Outcrop
Learning and science
geology education
SHOW HN2026
How HN took it
10 positive, 16 neutral or asking, 1 mixed, 4 critical, out of 31 comments about the project. Thread score +0.19.
Execution: 2 for, 2 againstIdea: 2 for, 0 againstDesign: 1 for, 0 againstPerformance: 0 for, 1 againstDocs: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Fun and well executed; a kid and parent spent hours with it
From 2 comments
This is really well done! My 9-year-old and I have been going down the rabbit hole for the last 2 hours. We simply love the ‘Where it formed’ feature. Great job!
timothevs on HNNo WAY I have wanted this exact thing all for years!!! I am so stoked to try this out later. This is so sick. Got the test flight version installed no problem!
chamomeal on HN
The 'Where it formed' feature is especially liked
From 1 comment
This is really well done! My 9-year-old and I have been going down the rabbit hole for the last 2 hours. We simply love the ‘Where it formed’ feature. Great job!
timothevs on HN
Soil and Quaternary layers are useful for Midwest terrain
From 1 comment
Very cool. Really like having the soils and quaternary layers for those us in the Midwest without a lot of bedrock exposure.
ballen on HN
Objections
Unclear whether the geology data is accurate
From 2 comments
It's a cool idea but how do you know whether it's accurate? Couldn't it just be making stuff up? Laymen consumers would have no way to tell the difference.
sandspar on HNIt pulls the data from https://macrostrat.org/ and "just" determines where you are and does the AR overlay. So I guess it depends if you trust their data.
pragmatick on HN
Live AR tracking fails on some Android phones
From 2 comments
Whenever I try live view I get "tracking did not start. Try again" on android
RobotToaster on HNIt's a old Doogee v31gt running android 13 Edit: It looks to be my phone, I just tried it again and it says "This phone can't do the motion tracking Live needs"
RobotToaster on HN
Copy reads as AI-generated
From 2 comments
atleast re-write your subheading "each rock named" most ai smelling shite ever.
Aeroi on HNIt's always so disappointing. This looks genuinely cool, soured by all the little ai artifacts that get hard to look past, like "the circle names what it rests on".
seabass on HN
No web version, so an app install is required
From 1 comment
Is there a web version? I don't like to install apps if avoidable. When the page loads, it shows a blinking animation [1]. I didn't realize it was a loading an interactive…
gus_massa on HN
Requests
Add a web version
From 2 comments
Is there a web version? I don't like to install apps if avoidable. When the page loads, it shows a blinking animation [1]. I didn't realize it was a loading an interactive…
gus_massa on HNVery cool project! I also wonder if a web version is plausible. Are there any specific native app features in it?
thingfyi on HN
Support ASTER and Landsat data overlays
From 2 comments
This would be insanely awesome if I could add a data layer or two atop the geologic unit map. This combined with processed ASTER and LANDAST data overlaying the geologic units…
lightedman on HNThe processed stuff is what you want, northwest and southwest, AA12. Best thing to do is knock out the dead data layers (I think those were 48-50) and knock out I think band 14…
lightedman on HN
Flip the timeline so past is on the left
From 1 comment
Very well done. The animation of plate movements give me a real sense of vertigo! Earth is old. o__O For me at least, it would feel more intuitive to have the distant past on the…
naftalibeder on HN
Add lat/lon grid lines to anchor the globe
From 1 comment
Very well done. The animation of plate movements give me a real sense of vertigo! Earth is old. o__O For me at least, it would feel more intuitive to have the distant past on the…
naftalibeder on HN
Questions
Does it work outside the US, such as in the EU?
From 2 comments
This is awesome! Does it work in EU as well? Does this also recognize peaks as well as PeakFinder does?
vekker on HNUS only?
xaviermts on HN
Does it work offline?
From 2 comments
Neat idea. Does it work offline? Up north there's often no signal, and I'd guess phone compass drift near steel bridges or cliffs would throw the overlay off too.
tomshafer on HN„The map and Live then work with no signal. Fossil finds and Live’s active faults still need a connection.“
_Microft on HN
Does it identify peaks like PeakFinder?
From 1 comment
This is awesome! Does it work in EU as well? Does this also recognize peaks as well as PeakFinder does?
vekker on HN
Alternatives named
Backseat Geologist
From 1 comment
Somebody else is working on exactly that! check out Backseat Geologist
headsupernova on HN
PeakFinder
From 1 comment
This is awesome! Does it work in EU as well? Does this also recognize peaks as well as PeakFinder does?
vekker on HN