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Feature Announcement 2025-10-19 7 min read

Follow Mode: Real-Time Location Sync Between Game and Map

Imagine you're navigating a complex 50-hop route through EVE Frontier. You jump to the next system in-game, then alt-tab to EF-Map to check which gate to take next. But now you have to:

  1. Remember which system you just jumped to
  2. Search for it on the map
  3. Find it among thousands of stars
  4. Pan/zoom to center it
  5. Read the route panel to see your next hop

This manual re-orientation happens every single jump—tedious and error-prone.

Follow Mode eliminates this friction. When enabled, the map automatically tracks your in-game location and keeps you centered on your current system—no searching, no manual panning. Just jump, and the map follows.

This post explains how Follow Mode works, how it integrates with the EF Helper overlay, and how players are using it to navigate complex routes hands-free.

The Problem: Lost in Translation

Context Switching is Expensive

When you alt-tab between EVE Frontier and EF-Map, you lose spatial context. The game shows your current system, but the map might still be centered on your previous location—or on a completely different region you were browsing earlier.

Result: You spend 5-10 seconds re-orienting every jump. Over a 50-hop route, that's 4-8 minutes of wasted time just finding yourself on the map.

Route Panel is Not Enough

The route panel shows: 

Hop 23/50: System XYZ
Next: Stargate to ABC

But it doesn't show you on the 3D map. You still need to:

Without auto-centering, this requires manual map manipulation every single jump.

The Solution: Follow Mode

Follow Mode is a real-time location sync feature that:

  1. Monitors your EVE Frontier client (via EF Helper log file parsing)
  2. Detects when you jump to a new system
  3. Broadcasts your current system ID to the web app
  4. Auto-centers the map on your new location
  5. Highlights your position with a green player marker

Result: The map becomes a live GPS—it always shows where you are, with zero manual input.

How It Works: Log File Parsing + WebSocket Bridge

EF Helper: The Desktop Bridge

EF Helper is a Windows desktop app that runs alongside EVE Frontier. It:

Log entry example: 

[2025-10-23 14:32:15] Player entered system: Jita (30000142)

Helper's parser: 

std::regex systemPattern(R"(Player entered system: (.+) \((\d+)\))");
std::smatch match;

if (std::regex_search(logLine, match, systemPattern)) {
  std::string systemName = match[1].str();
  std::string systemId = match[2].str();
  
  // Broadcast via WebSocket to connected overlay + web app
  broadcastPlayerLocation(systemId, systemName);
}

WebSocket Connection

When you enable Follow Mode in the web app, it establishes a WebSocket connection to the helper: 

const ws = new WebSocket('ws://127.0.0.1:38765/ws/follow');

ws.onmessage = (event) => {
  const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
  
  if (data.type === 'location_update') {
    const { system_id, system_name } = data;
    
    // Auto-center map on new system
    const system = findSystemById(system_id);
    if (system) {
      centerCameraOnSystem(system);
      setPlayerMarker(system);
    }
  }
};

Latency: Typically 200-500ms from in-game jump to map update. Fast enough to feel instant.

Auto-Centering Logic

When a location update arrives, the map smoothly animates to the new system: 

function centerCameraOnSystem(system: SolarSystem) {
  const targetPosition = new Vector3(
    system.position.x,
    system.position.y,
    system.position.z
  );
  
  // Smooth camera transition (1 second ease-out)
  animateCamera({
    targetPosition,
    duration: 1000,
    easing: 'easeOut',
  });
}

User interaction stops auto-centering: If you manually pan/zoom during a route, Follow Mode pauses until you re-enable it (to avoid fighting your manual control).

Enabling Follow Mode

Step 1: Install and Launch EF Helper

Download from https://ef-map.com or the Microsoft Store.

Run ef-overlay-helper.exe. It appears in the system tray.

Step 2: Connect in Web App

Open EF-Map → Helper panel → should show "Connected".

Step 3: Toggle Follow Mode

In the Helper panel, enable "Enable follow mode".

The toggle sends a request to the helper: 

async function setFollowMode(enabled: boolean): Promise<boolean> {
  const response = await fetch('http://127.0.0.1:38765/api/follow-mode', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({ enabled }),
  });
  
  if (!response.ok) throw new Error('Failed to set follow mode');
  return enabled;
}

The helper acknowledges and starts broadcasting location updates.

Step 4: Jump In-Game

Jump to any system in EVE Frontier. Within 0.5 seconds, the map should:

You're now in Follow Mode!

Use Cases

Use Case 1: Long-Distance Routing (50+ Hops)

Scenario: You calculated a 73-hop route from Amarr to null-sec. You don't want to manually find yourself on the map every jump.

Workflow:

  1. Calculate the route in EF-Map
  2. Enable Follow Mode
  3. Jump in-game
  4. Map auto-centers on each new system
  5. Glance at map to see next gate direction
  6. Jump again

Result: Zero manual panning—you just jump, glance, jump, glance. The map does the rest.

Time saved: ~5 seconds per jump × 73 hops = 6 minutes saved.

Use Case 2: Exploration (Unknown Systems)

Scenario: You're exploring a wormhole chain. Systems are unnamed, and you're discovering them as you go.

Workflow:

  1. Enable Follow Mode
  2. Jump through a wormhole
  3. Map auto-centers on the new (unknown) system
  4. You see spatial context—nearby systems, gates, etc.
  5. Scan down signatures

Result: Instant spatial awareness in unfamiliar territory.

Use Case 3: Combat Retreat

Scenario: You're under attack and need to escape fast. You have a pre-planned retreat route.

Workflow:

  1. Enable Follow Mode
  2. Engage warp to first gate on retreat route
  3. Jump
  4. Map auto-centers on new system
  5. You see next gate immediately (no searching)
  6. Align and jump

Result: Faster escape—every second counts in PvP.

Use Case 4: Multi-Tasking (Hauling Routes)

Scenario: You're hauling cargo on a 40-jump autopilot route. You want to monitor progress on EF-Map while working on a second monitor.

Workflow:

  1. Enable Follow Mode
  2. Start autopilot in-game
  3. Alt-tab to work (emails, Discord, etc.)
  4. Glance at EF-Map occasionally
  5. Green marker moves through the route automatically

Result: Passive monitoring—you always know where your ship is without alt-tabbing to the game.

Visual Indicators

Green Player Marker

When Follow Mode is active, your current system shows a green ring around the star: 

 ●  ← Other system (default blue)
 ◎  ← Your current system (green ring)

The marker is always visible, even when zoomed out.

Route Highlighting

If you have an active route, your next hop is highlighted in yellow: 

 ◎  ← You are here (green)
 │
 ▼  (route segment)
 ●  ← Next hop (yellow)

Combined with Follow Mode, this creates a dynamic GPS showing both your current position and your next destination.

Integration with Overlay

In-Game HUD

If you're using the EF Overlay (DirectX 12 in-game overlay), Follow Mode also updates the overlay's HUD: 

╔════════════════════════╗
║ Current: Jita          ║
║ Next: Perimeter (5.2 LY) ║
║ Route: 23/50 hops      ║
╚════════════════════════╝

The overlay reads the same location data from the helper's WebSocket, so your in-game HUD and web map are always in sync.

Privacy and Security

Local-Only Communication

Follow Mode communicates via:

Zero external servers. Your location is never sent to EF-Map's cloud infrastructure.

No Location Telemetry

EF-Map's usage tracking logs only:

We never log:

Your navigation history is yours alone.

Why Local-Only?

Running the helper locally instead of a cloud service:

Performance

Latency Breakdown

Total delay from in-game jump to map update: 200-500ms

Feels instant in practice—by the time your in-game screen finishes loading the new system, the map is already centered.

Resource Usage

EF Helper (while Follow Mode is active):

Negligible impact—you won't notice any performance hit in-game or on the map.

Troubleshooting

"Follow Mode not updating"

Cause: Helper not running or not detecting jumps.

Fix:

  1. Check EF Helper is running (system tray icon)
  2. Jump to a new system in-game
  3. Check helper logs (%LocalAppData%\EFOverlay\logs\helper.log) for:

`

[info] Player entered system: Jita (30000142)

`

  1. If missing, check log file path in helper settings

"Map centers on wrong system"

Cause: System ID mismatch (rare).

Fix:

  1. Disable Follow Mode
  2. Re-enable it (forces WebSocket reconnect)
  3. Jump again

If still wrong, report the system name to support (might be a data mapping issue).

"Camera fights my manual panning"

Cause: Follow Mode is still active while you're manually exploring.

Fix: Disable Follow Mode temporarily. It will remember your last known location and resume auto-centering when you re-enable it.

Future Enhancements

Planned Features

Community Requests

Comparison: Manual vs. Follow Mode

50-hop route, manual panning:

50-hop route, Follow Mode:

Time saved: 5 minutes per route.

Over 100 routes: 8.3 hours saved.

Real-World Testimonials

Hauler "FreightMaster"

"I run 60-jump trade routes daily. Follow Mode lets me monitor progress on a second screen while working—I don't need to alt-tab to EVE every jump."

Explorer "WormholeScout"

"Exploring J-space chains, I'm constantly jumping to unknown systems. Follow Mode gives me instant spatial context—where am I relative to k-space? How deep am I?"

PvP Fleet FC "CombatAlpha"

"During a chase, Follow Mode + overlay HUD keeps me oriented. I see the next gate immediately without fumbling with the map—critical in combat."

How to Get Started

Quick Start (2 Minutes)

  1. Download EF Helper: https://ef-map.com → Helper panel → Install
  2. Launch helper: Run ef-overlay-helper.exe
  3. Open EF-Map: Go to https://ef-map.com
  4. Enable Follow Mode: Helper panel → toggle "Enable follow mode"
  5. Jump in-game: Jump to any system—map should auto-center

You're live!

Verify It's Working

  1. Jump to a system in EVE Frontier
  2. Watch the EF-Map tab
  3. Within 0.5 seconds, you should see:

- Camera smoothly panning to your new system

- Green ring appearing around the star

- Route panel updating "You are here"

If nothing happens, check the troubleshooting section above.

Related Posts

Follow Mode transforms EF-Map from a static reference into a live navigation companion—automatically tracking your position so you can focus on flying, not map-wrangling. Try it on your next long-distance haul!

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