Thank you for using Earth Message ("EM") Android app.
Earth Message offers you an unlimited space to draw messages or arts on the earth by your foot.
Your drawing on the earth is uploaded to the web (www.earthmessage.net), and everyone can see your message or art.
Share your awesome creation with your friends!

This page provides step by step instruction on how to use Earth Message Android app.
If you encounter any problem or questions, please send mail to goldrushcomputing@gmail.com.

When you start EM first time, A dialog of Terms of Use and Important Note pops up.
Please read them carefully before you start EM.
This pop up doesn't show from 2nd time.

Also first time you start EM, you are required to register your username and password.
When you select your username, please consider;

• your username is displayed together with your messages in EM Android app and EM Web client (in www.earthmessage.net).
• Since all uploaded messages are visible from anyone using EM Android app and EM Web. Your user name will be also visible in public together with your messages.
• Your username cannot be changed later. (You only can re-create new account with new username).

You may encounter error popup if there is already a registered user with the same name.

After account registration done, you will see EM view as below.
From left is your message list ("My Message"), other messages from all over the world sorted by its uploaded date ("New"), and messages specially featured now ("Featured").
(We've just started Earth Message Service in May/2010, so there might be a few messages shown in the begging.)

You'll see menu buttons as below when you press menu key on your phone.

By selecting "Create Message", you can start creating your earth message.
First you'll see a dialog as below. Please input title and comment for new message you are creating.
You can input title and comment later when you start uploading the message to the web.

Now you are ready to start your trail and draw your message on the earth.

By pressing Trail toggle such like below, you can start drawing.

Initial painting color is turquoise blue. If you don't like it, please press Color Picker button (below).

And select your favorite color. You can select gray scale (i.e. black, gray, white) by moving "Gray Scale" bar.
Also you can change the opacity of color (i.e. translucent) by moving "Opacity" bar.

EM automatically uploads your trail data to the web while you are trailing.
It is EM's automatic timing to start uploading, but EM asks you to confirm your title and comment when EM uploads data first time. You can deny uploading by pressing "Don't Upload Now".
Please note that your Earth Message drawing (i.e. your trail data) will be uploaded in the web, and everyone can see your drawing (i.e. your trail) in www.earthmessage.net.
Therefore, if you don't want to upload any data and just wan to try drawing something, please press "Don't Upload Now".
EM keeps asking you to upload data while you trail further, but you can keep pressing "Don't Upload Now".

While uploading, you see progress spinner as below in the title bar.

When you finish your drawing (or trail) by "Back" button, EM ask you to upload remaining data (or special data to terminate your drawing). Please press "Upload" to properly store your drawing.
Again if you don't want to upload data to the web, please press "Close w/o Upload".

If you try to close trail mode before any upload, EM asks you to input title and comment before final uploading as below.

EM offers a function called "Sketch".
With this feature, you can draw Earth Message draft by your finger on the map.
Before drawing "real" trail by GPS, you can sketch your plan of trail.
Your draft is not uploaded nor stored, so if you close this window by back key or back button, your sketch will disappear.
For using Sketch, press the Sketch toggle button, and draw strokes by your finger dragging on the screen.
If you want to move map or rescale map, turn off the Sketch toggle button, and use your finger to scroll the map, and then turn on the Sketch toggle button, and restart your sketch.

You cannot turn on the Trail button while sketching, so you may see a warning as below when you try to do so.

Also you cannot turn on the Sketch button while trailing, so you may see a warning like below when you try.

After you upload your Earth Message, you can see the message in your "My Message" view.
By tapping the expand button left side of each message. You will see that message in a big map view.

By pressing edit button (pen icon), you can resume your trail and add more strokes to your earth message.
By pressing email button, you can send a link to this message to your friends.
Your friends can browse your message in www.earthmessage.net by their Mac or PC. (They don't have to have Earth Message Android app.)

What EM ver1.0 cannot do

You cannot delete once-created message.
• You cannot modify title or comment of once-uploaded message.
• You cannot modify already painted strokes in a message. (You can only append additional strokes.)
• You cannot change your account username or password. (You can only re-create new account with new password.)
• you re-create new account, your legacy messages (created by your old account) don't show up in you "My Message"

EM is not one-time-release app.
EM continues to evolve.
Your feedback is highly appreciated and we are very happy to act for your feedback.
Thank you very much for using Earth Message!