Relief Maps: the new 3D Outdoor GPS App by French developer Batiste Wonderweidt

Relief Maps is a 3D GPS application developed to assist outdoor sports enthusiasts to get real-time navigational information. The application features a beautifully designed high-performance 3-dimensional map. Some of its notable features include route planning, downloadable maps for paragliding, ski touring, and trail running. It provides maps for use by any person interested in outdoor sports.

Relief Maps—Who Is Behind the Application?

Batiste Wonderweidt, a solo maker and freelance web developer from Annecy in the French Alps is behind the introduction of Relief Maps. When not developing websites, Batiste spends most of his time taking part in various outdoor sports activities such as paragliding, hiking, trail running, and skiing in the mountains.
It was while he was taking part in the sports that the idea to develop a 3D GPS-based maps came to him. Outdoor sports require participants to have access to real-time data on their location and their destination.

For Batiste, the applications available before the launch of Relief Maps were okay, but he felt that it was possible to do something more. Urged on by the desire to create something new and appealing, he started the process of creating the Relief Map project. The project then led to the introduction of the application and the accompanying website.

Project Development Process

The motivation to create and launch this application was driven by the passion he shares with other outdoor sports enthusiasts. Taking part in this type of sports is all about having fun and exploring new things. But it is not possible to do this when you have to constantly think about maps and trails that you should follow to avoid getting lost. The development process of Relief Maps is based on this ideology. It is a process that is ever-evolving as new maps get incorporated into the application by the users as they seek new adventures.

Business Model and Features

The developers have followed the premium business model for Relief Maps application. What this means is that users can access the application free of charge. But they can also opt to pay a yearly subscription fee to allow them access to premium features like offline maps and additional real-time maps.
The premium rates currently stand at $8.00 per year. Users can expect to start using the following features soon:

• Live tracking—allows you to share your live location to other people using the same application
• Social features—get to share your adventures on social media platforms like Instagram

The beta version of this application was released in 2018, with the completed version went live in January 2019.