+topotracker Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 My objective is to convert ( Google Earth - My Places) kml files to gpx files so they will work in Nat Geo TOPO states software. I have tried ExpertGps and it works but it is expensive. Is there a free or less expensive software that will do this? Thanks, Jay Quote Link to comment
+ecanderson Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 (edited) Would be worth a Google of "convert kml gpx". There are a number of free packages out there. You can even do it online at http://garmin.gps-data-team.com/poi_manager.php and at http://www.poieditor.com/poi_convert/kml-to-gpx/ For a standalone package for your PC, go to the gurus at http://www.gpsbabel.org/ -- that's the core for format conversion for GSAK. Converts pretty much anything to anything. Edited April 3, 2010 by ecanderson Quote Link to comment
+Native20559 Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 Would be worth a Google of "convert kml gpx". There are a number of free packages out there. You can even do it online at http://garmin.gps-data-team.com/poi_manager.php and at http://www.poieditor.com/poi_convert/kml-to-gpx/ For a standalone package for your PC, go to the gurus at http://www.gpsbabel.org/ -- that's the core for format conversion for GSAK. Converts pretty much anything to anything. Easiest is GPSbabelGUI, the version with a user interface if you're not comfortable with having to write the conversion command lines. http://www.gpsbabel.org/download.html, Download the Windows version GPSbabel-1.3.6.zip and run the GPSBabelGUI.exe hands down the very best bar none! Be safe. N Quote Link to comment
+topotracker Posted April 5, 2010 Author Share Posted April 5, 2010 Thank all of you for your help and being so kind to answer this basic question that you have likely answered many times. Normally I would spend more time searching the data but the weather is getting better and I need to get a jump on doing some Elk scouting. It seems like most people want to convert from their gps to Google Earth which made me think you couldn't go the other way without complications. I like to locate a good looking area on Google Earth first and then move it to the gps. I will download the Babel software you recommended and save a chunk of money and not have to manually load coordinates any more. Thanks, Jay Quote Link to comment
+facade66 Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Not quite what you asked, but following on from your last post, Google Earth will load a GPX file straight from your GPS, either drag it onto the google screen, or use the "open files" dialogue and change the file type to all, or gpx. I use GPSUtility to upload Google earth paths to my garmin. Quote Link to comment
tiiiim Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 (edited) Google Earth will load a GPX file straight from your GPS, either drag it onto the google screen, or use the "open files" dialogue and change the file type to all, or gpx. When I found this out (not that long ago) it blew my mind! It also saddened me: I pride myself in a) knowing about all the features to a program and b ) testing a program to the limits, so why I never just tried to open a gpx file in GE I'll never know. I'll just put it down to a very new feature update..... </offtopic> Edited April 5, 2010 by tiiiim Quote Link to comment
+topotracker Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 I have downloaded GPS Babel made a successful file conversion of kml to gpx and I was also able to then import the gpx file into my TOPO! maps program. Success at last! It looks like I can only convert one file at a time. Is this true or is there a way to batch convert? Quote Link to comment
robertlipe Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 GPSBabel can process many files, but it processes only one "stream" at a time. SO if you want to read a KML, read a Lowrance, read a GDB, filter by some esoteric criteria, then writ the result to a GPX and a GDB, that's fine and you can do that in one shot. If you want to convert a directory of one files to a pile of other format, just script the "obvious" loop in shell script/batch file/applescript/whatever to do them. Quote Link to comment
+topotracker Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 Your script information is sliding right by my brain. For example if I wanted to batch 2 waypoints I enter "mile 10.kml,gravel pit.kml Is this even close? Quote Link to comment
tiiiim Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 Your script information is sliding right by my brain. For example if I wanted to batch 2 waypoints I enter "mile 10.kml,gravel pit.kml Is this even close? GPSBabel cannot do batch processing the way you want it to (at least, the way I think you want it to!). If you give it 4 files as an input, it will spit out ONE resultant gpx (or whatever) file, which will be an amalgamation of all the 4 files. It will not produce 4 separate files. The suggestion was to script your own loop in whatever coding language you want, and within each loop you pass gpsbabel your file and make it convert to whatever you want, then the next loop you do the same and so on until you have processed all your files. If you've never scripted before then yeah, it's not that easy!! (Apologies if this is not what you meant, and just ignore this post! ) Quote Link to comment
+topotracker Posted April 7, 2010 Author Share Posted April 7, 2010 I think I understand what you mean and it would be an improvement over re-doing the whole process for each file. Maybe some day I will learn to script. Thanks. Quote Link to comment
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