Uploading a route

[+perfunctory butcher's]

I want to upload a route from either a kml or gpx (to do a PQ along a route) but the function always returns a server 500 failure.

I have generated these files from numerous sources, Google Maps, Basecamp, Tyre etc but they all seem to fail.

Contacted GS whose reply was as follows:

If you receive a 500 error when trying to upload a route, please consider the following:

For KML and KMZ: Your file can ONLY have one path in the file and the file cannot contain polygons or placemarks.

For GPX files: GPX files created with Garmin applications (MapSource or BaseCamp) add a byte order mark to the start of the file that causes the uploader to stop working. You will need to manually remove that BOM from the file or resave the GPX in another application that doesn't add that BOM (such as EasyGPS).

I hope this helps. If you have further questions, please direct them to the Geocaching Forums.

 

Well I then created a simple route, just two waypoints on a straight road, but same results.

I don't know what they mean by only one path, I believe I have only one path since it's a short bit of road with no junctions.

I have opened the gpx file in Notepad but there is no sign of a BOF tag so I can't remove that either!

 

It's getting so frustrating now, is anyone on here using the excellent Tyre program, that's my ultimate aim, but although it generates kml or gpx files, GS can't seem to work with them :-(

Edited February 14, 2015 by perfunctory butcher's

[Moun10Bike]

Well I then created a simple route, just two waypoints on a straight road, but same results.

I don't know what they mean by only one path, I believe I have only one path since it's a short bit of road with no junctions.

I have opened the gpx file in Notepad but there is no sign of a BOF tag so I can't remove that either!

 

If you create a route with two waypoints in Google Earth, then when saving you need to save ONLY the path that is generated. Failure will occur if you include the waypoints.

 

You won't be able to see a BOM in a text editor in order to edit it out, and its presence makes editors that are only expecting ASCII fail (like the route upload feature).

[+andi_ilvese]

I do have the same problem with the upload. I created the file with BaseCamp and manually edited it to strip it down to a minimum. It now looks like

<gpx>
 <trk>
   <name>01-000 BaselBad Bahnhof bis 01-900 Bözen</name>
   <trkseg>
     <trkpt lat="47.546016583219171" lon="7.588409269228578" />
     <trkpt lat="47.548892498016357" lon="7.591509819030762" />
     ...
     <trkpt lat="47.495205402374268" lon="8.0814528465271" />
   </trkseg>
 </trk>
</gpx>

GS still refuses to upload the file. Any idea how to handle that?

 

Andreas

[Moun10Bike]

I do have the same problem with the upload. I created the file with BaseCamp and manually edited it to strip it down to a minimum.

 

That does not remove the Unicode BOM that Garmin software adds to the start of their files. Your best bet is to open the file in other software, such as Google Earth or EasyGPS, and save anew version from there.

[+perfunctory butcher's]

I do have the same problem with the upload. I created the file with BaseCamp and manually edited it to strip it down to a minimum.

 

That does not remove the Unicode BOM that Garmin software adds to the start of their files. Your best bet is to open the file in other software, such as Google Earth or EasyGPS, and save anew version from there.

[+perfunctory butcher's]

So this BOM is a non ascii character that dosen't show up in Notepad?

In that case, if I open the gpx file in Notepad and then save again, will Notepad effectively strip out the naughty BOM for me?

[+two left feet]

So this BOM is a non ascii character that dosen't show up in Notepad?

In that case, if I open the gpx file in Notepad and then save again, will Notepad effectively strip out the naughty BOM for me?

 

I had a similar issue using ridewithgps.com which can make routes and export to .gpx and .kml. I switched from .gpx to .kml and it uploaded OK. Tried it in Google Maps with export to .kml and it worked for me also.

 

Have not tried it but just a thought; try opening the file in a text editor and then copy just the text. Open another file and paste just the text in and see if that cleans it up. However that assumes the issue is something in the file and not an error with the upload function on GC.com using .gpx. Not sure how much effort is worthwhile since there are workarounds but a good hex editor will display everything in the file including the control codes.

 

Another possibility is to run the .gpx through GPSbabel and convert to .kml.

 

For now I am just using Google Maps with .kml which seems to work fine.

[+perfunctory butcher's]

So far I am opening the saved kml in Google Earth and the saving as kml again. It's working so far but I have 33 routes on a future road trip to convert to PQ so it'a a bit of a faff. This is interesting :

https://sites.google.com/site/gmapstips/export-my-map-as-kml

[+andi_ilvese]

Just now I created a new file and copy/pasted the content of the original file.

Now it works

But that's a lot of unnecessary work ...

[+two left feet]

Just now I created a new file and copy/pasted the content of the original file.

Now it works

But that's a lot of unnecessary work ...

 

I have used the online maps at ridewithgps.com. Works much like Google Maps but has some nice features like "avoid highways" which I prefer when caching a route. It won't try to take the shortest / quickest route but will follow the best non-Interstate route. You can export direct to .kml so there are no conversions or corrections to do. They also have multiple map views like; topo, terrain, satellite view, etc which is useful for laying out a cache route. They have paid upgraded services but the free version is fine for doing caches along a route.

 

Hopefully this is just a workaround until they fix the GC.com website.