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Writer's pictureÍvar Kjartansson

Installing and configuring HD Hillshade for Android

Updated: Aug 8




After you have purchased the HD Hillshade for Android we recommend that you download it to your computer first. After extracting the ZIP file you will have a single folder called "HD Hillshade - Add content to DEM folder".


Connect your Android device to your computer via USB cable. Find the OruxMaps > DEM folder in your device. Go to Global settings > App storage and see the location given for "Maps directory". Remember the path.

NOTE: Some devices will by default only connect to the computer in charge mode. If you cannot access the folder structure on your device, you may need to change the settings to "Media device (MTP) File transfer". In the notification area of your device you may see a message from "Android sytem". Select that and change the setting there.


If you had already installed the Iceland map from GPSmap.is you might already have HGT files there that came with the map (less quality Hillshade files). If so remove all of the old files before copying the content of the extracted folder to the DEM folder (don't copy the folder itself, just the content).


Unplug the device from your computer and launch OruxMaps. After installing the Hillshade files in the device they might not appear right away.

Turn on hill shadows:

  1. Press the Map icon and select "Maps settings"

  2. Check the "Apply hill shadows"

To force a redraw:

  1. Press the Map icon and select "Maps settings"

  2. Select "Reset raster cache"

Now you should see the Iceland map with HD Hillshade. If not, then be sure to follow first all the settings in this blog here: https://www.gpsmap.is/post/configuring-oruxmaps


Now the fun part, you can configure how and when OruxMaps draws the Hillshade.




  1. Press the Map icon and select "Maps settings" > "DEM based maps"

  2. From the bottom change the value of "Relief map max. altitude" to "2200" as the highest point in Iceland is arount 2110 meters

  3. Then in "Relief map, resolution" choose "High". If your device is older and you feel the redraw takes too long when using the map then simply lower the quality settings here

  4. I like to have the "Maximum zoom level" at 15 which is a good value as it will show the Hillshade until you zoom well enough into the map to see city streets without Hillshade. The higher this value is, the Hillshade will be visible the further way you zoom in

  5. On the other side of the spectrum, I like to have the "Minimum zoom level" at 9. Which pretty much shows the Hillshade until you zoom far out of the map. If you increase the value the Hillshade effect will vanish at certain zoom out level.

  6. Finally the top thee options Relief map, slope map and shadow map are optional. If you check one or more of these a special map will be added for each one of these to your map list which you can view by itself

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