Off road maps on GM 8" nav - Solved!

[Eric and Jeanette]

Hi all,
We just purchased a 2018 ZR2 ( CCSB, Dmax ) and do a lot of off road exploring and camping.

We replaced a Jeep Liberty ( also a diesel ) which had no screen in the dash and a DIN sized stereo, which left lots of space for other stuff on the dash. So for off road navigation, we used our phones and a mix of Google Maps ( mostly to get to the dirt roads), Backcountry Nav Pro for topo and off road tracks ( we're android, no iOS ) and Avenza maps ( mostly for MVUM ). This worked OK in the Jeep.

Well, now we've got a spiffy new truck with an 8" touch screen display, which we'd love to use to display our maps and routes, except as far as I can tell, it's absolutely worthless for that, which is infuriating.

The new stereo can display Android Auto, so I can tell it a POI destination, if it's somewhere google knows about. However, I am unable to get it to follow one of my saved maps and Android Auto won't display anything but Google Maps and Waze, both of which are next to useless if you're off the normal grid of roads. There is no way I've found to mirror my phone screen.

I've got the navigation package, but the built-in navigation does't appear to allow me to display topo maps, or upload anything. All I've got are the street maps it came with, only those have even less off road detail than Google.

So, it looks like despite the $500 the @#$%@^^#$ nav system cost, I can't display any of my maps and will STILL need to mount my phone up there to use for off road nav. Only now my dash space is taken up with an 8" display that's really only good for changing stations on the radio, apparently.

I called GM and HERE maps and they had no answers for me. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to improve this? At this point, I'm thinking I'll put up a tablet mount and use my old Nexus 7 tablet for nav, freeing up my phone for music duties, but I had hoped for something more integrated into what is otherwise a pretty good display, at least for on-road nav.

Thanks.

 

[phxdsrtrat]

I have a 2016 GMC Canyon and I've been hunting for a solution to this also. Thus far I've found nothing. Apparently Google is keeping Android Auto functionality and certification limited currently. I have no doubt eventually one of the app developers will provide off road nav via Android Auto but for now we just have to wait.

-Curtiss

 

[Eric and Jeanette]

These folks have a system that looks like it adds a few more video inputs to the system, allowing you to use an HDMI cable or one of the wireless screen mirroring systems to display your android screen, but it's pricey. I've seen a few other DIY systems, but for some reason forgot to save the links. I'll post when I find them again.

https://www.gm-navigation.com/shop/video-input-module-2/

 

[Eric and Jeanette]

And someone sent me this link on a Colorado Forum. Does the same thing, only about $300. http://www.navtool.com/chevrolet-colorado-2015-2017-8-inch-screen-hdmi-interface.aspx

 

[Eric and Jeanette]

So I've found a free or cheap solution, at least for Android users.

There is an Android app called "AAMirror" that mirrors the content of your screen to any device that has Android Auto functionality. If your phone is rooted, it even sends touch controls back to the phone.

I have an old phone ( Nexus 5 ) that I rooted ( easy ) and installed AAMirror on it and I now have BackCountry Navigator usable on the dash display. The phone display stays on, so I need to keep it sort of out of the way, but it works well.

 

[NorCalZR2]

Available in the play store?

 

[Eric and Jeanette]

Available in the play store?

I'm afraid not, it's downloadable from GitHub, I think, then you need some of the developer tools to load and install it from the command line.
Plus you need to root your phone to get touch commands from the dash screen back to your phone. Without that, you're just mirroring what's on your screen.

But that's as good as those other systems and free.

If you're comfortable using Dev tools and the command line, I can copy and paste the instructions I have. It's not too difficult.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using OB Talk mobile app

 

[NorCalZR2]

Please do...I have an older rooted phone I will be using for this project.

 

[Eric and Jeanette]

Here are the instructions I had from user VMI_Marine at the coloradofans.com forum. I think I understand what most of this is doing, but possibly not enough to be much help if it goes wrong.


1. Turn on developer options on your phone:
- On your phone, go to Settings > About phone
- Tap "Build number" 7 times

2. Turn on USB Debugging
- Go back to Settings > Developer Options
- Turn on USB Debugging

3. Download SDK Tools
- Download SDK-Platform Tools for Windows from here.
- Unzip platform-tools-latest-windows.zip file in location of your choice

4. Download AAMirror APK from GitHub. (The file is named app-debug.apk, but you can rename it however you like as long as that name is used to reference the file in the first line of code in step 8.)

5. Move the app-debug.apk to the platform-tools directory where you extracted the SDK-Platform tools

i.e. C:\Users\[user_name]\Downloads\platform-tools-latest-windows\platform-tools

6. Open Command Prompt in the platform-tools directory (2 ways to do this):
- Hold Shift key and right-click on the platform-tools directory, then click "Open command window here".
- Go to Start Menu > Windows System > Command Prompt. Once you open the command prompt, copy the directory name of your platform-tools directory, go into the Command Prompt and type "cd" then paste the directory name. It should look something like:

cd C:\Users\[user_name]\Downloads\platform-tools-latest-windows\platform-tools

7. Connect your device to your computer by USB cable
- You should see a message in your notifications that you are connected for "File Transfer" or "MTP"
- You can check to see if the device is connected properly by typing the following in the Command Prompt:

adb devices

- You should see a response that looks like:

List of devices attached
* daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
* daemon started successfully
bda20bb7        device

- If you do not have any devices listed, make sure USB Debugging is turned on in Developer options on your phone.

8. Push the APK to your phone and install it using the following ADB commands:

adb push aamirror.apk /sdcard/app-debug.apk

adb shell pm install -i "com.android.vending" -r /sdcard/AAmirror.apk

adb shell rm /sdcard/app-debug.apk

9. Open your app tray or drawer on your phone, and you should see the AA Mirror application in your app list.

10. Connect your phone to your Android Auto-compatible device of choice, and when AA opens on your car stereo, press the rightmost button at the bottom of your screen.

11. At this point, you should see AA Mirror as an option in Android Auto. Press AA Mirror, and it will begin mirroring your phone screen.

12. To get to the app that you want displayed on your screen, you will need to open your task switcher by pressing the button to the left or right of your home button that looks like one or two squares. When the task switcher opens, press your home button and it will take you to your phone's home screen. Any time you need to get back to your home screen, you will need to use that two-step process. If you just press your home button without opening the task switcher, it will take you to the Android Auto splash screen.

 

[coldfuzion76]

Thanks from a fellow ZR2 owner! I was very much wondering how to use alternative maps with our screen. Now I need to find one that I'm comfortable using. Hoping to start exploring soon.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[Eric and Jeanette]

Thanks from a fellow ZR2 owner! I was very much wondering how to use alternative maps with our screen. Now I need to find one that I'm comfortable using. Hoping to start exploring soon.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using OB Talk mobile app

We mainly use BackCountry Nav Pro but if you're in Nat'l Forest/BLM much then Avenza for looking at vehicle use maps. Let me know if it works for you.

 

[JDGreens]

I use backcountry pro nav. on my nook, it works pretty gook for the money, I wish I knew a way to have google maps with this app. As it allows you to download the funtreks trails. I guess I have a lot to learn?

 

[coldfuzion76]

We mainly use BackCountry Nav Pro but if you're in Nat'l Forest/BLM much then Avenza for looking at vehicle use maps. Let me know if it works for you.

I'm looking at Huron Manistee National Forest right now. It's about 3.5 hours away from me. I've found a few ORV routes on the National Forest service page, so I think I may try Avenza. I'm pretty new to Michigan and to doing things like this, so my plan right now is to read as much as I can, and then just load up my dog and go driving one day to see what we find.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[coldfuzion76]

I use backcountry pro nav. on my nook, it works pretty gook for the money, I wish I knew a way to have google maps with this app. As it allows you to download the funtreks trails. I guess I have a lot to learn?

I completely understand that one. I know technology fairly well, and rooting my phone and installing the app doesn't really faze me, but knowing which of these apps to use, and how to navigate these different kind of maps is a bit of a learning curve. [emoji15]


Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[JDGreens]

I get a of good instructional emails from critter which are very helpful, but it often takes me reading and applying what I read about 3 times for it to sink in. I guess it goes with getting old????