Progress and cancel
Backup and restore tasks show progress and can be cancelled when needed.
Technical reference
Project format & integration
Public overview of .asmaps project files and .asmaps.bak app backups for exchange, safekeeping and possible third-party integration.
Overview
Two file types with different purposes
ArxSilex MapTools separates individual project files from full app backups. For integrations, the distinction matters: .asmaps describes one map project, while .asmaps.bak is an app restore format.
| File type | Purpose | Typical content | For third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| .asmaps | Project exchange | Project objects, geometries, metadata, categories, styling and project-related settings | Suitable for importing, viewing, validating and processing individual projects |
| .asmaps.bak | App backup and restore | Selected app areas, manifest, verification information and optionally protected content | Mainly for ArxSilex MapTools; third parties should read documented areas only |
Structure
Logical structure of a .asmaps file
A .asmaps file is intended as an exchange container for one project. The following areas describe the public interpretation. Internal details may change and should not be treated as a stable interface.
| Area | Description | Integration note |
|---|---|---|
| Manifest | Format version, export hints, app/project context and optional verification information | Check version and file type first; tolerate unknown fields |
| Project | Project name, description, creation/change information and project settings | Do not rely on fixed field order |
| Objects | Markers, POIs, routes, tracks, areas, circles, bearings, distances and other map elements | Evaluate object type and geometry separately |
| Geometry | Points, lines, polygons, track points and elevation/time information where available | Interpret coordinates as WGS84; optional values may be missing |
| Properties | Names, notes, colors, visibility, style, categories and app-specific extra data | Preserve unknown properties when writing data again |
Backup
Special notes for .asmaps.bak
.asmaps.bak is not a single project. It is an app backup and may contain several data areas, such as settings, profiles, import batches, POI databases, groups, offline maps, layers, terrain information or map styles.
Third parties should therefore not open .asmaps.bak like a simple project file. Defensive reading of clearly documented areas is useful; unknown content should not be changed or deleted.
Data control
Controlled import, backup and restore
Larger operations run as traceable background tasks so projects and data sets remain consistent.
Memory-conscious
Large data sets and encrypted backups are processed in a streaming way. Encrypted backups are protected after compression.
One operation at a time
If an import, analysis or POI indexing task is active, the app waits for it to finish before starting another import.
Compatibility
Versioning and stable parsing
The format is designed for future development. Integrations should check file type and format version first, parse only known areas, leave unknown fields unchanged and treat optional values as optional.
Recommended
- Check format or schema version
- Ignore unknown fields or preserve them when writing
- Verify coordinates, timestamps and units explicitly
- Skip broken single objects instead of aborting the whole import
- Trigger export only by deliberate user action
Not recommended
- Assume fixed field order
- Treat internal IDs as permanent global IDs
- Open .asmaps.bak as a simple project file
- Delete or overwrite unknown areas
- Store personal or location data permanently without a clear purpose
Privacy
Handle location and Remote ID data carefully
Project files and backups may contain location data, notes, tracks, search areas, group information or Remote ID data. Remote ID data may contain personal data if identifiers or location data can be linked directly or indirectly to a person.
Third-party apps should process this data locally, sparingly and transparently. Permanent storage, export, publication or server transfer should happen only after a deliberate user decision.
Integration
Practical rules for third parties
For open data exchange, GPX, KML/KMZ, GeoJSON and CSV remain the most stable target formats. .asmaps is useful when ArxSilex project objects should be preserved as completely as possible. .asmaps.bak should be processed automatically only with special care.