BajaNomad

Google Earth Help

okiegumbo - 1-31-2019 at 06:49 AM

Help. I know how to create a route connecting point to point with a straight line, but that not what I would like to do. I want to create a colored route that follows every curve and bend of a particular road. I have searched the internet until I am crossed-eyed. Can you help?

4x4abc - 1-31-2019 at 07:54 AM

I have been searching for an easy answer as well
there is no tracing software available to the public
you have to do it by hand
cmd-shift-T is your start
give your track a name
select "Style, Color" for your line thickness and color
then trace away my friend
save at the end in either kmz or kml
end product will look like this:
http://baja101.com/Baja-GPS/NoWimp.kmz

you can of course have your GPS track the route while you are driving it
then load into Google Earth
some cleanup is needed though
because when you stop or make a wrong turn, you have more tracing points than you want

add waypoints or markers with cmd-shift-P
give it a name
select a symbol (don't use pins)

in the end create a folder to save a collection of tracks and waypoints
cmd-shift-N will do that for you
just drag and drop
then save in kmz or kml

too much work?
good things always need an effort
or delight us all and invent a tracing software

Bajazly - 1-31-2019 at 10:25 AM

Gaia is really good for doing this, just start clicking points and it makes a track between them if there is any kind of road visible.

mcnut - 1-31-2019 at 10:30 AM

As long as the path is a mapped road there are other ways.

You can use software (Garmin BaseCamp and many others) the calculates a route using autorouting maps (such as Garmin or OpenSource maps). Save the route as a track and export as a .kml file and open in GE.

If not mapped on autorouting maps then yes it becomes a manual but doable process in GE.

Bruce

JZ - 1-31-2019 at 10:42 AM

Quote: Originally posted by okiegumbo  
Help. I know how to create a route connecting point to point with a straight line, but that not what I would like to do. I want to create a colored route that follows every curve and bend of a particular road. I have searched the internet until I am crossed-eyed. Can you help?


It's super easy in GE. Click the ruler icon at the top. And in the popup dialog, select Path. Connect the dots. The more points you add the more exact it follows a path.

Then you can change the color or thickness of the track by right clicking it and editing the Properties.

Export it as a kml to BCN or Gaia.






[Edited on 1-31-2019 by JZ]

JZ - 1-31-2019 at 10:49 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mcnut  
As long as the path is a mapped road there are other ways.

You can use software (Garmin BaseCamp and many others) the calculates a route using autorouting maps (such as Garmin or OpenSource maps). Save the route as a track and export as a .kml file and open in GE.

If not mapped on autorouting maps then yes it becomes a manual but doable process in GE.

Bruce


GE is far superior to BaseCamp. Not a fan of Garmin products at all. Very un-user friendly.

StuckSucks - 1-31-2019 at 11:04 AM

I use Google My Maps to create maps for the truck GPS and Gaia. If you trace a road as "driving directions," the line will auto-follow the road -- define a starting and ending location and the line will magically appear. With some post-noodling, you can eliminate the "directions" part of the line, leaving a clean line along a road. As with other programs you can define the line's color and stroke.

David K - 1-31-2019 at 11:46 AM

As JZ says, change the GE measuring ruler from Line to Path. It is a great tool.

Alm - 1-31-2019 at 03:09 PM

There is no easy way to do this in GE. You can manually make "path", a tedious work when the path is long.

OTH, Google Maps can do this automatically. But it won't always follow the particular road that you want, - instead it will take the shortest or the fastest route, though you can drag/change this.

I'm curious - after all the stones throwing, how did we end up using Google ? :biggrin:

okiegumbo - 1-31-2019 at 03:26 PM

Thanks to All. I really appreciate your suggestions. I am working on a Baja trip for friends and was looking for a easy solution. I can't justify spending $ for a one time use and I don't have the patience to learn new software (Ozzi,Gaia).

Too bad I live in Texas. I had much rather drive the route with my Lowrance Global 600. It would be a easy transfer to GE. I will just have to suck it up and zoom in close with GE and use lots of dots.


















Thanks Again

JZ - 1-31-2019 at 03:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Alm  
There is no easy way to do this in GE. You can manually make "path", a tedious work when the path is long.



It's easy and fun to do it in Google Earth. Nothing tedious about it at all.

Sit down at your computer with a beer and you can pretty much map out the entire Seven Sisters in an hour or so.

You'll learn a place much better than someone hand spooning your a track.





[Edited on 1-31-2019 by JZ]

4x4abc - 1-31-2019 at 03:57 PM

Quote: Originally posted by okiegumbo  
Thanks to All. I really appreciate your suggestions. I am working on a Baja trip for friends and was looking for a easy solution. I can't justify spending $ for a one time use and I don't have the patience to learn new software (Ozzi,Gaia).

Too bad I live in Texas. I had much rather drive the route with my Lowrance Global 600. It would be a easy transfer to GE. I will just have to suck it up and zoom in close with GE and use lots of dots.


Thanks Again


What area are you looking at - i might have the racks

JZ - 1-31-2019 at 03:57 PM

Quote: Originally posted by okiegumbo  
....with my Lowrance Global 600. It would be a easy transfer to GE.


Throw your Lowrance in the garbage bin. Today's GPS apps on phones are 10x better.

okiegumbo - 1-31-2019 at 05:31 PM

JZ Only way I would give up my Lowrance is ito pry it out of my dead hands.
It has traveled thousand and thousand of miles all over the USA with out fail. It shows hundreds and hundreds of two track trails in the west. It has sat, images, turn by turn, FM broadcast, plays mp3 files and jpeg. 5.5 million points of info, trip planning, marine aids to navigation, odometer, trip , stores,1000 tracts in different colors,odometer, tracks average speed, address searches, address book etc. etc.plus a 5 1/2 inch screen. Calculates dtg, eta, voltage, altitude, blah blah. Junk? I think not! Oh, I forgot half dozen different languages too!

JZ - 1-31-2019 at 05:41 PM

My phone does all that and much more. Plus has a much better screen, is brighter, and a way better UI.

UI on standalone GPS is complete trash. Once you step into the modern world you'll never go back.

TMW - 1-31-2019 at 05:42 PM

Lowrance, OH, one of those guys.

StuckSucks - 2-1-2019 at 01:54 PM

How to draw a track along a road using Google Maps. Near the end of the video, I change the route demonstrating how that is done.


David K - 2-1-2019 at 02:13 PM

Jim, when you clicked along the way, how did the line magically attach to the road? I only know the freehand ruler method. Thank you.
There is no sound, correct?

Edit: I use Google Earth and I just noticed your link is Google Maps... does it "see" roads and automatically put a distance line on them?

[Edited on 2-1-2019 by David K]

StuckSucks - 2-1-2019 at 03:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
I use Google Earth and I just noticed your link is Google Maps... does it "see" roads and automatically put a distance line on them?


Watch the beginning of the video again: I select a driving route (vs just a line) which automagically "sticks" to an existing road. Sometimes, the road alignment which Google knows, can be different from reality -- they may be showing an old road grade. I'm using Google My Maps.

JZ - 2-1-2019 at 03:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
How to draw a track along a road using Google Maps. Near the end of the video, I change the route demonstrating how that is done.





Ha, ha, that's like cheating...




[Edited on 2-1-2019 by JZ]

4x4abc - 2-1-2019 at 03:39 PM

can you export the track?

StuckSucks - 2-1-2019 at 04:01 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
can you export the track?


Yes, as .kml or .kmz.

JZ - 2-1-2019 at 05:52 PM

Gonna try it out tonight. Will be interesting to see how it works on various routes.


StuckSucks - 2-1-2019 at 06:34 PM

Google My Maps Help

4x4abc - 2-1-2019 at 06:36 PM

can't make it snap to the road

StuckSucks - 2-1-2019 at 07:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
can't make it snap to the road


Did you select a driving route (vs just a line)? The driving route will snap to roads known by Google.

4x4abc - 2-1-2019 at 08:48 PM

it definitely has a mind of its own
not bad though