Brian H. asks:
How do I add Lowrance gps way point numbers( like 34.06.182 / 81.23.465 and convert to get into google earth pro for fishing way points?

Your data is in latitude and longitude, degrees and decimal minutes. That first dot (after 34 in 34.06.182) should actually be a degrees symbol, or a space. So the latitude is 34 degrees, and 6.182 minutes North latitude. The longitude is 81 degrees, 23.465 minutes West longitude. (In the US, we're in Western Hemisphere, and you'll often see the longitude written with a negative sign: -81 23.465')

Read my tutorial on adding a new coordinate format to ExpertGPS for instructions on how to add lat/lon deg min.min coordinates. You'll need to know whether your data is in WGS84 datum, or NAD27.

Viewing your Fishing Waypoints in Google Earth

Once you've entered your waypoints, you can press F7, the View in Google Earth command, to map your GPS fishing waypoints on Google Earth's color aerial photos. And when you press Send to GPS in ExpertGPS, your waypoints will be transferred directly to your Lowrance chartplotter or GPS receiver.

Dawee M. asks:
I am looking at your programme ExpertGPS. Can the programme convert a kmz file from Google Earth to a shp file to use in GIS?

One convenient use for ExpertGPS Pro is as a converter from Google Earth's KML and compressed KMZ formats into GIS shapefiles, DXF CAD drawings, and other GPS and mapping formats. For this example, I'll convert the New York City subway lines and stations in KMZ format to SHP using ExpertGPS Pro. First I import the KMZ data into ExpertGPS Pro by clicking Import on the File menu, and selecting the KMZ file I downloaded from the Internet. ExpertGPS Pro converts the placemarks for each subway station into GPS waypoints, and converts each subway line into a GPS track.

Before I export the data, I have to decide what coordinate format to use to match my ArcGIS project. ExpertGPS Pro supports lat/lon, UTM, US state plane coordinates, and the national grid formats of Britain, France, and many other countries. New York City is covered by the New York Long Island state plane coordinate system, NAD83 datum, which I've selected in ExpertGPS Pro.

To export the subway stations, I click once in the Waypoint List, and then click Export Waypoints in List on the File menu. When prompted to save the shapefile, I change the File Type in the bottom of the Export dialog to Point Shapefile (.shp). I repeat the process to export the subway lines from the Track List as a Polyline Shapefile.

After you've done this once in ExpertGPS, you'll have the coordinate format already set to match your ArcGIS project, so converting additional KMZ and KML files simply becomes a two-step process. Import the KMZ, and click Export to convert it to a shapefile.

Related Topics How to publish GIS layers to Google Earth KML More file conversions with ExpertGPS Pro

Bill G. asks:
I see that I can enter my hunting areas with expert GPS and did see some farm capabilities. How easy is it to put fence lines and gates on the maps? Can I pull in a Google Earth image and draw directly on that? Can I add and remove layers? example, maybe I don't want to see the deer trails, can I hide them and then view them again later? Thanks for your help!

It's as easy as pointing and clicking. You can trace fence lines directly off the aerial imagery of your fields. ExpertGPS does have a Layers feature, but even easier is to simply hide the data you want to temporarily remove from the map. Select the data, right-click, and Hide. When you want to see it all again, click Show All on the Edit menu.

The View in Google Earth command in ExpertGPS allows you to view your GPS data (waypoints, routes, and tracks) over the detailed color imagery in Google Earth. To use the command, open a GPX file in ExpertGPS, or retrieve the data from your GPS. Press F7, or click View in Google Earth on the View menu. ExpertGPS will instruct Google Earth to synchronize its map to match the map in ExpertGPS, and to show your GPS data.

If Google Earth is not already running when you click View in Google Earth, it may not show your data because it is busy initializing. To prevent this, run Google Earth and let it finish initializing and zoom in on the globe. Then click View in Google Earth in ExpertGPS.

You can also export your data from ExpertGPS to a KML file, which you can then view in Google Earth. Click on the map in ExpertGPS, and then click Export Data on Map on the File menu. Change the file type to .kml, and save to your desktop. Open the KML file in Google Earth.

ExpertGPS cannot display Google Earth's worldwide color imagery directly. Google's terms of use forbid this. You can, however, export an image from Google Earth and use it as a Scanned Map in ExpertGPS.

The ExpertGPS help file has complete details about preparing and geo-referencing your maps for use within the program.

Related Topics Adding a Google Earth image to ExpertGPS

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.