Offline map navigation app for Fenix 5/5S

Hi, new fenix 5 user here.
I searched a lot for an application which would have a possibility to show a offline background map for a gps navigation, but no luck so far. I heard that it's the storage problem and that Fenix 5/5S doesn't have map support, so I only run into apps that shows some poor map backgrounds but fenix 5 has to be connected to a phone (bluetooth) and the phone has to be connected to internet. So I guess it works by not storing map data on fenix 5 but instead it overwrites data when generating new background map image (which phone downloads from internet). But if that is the case, why isn't it possible to make an application which would have the possibility to download high detail map onto your phone and store it for offline use, then do the same thing - send background images (of small size) to fenix 5/5S. That way we could have maps on our fenix 5/5S and we would need only our phones (with bluetooth connection) which would serve as maps storage and map background image generator. Just like that we could have proper navigation with maps only depended on gps.
I would like to know if it is possible? Fenix 5 isn't cheap device so I would like to get most of it.

Best Regards

0 tosonny over 6 years ago

...so I only run into apps that shows some poor map backgrounds but fenix 5 has to be connected to a phone (bluetooth) and the phone has to be connected to internet....

(1) Which apps are these?
(2) Maybe get in contact with the devs of these apps.

0 grgaa over 6 years ago

(1) Which apps are these?
(2) Maybe get in contact with the devs of these apps.

(1) Here is the one that managed to display simple map background (looks like very simplified google maps) on my fenix 5: https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/3f07431a-07fe-474f-bc4c-4097bba106b2
It is kind of slow and requires internet connection on android phone.

(2) I wrote something similar to this post on review page of this app and two others so we'll see.

0 grgaa over 6 years ago

Just got an answer on my review post on that app:

"Developer Reply
May 18, 2018, r.485

Hi Ivan. Thanks for your review and for your suggestion. You're correct in your analysis, and it would indeed be a great feature. However, to the best of our knowledge, it is currently not possible to implement. As you probably realised, the images are not downloaded and sent to the watch by the companion app, but from the Garmin Connect app (this is why the companion app is optional). We cannot create a buffer of images on the Garmin Connect app, and companion apps are currently not allowed to send images to watch-apps. Cheers! "

So it looks like it could be possible if Garmin makes a few changes in their app and allow it.

0 jim_m_58 over 6 years ago

Actually, you're talking pretty major changes to CIQ. CIQ 3.0 is in beta right now, and the approach with it, is that CIQ apps will be able to use the native maps on a watch (the f5x, but not the f5)

0 grgaa over 6 years ago

Actually, you're talking pretty major changes to CIQ. CIQ 3.0 is in beta right now, and the approach with it, is that CIQ apps will be able to use the native maps on a watch (the f5x, but not the f5)

Well I don't have any dev skills, I'm just presenting an idea. I posted it on https://www8.garmin.com/contactUs/ideas/ too.

Meanwhile I got an answer from another app developer:

"Developer Reply
May 18, 2018, mappicus

Hi Ivan, there are some open questions that we are looking into as whether such a scheme is feasible, as we started to think along these lines as soon as we launched V3 of dwMap, and especially when we launched the companion phone apps for Premium last week. We have many of the necessary platform pieces in place, but it's not clear yet whether there is a feasible way of doing this within the constraints of the Connect IQ platform. "

0 jim_m_58 over 6 years ago

Right now when a large image/map is pulled down, it's in the applications memory space, and there's no good way to save something large off for re-use later. You exit the app, and it's got to be pulled down again. There "might" be a way to use a bunch of smaller images.