Usage

Partner on iOS is very simple and easy to use - even easier than the regular Partner Map Viewer.

Please note that there will be changes to the user interface, probably in version 1.2, to accommodate iPhones and further improve usability. The features themselves will work in much the same way, but layout and behavior may change.

This is not the user manual for Partner on iOS. It is a simple overview for developer purposes. Refer to the user manual for more detail.

Installation

Software installation and software updates are done via the App Store, either on the device itself or through Apple iTunes. This follows the standard procedure for any iOS App. The app software itself is available free of charge on the store, but you must have at least a Partner Basic Platform license as well as a Partner on iOS map viewer license to get the updates that make it useful.

Map Updates

After you first install the app, there are no maps to view. Installing the maps and updating them is the same process.

Click the “Settings” button. At the top of the settings panel are the Update controls. Enter this information:

  • Customer ID
  • Username
  • Password

Username is optional; if left blank it will be the same as the customer ID.

Partner will provide you with this information during the installation process for the system. If you want to try a demo version, enter “demo” for all three fields.

Press the “Update” button to begin the update process. A progress bar will indicate, well, progress. There are only two steps to update - download and unpack. If an error occurs at any point, an error message will appear in red in the status box.

Do not exit the app or turn off your iPad during the update process.

Map Viewing

A few natural gestures suffice to move around the map and display the portion you’re interested in seeing:

  • pinch - zooms out,
  • spread - zooms in,
  • drag - pans the maps around,
  • tap - selects a map item.

The “Home” button takes you to the keymap, and “Here” takes you to your current location (see below).

Data Selection

Tapping a shape on the map will select it. A filled circle displays the item’s location. If you select a line, the circle will appear at the start of the line, which may not be near where you tapped.

Data for the selected shape will appear in the selection panel.

If several shapes are near where you tapped, or stacked, then all of them are placed in the selection list. You can switch between them using the stepper control (with - and + buttons) at the top of the selection panel. Pressing “-” moves you backwards, and “+” moves you forwards. If you are at the first selected item and press “-”, then it will clear the selection (in other words, no selection is always the first thing in the selection list).

Location Services

Apple iOS devices have a variety of mechanisms for determining your current location. This includes actual GPS chips in some models, but may not be GPS. So, the general term is “Location Services” rather than GPS.

Enable the locator by pressing “Settings” and turning the “Enable” switch to “On”. If location services are available, you should immediately see longitude and latitude displayed beneath the switch. The “Follow” switch will cause the map to stay centered on your current location as you move.

An arrow icon on the map displays your current location when location services are enabled.

Google Maps and Navigation

The “Go” button switches to the Google Maps app that is standard on all iOS devices.

You must have an item selected to use the button; otherwise it does nothing.

It has these two behaviors:

  • if location services are enabled, it switches to Direction mode and provides directions from your current location to the selected item;
  • otherwise, it just displays your selected item in the Google Maps app.

This integration is very useful, since it allows you to see a location on public maps, with or without aerial photos, and get turn-by-turn directions.

Find Item

Find Items on iOS uses the new “Find Anything” feature that’s in Partner 4.4.10 and later.

To use it, tap the “Find” button

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