or Birdseye you are using it adds to the frustration. In addition to setting a delay as mentioned above, perhaps a way to select (filter) what types of info appear in the pop up. Depending on the map, some can contain a lot of info for that spot which creates a larger popup balloon to obscure the area of interest. At the moment, I would welcome disable!
    John
  • 0
    My preference would be no pop ups with them available via a right click, but coding that may be more difficult than the simple solution proposed above of simply extending the 'hover delay' before the pop up appears. That to me would be the minimum requirement.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    If the hover delay is extended some might find it rather confusing when moving the mouse pointer and finding that the hint on the screen actually belongs to a mouse position of a few seconds ago. Personally, I don't mind at all the hints/popups that appear when hovering; one just moves the pointer a short distance away and they are gone, just like hints do with almost all software: if I want to know what something is or represents I move the mouse pointer over it and the hint tells me. This is pretty standard for hints everywhere. What other software has, and BC doesn't, is an option not to show hints. If this was implemented I would be happy, but as I said, to me is no big deal.

    The popups that bug me, however, are the persistent ones, the ones that force you to manually close them, otherwise they stay on screen cluttering the view. Those I'd definitely like to have an option to activate/desactivate, perhaps as a checkbox somewhere in Options.
  • 0
    If the hover delay is extended some might find it rather confusing when moving the mouse pointer and finding that the hint on the screen actually belongs to a mouse position of a few seconds ago.


    That's not quite what I meant. You'd need to hover at a spot for longer than now for ANY pop up to appear. If your mouse didn't hover for say, 3 seconds, you wouldn't get a pop up.

    I think an option not to show hints would be awkward, as you'd need to keep changing the option every so often. If an option is included it should be no pop up unless you right click and choose it.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member
    That's not quite what I meant. You'd need to hover at a spot for longer than now for ANY pop up to appear. If your mouse didn't hover for say, 3 seconds, you wouldn't get a pop up...


    Ah, yes, now I get it. Not sure that I'd like to have to wait that long for a hint but the meaning is clear; I misunderstood, sorry about that.
  • 0
    This is all great constructive feedback folks, thank you!