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Creating routes with Google Earth


chiqui74

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Does anyone how (if indeed possible) I can create routes using Google Earth? I don't want to type a departure and destination point, I want to create a custom route by clicking on the map. If not Google Earth, is there any other free software out there that will let me do this? TIA

 

June

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I've been trying the method that Markwell pointed out (using MS S&T 2006,) but I've not yet been able to get it to work. I can generate files that I think are in the correct format using GPS Babel, but when I go to upload them to the route page, either nothing happens, or I get all kind of wierd error messages (I think I've managed to rack up three different kinds of errors so far.) If anyone can lend a hand, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

I don't always want to go the way that Google Earth wants me to go..... aahh, the price of nonconformity.

Edited by sarhound
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I've been trying the method that Markwell pointed out (using MS S&T 2006,) but I've not yet been able to get it to work. I can generate files that I think are in the correct format using GPS Babel, but when I go to upload them to the route page, either nothing happens, or I get all kind of wierd error messages (I think I've managed to rack up three different kinds of errors so far.) If anyone can lend a hand, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

I don't always want to go the way that Google Earth wants me to go..... aahh, the price of nonconformity.

 

Me too also :laughing:

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I use a slightly different method in Google Earth. Most of the time GE doesn't take the route I want. So, I find one or two major turning points that will force GE to route the way I want to go.

 

Say I want to go from Tallahassee, FL to Charleston, SC, GE would want me to go along I-10 to Jacksonville and then make my way up 95. I prefer to go through Valdosta, GA on my way up. I would create one route from Tallahassee to Valdosta and another from Valdosta to Charleston. I save both routes as Trip1.kml and Trip2.kml.

 

I figured out that the caches along a route feature doesn't need most of the information in the kml files. I open both of them up in my favorite text editor (Ultra Edit, but notepad will work fine). I strip out everything from <Document> down to <MultiGeometry> in Trip1.kml. That leaves me with just the coordinates and not all the placement stuff. I then look in Trip2.kml and grab all the <LineString> segments between <MultiGeometry> and </MultiGeometry> and paste it just before the </MultiGeometry> in Trip1.kml. I save this to Trip.kml and upload to gc.com. It works great keeps the entire route in one file.

 

An example of what this would look like is:

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Document>
<MultiGeometry>
  <LineString>
	<coordinates>
-83.76351,30.80023,0 -83.76282000000002,30.80024,0 .... some more coords....
	</coordinates>
  </LineString>
  <LineString>
	<coordinates>
-83.76351,30.80023,0 -83.76282000000002,30.80024,0 .... some more coords....
	</coordinates>
  </LineString>
  <LineString>
	<coordinates>
-83.76351,30.80023,0 -83.76282000000002,30.80024,0 .... some more coords....
	</coordinates>
  </LineString>
  </MultiGeometry>
</Document>
</kml>

 

The number of <LineString> and <coordinates> segments you wind up with will depend on the number of turns in your route. Just remember to keep under the 500 miles and 500 points rule and you're good.

 

It may look a bit complicated but it is actually quite simple and takes me about 5 minutes to create the route I want, not what GE wants for me.

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