Paul R. asks:
For a project, I am using a Google Maps API application to create cycling routes. I am creating the routes in the Google Maps API application because the ultimate target application also runs on the Google Maps API. I have very limited export options but I can export tracks in kml format. I can import these kml files into ExpertGPS and I can then export from ExpertGPS the files I need for my application. One of the file types that I export from ExpertGPS for use in my application is a text-delimited tracking file. My problem is that I would like to have elevations in the exported tab-delimited tracking file, but at the moment I can't figure out how to do that.

The July 2009 release of ExpertGPS features a new tool to calculate the elevation of any location in the world, and add that elevation data to any waypoint, route, or track. In the past, when you drew a track on the map in ExpertGPS, or imported driving directions or trails from Google Earth or another 2D mapping source, you wouldn't have elevation data available. Now, using the Get Elevation command on the Tools menu in ExpertGPS, you can add elevation to anything. Simply select the waypoints, routes, or tracks on the map, and click Get Elevation. ExpertGPS will determine the elevation for each point, using the best-available data from the US Geological Survey and NASA's Space Shuttle Radar Tomography Mission (SRTM). In a few seconds, you'll have elevation data, and you can use the Show Elevation Profile command on the View menu to plot the elevation at every point along your hike, ride, or drive.

Jessica writes:
I am doing a behavioral study on a species of bird that has communal display sites called leks. I have set up a 10 meter grid of stakes across a lek, which I use to get x and y coordinates for marked birds on the lek throughout the morning. I have GPS coordinates for each of the stakes and would like to translate the 'fake' coordinates of my grid into real lat and long coordinates. Can you recommend the best way to do that?

Since you're using a sampling grid with 10 meter intervals, the first thing you should do is adopt a mapping coordinate system that uses meters as well - UTM. Latitude and longitude are great for plotting spherical data, but for any type of X,Y data, you should switch to a metric grid system. You could use California State Plane coordinates, but UTM is probably an easier choice, and you can set your GPS to display UTM coordinates.

The next step is to create a 2D coordinate transform, between your sampling grid coordinates, and the UTM coordinate system. This is actually a lot easier than it sounds - you're just solving two equations that map X,Y data from your sampling grid to Easting and Northing coordinates in UTM. You'll need to know the UTM coordinates of the four corner points in your sampling grid. The first should be the zero point, where x and y are 0 in your sampling grid. The second is at the corner (the upper left corner) where y is at maximum, and x is zero. The third point should be at the opposite corner, where x and y are at their maximum. The fourth is in the lower right corner, where x is at maximum, and y is zero.

Solving the Projection Equations

You have to solve two equations. The equation for Easting is: Easting = Ax + By + C. The equation for Northing is: Northing = Dx + Ey + F. C and F are easy to determine - these are the Easting and Northing values at point 1, where x and y are both equal to zero. Because x is zero, the Ax term is also zero. Same for By. So the equation simplifies to Easting = C at the point [0,0]. And you've used your GPS to determine the UTM coordinates at [0,0] are 537305E, 4394972N. So C and F are solved for.

Now consider the upper left point, where x = 0 and y = 200 meters. Because x is zero, the equations simplify to Easting = By + C. We've already determined C = 537305E. y = 200. And the UTM Easting at this point is 537321E. So the equation becomes 537321E = B*200 + 537305E. Subtract 537305E from both sides, and then divide by 200. B = 0.08

Do the same thing to solve for E at this point. Then consider the opposite point, where y is zero, and x is 100 meters. Use the same technique to solve for A and D.

Converting your x,y grid to UTM in Excel

Once you've solved for A, B, C, D, E, and F, you're ready to convert your x,y data into UTM coordinates. Excel or another spreadsheet program is an easy way to do this. You've got your x,y data in two columns. Create two more columns, Easting and Northing. Create a formula for the values in Easting using the equation Easting = Ax + By + C. Same thing for Northing.

Now you're finally ready to map your data. Excel is applying the two formulae to convert x,y data to UTM, using the six constants (ABCDEF) you calculated. Select your data from Excel, making sure you've got the Easting and Northing values as well as the name or label for each data point. Paste this into the Waypoint List in ExpertGPS. Select UTM, WGS84 as your coordinate format (click Add if this format doesn't appear), and be sure to specify that your coordinates are in two columns (Easting and Northing). Enter the UTM zone (it's 13 in the example above). On the next screen, you'll tell ExpertGPS which columns of Excel data contain the Easting and Northing. Once you've done this, ExpertGPS will map your data, and you should see your sampled data points appear on the map right where they should be.

Need Help?

That's probably more math than you want to think about, but the good news is you only have to do it once, and then let the computer do the rest. Those two equations are at the heart of all the mapping features in ExpertGPS - every time you zoom in or scale the map or even move the mouse, ExpertGPS is converting back and forth between the arbitrary x,y coordinate system of your computer monitor and the UTM geographic coordinate system. If you run into trouble, I'm happy to help. Send me the data you're using in spreadsheet format, as well as the coordinates of the four corners of your sample grid, as well as its dimensions.

Setting up a sampling grid using the Grid Builder in ExpertGPS Pro

See that red rectangular grid in the example above? That's the Grid Builder tool in ExpertGPS, superimposing a 10-meter sampling grid over the map. The next time you're setting up a sampling grid using GPS and a map, this tool might save you some time.

Peter K. from Canada asks:
Is it possible to simply take the coordinates from your GPS receiver and have them exported to MS Excel in a simple point name,X,Y style? We are looking at this software after having looked into buying a Trimble GPS unit for GIS and simple plotting uses. Thank you for your time and effort!

How can I export GPS coordinates to Excel in "Name, X, Y" format?

ExpertGPS allows you to copy waypoint and trackpoint data from the List (left side of ExpertGPS window) and paste it directly into Excel, OpenOffice Calc, or any other spreadsheet or text editor. By defining a custom column layout in the Waypoint List in ExpertGPS, you can create a template that will be used whenever you copy and paste data. This allows you to set up your columns in ExpertGPS so the data you paste into Excel will be formatted exactly as you need it.

Peter specifically mentioned X,Y coordinates, rather than lat/lon. To switch between lat/lon, UTM, US state plane, or other coordinate systems, click Edit/Preferences in ExpertGPS, click on the My Coordinate Formats tab, and change the location to Canada (or your own country). Select your preferred coordinate format from the list of options for your local area.

Switch to the Waypoint List in ExpertGPS, and then click Select Columns on the View menu. The Select Columns dialog will appear. Check off the columns of data you need. In Peter's case, these are the Coordinates (X,Y or lat/lon) and Waypoint columns. Since Peter wants his data in Name, X, Y format, drag the Waypoint column header to the left, so it appears before Easting and Northing.

If you are going to be using the column layout on a regular basis, save it as a preset so you can quickly switch back to it. On the View menu, click Save Columns, and enter a name for this layout.

Now just Select All of the waypoints in the Waypoint List, click Copy on the Edit menu, and switch to Excel. Click Paste, and you'll have your GPS point data in Name, X, Y format.

Otis C. asks:
I have an MS Excel document with multiple Lat/Long points listed in one column, but individual rows. Would I be able to import this info into your product and have it plot it point by point on a map, which has street level definition?

Here's a sample of Otis' data.

41.6299 -94.0207
41.6299 -94.02
41.6148 -94.0173
41.615 -94.0173

Normally, you can just copy and paste from MS Excel to the Track list in ExpertGPS to create a new track from your latitude and longitude data, but this data is a bit different. There's only one column of data in Otis' Excel spreadsheet, and the latitude and longitude are in the same column, with just a space between them. ExpertGPS expects to see at least two columns of data, delimited with either a tab or a comma.

There are two options to get this data into ExpertGPS: 1. Insert a comma between the latitude and longitude. 2. Add a "dummy" column to trick ExpertGPS into thinking you've got two columns of data. You don't even need to fill the each row, just adding a bit of filler text in the second column of the first row will do.

After adding the dummy data in column B, simply select columns A and B, copy, and paste into the Track list in ExpertGPS. Match up the data columns in the Import Text Wizard, and you're done!

Kevin C., a hunter from South Dakota, asks:
I have a Lowrance XOG and would like the ability to save maps of Walk In Areas and School Lands from the State of South Dakota's website with the following link: http://arcgis.sd.gov/Website/sdGIS/Data.aspx
Will your program allow me to convert these maps to my XOG so I can see these boundaries similar to how I currently view park and city boundaries.
If so, could I get a step by step instructions on how to save these to a SD card? Any help would be greatly appreciated

South Dakota and many other states put their public and walk-in hunting maps, WMAs, and other vital hunting information on their state GIS Web sites. You can use the GIS import features in ExpertGPS Pro to view all of this public hunting data over topo maps, aerial photos, or your own scanned BLM or other paper maps.

Download the hunting layers you need from your state GIS Website, and make note of the projection information given for each file. In this case, the South Dakota hunting map data is projected in UTM, Zone 14, WGS84 (or NAD83) datum. You'll need to add that coordinate format in ExpertGPS if you're not already working with it. Click Preferences on the Edit menu, switch to the My Coordinate Formats tab, and add UTM, WGS84.

To import the hunting data, click Import on the File menu in ExpertGPS, and select the .shp file that you downloaded and unzipped. (You may need to change the file type selector at the bottom of the Import dialog to show Shapefiles). The Import Polygons dialog will appear - this is where you select the projection used (UTM) and specify the UTM zone (14 North). You can also choose which fields in the shapefile are mapped to the Label and Description of the tracks you create in ExpertGPS. Click OK, and you'll have all of the Walk-in Hunting areas in South Dakota overlaid on your ExpertGPS maps.

Sending Hunting Boundaries to your GPS

There are almost 4000 walk-in, public, and state-owned hunting locations in South Dakota. Your GPS doesn't have enough tracklog memory to display all of them. What you can do, is to use the topo maps and aerial photos in ExpertGPS to scout out the areas where you'd like to hunt, and send these few property boundaries to your GPS.

After you've identified a promising public hunting location, use the Select tool in ExpertGPS to click on a shaded boundary. Hold the Shift key, and keep clicking to select adjacent properties. Right-click, and click Copy Tracks. Create a new file, and Paste the tracks. Now you've got a smaller, more manageable file which you can refer to when planning your hunt. To transfer the property boundaries to your GPS, just click Send to GPS on the GPS menu. Since the Lowrance XOG stores its data on an SD memory card, ExpertGPS will prompt you to save your hunting waypoints and the tracklogs defining the land boundaries in a .USR file on the SD card. Place the SD card back in the battery compartment of your GPS, and use the menu command on the GPS to load the data from the card into the main GPS memory. (Consult your manual for the exact command - each Lowrance GPS is a bit different).

Be sure to print out a topo map from ExpertGPS showing the land boundaries and the terrain. If you print out a UTM grid over your map, and switch your GPS receiver to display its current location in UTM (rather than lat/lon), it's easy to keep track of where you are in the field by referring to the grid lines on your printed topo map.

By combining the wealth of freely-available GIS data from your state GIS and fish and game departments with the mapping capabilities of ExpertGPS Pro, you've got a powerful tool for scouting new public hunting areas and ensuring you'll have a successful hunt. Best of luck this hunting season!

ExpertGPS comes with several hundred waypoint symbols you can use on your maps, but sometimes you need to create a map with your own custom symbology. ExpertGPS allows you to create your own custom map symbols, which you can use on your own maps. By placing your custom map symbols online, anyone who uses ExpertGPS, EasyGPS, or Google Earth can view your maps with the custom markers you created.

In this tutorial, I'll be creating a system map for Boston's MBTA system, the oldest subway in the world. Download the final GPX file: mbta.gpx

I started by importing free GIS shapefiles containing the subway lines and stations from MassGIS, the official GIS data agency in Massachusetts, into ExpertGPS Pro. Depending on your project, you might import GIS or CAD data, or retrieve waypoints and tracklogs from your Garmin or Magellan GPS using ExpertGPS. I then located the MBTA logo I wanted to use (as well as logos for the transit systems in Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC) at http://mic-ro.com/metro/metrologos.html

I used Adobe Photoshop (any image editor will do) to create 20x20 pixel transparent PNG files from each logo. If your image editor doesn't support transparency, your logos will appear over a white rectangular background on the map.

Creating a custom symbol set

ExpertGPS stores all of its custom symbols in a special folder on your computer. Since this location varies from Windows XP to Windows Vista, the best way to get there is to click Open Program Data Folder on the Help menu in ExpertGPS, and then open the Symbols folder.

Create a new folder named Subway in the Symbols folder, and copy your PNG images there. You'll also need a special text file named readme.txt - create a new file, or copy it from one of the other Symbol folders.

The readme.txt file you distribute with your custom map symbols has two purposes - to tell ExpertGPS where to find your symbols on the Internet, and to tell others the copyright and usage info for your symbols. You must enter a URL as the very first line of readme.txt The rest of the file is yours to put whatever copyright info you want.

The URL you put at the top of the file should point to a Web site that contains the custom symbols you create. If your site has two sets of symbols: www.mysite.com/my-symbols/Subway www.mysite.com/my-symbols/Railroad you would enter www.mysite.com/my-symbols/ as the base URL in each of their Readme.txt files.

Restart ExpertGPS so that your new custom symbol set will be loaded. Now create or edit a waypoint, and click the New Type button at the top of the Edit Waypoint Type dialog. Select your new symbol set in the Edit Waypoint Type dialog.

Any waypoint that you assign your new Type to will be displayed using your custom symbol. If you distribute your GPX file to other ExpertGPS or EasyGPS users, their copy of the software will automatically contact your Web site to download the custom symbol you've posted online.

Creating custom placemark markers (pushpins) for Google Earth

Any Google Earth KML files you create, by clicking Export on the File menu, or by pressing F7, the View in Google Earth command, will use your custom markers.

If you've created a custom symbol set for ExpertGPS that you think others would benefit from, drop me a line or post a comment here with a short description and a link to the symbol set's URL. I hope this tutorial allows you to create high-quality maps from your GPS and GIS data using ExpertGPS.

Many organizations and GPS hobbyists are looking to combine GPS tracklog data with GIS layers (contour lines, road centerlines, and boundary data) and create professional-quality maps. The styling features in ExpertGPS allow you to create some nice-looking maps, but sometimes you need to step up to a true graphics package like Adobe's Illustrator.

Up until now, it's been difficult to take your GPS data and import it into Adobe Illustrator. With the upcoming support for SVG export in ExpertGPS, you'll be able to take any GPX file and output it as Scalable Vector Graphics, which you can then import right into Illustrator. The image above shows the output from ExpertGPS in Illustrator: the topo map layer is on the bottom, and above that are layers showing the town boundary, all of the ponds and streams in the area, all of the major roads, and finally at the top, three GPS tracklogs I recorded around town.

I originally started implementing SVG support in ExpertGPS several years ago, but there wasn't much use for it at the time. Now that more browsers (Firefox, Safari) natively support SVG, and more people have the Adobe SVG Viewer for Internet Explorer, it's a more useful export format.

If you're involved in mapmaking using Illustrator or another vector graphics program and would like to help with the design of the "GPX to SVG to .ai" workflow in ExpertGPS Pro, or if you have other workflows you'd like to see ExpertGPS handle, please drop me a line.