Disabling or editing auto-zoom in the about:config

[Beachscriber]

Like many other users, I really dislike the auto-zoom feature and would dearly like to turn it off on my XL30 but cannot. As much as I like the brand I would not have bought a TomTom if I knew this would be the case. I want my TomTom to stay zoomed at the level I choose, or at least within the range I choose - especially when I am on the open road. It's very irritating choosing a level at which I can appreciate the wonderful contours as they pass, get an idea of the lie of the land, the expanses that lie before me, only to have the XL zoom in to a stupid, blinkered level after a few seconds!

Anyway, I think I may have a solution, but need some help. TomTom have a Debug program which I have installed. The Debug menu allows you to do all sorts of amazing things like manage Add-ons, edit themes and ... here is the kicker ... edit the about:config pretty much the same way one would edit the under-the-hood settings of a Mozilla-based browser like Firefox. The Debug menu can be downloaded here:
[LINK REMOVED--moderator]

I have installed the Debug Menu and searched the about:config for "zoom" and found four relevant items:
* browser.zoom.full; default; boolean; false
* toolkit.zoomManager.zoomValues; default; string ;.3,.5,.67,.8,.9,1,1.1,1.2,1.33,1.5,1.7,2,2.4,3
* zoom.maxPercent; default; intiger; 300
* zoom.minPercent; default; intiger; 30

I'm hoping someone will be able to tell me what the values mean and what I could change them to. It might be a simple matter of changing the zoom.maxPercent to a lower value. And I'm guessing the toolkit.zoomManager.zoomValues line provides the default zoom values at different speeds.

Is there anyone out there who can help? A member of the TomTom dev team? If someone can give me the key to this little lock, I will be sure too show my gratitude in a special way.

With bated breath
&rew

 

[dhn]

Well, you've given me a problem..............

Part of the information about the debug app on the screen says this:


Password Manager: With the password manager you can view and remove saved account information

Well, you can understand the implications of this facility falling into the wrong hands.

I'm not sure how you found the link but I hope you can appreciate why its reference had to be removed.

You put a call out to TT Developers. You realize this forum is NOT affiliated with TomTom in any way. That said, perhaps some employees do drop in from time to time. So you may get feedback.

Thanks for your understanding.

 

[Beachscriber]

Good grief! I'm trying to understand, but this software is published and freely available on the public TomTom Developer web site at create.tomtom.com and the password manager feature merely allows one to manage a password to one's own TomTom - an essential security feature in a world where these things tend to get stolen. The link to the TomTom developer site is in my TomTom sofware on the Available Extensions tab.

Yes, I understand that this forum is not run by TomTom, but as you say, I am hoping the right person from TomTom passes through. Someone who is familiar with editing the about:config of a Mozilla browser might also be able to help.

 

[mvl]

I don't have any experience with that tool. But at first glance, it appears to only impact the Tomtom HOME app. HOME is written on a Mozilla engine, and those settings allow you to tweak the engine the same way you can tweak Mozilla Firefox.

My suspicion is that password manager allows you to edit the saved email/pass accounts that are stored in HOME if you have multiple devices. I don't think it changes a Tomtom's security lock.

Nothing in the tool appears to impact the Tomtom device itself, but again I don't know for sure.

 

[Beachscriber]

Dang, you might be right. The only thing that makes me wonder is there are settings which don't seem more relevant to the device than HOME.

It seems to me that the TomTom is driven off a flash card which has all the software and maps installed there. It must be a reasonably simple matter for TomTom to provide an update for something like this.

 

[canderson]

Dang, you might be right. The only thing that makes me wonder is there are settings which don't seem more relevant to the device than HOME.

Depends on how you look at it. Remember, Home has to try to emulate the device, so it will require a fair number of settings that are specific to the device.

 

[Beachscriber]

Looks like I'm going to have to ditch my TomTom for another brand. The automatic zoom is way too irritating. Its like I bought a fantastic, high quality, vibration reduction, multicoated, autofocus, wide aperture zoom lens for my Nikon, but it decides for me how much and when to zoom. :-/

 

[canderson]

Looks like I'm going to have to ditch my TomTom for another brand. /

Alternately, you can ditch that particular model for one that still has all of the good features from the past - including control over the auto-zoom. Have you looked to see the prices on what remains of the GO730 model stock?

 

[GmanTT]

Looks like I'm going to have to ditch my TomTom for another brand. The automatic zoom is way too irritating. Its like I bought a fantastic, high quality, vibration reduction, multicoated, autofocus, wide aperture zoom lens for my Nikon, but it decides for me how much and when to zoom. :-/

I am in the same boat, the auto zoom feature is waaay anoying. I also can't seem to personolize much if any my XXL 540 S features.

 

[mvl]

Currently, the GO models are the only ones that support disabling of auto-zoom.

The GO 630, 730, and 740 are still in stores in the US. I even saw a discontinued GO 930 sold as "new" at Fry's in Los Angeles.

The GO 740TM supports disabling auto-zoom (separately removable for 2d vs 3d), and also has lifetime FM traffic and lifetime maps.

The GO 630, 730 and 740(non-TM) has a single auto-zoom on/off that impacts 2D and 3D at the same time.

 

[Beachscriber]

Ta for the useful breakdown, MVL. It seems these are not as readily available here and the ones on which you can disable auto-zoom are more expensive. I'm actually a bit peeved off with what I think is a major omission. Would you buy a car with cruise control if you knew you couldn't override it? I'm forced to look at other brands here.

&rew