convert kmz to gpx help requested

[+mblitch]

I'm going to be doing quite a bit of traveling soon and want to visit as many NPS (National Park Service) run sites as possible. Most sites have passport stamps for each location and there is a large group (http://groups.msn.com/NationalParkCancellationStampsPassporttoAmerica) of people that go out and collect them, as we do caches or benchmarks. They have a good website and members there contribute to and update a master list of sites that include descriptions, locations, etc.

 

Their master map is a Google Earth overlay (http://filer.case.edu/jxg9/MasterList/MasterMap07-04-24.kmz) that will show the location of all the locations with a passport stamp. I would like to take this file and convert it to GPX as well as a POI file to be used on my Garmin 76Cx unit. With a GPX, I can open the file with Mapsource, delete all the unwanted spots and just upload the waypoints for locations that I plan to be near. I would like to make a POI with which I can upload the entire list (since that only takes up the space on the expandable card on which I have plenty) and be alerted (by proximity alarm) whenever I am nearby any stamp location.

 

I've tried GPSBabel, GPSies convert (http://www.gpsies.com/upload.do?uploadMode=convert), and anything else and cannot get it to convert.

 

When using GPSBabel, I get this message when trying to convert to GPX or POI:

gpsbabel.exe -p "" -w -i kml -f "C:\[file location]\MasterMap07-04-24.kmz" -o garmin_poi -F "np stamps poi"

 

XML Reader:Parse error at 1: not well-formed (invalid token)

 

or

 

gpsbabel.exe -p "" -w -i kml -f "C:\[file location]\MasterMap07-04-24.kmz" -o gpx -F "np stamps .gpx"

 

XML Reader:Parse error at 1: not well-formed (invalid token)

 

Any ideas on how to get the formats I want in order to aid my stamp quest?

 

While I am at it, are there tutorials on how to create any GE overlays? I intend to have my GPS on as much as possible for my trip and want to upload my daily tracks to my blog so friends and family can track my location. Eventually I'd like to geotag photos taken along the way that I can add to the overlay to show particularly nice spots. Any freeware geotagging software recommendations? I am aware of Robogeo and even GPicSync, however I have not yet messed with it.

[+fratermus]

Unzip it, and run gpsbabel on the resulting doc.kml that comes out. I just tested it and it appeared to work fine with a straight:

gpsbabel -i kml -f doc.kml -o gpx -F out.gpx

[+fratermus]

In case you were wondering how this was grokked, I ran file first to see what the file was:

 

mouse@hangedman:/home/samba/mouse/gps$ file MasterMap07-04-24.kmz

MasterMap07-04-24.kmz: Zip archive data, at least v2.0 to extract

 

Ok, so it's a zipped *something*. Guessing from the extension I'd say a zipped kml, which makes a lot of sense given what you are trying to do.

 

So let'z unzip it:

 

mouse@hangedman:/home/samba/mouse/gps$ unzip MasterMap07-04-24.kmz

Archive: MasterMap07-04-24.kmz

inflating: doc.kml

 

Ahhh, much better. Now babel it into submission and we are good:

 

mouse@hangedman:/home/samba/mouse/gps$ gpsbabel -i kml -f doc.kml -o gpx -F out.gpx

 

Looks good.

mouse@hangedman:/home/samba/mouse/gps$ ls -l out.gpx

-rw-r--r-- 1 mouse mouse 549034 2007-05-15 19:09 out.gpx

mouse@hangedman:/home/samba/mouse/gps$ head out.gpx

 

I won't paste in the contents of the head output (it could confuse the HTML of the board), but suffice it to say it looked like well-formatted XML to me.

 

I hope this doesn't come off as pedantic; wanted to tip my hand in case other folks wanted to follow along with the sleuthing.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Here's a simple way.

 

Open the kmz in Google Earth. Right click on it in My Place and save as a kml.

 

Download this program. http://www.poiedit.com/

 

Open the kml, save as gpx, open in MapSource. Edit as desired. I came up with 1531 places.

[+mblitch]

Here's a simple way.

 

Open the kmz in Google Earth. Right click on it in My Place and save as a kml.

 

Download this program. http://www.poiedit.com/

 

Open the kml, save as gpx, open in MapSource. Edit as desired. I came up with 1531 places.

 

Thank you all. I am very impressed with the interest in assisting others and appreciate the time you all have been willing to spend to offer aid. This, I believe, will help me better enjoy the time spent traveling and hopefully expose me to more hidden or informatiove spots that I might have otherwise missed.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Just wanted to add in case it wasn't clear that you can "open" the kmz by clicking open in Google Earth and pasting the link you provided in the dialog box.

[vfrpilot]

Here's a simple way.

 

Open the kmz in Google Earth. Right click on it in My Place and save as a kml.

 

Download this program. http://www.poiedit.com/

 

Open the kml, save as gpx, open in MapSource. Edit as desired. I came up with 1531 places.

Hey, Thanks again Mamma -

I needed that program to convert for a trek to some ruins in the Pine Barrens forest NJ

This weekend's jeep trip -

You're okay in my book

 

ps -> how's your math classes going....

Edited January 16, 2008 by vfrpilot

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Just fine, thanks!!!!

[John E Cache]

Have you tried "export" in Google Earth? GE comes bundled with GPSBabel.