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New free topo map viewer for GPX and KML files


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I also stated an earlier thread on the same topic here:

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=236746

 

If you have not heard about the gmap4 map viewer, please start by looking at the above thread.

 

But that earlier thread has a poor title which I cannot edit. For that reason, I am starting this new thread.

Below is the latest news about the gmap4 map viewer.

Please make any future posts regarding gmap4 in this thread. Thanks

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

I just finished testing the latest update to gmap4 and it is now ‘live’.

 

Recall that:

1. Gmap4 can read both GPX and KML files.

2. You have to place your file online before gmap4 can read it.

 

New feature:

Gmap4 can now read GPX/txt files that Google is hosting online (for free) as Google documents.

The previous version of gmap4 could read KML/txt files that were online as Google documents.

You should now see version 1.2.074 in the lower left corner. If not, please clear your browser cache and try again.

 

Since you have to place your data online in order to view it with gmap4, why not let Google host your files for free?

 

Here are improved instructions for placing your KML and GPX files online as Google documents.

 

1. Get a Google account. It’s free.

 

2. Change the extension on your file so it ends in txt.

Change: my_hike.gpx to my_hike.txt

 

3. Connect to Google documents and login. http://docs.google.com/

 

4. Click the “upload” button and upload the “txt” file.

 

5. Go back to the file screen and select this new file by checking its box.

 

6. Click Share ==> See who has access.

 

7. In the lower left corner of the popup make sure it says “People can view this item without signing in.” If necessary change the setting so this message appears.

 

TIP: Create a folder and “share” it for viewing by anybody. Then any file you upload into that folder will automatically have the correct “share” setting.

 

WARNING: One of the options under the “Share” button says “Get the link to share...”

Don’t go there. Gmap4 does not use any info from that link.

 

8. With the box in front of your new file still checked, click: More actions ==> Publish

 

9. Check the box that says “Automatically re-publish when changes are made”. You will be asked if you want to publish your file. Agree.

 

10. Soon after you agree, Google will display a message similar to this:

“Your document is publicly viewable at: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dd3wb4rd_27ccdx2cfr”

Of course the id code for your file will be different.

Copy the id code for your file.

 

You are now ready to launch gmap4 and view the data in your KML or GPX file.

 

Enter the following into your browser bar but replace the xxxxxxxx with your file id code.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=google,xxxxxxxx

 

You can include this link in emails, websites, trip reports, etc

 

Here is an example of the correct way to launch gmap4 when your data file is hosted online as a Google document:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?...b4rd_18dv5zkmdb

 

My next task is to finish writing a ‘help’ file so there is decent documentation for gmap4.

 

Enjoy

Joseph Elfelt

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Splashy,

 

Sorry for the confusion. If you are referring to the stuff on my website, that business never got off the ground and likely never will. In general, realtors these days have very little interest in spending any money. I seriously need to re-do my website. However all my spare time right now is going into working on a 'help' file (i.e. user manual) for gmap4.

 

I live near Seattle, hike in the Cascade Mts., and post trip reports (TRs) in a hiking forum. It is common in this forum for trip reports to include a jpg showing a snip from a topo map and a GPS track. Heck, I've posted those myself. A couple months ago I got to wondering why we were using jpg maps in our TRs instead of interactive maps. After searching extensively I concluded there was no mapping service that we could use in our TRs that met these criteria:

Free

Full screen

No ads

High quality topo maps

Display GPS data from one person

 

Thus was born gmap4. Instead of being a tool to promote any business, it is a tool to aid and abet social networking among people that like to hike, climb, bike, geocache, etc and also like to blab online about their latest adventure. Those blabs can now include a link to an interactive map with the GPS track of the person doing the blabbing. And personally, I think that a map that is ‘live’ is a lot more interesting than a static jpg map.

 

Now with all that said, your comment is a perceptive one since, yes, there is more to the story. I produced gmap4 because I wanted to (see above), had the technical wherewithal, and am trying to get on Google’s radar screen prior to applying for work at their Kirkland, Washington offices.

 

Irrespective of whether or not I get on the Google team, I intend to maintain gmap4 as a free service. Here's a snip from the 'help' file I'm writing:

 

"Gmap 4 runs full screen, has no ads, and is 100% free. It is produced and maintained by its author as a public service and a small way to ‘pay it forward’ to honor those who have provided its author with kindness and help in the past."

Wish me luck.

Joseph

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The Gmap4 map viewer now has a detailed help file. http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

Please take a look at the Quick Start section to get an idea of the kinds of things Gmap4 can help you do.

 

The topographic maps available via Gmap4 cover the USA at 1:24,000 (same as 7.5ʺ quad) and Canada at 1:50,000. Below is a link to a map of the USA-Canada. Just zoom in on something that you want to see and when you find it then click the MyTopo button in order to see a detailed topographic map for that spot:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?...amp;z=4&t=m

 

You can look at anything if you know the latitude/longitude.

Mt. Rushmore:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?...7015,-103.45087

 

Yellowstone - Old Faithful:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?...832396&z=14

 

What - You mean you don’t know the latitude/longitude for Pocket Lake, in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of Oregon? (A very neat spot BTW) Not a problem. Search using POGM (Plain Old Google Maps). When you find that which you seek:

Point to it ==> Right click ==> What’s Here? ==> Copy the latitude/longitude from the map search window. Then paste that latitude/longitude onto the end of a command to launch gmap4:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?...716,-117.274332

 

These topos are from the MyTopo (http://www.mytopo.com/) company. They scan the paper topographic maps and make their money by selling custom topo maps that you design. While there are not many websites (yet) displaying topographic maps from MyTopo, there are numerous sites that display topographic maps from Terraserver. If you are curious, here is how you can compare the onscreen quality:

 

1. Make your browser full screen.

 

2. In one browser tab, display the MyTopo Yellowstone - Old Faithful map from the above link.

 

3. Open another browser tab and go to http://mapper.acme.com/.

 

4. Enter these coords 45.174716,-117.274332 in the ACME search window and click Find.

 

5. Adjust the ACME zoom control so the tab is on the 4th crossbar from the top.

 

6. Click the ACME ‘Topo’ button to display the Terraserver maps.

 

The MyTopo and Terraserver maps should now have the same center and be the same scale. You can flip back and forth between your two browser tabs and compare the quality.

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Looks like nothing all THAT new, to be honest. It's nice and simple, that's for sure. But users have to worry about hosting their own files (yes, you can use the method you describe, but that takes extra work).

 

But there are a TON of other sites out there that do the hosting for you AND display the maps. Additionally, they have tools to let you either share a link (like at forums where you can't embed HTML) OR you can embed a dynamic map onto a forum that allows embedding or a blog or whatever.

 

I went and dropped a little coin (less than $100 for a whole year) on my own hosted domain where I can keep gps (.gpx or .kml) files and then I implemented my own Google Maps API where I can display everything. Man, I love it. I even have it set up to share and embed in other sites. My link structure is also a lot cleaner.

 

http://thegpsgeek.com/blog/?p=19

 

Oh, I've also seen a few other sites that use MyTopo. To be honest, I don't care for it much. Google's terrain view is sufficient for viewing contours, and the imagery gives better details on human activities.

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Here's the latest Gmap4 update.

 

Gmap4 can now read Google MyMaps and display that data on the USGS 7.5” topo maps.

Also the on-screen interface is cleaner and the Help file has been updated.

 

Here’s an example of a Google MyMap I made for a hike in the Washington State Cascades:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?...f3d013cf15e19f5

 

Every time you make a MyMap there is a unique ‘id’ code assigned to that map. Gmap4 uses that ‘id’ code to display your MyMap. All you need to do is enter the following command into your browser. Replace the xxx.yyy with the ‘id’ code for your MyMap. Also, be careful not to let any spaces get into this command:

 

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=mymap,xxx.yyy

 

If you do not know the unique ‘id’ code for your MyMap then:

1. Display your MyMap

2. Click the “link” button in the upper right corner

3. Save the link and find where it says: &msid=

4. Copy your ‘id’ code. The ‘id’ code begins after the “&msid=”. If you are copying the ‘id’ code and get to a ‘&’ character, then copy everything up to (but not including) the ‘&’ character.

 

Finally, if you have a KML file then Google maps has a feature that lets you "import" that KML file into a MyMap. This is a very quick way to put a KML file online so you can view it on the detailed topographic maps that are available with Gmap4.

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Gmap4 version 1.5.012 has just been posted. This free software adds detailed topographic maps (USA and Canada) to Google Maps and lets you view your GPS data on those maps.

 

Since this software runs entirely online, there is nothing to buy, nothing to download, nothing to install. When you use Gmap4 you should now see “6-26-2010 Update” in the lower left corner of your screen. If you click Actions ==> About, then it should say Version 1.5.012. If you do not see those things, then please clear your browser’s cache and try again.

 

This update (among other things) restores the ability to place your GPS data (KML and GPX files) online as Google Documents. This feature advances state-of-the-art for Google Documents and is unique to Gmap4.

 

To see the full list of what is new or changed, go to the Gmap4 homepage and click What’s New.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

 

Updated pdf ‘Help’ file with clickable links: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

 

Here is a sample map that includes information from three data files:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=google,0AUba9Qv1W8-rZGQzd2I0cmRfNDZkM3c3em5kNA&ll=47.382544,-120.917587&t=t1&z=11

Enjoy,

Joseph Elfelt

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Gmap4 version 1.5.012 has just been posted. This free software adds detailed topographic maps (USA and Canada) to Google Maps and lets you view your GPS data on those maps.

 

Since this software runs entirely online, there is nothing to buy, nothing to download, nothing to install. When you use Gmap4 you should now see “6-26-2010 Update” in the lower left corner of your screen. If you click Actions ==> About, then it should say Version 1.5.012. If you do not see those things, then please clear your browser’s cache and try again.

 

This update (among other things) restores the ability to place your GPS data (KML and GPX files) online as Google Documents. This feature advances state-of-the-art for Google Documents and is unique to Gmap4.

 

To see the full list of what is new or changed, go to the Gmap4 homepage and click What’s New.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

 

Updated pdf ‘Help’ file with clickable links: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

 

Here is a sample map that includes information from three data files:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?...p;t=t1&z=11

Enjoy,

Joseph Elfelt

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Do you have any .TPO files from the National Geographic TOPO software? Gmap4 version 1.7.x can now display those files. Often the topographic maps displayed by Gmap4 (provided at no cost by www.MyTopo.com) will be superior and/or more current than the NG topographic maps displayed by the TOPO software.

 

You do need to place your TPO or other data file online before it can be displayed by Gmap4. The easiest/fastest way to place a TPO file online is via Google Sites (free). Don’t be shy. You will find hand-holding-step-by-step instructions in the Gmap4 Help file.

 

Here is the general recipe for building a URL to display a TPO file with Gmap4 (do not include the quotes, this is not a real link):

'http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?t=t2&q=htpp://url_to_your_file.tpo'

 

Below is a link to the Gmap4 homepage. Check out the 'Examples' button and Quick Start section of the 'Help' file.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html...om/p/gmap4.html

 

Enjoy,

Joseph

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Yesterday I posted version 1.8.1 of Gmap4. New things include:

Search (Click Menu ==> Search)

Place one icon on the map via a URL parameter (&icon=)

Print via your browser

 

Gmap4 homepage: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

Check out the menu links for:

What’s new

Examples

Help

 

Search the Help file on “(New)” to find details on the new stuff.

 

To the best of my knowledge the Search - List feature is unique to Gmap4.

 

Enjoy,

Joseph

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Gmap4 has been upgraded to version 1.8.2

 

The search feature is now much more user friendly.

 

Also, you can now search on geocache coordinates (degrees and decimal minutes) as well as all other reasonable ways to write a latitude/longitude pair. This means you can search on geocache coordinates and see the results on the MyTopo topographic map. These topo maps have (1) better quality and (2) more current data (for a lot of USFS and BLM areas) than the Terraserver topo maps that Garmin is now dishing out.

 

Do your own comparison. Get the lat,lng for a USA spot on a Terraserver map and then search Gmap4 (Menu==>Search) on that lat,lng.

Below is a world map you can search on. After doing your search then click Terrain==>MyTopo to see the topo map.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=38.259207,-16.760195&t=t1&z=2

 

Enjoy,

Joseph - Gmap4 author

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Gmap4 has been updated to version 1.8.3

 

The present-day magnetic declination for the map center is now always displayed in the lower right corner. This value is produced using software from http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/IAGA/vmod/igrf.html combined with data from http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/WMM/back.shtml.

Since the magnetic declination is always changing, the older value printed on maps can be wrong by several degrees.

 

I also updated my links page to show (1) reviews of Gmap4 and (2) sites that are already using Gmap4 to produce online interactive maps.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_links.html

 

Finally, if you are interested in the search feature and/or print feature, please check the ‘Help’ file (and use the Table of Contents) to be sure you have seen the most recent info on those features.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

 

The link below will display a world map. To test-drive the search feature click Menu==>Search.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=38.259207,-16.760195&t=t1&z=2

 

Enjoy,

Joseph - Gmap4 author

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Gmap4 has been updated to version 1.9.1 dated January 17, 2011. This version adds support for UTM coordinate grids. All UTM support in Gmap4 uses the WGS84 datum. This UTM support works worldwide. For more info on UTM coordinates see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Transverse_Mercator_coordinate_system

 

(Pay back time: When you visit other outdoor-related forums, please do a search and see if Gmap4 has been mentioned. If not, it would just take a moment for you to pass the word along. Also, are you doing the social network thing? Consider saying something nice about Gmap4.)

 

Here’s a map of Grand Canyon Village with a UTM grid.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=36.059592,-112.139836&t=t2&z=14&coord=utm

 

To toggle UTM support on and off, click Menu ==> UTM On/Off. If UTM is ‘on’ then Gmap4 gives you UTM information in three ways:

 

1. A UTM grid is displayed. This UTM grid is displayed on both the MyTopo topographic maps (USA and Canada) and the standard views (aerial, etc) provided by Google Maps.

 

2. The lower right corner of the screen will always show the UTM zone and UTM coordinates for both the cursor and map center.

 

3. You can get the UTM zone and coordinates for any point on the map by right-clicking that point.

 

Things to keep in mind

 

You can build you own map links by using URL parameters. If you want your map to appear on the user’s screen and already have UTM turned on, then add this URL parameter: &coord=utm

 

Here is a comparison:

With UTM on

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/Stafford_Creek.kml&t=t2&coord=utm'>http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/Stafford_Creek.kml&t=t2&coord=utm

With UTM off (default)

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/Stafford_Creek.kml&t=t2

 

If you zoom out far enough then you will not see a UTM grid. Instead you will only see vertical red lines which mark the edges of the UTM zones.

 

UTM grid lines that are near the edge of their zone often appear curved when displayed using the map projection used by Google Maps. The grid lines in the adjoining zone will curve in the opposite direction. For example, the next map is centered near Lake Tahoe. The red line marks the edge of adjoining UTM zones. Double click each side of the red line (this changes the map center) and watch the UTM grid lines change. The grid lines are calculated based on the UTM zone that contains the center of the map.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=39.115536,-120.208437&t=m&z=8&coord=utm

 

Some MyTopo topographic maps already have a UTM grid printed on them. Caution! Some of those printed grids are based on the older datum NAD27. Those older grids will have a uniform offset from the grid displayed by Gmap4 which is based on datum WGS84 . For example: Here is a map showing part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area in Washington State where the MyTopo maps have a UTM grid based on the WGS84 datum. Click Menu ==> UTM On/Off and you will see the faint UTM grid printed on the map:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=47.47229,-120.80588&t=t2&z=14&coord=utm

 

By contrast, here is a map showing part of the Yosemite Valley area in California, where the MyTopo maps have a UTM grid based on NAD27. Note the uniform offset between the two sets of grid lines.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.736733,-119.568449&t=t2&z=14&coord=utm

 

Usually (but not always) the different zoom levels use a different scale for the UTM grid. To learn the grid scale, compare the cursor coordinates (lower right corner) as you point to adjacent grid lines. If you want to know the zoom level, right click the map.

 

Maps with UTM grid lines can be printed. File ==> Print Preview

 

If you know of any other map viewing software that can display the MyTopo topographic maps along with a UTM grid, I would enjoy knowing about it.

Future UTM improvements

 

There are different methods for putting labels on the grid lines. I am pondering what will work best.

Another possible improvement is to let the user change the line width, color and/or spacing.

Other ideas?

 

Next Gmap4 update

 

Bad news: The ‘Search’ feature of Gmap4 no longer works very well for placenames. This feature uses Google’s ‘geocoding’ service on the backend. OK, I admit it. Gmap4 was pushing the envelope in its use of that service. Whoops - Google pushed back. Guess who won? I will add a second search tool that is designed to work well with placenames.

 

Good news: The existing ‘Search’ feature of Gmap4 still works fine for searching on (1) anything related to addresses including names of many settlements that no longer exist and (2) any reasonable way to write a latitude/longitude pair.

 

Finally, if you find Gmap4 to be useful I hope you can take a moment and do some ‘pay-back’ by letting other people know about it.

 

Enjoy!

Joseph - Gmap4 author

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Gmap4 has been updated to version 1.9.1 dated January 17, 2011. This version adds support for UTM coordinate grids. All UTM support in Gmap4 uses the WGS84 datum. This UTM support works worldwide. For more info on UTM coordinates see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Transverse_Mercator_coordinate_system

 

(Pay back time: When you visit other outdoor-related forums, please do a search and see if Gmap4 has been mentioned. If not, it would just take a moment for you to pass the word along. Also, are you doing the social network thing? Consider saying something nice about Gmap4.)

 

Here’s a map of Grand Canyon Village with a UTM grid.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=36.059592,-112.139836&t=t2&z=14&coord=utm

 

To toggle UTM support on and off, click Menu ==> UTM On/Off. If UTM is ‘on’ then Gmap4 gives you UTM information in three ways:

 

1. A UTM grid is displayed. This UTM grid is displayed on both the MyTopo topographic maps (USA and Canada) and the standard views (aerial, etc) provided by Google Maps.

 

2. The lower right corner of the screen will always show the UTM zone and UTM coordinates for both the cursor and map center.

 

3. You can get the UTM zone and coordinates for any point on the map by right-clicking that point.

 

Things to keep in mind

 

You can build you own map links by using URL parameters. If you want your map to appear on the user’s screen and already have UTM turned on, then add this URL parameter: &coord=utm

 

Here is a comparison:

With UTM on

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/Stafford_Creek.kml&t=t2&coord=utm'>http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/Stafford_Creek.kml&t=t2&coord=utm

With UTM off (default)

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/Stafford_Creek.kml&t=t2

 

If you zoom out far enough then you will not see a UTM grid. Instead you will only see vertical red lines which mark the edges of the UTM zones.

 

UTM grid lines that are near the edge of their zone often appear curved when displayed using the map projection used by Google Maps. The grid lines in the adjoining zone will curve in the opposite direction. For example, the next map is centered near Lake Tahoe. The red line marks the edge of adjoining UTM zones. Double click each side of the red line (this changes the map center) and watch the UTM grid lines change. The grid lines are calculated based on the UTM zone that contains the center of the map.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=39.115536,-120.208437&t=m&z=8&coord=utm

 

Some MyTopo topographic maps already have a UTM grid printed on them. Caution! Some of those printed grids are based on the older datum NAD27. Those older grids will have a uniform offset from the grid displayed by Gmap4 which is based on datum WGS84 . For example: Here is a map showing part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area in Washington State where the MyTopo maps have a UTM grid based on the WGS84 datum. Click Menu ==> UTM On/Off and you will see the faint UTM grid printed on the map:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=47.47229,-120.80588&t=t2&z=14&coord=utm

 

By contrast, here is a map showing part of the Yosemite Valley area in California, where the MyTopo maps have a UTM grid based on NAD27. Note the uniform offset between the two sets of grid lines.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.736733,-119.568449&t=t2&z=14&coord=utm

 

Usually (but not always) the different zoom levels use a different scale for the UTM grid. To learn the grid scale, compare the cursor coordinates (lower right corner) as you point to adjacent grid lines. If you want to know the zoom level, right click the map.

 

Maps with UTM grid lines can be printed. File ==> Print Preview

 

If you know of any other map viewing software that can display the MyTopo topographic maps along with a UTM grid, I would enjoy knowing about it.

Future UTM improvements

 

There are different methods for putting labels on the grid lines. I am pondering what will work best.

Another possible improvement is to let the user change the line width, color and/or spacing.

Other ideas?

 

Next Gmap4 update

 

Bad news: The ‘Search’ feature of Gmap4 no longer works very well for placenames. This feature uses Google’s ‘geocoding’ service on the backend. OK, I admit it. Gmap4 was pushing the envelope in its use of that service. Whoops - Google pushed back. Guess who won? I will add a second search tool that is designed to work well with placenames.

 

Good news: The existing ‘Search’ feature of Gmap4 still works fine for searching on (1) anything related to addresses including names of many settlements that no longer exist and (2) any reasonable way to write a latitude/longitude pair.

 

Finally, if you find Gmap4 to be useful I hope you can take a moment and do some ‘pay-back’ by letting other people know about it.

 

Enjoy!

Joseph - Gmap4 author

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I just promoted Gmap4 from version 1 to version 2.

Little reason: I added support for viewing the set of topo maps that used to be known as Terraserver and now are known as Microsoft Research Maps. Click the map type button in the far upper right and select “US Topo”. You can really see the quality difference compared to the MyTopo maps.

 

The US Topo maps often load a bit slow. Part of the reason is that each map tile must be re-projected on-the-fly in order to match the map projection used by Google Maps. I added support for these maps in case they show old (abandoned?) trails that are not on the MyTopo maps.

 

Big reason: This update introduces a new text file format that makes it super easy to produce maps. For a quick look, scroll down a bit on the Examples page: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_examples.html

 

This new file format is so easy that middle school students can quickly learn how to produce maps.

 

Maps can include:

* Many different kinds of symbols (i.e. markers/icons)

* Lines of any color and any width

* Balloons that appear when symbols are clicked

* Links in the balloons

* Clickable photo thumbnails in the balloons

* And more

 

Did I mention that this is truly easy?

 

For the details, you can search the Help file on ‘delimited’. Or just go to page 32 in the 5-6-2011 version of the Help file. http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

 

Homepage: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

 

Enjoy.

 

Joseph

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I just promoted Gmap4 version 2.1.4 from testing into production. Some of the new features are described below. For a full list of the changes in this version please see http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_whats_new.html

 

Remember, Gmap4 lives in the cloud and does not require you to download or install anything. Anytime you view a map with Gmap4, you automatically will be using the most recent version.

 

The big news is that you can now strap on a personal jet pack and fly around in 3D anywhere in the world. (The Gmap4 ‘Search’ feature is a useful way to zip you to the spot where you wish to begin flying.)

 

You can fly at low altitude over any map that has a GPS track and see the world in 3D. No sweat, no bug bites, no blisters.

 

All you have to do is download the Gmap4 ‘Help’ pdf file dated September 12, 2011 or more recent and search for ‘Tips for flying’. Anyone can quicky and easily learn to fly with just a mouse by taking a quick trip through flight school by reading those tips. Those tips will show you how to fly over the John Muir Trail in California starting from the summit of Mt. Whitney.

 

Gmap4 ‘Help’ file: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

 

In addition, the ‘directions’ feature has been re-written. Right-click the map and then click either ‘Direction from here’ or ‘Direction to here’. After the route appears, you can drag it to make changes. You can build a Gmap4 URL that will open with the directions panel displayed and the destination filled in. This will be useful for helping people obtain directions to a meeting spot. Search the Gmap4 Help file for ‘Tips for using directions’.

 

Also, information on how to donate has been added to the ‘Action’ menu and the Gmap4 website.

 

Enjoy!

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After the September 12th update to Gmap4 I heard from a handful of people that this new version gave them a blank screen and nothing else. For most people the new version worked fine but for an unfortunate few it did not. I want to thank those that spoke up. After all, when things work fine for me, I have no way of knowing that they do not work fine for you unless you tell me. The best way to reach me is to e-mail through my contact page: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_contact.html

 

Late today I updated the Gmap4 code. If you click Menu ==> About then you will see the date September 14, 2011 (or later).

 

If you are still having trouble viewing maps with Gmap4, then I have a favor to ask. In addition to updating the code I also put together a short list of easy things that you can try to get the latest version of Gmap4 working on your system. Here’s the favor: Please download the latest copy (dated September 14, 2011) of the ‘Help’ file (http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf) and search that file for ‘tips on flying’. Near the end of that section you will see a heading that starts “Background...”. That section gives you a peek under the hood and suggests several easy/quick things you can do to try and get the current version of Gmap4 working on your system.

 

Some of those suggestions have worked for others, so I hope if you are having problems that you take a few minutes and give them a try. And if nothing else works, then the last suggestion gives you a link to the prior version of Gmap4 which does not include the new ‘Earth’ feature which seems to be the source of most of the problems.

 

But since being able to fly over your GPS track (or any other data file) in 3D is easily the coolest feature in Gmap4, I most certainly hope you are able to convince your system to run the current version of Gmap4 so you can waste as much time as I have flying here and there. It’s addictive but - hey - you’ve been warned.

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Gmap4 has been updated to version 2.1.6 dated September 17, 2011.

Homepage: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

 

Reminder: Since Gmap4 lives in the cloud (1) you never have to download or install Gmap4 and (2) you are always automatically using the latest version of the code. But if Gmap4 does not seem to work then please clear your browser’s cache and try again. To see the Gmap4 version number you can click Menu ==> About on any map.

 

This update fixes the ‘blank screen’ problem that some users experienced after the September 12th update. If you experienced that problem, then please try Gmap4 again.

In order to use the new 3D ‘Earth’ view, your computer system needs to have the Google Earth browser plug-in installed. The Gmap4 code now checks to see if your system already has this plug-in installed. If your computer system does not have this plug-in installed, then you will see a message telling you that and a link to Google where you can download the plug-in if you decide to install it. If you decide to install the plug-in, please follow the instructions in that message. You need a broadband connection and a reasonably modern computer to use the 3D ‘Earth’ view.

 

Also, your security software might ask you to give permission before this plug-in will work.

 

If you decide to not install the plug-in, simply close the message window. You can continue using all the other features of Gmap4 except the ‘Earth’ view.

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Gmap4 has been updated to version 2.2. The full list of changes is posted on the Gmap4 “what's new” page (see hompage link below). Here are some highlights.

 

First, Gmap4 can add labels to Google maps. The labels are built from the waypoint names in your file. Your existing maps will work with this feature, except KMZ files are not yet supported. Labels can be styled with your own HTML and CSS. The following link displays a GPX file that is hosted at Topofusion and displays with labels turned on. http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.topofusion.com/GPX/BrianHead-Network.gpx&t=t2&label=on

 

To open Gmap4 with labels turned on, include this parameter in your Gmap4 URL: &label=on

To toggle the labels after a map is displayed click Menu ==> Label On/Off

 

You can style the labels with your own HTML and CSS. This label feature works with all the file formats that Gmap4 can read except KMZ files. Label support for KMZ files will be added in a future update.

 

Below is an example of a map I made with fancy labels. Note that (1) each label is clickable and (2) when you shift to an aerial map view then the labels acquire a solid background so the text does not disappear in shadows on the aerials. This map uses a delimited text file that is hosted at Google Sites.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/teanaway_peaks_delimited.txt&ll=47.421616,-120.876101&t=t2&z=13&label=on

 

Second, a number of features have been added to the delimited text file format that Gmap4 can display. The section of the Gmap4 Help file titled “Delimited text files - Some details” has been completely re-written and now starts with a series of example maps that will let you rapidly learn the basics. If you want the most control over your map, this is the file format to use.

 

Third, the internet security features of Gmap4 have been enhanced. If you look at a file that causes Gmap4 to display a security-related message on your screen and you think that message is a ‘false positive’, then please go to the Gmap4 contact page and send an email. Include the URL to the map (Menu ==> Show map URL) in your email.

 

Fourth, Gmap4 can now display files that include a '?' character in the URL for the file.

 

For more information please see the Gmap4 homepage: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

 

Enjoy!

 

Joseph, the Gmap4 guy

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The Gmap4 production code is now version 2.3. This is the first version that includes special features for smartphones and other mobile devices.

 

1. Gmap4 can now find your location on the map. This service will use some or all of:

* Your IP address

* Cell towers

* Wi-fi hotspots

* Any GPS chip in your phone or other mobile device

 

Simply open any map in your phone’s browser and then select Menu ==> Findme. You can try this right now on your desktop/laptop just to see how it works. However, your desktop/laptop location will likely not be very accurate since in many cases only your IP address will be used.

 

You can also build Gmap4 URLs that will automatically run the Findme feature when the map opens. Simply include the parameter ‘findme=on’ in the Gmap4 URL.

Example: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?findme=on

 

Since Gmap4 uses the Google maps Application Programming Interface (API), this feature only works if your phone’s browser is online to the internet.

 

Also, because Gmap4 is a web application, you do not need to download or install anything in order to use Gmap4 on your phone. To open Gmap4 on your phone:

A. Open your phone’s browser. (Remember, that browser has to be online.)

B. Do a web search for Gmap4 - the first hit should be the Gmap4 homepage

C. Select the link just under the homepage title. That link opens Gmap4 and displays a map of the world.

D. Select Menu ==> Findme

 

Of course you can save the Gmap4 URL as a bookmark in your phone’s browser.

 

Gmap4 does not save your location or report it to anyone. For more details, please search the Gmap4 Help file on ‘mobile’.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

 

Here are two links with more information if you are curious how this works:

http://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/geolocation/

http://support.google.com/gmm/bin/answer.py?hl=en&cbrank=2&cbid=-13t9fywlvvabr&ctx=cb&answer=39894&src=cb

 

2. You can turn off the coordinates in the lower right corner

 

Turning off the coordinate display in the lower right will let you see more of the map. You can toggle that display by selecting Menu ==> UTM - LatLng - Off

 

To open Gmap4 with that display already off, include the parameter ‘&coord=off’ in the Gmap4 URL

Example: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?findme=on&coord=off

 

3. Tweaking the mobile interface

Gmap4 is not a ‘native’ app for your phone. Instead, the exact same code that runs in the browser on your desktop/laptop also runs in the browser on your phone. Amazing! But this means my options for improving the interface when running on a phone are somewhat limited. What I can do fairly easily is add buttons. However, each button would cover part of the map.

 

Question: Are there any features of Gmap4 important enough that they should have their own buttons? One obvious candidate is the ‘Findme’ feature. Any others?

 

4. The MyTopo maps now display ads in one corner. That was not my idea!

For example, this map shows part of Yellowstone National Park:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=44.461721,-110.832396&z=14&t=t2

 

The Trimble Company now owns the MyTopo maps. As the 'price' for being allowed to continue displaying the MyTopo maps at no cost, Gmap4 must display Trimble's ad images when the MyTopo maps are on the screen.

 

Joseph, the Gmap4 guy

Redmond, WA

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The Gmap4 code has been updated to version 3.0. There are two new ‘big’ features that many people will find useful.

 

First, Gmap4 can now display a new set of very high resolution USA topographic maps that (1) are a better quality image than the MyTopo maps, (2) do not have heavy watermarks obscuring part of the map and (3) do not have any ads. The link below displays a basic map of the USA. Zoom in to your favorite area (or use the ‘Search’ feature) then open the menu in the upper right corner and select “t4 Topo High”.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.125286,-94.21875&t=m&z=4

 

You can also set the amount of hill shading you prefer to see on these new maps. Click Menu ==> Hill shading. And there is a new URL parameter (&hillshade=) you can use to set the hill shading in any Gmap4 URLs that you make.

 

A developer in California named Matt (http://CalTopo.com) produced these new topo map tiles from data he obtained from the USGS. Matt is paying out of his pocket to host these new map tiles on Amazon’s cloud service. It is my great hope that the Gmap4 user community taken as a whole will be willing to make sufficient donations to pay its share of Matt’s Amazon bill. The Menu button on the map has a ‘donate’ link.

 

Matt’s high resolution topographic map tiles should cover the states show in green on the following index map. I think the states that are not done yet are FL, LA, MA, MS, NH, RI, SD, VT and WY.

http://nationalmap.gov/historical/index.html

As the USGS finishes high resolution scans (660 pixels per inch) for the remaining states, Matt will be processing that data into tiles.

 

The Gmap4 ‘Help’ file has more information on these new maps and also instructions for how you can report any problems you discover.

 

Second, Gmap4 now includes a trip planning feature called “Make a map”. You can now click the map to make waypoints, routes and tracks. You can download your work in a GPX file and then upload that information into many handheld GPS units. Of course you can also put your GPX file online and then make a Gmap4 URL to display your file. This feature works worldwide.

 

Gmap4’s implementation of this feature lets you:

* Click once and create both a waypoint and routepoint

* Edit any data field (including GPS symbol name) that causes information to appear on your GPS screen

 

“Make a map” quick start:

1. Zoom in where you want to do trip planning

2. Set the map view you want

3. Click Menu ==> Make a map

4. Click a few spots on the map. Distance in miles and kilometers is reported in the lower right corner.

5. Right click any point

6. Click “Download GPX file”

7. Right click the URL to the GPX file and save it on your harddrive

8. Load the GPX information into your GPS

 

Each click you just made on the map sets a draggable (click-hold-drag) waypoint and routepoint. This is the Gmap4 default for trip planning.

 

For more information on these features, please visit the Gmap4 homepage and download the current Help file. The sections that describe these new features are marked “(New)” in the table of contents.

Gamp4 Homepage: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

 

I welcome your suggestions for improvements and any bug reports.

 

Enjoy!

 

Joseph, the Gmap4 guy

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Recently Gmap4 was updated to version 4.1 and now includes a unique map-in-a-link feature that is worth mentioning. Anyone can now make a custom map and save their data right in a Gmap4 link. You do not need to save your data in a separate file such as a GPX or KML file. This may be the easiest and faster way for you to make a custom online topographic map.

 

To try out this feature:

1. Click Menu ==> Draw and Save

2. Click the map a few times to set draggable symbols and draw a line

3. Rightclick any symbol and select “Gmap4 display long link”

 

You can copy the link that is displayed, paste it into a new browser address bar, hit enter and your custom map will be displayed.

 

This feature also works on your iPhone, iPad, android and other mobile device. Remember, Gmap4 is a browser app and your browser has to be online. After you tap the screen to set some draggable symbols then tap a symbol and select “Action Menu”. The list of actions include two different ways to save a Gmap4 link that includes your data.

 

More information on this map-in-a-link feature can be found in the following three places.

 

1. What’s new page

Note the tip about deleting the ll and z parameters from your Gmap4 link.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_whats_new.html

 

2. Example page

Scroll down to the section titled “Your map data saved in the Gmap4 link”. The examples range from basic to advanced and give you a quick way to see some of the kinds of maps you can make with this feature.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_examples.html

 

3. Help file

You can download the PDF file and search it (control-f) for the section titled “Make a custom map with Gmap4 and save it”.

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

 

Joseph, the Gmap4 guy

Redmond, WA

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