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Convert .Kmz Files To .Gdb


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I undertake lots of GPS/GIS projects and am frequently translating files. GPS Utility from the UK is very powerful. A bit quirky to find the function you may be needing but file translation is quite simple. There's both a free and paid version, good value either way.

 

Link here: http://gpsu.co.uk/index.html

 

Program notes from their website:

"Please feel free to try out the freeware version of GPS Utility before you register. This is more or less fully functional and it is not time limited. Remember that it is limited in capacity (100 waypoints, 500 trackpoints, 5 routes), but this allows you to try out most of the function on small datasets.

 

The registered version can deal with up to 65,000 waypoints or 500,000 trackpoints and provides a number of advanced facilities. For more details, see the Help topics "freeware version" and "registered version" in GPSU.

 

You can register via http://www.shareit.com/programs/102360.htm. or you can go to Shareit.com and enter the program number 102360.

 

The registration fee is US$60."

 

Good luck, cheers . . . . . .

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Thanks to all for your post and links and the humor too!

 

The system i worked out to use is a bit convoluted but gets the job done. Did have a heck of a time finding where GPSBabel "hid" the file after converting it but managed to find it. Might be somewhere different depending on how you have set up the defaults on your computer but on mine it was squirreled away in "My Files> AppData> Local> VirtualStore> Program Files> GPSBabel" What was i thinking? I should have looked there first. LOL But because of the "developmentally challenged" shortcut i was unable to access it via MapSource directly or with the search function on the "Computer" page.

 

CJM91 i thought you might stop by, good to hear from you and thanks for the info and the link.

 

Helicopterjim, it may be that in some industry sectors you can get away with not knowing this kind of stuff but where i work the customer and my bosses hand me a memory stick with files on it and say, "Here is your data, go do your job.". And when i say that the files are not compatible with my GPS they just say "figure it out!". Paper maps are not an option, everything is on computer. I have routes/tracks that are 55 miles long with over 7500 waypoints on them which makes it even more challenging. Challenging because the Garmin 296 truncates routes with more than 300 points and tracks with more than 700 points. It doesn't "edit" them, it just chops off the "overage" so there is more leg work (or finger work, if you will...) but maybe i can get my boss to pop for some editing software, they are usually pretty good about that kind of thing.

 

Thanks again for all the interest.

 

W.

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Thanks to all for your post and links and the humor too!

...

CJM91 i thought you might stop by, good to hear from you and thanks for the info and the link.

 

... I have routes/tracks that are 55 miles long with over 7500 waypoints on them which makes it even more challenging. Challenging because the Garmin 296 truncates routes with more than 300 points and tracks with more than 700 points. It doesn't "edit" them, it just chops off the "overage" so there is more leg work (or finger work, if you will...) but maybe i can get my boss to pop for some editing software, they are usually pretty good about that kind of thing.

You're welcome!

 

GPS utility has a very powerful tool for decimating track logs, ie. shrinking them to fit the memory limits of the 296. It is hard to find but worth the look. Try looking in the upper menu list while a track log is active in either the map window or, more likely, the table window. Or right-click on various things. You will find an option to intelligently reduce the number of track points but limiting the straightening of the new track to lie within a user selected buffer zone. The result is very few points on road tangents but lots on the turns so the actual location is still very accurate. It is magic! I used it to setup road construction bidding tours for a 130 km road with lots of switchbacks, and lots of WPs from the engineering contractor.

 

I found the menu item: while highlighting a Track Summary in the table, select Tools|Compress track in the menu. I recommend reading the help section first! Look for . . . .

 

"Track Compression

You can compress a track so that it uses fewer trackpoints, but still retains the significant shape of the track."

 

Cheers, good luck . . . . .

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CJM91,

 

The tool or application for "decimating" track logs is exactly what i need as i am doing it right now manually. I am basically opening the file in Google earth and retracing the route/track and taking out any points that are on the straight sections so a tool that does that would be great. I have the program you mentioned on my computer i just need to dig into it and see how it works. Might be something to purchase... Thanks again.

 

On a related note i have found that i don't have to email myself the Google Earth .kml file as when i hit "save as" it saves it to Google Earth but places a copy in my "Documents" folder as well. It's a voyage of discovery, some laughs, some heavy sighs and some hair pulling but i am sure i will figure it out in the end.

 

W.

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CJM91,

...

On a related note i have found that i don't have to email myself the Google Earth .kml file as when i hit "save as" it saves it to Google Earth but places a copy in my "Documents" folder as well. It's a voyage of discovery, some laughs, some heavy sighs and some hair pulling but i am sure i will figure it out in the end.

 

W.

I've found the "My Documents" concept to be one of the many curses visited upon us by Microsoft and Windows. I religiously put all my data files (since 1982) in C:\data\... . The facilitates both finding things again and backing up data. I almost never accept the default Save location especially if it is in with the program's own files!

 

Track down that Track Compression tool - it is amazing.

 

Cheers .. . . . .

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