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No Map Just Routing

Last updated: April 7, 2026 | 3 minutes read

This example demonstrates how to use GEMKit in a UIKit application to calculate a route and run turn-by-turn guidance entirely without a map view, using only labels and a navigation panel overlay.

Check the full implementation on GitHub.

Active Routing Without a Map

Routing Without a Map​

There is no MapViewController in this example. The view displays only a status label and a times label. Route calculation status updates are delivered through the progress closure:

ViewController.swiftView on GitHub
class ViewController: UIViewController, NavigationContextDelegate, GEMSdkDelegate {

    var navigationContext: NavigationContext?
    var soundContext: SoundContext?

    var mainRoute: RouteObject?

    var timesLabel = UILabel.init()
    var statusLabel = UILabel.init()

    var panelNavigationViewController: NavigationViewController?

    override func viewDidLoad() {

        super.viewDidLoad()

        GEMSdk.shared().delegate = self

        self.title = "Just Routing"

        self.addLabelText()
        self.addStatusLabelText()
        self.refreshButtons()
    }

Calculating the Route and Displaying Status​

Route status changes are shown directly in the statusLabel while the calculation is in progress:

ViewController.swiftView on GitHub
        let preferences = RoutePreferencesObject.init()
        preferences.setTransportMode(.car)
        preferences.setRouteType(.fastest)

        self.navigationContext = NavigationContext.init(preferences: preferences)
        self.navigationContext?.delegate = self

        self.soundContext = SoundContext.init()
        self.soundContext?.setUseTtsWithCompletionHandler({ success in })

        self.departure = LandmarkObject.landmark(
            withName: "Hamburg 1",
            location: CoordinatesObject.coordinates(withLatitude: 53.554010, longitude: 10.027508))

        self.destination = LandmarkObject.landmark(
            withName: "Hamburg 2",
            location: CoordinatesObject.coordinates(withLatitude: 53.618284, longitude: 10.028659))

        self.navigationContext!
            .calculateRoute(withWaypoints: [self.departure!, self.destination!]) { routeStatus in

                switch routeStatus {
                case .calculating:
                    self.statusLabel.text = "Calculating"
                case .waitingInternetConnection:
                    self.statusLabel.text = "Waiting Internet Connection"
                case .ready:
                    self.statusLabel.text = "Ready"
                case .error:
                    self.statusLabel.text = "Error"
                default:
                    self.statusLabel.text = ""
                }

            } completionHandler: { [weak self] results, code in

                guard let strongSelf = self else { return }

                if !results.isEmpty {
                    strongSelf.mainRoute = results.first
                    strongSelf.startSimulation()
                }
            }

Since there is no map, all navigation feedback is driven through the delegate. Estimated arrival time, remaining travel time, and distance are displayed in a label, and the navigation panel is created lazily on the first update:

ViewController.swiftView on GitHub
    func navigationContext(_ navigationContext: NavigationContext, navigationStartedForRoute route: RouteObject) {

        if self.navigationController?.isNavigationBarHidden == false {

            self.navigationController?.popToRootViewController(animated: true)

            self.navigationController?.setNavigationBarHidden(true, animated: false)
        }
    }

    func navigationContext(
        _ navigationContext: NavigationContext, navigationInstructionUpdatedForRoute route: RouteObject, updatedEvents: Int32
    ) {

        let eta = navigationContext.getEstimateTimeOfArrivalFormatted() + navigationContext.getEstimateTimeOfArrivalUnitFormatted()

        let rtt = navigationContext.getRemainingTravelTimeFormatted() + navigationContext.getRemainingTravelTimeUnitFormatted()

        let rtd = navigationContext.getRemainingTravelDistanceFormatted() + navigationContext.getRemainingTravelDistanceUnitFormatted()

        let text = eta + "     " + rtt + "     " + rtd

        self.timesLabel.text = text
        self.timesLabel.isHidden = false

        if self.panelNavigationViewController == nil {

            self.createNavigationPanel()
        }

        if let turnInstruction = navigationContext.getNavigationInstruction(), turnInstruction.getNavigationStatus() == .running {

            if turnInstruction.hasNextTurnInfo() {

                self.panelNavigationViewController?.updateTurnInformation(navigationContext: navigationContext)

                self.panelNavigationViewController?.updateLaneInformation(navigationContext: navigationContext)

                self.panelNavigationViewController?.updateSignpostInformation(navigationContext: navigationContext)

                self.panelNavigationViewController?.updateRoadCodeInformation(navigationContext: navigationContext)

                self.panelNavigationViewController?.refreshContentLayout()
            }
        }
    }
info

The NavigationViewController used in this example is a full-featured turn-by-turn panel displaying turn images, distance, lane guidance, traffic events, signpost overlays, and safety alerts. Due to its size it is not reproduced here — check the full implementation on GitHub.

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