subsurface/Documentation/mobile-manual.txt

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// Subsurface-mobile User Manual
// =============================
// :author: Manual authors: Willem Ferguson, Dirk Hohndel
// :revnumber: 1.0
// :revdate: March 2016
:icons:
:toc:
:toc-placement: manual
:numbered:
// :website: http://subsurface-divelog.org
image::mobile-images/banner.jpg["Banner",align="center"]
[big]#Subsurface-mobile for Android: USER MANUAL#
*Manual author*: Willem Ferguson
toc::[]
[blue]#_Version 1.0, March 2016_#
Welcome as a user of _Subsurface_, advanced dive logging software with
extensive infrastructure to describe, organize, interpret and print scuba
and free dives. _Subsurface_ offers many advantages over other similar
software solutions, including compatibility with Windows, Mac-OS/X, Linux (many
distributions) and Android (iOS under development). In addition, _Subsurface_ is
open-source software that allows downloading dive
information from most dive computers.
Introducing Subsurface-mobile
-----------------------------
_Subsurface-mobile_ is an extension of _Subsurface_ on laptop and
tabletop computers. It runs on Android smartphone and tablet devices and is a
tool for viewing or sharing dive information at dive sites where a larger
computer is not useful. _Subsurface-mobile_ also allows
the gathering of GPS locations where dives are performed.
Because of the limitations of iOS, _Subsurface-mobile_ for iOS does not have
all the features of the same app for Android.
While _Subsurface-mobile_ allows one to enter and save dive information
using an Android device, users of _Subsurface-mobile_ typically use the
mobile app as an extension of the laptop/desktop version of _Subsurface_.
This allows the storage of dive logs on the Internet and which
can be shared by the Android version as well as the desktop version.
While the desktop version of _Subsurface_ shows much more detailed information
for each dive, the mobile version allows a more accessible dive log
on a dive trip, useful for proving dive experience to dive shops or to review
previous dives.
_Subsurface-mobile_ allows one to:
- Download existing dive log information from the Internet.
- View this information on a mobile device.
- Edit many of the dive log data fields, e.g. divemaster, buddy,
equipment or notes about a dive.
- Manually create and add new dive records to one's dive log.
- Store the updated dive log on the Internet.
- Record, store and apply GPS positions of dives.
- View the localities of recorded GPS positions and of dives
on a map.
These items are discussed in greater detail in the following text.
What _Subsurface-mobile_ does not support (at this time) is downloading
dive data directly from a dive computer. That still needs to be done using
_Subsurface_ on a desktop or laptop computer. We are investigating ways
to support downloading from a subset of the supported dive computers on
Android devices, but this is not yet ready for testing.
== Installing _Subsurface-mobile_ on an Android device
Find _Subsurface-mobile_ in the _Google
Play Store_. Search for _Subsurface-mobile_ and install it.
== Using _Subsurface-mobile_ for the first time
Upon starting _Subsurface-mobile_ for the first time, a Subsurface
splash screen is shown while the program loads. On some devices this
may take several seconds. After loading, the _Cloud Credentials screen_ appears
(see image below).
image::mobile-images/Credentials.jpg["FIGURE: Mobile landing screen",align="center"]
Select whether _Subsurface-mobile_ should access the Internet for dive log information.
=== When NOT Using Internet access
If the striked-out cloud icon is selected, the app will not access the Internet
to obtain dive log information. This means that dive log information is manually
entered and stored on the mobile device only.
=== Using Internet access
Since _Subsurface_ is largely dependent on a dive log saved on the Internet,
provide a user-ID and password for access to the _Subsurface Cloud_. These
credentials are obtained by opening the desktop version of _Subsurface_ and
by clicking _File -> Preferences -> Network_, explained in detail in the
user manual for the _Subsurface_ desktop version. Once the account has
been created and verified using the desktop version one can use _Subsurface-mobile_.
Once Internet access has been enabled, one can temporarily disable this service when
using the app in areas with no Internet access (see below)
When entering a password, it is possible to check
a checkbox that enables the text of the password to be shown.
Having entered the credentials, tap the disk icon at the bottom of the screen to save
this information.
_Subsurface-mobile_ attempts to download the existing dive log from the_Subsurface_ cloud
server. Appropriate messages are shown onscreen. Finally
a list of dives are shown.
Once the dive
list has been downloaded from the Internet, _Subsurface-mobile_ keeps a local
copy on the mobile device. This means that, if there is no Internet connection
at a dive site, one can still access the local copy and view and manipulate
dive information. If there is Internet connectivity, _Subsurface-mobile_ accesses
the Internet-based dive log to verify that the local copy is still the
same as the Internet-stored copy. If not, the local copy and the copy on
the server are synchronised.
== A Few Remarks About The User Interface
At the bottom of many Subsurface-mobile screens is a round button that provides for
several actions and which allows the selection of the main affirmative action
(see image above and image below).
On Android devices, use the Android Back
button for "cancel", "discard" or "back" actions. For example, when
editing dive information, tapping the action button saves the changes while the
Android back button can be used to cancel the edit without saving changes.
image::mobile-images/actionbutton.jpg["FIGURE: Action Button",align="center"]
Instead of the more traditional "hamburger" menu button in the top left or
right corner of the screen to open menus, _Subsurface-mobile_ uses a
different user interaction philosophy based on the Kirigami framework
developed by the Plasma developers. To open the main menu one has
three options:
- Tap the "hamburger" symbol in the lower left corner of the screen
(easy to reach for hand held devices)
- Swipe towards the right across the left edge of the screen
- Drag the action button visible on most screens to
the right
image::mobile-images/menu.jpg["FIGURE: Dive management subpanel",align="center"]
The images above indicate some of the important features of the menu system.
On the left is the main menu that is activated as described above. In the middle is
the menu that opens if one taps the _GPS_ option on the main menu. On the right is
the menu that opens if one taps the _Manage Dives_ option on the main menu.
== Viewing the Dive List
Most of the actions of _Subsurface-mobile_ center around the dives on the
dive list. While the dive list is loading from the cloud,
a message appears at the bottom of the screen, indicating that the cloud is
being accessed (see image on left, below). Once the list is loaded one can scroll up and down.
Tapping a dive on the list brings up a display of _Details View_ for that dive (see image on right below).
This includes the dive profile as well as additional information and notes.
image::mobile-images/DiveList.jpg["FIGURE: Dive list screen",align="center"]
One can view other dives by swiping the _Details view_ to the right (for the
previous dive) or to the left (following dive).
Using the Action Bar, it is also possible to delete the dive (tap the dustbin
on the Action Bar) or to view the dive
location on a map viewer (normally Google Maps; tap the GPS icon on the Action Bar.).
== Editing dive details.
At the bottom of the dive details screen the _Action Button_ contains a pencil (image on right, above).
Tapping the button brings up a panel with edit boxes that allows one to
change the existing dive information, e.g. adding text to the dive notes
or changing the names or values of some of the information (see image below).
It may be necessary to scroll the window to access all the information.
At the bottom of the edit screen is a _Save_ action button. Tap this to save
the new information. Having saved the data, the dive list screen is
updated and shown. To cancel any edits, tap the Android Back Button.
image::mobile-images/EditDive.jpg["FIGURE: Dive edit screen",align="center"]
== Adding a new dive to the dive list
It is also possible to manually add an additional dive to the existing dive list. On the
main menu tap _Manage dives -> Add dive manually_. This opens a screen that is
identical to the editing screen discussed above. When a dive is added manually, one
cannot directly add a dive profile from a dive computer. However, if one does not use a
dive computer, the duration, depth and several other bits of information about
the new dive can be entered. The _Action button_ at the bottom of the screen
contains a disk symbol. Tap this to save the new dive. To cancel any edits, tap the Android Back Button.
The left-hand image below shows a screenshot of a dive being created and the right-hand image shows
the same dive in _Details View_.
image::mobile-images/ManuallyEnterDive.jpg["FIGURE: Manual dive entry screen",align="center"]
== Deleting a dive
The _Details View_ of a dive has an Action Bar, including a dustbin. If this is tapped,
the dive shown in the _Details View_ is deleted. One has a brief opportunity to undo
the delete by tapping the grey _Undo_ button in the message that appears at the bottom of
the screen (see image below).
image::mobile-images/Delete_undo.jpg["FIGURE: Undo delete dive",align="center"]
One can also delete a dive from the dive list by long-pressing a specific dive
until a red dustbin appears on the right-hand side (see image below). Tap the dustbin. The dive is
deleted without asking any confirmation because _Subsurface-mobile_ assumes that the
combination of a long tap on the dive with another tap on the red dustbin is an unambiguous
instruction to delete the dive.
image::mobile-images/RedDustbin.jpg["FIGURE: delete dive from list",align="center"]
== Dive log management
A central part of _Subsurface-mobile_ is the ability to store the dive
log using the _Subsurface_ cloud storage.
This provides security against loss or damage to the dive information contained in a local copy of
the dive log and allows the desktop version of _Subsurface_ to
access changes made using the mobile device. This ability is accessed
through the main menu (by dragging the Action Button to the right, or
alternatively tap the "Hamburger" icon at the bottom left of the screen).
Tap the option _Manage dives_, enabling a number of options:
=== Add new dive manually
This is described above under the section dealing with the dive list.
=== Upload dive log to the _Subsurface_ cloud storage
One can upload the dives contained on the mobile device
to the _Subsurface_ cloud storage by tapping the option _Manual sync with coud_.
This synchronizes the local changes to
the dive log with the cloud storage.
=== Download dive log from the cloud storage
In the dive management subpanel, tap the option _Manual sync with cloud_, causing
the local divelog to be refreshed from the cloud so that the cloud
and local versions are synchronised.
=== Working offline
Sometimes one wishes to use the app when an Internet connection is not available,
for instance at remote dive sites. In such a case _Subsurface-mobile_ may
unnecesarily search for an Internet connection, causing long delays in
executing some functions. In the dive management menu, one can turn the
Internet access on or off by tapping the _Offline mode_ or _Enable auto cloud sync_ options.
=== Changing the login credentials on the _Subsurface_ cloud
It may be necessary to change one's login credentials, for instance if one's email
address (initially used as a credential) has changed. To change the credentials,
open the main menu and tap _Cloud credentials_. This opens the setup screen
for specifying new credentials.
== Recording dive locations using GPS.
The fact that most smartphones have GPS facilities allows one to record
the locations of dives. One can take the smartphone on the dive boat
during a dive and locations will be automatically recorded at regular intervals.
These locations can then be applied to dives in the dive list. Here is how it's done:
=== Setting up the GPS
Open the main menu and tap _GPS -> Preferences_. Now specify the way
in which GPS data need to be automatically collected (image on right, below). One can specify that
data are collected at regular intervals, e.g. every 10 minutes, or at regular
distances, e.g. after the boat has moved more than 200m, or a combination of
both of the above approaches. Provide the appropriate information and
tap the _Save_ action button. The program is now ready to collect GPS positions.
image::mobile-images/gpssetup.jpg["FIGURE: GPS setup screen",align="center"]
=== Collecting GPS positions
Ensure that the GPS on the Android device has been activated. At the bottom
of the GPS submenu is a check box _Run location service_ (image on left, above).
Check this box
and _Subsurface-mobile_ starts to collect GPS locations automatically,
following the preferences specified as described above. After
the dive one can deactivate the collection of GPS data by de-activating
the same check box at the bottom of the main menu.
=== Storing the GPS data on the _Subsurface_ cloud
Activate the main menu and select the _GPS_ option that brings up the submenu of GPS-related actions
(image on left, above). Tap _Upload GPS data_ that saves the GPS data
on the _Subsurface_ cloud server. These GPS data are saved *separately*
from the other dive log data. All collected GPS data are kept on the
Android device, independent of whether they have been uploaded or not.
=== Downloading GPS data from the _Subsurface_ cloud
Download the GPS data that have been saved on the cloud by
selecting _Download GPS Data_ from the GPS subpanel.
=== Viewing GPS data
From the GPS submenu (image on left, above) select _Show GPS fixes_. This brings
up a list of GPS positions obtained using the location service (image
on left, below). Two actions are possible for each of the locations, enabled if
one taps the handle (the three horisontal stripes on the right, see image on left, below) and
then drags the specific item to the left (image on right, below). This exposes two
options. Tapping the dustbin deletes this particular GPS location. Tapping the
teardrop-shaped icon (actually a Google Maps pin) opens up Google Maps with a pin
indicating the exact map position of the GPS record being viewed. The two above
options can be hidden by drawing the GPS record to the right, again using the handle.
image::mobile-images/gpsmanagement.jpg["FIGURE: GPS management",align="center"]
=== Applying GPS data to dives in the dive log
Assuming that all the dives have been entered into the dive log or have
been downloaded from the _Subsurface_ cloud, one can apply the GPS positions to
these dives. GPS positions can therefore only be applied to dives in the dive list.
From the GPS subpanel, tap _GPS-tag dives_. The dive list contains the start
and end times of each dive. Now, _Subsurface-mobile_ applies the first
GPS position that falls within the dive period of each dive. This results
in a GPS position for each dive that is saved as part of the dive log.