Export multi-destination (or dragged) route to Google Earth
Love keep adding destinations to your route, or even dragging the route to refine perfectly to your needs in the directions feature on Google Maps? But frustrated that this feature isn’t available in Google Earth?
… No, not implemented this feature for Earth (wouldn’t that be something!), but as a stop gap its a way to export your newly created directions on Maps, and open them in Google Earth! You get a freshly created folder containing each section as a separate route, ready for use as ‘one.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
This is a great tool. What I am trying to do is build an interactive map which shows the transport link in an area (buses routes). The bus routes are encoded using the TransXChange data format (xml schema). What would be really cool is if I can take a TransXChange service description and convert it to KML for display on a map. However, before I go that far, this is an excellent way for me to get kml file from routes data - even if I have to manipulate the routes by hand.
Thanks again for all your efforts on this site. Some really great resources here.
January 11th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I’ve never even heard of TransXChange, but doesnt look that hard to parse (looking at a few examples) - the only issue is its in NationalGrid so would need converting to lat/long for Google Maps etc. (but I have plenty of tools available for that
One thing that does occur to me, is might be worth contacting Google:
http://code.google.com/transit/spec/transit_feed_specification.html
as they might have or willing ot help create a TransXChange < -> transit feed convertor. And in the process KML could be a useful biproduct.
January 17th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Great tool, but . . . Trying create a Google Earth route of a backroads motorcycle route. When I do a simple test route of several addresses it works great. But when I try a sample of the routes I actually want to create I get an XML parsing error when I open the KML file.
Here’s the GoogleMap route I’m trying to convert-
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=sierra+madre+%26+azusa,+azusa,+ca&daddr=34.218332,-117.854805+to:mt+baldy,+ca&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=12&via=1&sll=34.1767,-117.783835&sspn=0.135768,0.275345&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=0
January 18th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
@Geoff,
Good catch, it wasnt coping with the & in the address. I’ve fixed it and it now copes with your route just fine
January 25th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
@Chris,
Just found this
http://code.google.com/p/googletransitdatafeed/
which reportedly has a TransXChange convertor
March 19th, 2008 at 3:21 am
Your program is great. Could you help me with a problem and tell me what I’m doing wrong. When I run the program, and then save the new.kml file into a folder it works with no problem in GE, but when I try to convert the .kml to a .gdb file through Babel [ GPSBabelGUI.exe ] it doesn’t work and only shows the file as 1 k……
Thank You
Ray
March 19th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
@Ray
I think its that the KML file produced doesnt contain any content, but rather a set of network links, which tell GE (or Google Maps etc) where to find the actual ocntent on Googles servers. Is quite probably that GPSBabel doesnt understand such links and expect the content to be in the file.
The easiest workaround I can think of is to probably open in in GE, and drag the contents of old directions (one by one) to a new folder - if you drag the top level you simply move the link - and then save this new folder, this should actully save the content.
HTHs
March 20th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Barry
That did it……….by creating a new folder and transferring the instructions
So your saying that your program creates a kind of “shortcut” and that explains the folder and the subfolder having the same title when opened in GE
Is there any way to eliminate that step
Thank You for the program and explanation
Ray
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Hi Barry,
That is brilliant! Just what I’ve been trying to achieve. Surely Google must before too long provide either d+d in GE or the ability to get info out of GM? As you say, it is a gap in functionality.
On another note, I am trying to recreate some old “tracks” for my website, but have them in an old Autoroute (*.AEU and *.AGB) format. In fact I only need to extract the waypoints. Do you have a utility that can retrieve/convert them? (I don’t have the old programme). The file is zipped at http://www.aslc43.dsl.pipex.com/Misc/old_autoroute.zip if you’re able to take a peak. I’ve previously used an excellent utility at http://mcrenox.com.ar/gps/ to extract info from Autoroute 2001+, but it can’t do earlier versions (I have asked!).
Sorry, the original purpose of my message was to say thanks, not ask for more!
Ian
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:10 pm
UPDATE:
I’ve looked into the Network Links in your KML output. It seems the same can be achieved, by taking the “Link to this page” url from GM, and simply changing the “&z=10″ (or whatever zoom factor) at the end to “&output=kml”.
The revised url works either straight into your browser’s address bar, or as the location of a Network Link in GE.
The difference is, the Path will be in one segment, and the directions will be in one list (i.e. there’s no splitting at via points).
May 4th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
@Ian
Have you seen http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ that might have a conversion - in particular has a web interface to GPSBabel.
Yes as you seen it just creates a bunch of links - so gets a seperate ‘routing’ per segment, the normal kml output doesnt seem to fully support multiple points (it does partically tho)
May 5th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Thanks Barry, I’ll have a look at http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/.
The method I described (modifying the GM url) definitely does preserve the routing of GM in GE. My purpose was to generate a path (simulated tracklog), which was a lot easier in GM. I also wanted it in one segment.
It’s very odd that GM’s routing doesn’t display the “View in Google Earth” button.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Further to my last post, it seems that it preserves routing using via points (i.e. dragged ones, the little white circles). But doesn’t work with Adding destinations (i.e. markers ‘C’ and greater).
May 5th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
yes noticed that. I’ve used it before (before got round to writing the above app), you can convert the points to ‘via’ points with the ‘via’ param, i added basic docs here http://mapki.com/wiki/Google_Map_Parameters
Update: Which also reminds me this app silently disgards the via information, and makes them all full stops - it could be sorted I suppose.
Also unrelated, I mentioned draggable routes in GE itself, it might soon be possible!
May 6th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Thanks Barry.
One other thing - have you found a decent method of transferring a route from GM (via. GE probably?) to a GPX file? I’ve done it via. a KML but just end up with lots of unconnected Waypoints and some Tracklogs(=paths). What I want is a Route!
I’ve searched and found a few websites which purport to do this, but haven’t yet had any success. Perhaps Google will add an ‘Export to GPX’ or ‘Send to GPS’ button before long? I did see that facility available from the ‘Send’ button but I think it only works for one Waypoint at present.
BTW GPSvisualiser wasn’t able to handle my AEU files.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 pm
There are two links to copy. Which one do I use? Doesn’t really matter, I guess, because I get the following message no matter what I use:
unable to parse query, please try again
Can you please help me, or has Google “fixed” your script so it no longer works?
Thanks.
Candy
July 4th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
@Candy
Only one of the boxes is a Link, the top one (as it says on the instructions in the Google Maps Group post)
I’ve just tested it now and it working for me. What map are you using? Are you simply viewing directions at the time you click the ‘Link to this Page’
If you can please paste the link you are trying here.
July 16th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Getting parsing error: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=111518315068414865907.00045197457d5b733dc2b&ll=42.004407,-72.246094&spn=2.7675,4.790039&z=8
July 20th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
@Geoff, not exactly sure what you saying, but that link is a link to a My Map on Google Maps - so that wont export.
You use this tool to create a KML file from a ‘Link to this page’ when viewing the directions - the other tutorial tip post mentions you can then import the KML produced by this tool back into a My Map - to save it.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:50 am
Tried this to save a route. Got very bizarre results; maybe I’m not doing it correctly, but I followed the directions on the FAQ.
It was a local map for Atlanta, GA metro area (to get to my daughters volleyball match from work and then home after). When I imported (follwoing directions) it was routing me through Pennsylvania…a little out of the way for what I had planned.
Anyway - thanks for the help, but Google really needs some method for saving routings, both multiple destination and customized destination. I like a lot of what Google maps does, but saving customized routes would be a big advance.