WhirlyGlobe-Maply 2.5 Release

Version 2.5 is out for both iOS and Android.

Location Tracking

You can get v2.5 off of the build page or from the master branch.  We'll update the master Podspec for Cocoapods soonish.

As usual, getting this version out the door took way too long.  But here it is and it's really good.

Big Changes in Version 2.5

Android.  Without a doubt.  We now have a good Android version with a bunch of deployed Android apps.  Millions of people are using WhirlyGlobe-Maply on Android.  Crazy, right?

We started doing automated builds.  I can't over stress how useful those have been.

Both iOS and Android have AutoTester apps; individual test cases presented in a list format.  Useful both for testing and user examples.

We upgraded to Swift 3.0 and kept pace with all the new Xcode versions and UIKit deprecations.

Ripped out AFNetworking and Boost.  Respect to both packages, but AFNetworking was interfering with users' own version and we eliminated Boost with C++11.

Vector (tiled and not) support got fancier with Styled Layer Descriptor format and the Simple Styles approach for building your own.

True 3D interaction got fancier in support of LIDAR.  There's an example in the AutoTester so check it out.

We added user location tracking and display.  A relatively simple change, but a popular one for map users.

Important but Boring Stuff

We made an enormous number of small fixes, efficiency improvements and minor functionality tweaks.  Also a lot of new tests for things that are (no longer) broken.  Here's a partial list in a boring format no one is going to look at.

Maps now have ViewState animations like the globe.  Feature selection is smarter with individual and group features.  Widened vectors is faster, smaller, and better.  We've got a 3D model builder for things like airstrips.  Elevation support is better and more flexible.  Stars and atmosphere work better.  Vector tiles kept up with new versions and added more style options.  Particle systems work better.  Internal coordinates are now double everywhere for getting really close to things.  3D support includes the ability to "grab" objects via the IntersectionManager.  Removed Mapbox GL Style Sheet support and then put it back.  Single level loading works on the globe now for both vector and image layers.  Screen Label layout works correctly for all modes.  Great circles work in 2D across the date line.  And much, much more.

What's Next

We're going to make some internal changes to the source tree, like unify the Android and iOS branches.  Then we'll move to git-flow methodology to hopefully speed up minor releases.

In terms of functionality, I've been rolling out statements of intent for things like Windows, True 3D support, MapKit, and Mapbox support.  We've also got the Imagery Pro toolkit for weather apps and another one in the pipeline.  Much of this requires money, so let me know if you have some.