Offline iPhone/iPod touch Google Map, use without internet connection – 离线使用iPhone/iPod Touch Google Map

Updates on 10 December 2009 : This is only work for 2.x firmware, if you are using 3.x, read here

* What so good to use iPhone/iPod touch Google map in offline mode?

• Imagine when you are driving, but you are in the area without any signal or internet connection, but you are looking for a direction, or someone’s office, house or places.
• Save you data connection bill and usage, if you are not using Unlimited EDGE/3G plan.
• When you are travelling, no need those paper map.
• Showing off your google map to your friends! They will say, wow~ it is fast! :p

If you are iPod Touch user, or iPhone user that without subscribe to any data services like EDGE/3G, you might not able to maximize the usage of Google Map from your iPhone/iPod touch, or those who using EDGE/3G in Malaysia, you know how slow it is to load Google Map. But what if you can view it in offline mode? Without any WiFi or EDGE or 3G internet connection?

Well, you can use OfflineMaps app to do this. It simply load the offline map cache file(which need to download or create by youself, or do it in iphone manually – but im not going to do that) for specific region/states/country into the Google Map, and you can view anywhere without any internet connection.

Please note this is only compatible with Jailbreak iPhone/iPod touch, those are not using Jailbreak, sorry for this. may be you can wait Apple store release this kind of app, but i don’t think they will, as it seems like breaking the Apple app development rules.

* 什么情况下使用离线Google Map是最好的？

• 想像当你在驾驶时，所在的位置并没有讯号或任何连接上网的讯号，但你在寻找方向，或某人的办公室、住家或地点。
• 帮你省下EDGE/3G的使用容量和账单，如果你不是使用吃到饱的EDGE/3G配套。
• 当你去旅行时，不必买那些纸张的地图，又大又难找。
• 炫耀Google map给你的朋友看，他们会惊讶原来速度那么快！:p

如果你是iPod Touch用户，或没有使用吃到饱的EDGE/3G服务的iPhone用户，就很难真正让Google Map发挥它好用的功能了，或那些在马来西亚有使用EDGE/3G服务的用户，你知道使用Google Map的速度是多慢的. 但假设你可以在完全离线下使用Google Map?

你可以使用这个专给Jailbreak iphone/ipod touch使用的OfflineMaps软件，它把特定的区域、洲、国家的Map cache(可以自己制作，或下载或在iPhone里手动制作－但我不那么做，很慢）载入Google Map里，这样你就可以随时随地使用Google map而不必担心连线问题了。

请注意这软件只给越狱版iPhone/iPod touch使用，那些不是越狱版的，很抱歉了。你慢慢等Apple store提供这样的软件吧，但我觉得他们不会，因为看起来这好像违反了他们的App开发规则。

1. Download and Install the “OfflineMaps” app which is now updated for FW2.2 from Cydia.

1. 在Cydia那里下载并且安装”OfflineMaps”

2. Download maps you want to use, and put the maps directory into “/var/mobile/Media/Maps” folder (If you don’t have this folder, create one manually), example, unzip “KL” map, and put the “KL” folder into the “/var/mobile/Media/Maps”

If you do not know how to access your iPhone from your Mac or Windows, use DiskAid

2. 下载你要的地图，可以尝试在google上翻翻，把解压后的文件夹放在：”/var/mobile/Media/Maps” 文件夹里(如果你没有此文件夹，自行新建一个），例子：解压”KL”地图，把”KL”文件夹抄进”/var/mobile/Media/Maps”

如果你不知道怎样在PC/Mac上浏览你的iPhone文件夹，请使用 DiskAid

For those of you need Malaysia maps, can download from these links:

如果你需要马来西亚地图，可以从以下连接下载：

Only for Firmware 2.2

• Kuching – (Mirror 1) (By Hen, from Henstudio.com, which is me, all zoom level without satellite details)
• Klang Valley – ( Mirror 1 )( Mirror 2 )( Mirror 3 ) (By Maverick Wil from Lowyat.net forum)
• West Malaysia – ( Mirror 1 )( Mirror 2 ) (Max zoom x 2) (By Maverick Wil from Lowyat.net forum)
• East Malaysia – ( Mirror 1 )( Mirror 2 ) (Max zoom x 2) (By Maverick Wil from Lowyat.net forum)
• Penang – ( Mirror 1 )( Mirror 2 ) (By Maverick Wil from Lowyat.net forum)
• Selangor ( Mirror 1 ) (By Maverick Wil from Lowyat.net forum)
• Singapore ( Mirror 1 ) (By Maverick Wil from Lowyat.net forum)
• Qatar, Doha ( Mirror 1) (By Hen, which is me)
• Melbourne, Australia (Mirror 1) (By Hen, which is me)

3. Launch “OffineMaps” from your iPhone, select the map you want to load, for example, i selected “Kuching” map (which is created by me).

3. 在iPhone/iPod touch里开启“OffineMaps”，选择你要的地图，比如我选择”Kuching”地图（我制作的）

Click “Link” button to activate

点击”Link”按键。

4. Now turn off all the existing internet connection if you have, go back to your Google map, try to zoom in and out from “Kuching”, you will see it load very fast. Yup, your google map is offline for viewing now.

4. 现在尝试把所有可以连接上网的设定关闭（如果有的话），回去Google Map那里，尝试在”Kuching”地图放大缩小，你会发现它载入的速度很快，对了，你的Google Map可以离线浏览了。

If you want to see route, you need an internet connection, although there are possibility to store route for view offline, but it seems not working on 2.2 for me, not sure, you can go and search Google about this.

如果你要观看方向指示，你需要连接上网，虽然有些用户说可以制作离线方向指示，但对使用2.2的我好像没什么帮助，不是很清楚，你可以去Google找看。

Want to learn how to create your own Map? Refer to this forum topic then, Maverick Wil covered up with more details about it. Oh ya…you need to use Windows to create offline map, by using the “GMDL Map Downloader tool” software, there is no Mac version at the moment. And if you are Firmware 2.2 user, you need to use “Mapv4v5Converter)” to convert the map file. Otherwise 2.2 firmware unable to recognize it. Now the latest version of GMDL Map Downloader tool allow you to choose which firmware, if you are 2.2 firmware user, you no need to use Mapv4v5Converter to convert, there is a setting inside GMDL Map downloader tool allow you to choose your firmware version.

想要学习自制地图吗？参考此论坛的教学，Maverick Will的教学有更多细节，对了，你需要Windows软件－ “GMDL Map Downloader Tool” 来制作离线地图，暂时还没有苹果版本。还要如果你是2.2版iphone用户，你需要使用”Mapv4v5Converter)”把制作好的地图转换成2.2版可以使用的地图，否则2.2版没有办法辨别那些地图档。 现在新版的GMDL Map Downloader tool 容许你选择你的iPhone固件版本，所以你并不需要 Mapv4v5Converter 做转换.

Updates on 10 December 2009 : This is only work for 2.x firmware, if you are using 3.x, read here

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