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Offline Maps

How AFT Handles Maps

Airsoft Force Tracking gives you full flexibility over how the map is displayed during your session. By default, AFT uses online maps — tiles are fetched in real time from the internet, so you always see an up-to-date map with no setup required. This works great for most casual games where GSM coverage is available.

When you’re heading into areas with poor or no mobile signal — remote forests, industrial sites, large MOUT complexes — online maps simply stop working. That’s where offline maps come in. AFT supports two kinds of offline maps: local offline maps (loaded on a single device) and recommended offline maps (distributed to all session participants automatically). The recommended maps feature is unique to AFT — and it’s one of the most practical things about the platform.

What Is an Offline Map – and How Is It Different?

An online map fetches map tiles on demand from a remote server. Every time you pan or zoom, your device downloads image tiles for the visible area. Fast and convenient, but entirely dependent on internet connectivity.

An offline map is a local database of pre-downloaded map tiles stored directly on the device. Once loaded, the map works with no internet connection whatsoever — your device reads tiles from local storage instead of fetching them from the web. GPS tracking, marker placement, distance measurement, and all other AFT features continue to work normally.

Technical Requirements for Offline Maps

Airsoft Force Tracking accepts offline maps in the OsmDroid SQLite format. The requirements:

  • File extension must be .sqlite (e.g. myofflinemap.sqlite)
  • The file must contain a tile database using PNG tiles at 256×256 pixels
  • Tile zoom levels should cover the area and zoom range you intend to use during the session

The recommended tool for creating offline maps is Mobile Atlas Creator (MOBAC). It’s a free, open-source desktop application that lets you define an area, select zoom levels, and export a ready-to-use .sqlite file compatible with Airsoft Force Tracking.

Adding a Local Offline Map

A local offline map is loaded on a single device only. It will not be shared with other session participants.

Prerequisites: you must be joined to an active session before adding an offline map.

Steps:

  1. Open the navigation menu and select Change Map.
  2. Switch to the Offline Maps tab.
  3. Tap the hamburger menu (⋮) and select Add offline map.
  4. Tap the Select file button.
  5. In the file picker, navigate to and select your .sqlite file.
  6. The map will appear in your Offline Maps list. Tap it to activate.

Note: A map added this way is visible only on the device where you performed these steps. It is not propagated to other participants. If you need the map to be available to everyone in the session, use Recommended Offline Maps instead.

Recommended Offline Maps — Distribution Without the Hassle

This is where Airsoft Force Tracking does something competitors don’t.

In most other tools, distributing a custom map to your whole team is a manual process: you prepare the file, send it via messenger, cloud or file transfer, tell everyone where to save it, and then hope they all manage to load it correctly before the event starts. With a group of 20 or 200 players, this quickly becomes a logistical headache.

AFT solves this with Recommended Offline Maps. The session organizer uploads the map file once. From that point on, every player who joins the session sees the map listed under the Recommended Offline Maps tab. They tap it, AFT downloads and installs it automatically — no file sharing, no manual copying, no instructions to follow.

Why this matters in practice:

  • No need to distribute large files before the event
  • No need to teach players how to copy files or navigate their device storage
  • Works the same whether you have 5 players or 500
  • Players arriving late or rejoining after a respawn can grab the map on the spot
  • The organizer retains full control over which maps are available in the session

Recommended Offline Maps are displayed separately from local maps, clearly visible to all session participants. Each player chooses which maps to download — AFT handles the rest.

Click here to learn how to to add a recommended offline map to a AFT Map Store.