Tracklog managment

[gautesvenningsen]

Hi.

 

I save all my GPS tracklogs (in gpx-format) on my PC so I can access them later, e.g. when planning new trips. As the number of tracklogs is constantly increasing, the need for some kind of tracklog management system is becoming apparent. It would have been nice it it was possible to store all the trip data into one database and then select data from, e.g., a certain geographical area, a certain time range and so on...

 

Is anyone aware of some sort of software (freeware, shareware, payware) that can do this?

 

(PS I know that Picasa and Google Earth have some kind of similar functionality on geotagged images, but not on tracklogs...)

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

It would have been nice it it was possible to store all the trip data into one database and then select data from, e.g., a certain geographical area, a certain time range and so on...

 

While it won't let you choose a geographical area, I do like TopoFusion's LogBook feature. You can read about it here under item # 3. It also has other great track management tools, including the best import functionality I've seen in any program.

[Grasscatcher]

I wish solutions to all problems were as easy as this one.....

 

Try "Expert GPS" by Topografix....free trial then $50+/-if you like it.

 

Download all your original data from your GPS ,( waypoints ,tracks,routes, or just your original gpx track file)and save by date.

 

Open a new blank file and move (copy & paste)"whatever" data for a specific area to that file and save the file with the area's name.

Other data for another area would be c&p into another file with a different name ...etc.

 

Now you have the original untouched file (saved by date) with ALL the data, and separate files with just the data pertaining to that specific area, and saved under the area's name for easy access at a later date.

 

You can put as much or as little into a specific file as make sense to YOU.

Edited December 29, 2008 by Grasscatcher

[Bob Morphew]

I use Garmin Mapsource for my tracklog management. There doesn't seem to be any limit to the number of tracklogs a file can hold and they are always "sorted by geographical area" as they display on the maps. The tracklogs can be sorted by time/date by clicking on the "Start Time" column header. They are able to be colour-coded individually so you can add more information to the database (e.g. green tracks for hiking trails, brown tracks for bike trails, etc). It's very easy to either download a tracklog from the GPS to an existing file or to cut/paste tracklogs from other files to the master file.

 

Another advantage is that it is relatively easy to take the Mapsource master tracklog file and convert it to a transparent overlay map that can be uploaded to your GPS and will display over existing Topo and Street maps, thus overcoming the 20 tracklog limit on most Garmin GPS.

 

Bob

Edited December 29, 2008 by Bob Morphew

[+EScout]

I have not found a better tracklog management program than SportTracks. I use it for all my hikes. It takes your GPX file and names the location based on what you entered originally for this location. It shows you total miles and elevation by day, week, month, year. Highlighting a track shows you the track on aerial map, shows one of several graphs such as elevation over distance. Calculates your speed, pace, average pace, etc.

(click on thumbnail, then 2 more clicks for full size.)

 

A hike:

 

Totals:

Edited December 30, 2008 by EScout

[GeoBobC]

Ditto to Mapsource. It has done everything I need to do with tracks very well.

[gautesvenningsen]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll probably try all the alternatives. I already have mapsource, and it does not satisfy my needs.

[GeoBobC]

Just curious: what is it that you want the software to do, that Mapsource doesn't?

[jackrr]

Another advantage is that it is relatively easy to take the Mapsource master tracklog file and convert it to a transparent overlay map that can be uploaded to your GPS and will display over existing Topo and Street maps, thus overcoming the 20 tracklog limit on most Garmin GPS.

 

Bob

 

Bob the thing I hate most about my 76csx is the 20 track limit. How do you convert the master tracklog file to a transparent overlay map? This sounds like the answer to all my tracklog problems.

[gautesvenningsen]

Just curious: what is it that you want the software to do, that Mapsource doesn't?

 

Mapsource is great for handeling tripdata from a hike or ten (since my GPS is Garmin). But for handling hundreds of trips (track log and waypoints), I don't find it optimal, althoug I agree that it is possible to use it the way some other suggested here. (I use GPS-tracklogs for Geotagging images, so I have quite a lot of trip data to handle). Having one Mapsource document for each area is not optimum either. What about trips that covers several areas? (By the way, why should I really have to define a "area", isn't it better to use dynamic area selection, for example from zooming on a map??)

[Bob Morphew]

Duplicate

Edited December 31, 2008 by Bob Morphew

[Bob Morphew]

The tutorial on how to convert tracklogs to maps is here: http://www.snowmobileworld.com/forum/index...showtopic=79939

 

The process seems quite complicated the first few times you do it but I can now make a custom map from a few hundred tracklogs in a couple of minutes. Give it a try and if you get stuck just ask.

 

Bob

[GeoBobC]

After owning Garmin GPS units for more than 10 years, I reached a point of frustration in realizing that tracks were the ugly stepchildren for Garmin. They allowed you to play games, track the moon, stars, and tides, balance your checkbook, and even locate your position on the face of Earth. Tracks - another story. A maximum of 10 or maybe 20 tracks, with a maximum of 500 points per tracks. I bit the bullet, took the plunge, and decided to learn how to make custom maps. This took some time and frustration, but now I can put as many lines (tracks, trails, roads, boundaries, areas: you name it) on maps as my heart desires.

 

Learning to make custom maps can be a slow learning curve, but you will get there, and you will be glad you did.

[gautesvenningsen]

Tracks - another story. A maximum of 10 or maybe 20 tracks, with a maximum of 500 points per tracks.

 

Bob, on my Garmin GPS-unit there is a micro SD-card. It is possible to save all the track logs to that card (one GPX-file created every day). This gives you more or less infinite storage space. But it is not possible to display old tracks that are not in the GPS internal memory.

[+Red90]

After owning Garmin GPS units for more than 10 years, I reached a point of frustration in realizing that tracks were the ugly stepchildren for Garmin. They allowed you to play games, track the moon, stars, and tides, balance your checkbook, and even locate your position on the face of Earth. Tracks - another story. A maximum of 10 or maybe 20 tracks, with a maximum of 500 points per tracks. I bit the bullet, took the plunge, and decided to learn how to make custom maps. This took some time and frustration, but now I can put as many lines (tracks, trails, roads, boundaries, areas: you name it) on maps as my heart desires.

 

Learning to make custom maps can be a slow learning curve, but you will get there, and you will be glad you did.

 

The new handhelds (Colorado and Oregon) have no track size or quantity limitations.

[jackrr]

The tutorial on how to convert tracklogs to maps is here: http://www.snowmobileworld.com/forum/index...showtopic=79939

 

The process seems quite complicated the first few times you do it but I can now make a custom map from a few hundred tracklogs in a couple of minutes. Give it a try and if you get stuck just ask.

 

Bob

 

Thanks for the link Bob. The results are just what I'm looking for but the procedure seems like it is awfully confusing. Maybe a little too confusing for me. I wonder if Garmin will ever get off their butts and give us a software update so our units can hold more then 20 track logs like the Colorado?

[GeoBobC]

Red90 wrote "The new handhelds (Colorado and Oregon) have no track size or quantity limitations."

 

True, and I wish my older units did not have this limitation. That said, custom maps allow more than infinite track display. I can customize the lines and trails to my liking, create areas using polygons, and so forth.

 

jackrr wrote: "I wonder if Garmin will ever get off their butts and give us a software update so our units can hold more then 20 track logs like the Colorado?

 

No offense to Garmin intended, but I think that falls in the category of waiting for monkeys to fly, particularly with the capability the newer units have, as Red90 pointed out.

[jackrr]

I would like to thank Bob for giving me the link that shows how to put tracks on a transparent map. When I first went to the site I took one look at what was involved and figured I'd just forget about it. But this GPS 20 track limit was bugging me so today I downloaded everything and gave it a shot. It took 5 hours but now I have a transparent map loaded in my GPS. I have 10 tracks on the transparent map of trails I have been on and 10 tracks loaded into the GPS track log page of trails I have never been on but want to. This leaves me with room for 10 more. Thanks again, Jack

[+SidAndBob]

Tracks - another story. A maximum of 10 or maybe 20 tracks, with a maximum of 500 points per tracks.

 

Bob, on my Garmin GPS-unit there is a micro SD-card. It is possible to save all the track logs to that card (one GPX-file created every day). This gives you more or less infinite storage space. But it is not possible to display old tracks that are not in the GPS internal memory.

I'm glad someone knew this. I have a CSx and track logs are only limited by microSD size, so unlimited in effect. The functionality is there, it just seems that most people don't know it.

 

I use a low-tech approach and save my log files with date-description. It works for me, especially in conjunction with Memory Map where I can load multiple tracks/routes/waypoints onto one map.

[Bob Morphew]

I would like to thank Bob for giving me the link that shows how to put tracks on a transparent map. ...

Glad you persevered, Jack. It also took me a couple of hours to get the first map made - using the tutorial data. Using my own data it took considerably longer, but now (after about 6 mapsets) I can make a new map using several hundred tracklogs in just a couple of minutes. After you get a map done to your liking, just re-open the MP file and "Save As" a different name, then delete the "roads" and use the "File Add" to bring in your new tracks. Most of the settings (zoom levels, bits, etc) will still be there from the original map so there's not much to be done.

 

It's certainly the best solution I've found to working around the 20 track limit.

 

Bob