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https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/software/basecamp/
"Wolf Greenblatt" wrote in message news:utj6g9$j1bu$1@news.samoylyk.net...
I hike random locations where I'd like to know if there is any free Windows offline display and editing apps which import GPX tracks to display onto
an offline topographical map and then they allow editing of those GPX
tracks.
I know about the free online upload & editing of GPX tracks such as
caltopo, but I want an offline display and editing program, if it exists.
https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/software/basecamp/
"Wolf Greenblatt" wrote in message
news:utj6g9$j1bu$1@news.samoylyk.net...
I hike random locations where I'd like to know if there is any free
Windows
offline display and editing apps which import GPX tracks to display onto
an offline topographical map and then they allow editing of those GPX
tracks.
I know about the free online upload & editing of GPX tracks such as
caltopo, but I want an offline display and editing program, if it exists.
you need to get a map of the area needed
try https://extract.bbbike.org/
put the img file on a usb stick
"Wolf Greenblatt" wrote in message
news:utk4c8$l4df$1@news.samoylyk.net...
On Fri, 22 Mar 2024 12:57:03 -0000, MJP wrote:
https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/software/basecamp/
"Wolf Greenblatt" wrote in message
news:utj6g9$j1bu$1@news.samoylyk.net...
I hike random locations where I'd like to know if there is any free
Windows
offline display and editing apps which import GPX tracks to display
onto an offline topographical map and then they allow editing of
those GPX tracks.
I know about the free online upload & editing of GPX tracks such as
caltopo, but I want an offline display and editing program, if it
exists.
Thanks for the advice of the free Mac/Windows Garmin Basecamp
software. The installer is poorly written, as it doesn't ask where to
go. Later, I'll figure out how to move it to the D: drive later, if
possible.
Here are the URLs for the freeware archives. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/software/basecamp/ https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4435 https://download.garmin.com/software/BaseCamp_475.exe
Name: BaseCamp_475.exe
Size: 61931328 bytes (59 MiB)
SHA256:
12C753FC067ACB51B4A28CB01946EDFB6A2545E8865FA2A346689526AEBA30CA
I only just now installed it, but it did read in a GPX file.
It displayed it on a blank map without the Internet though.
So I don't know yet if Basecamp works offline with an underlying topo
map. Does it?
The simplest answer for you is to purchase a a copy of
Garmin TOPO U.S. 2008
So I don't know yet if Basecamp works offline with an underlying topo
map. Does it?
The problem for you is you want free and you are probably not going to find it offline. At one time Garmin released for pay TOPO U.S. 2008 and you need something like this display topo maps in BaseCamp or Garmin Mapsource.. I did see you may be able to purchase a copy of this from Ebay. You can use GoogleEarth to display your track and then save the screen image.
I use an older pay program called OziExplorer which allows me to use topo maps downloaded from the USGS site. I then use a free program to convert the downloaded pdf file into a graphics format. Then you have to calibrate the map in OziExplorer so your track will properly display. The simplest answer for you is to purchase a a copy of Garmin TOPO U.S. 2008 and use BaseCamp and MapSource.
By the way what are you using to acquire your track?
On Fri, 22nd Mar 2024 09:28:07 -0800, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
The simplest answer for you is to purchase a a copy of
Garmin TOPO U.S. 2008
Are you sure, this will still work? Garmin Topo Maps (as well as
Garmin PC software like Garmin Mobile PC) needed to be unlocked
online. And Garmin shut down their activation servers _ages_ ago.
(Without the least concern about and compassion with their paying customers...) We have 15 Topo2010 Germany here, which have been
worthless junk since about 2013, IIRC.
On Fri, 22 Mar 2024 09:28:07 -0800, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
So I don't know yet if Basecamp works offline with an underlying
topo map. Does it?
The problem for you is you want free and you are probably not going
to find it offline. At one time Garmin released for pay TOPO U.S.
2008 and you need something like this display topo maps in BaseCamp
or Garmin Mapsource.. I did see you may be able to purchase a copy
of this from Ebay. You can use GoogleEarth to display your track
and then save the screen image.
I use an older pay program called OziExplorer which allows me to use
topo maps downloaded from the USGS site. I then use a free program
to convert the downloaded pdf file into a graphics format. Then you
have to calibrate the map in OziExplorer so your track will properly
display. The simplest answer for you is to purchase a a copy of
Garmin TOPO U.S. 2008 and use BaseCamp and MapSource.
I think maps from the USGS site are already geo calibrated so there's
no need to convert (with gpsbabel or the like) to use inside most
programs.
But it seems ozi explorer uses a different than normal native format
which has to be separately geo calibrated so that every point is
known. https://www.oziexplorer4.com/img2ozf/img2ozf.html
Luckily ozi seems to supply a converter from geo pdf to ozi native
OZF4. https://www.oziexplorer4.com/img2ozf/img2ozf_setup.exe
Although they also suppy another converter to convert to geo TIFF is
seems. http://www.oziexplorer3.com/utils/image_convert.zip
They suggest GPSbabel for track conversion into ozi explorer plt
tracks. https://www.gpsbabel.org/download.html
Which allows starting from the geo pdf calibrated USGS topo maps. https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/launch/
The ozi explorer web page touts that version Version 3.95.6f supports internet maps such as Open Street Map, Google Maps & USA Terraserver
Maps https://www.oziexplorer4.com/eng/internet_maps.html
I installed the suggested free program from
http://www.oziexplorer.com/ https://www.oziexplorer4.com/eng/downloads/395/oziexp_setup.exe
Name: oziexp_setup.exe
Size: 8790316 bytes (8584 KiB)
SHA256:
0B8C511B92CF0A4CCA245AC7B306687B159652D0AB312642910DCB790877EECB
By the way what are you using to acquire your track?
I'm using the normal open source GPS logger for Android from
BasicAirData. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.basicairdata.graziano.gpslogger
But I noticed this oziexplorer freeware also has an offline Android
app. https://www.oziexplorer4.com/android/oziexplorer_android.html
Is this about the right sequence to use those USGS geo PDFs with ozi?
1. Convert USGS geo PDF maps to native ozi explorer geo TIF files
2. Convert your GPX tracks to native ozi explorer plt tracks
3. Display the converted plt track on the ozi TIFF or OZF4 topo map
I only used ozi explorer on Android & Windows for a few minutes so I
may have some of that wrong as ozi does things different than most
apps do.
But did I get anything wrong above in what I surmised from the ozi
site?
Bernd Rose wrote:
On Fri, 22nd Mar 2024 09:28:07 -0800, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
The simplest answer for you is to purchase a a copy of
Garmin TOPO U.S. 2008
Are you sure, this will still work? Garmin Topo Maps (as well as
Garmin PC software like Garmin Mobile PC) needed to be unlocked
online. And Garmin shut down their activation servers _ages_ ago.
(Without the least concern about and compassion with their paying
customers...) We have 15 Topo2010 Germany here, which have been
worthless junk since about 2013, IIRC.
I just installed Garmin TOPO U.S. 2008 on a new computer about 2
months ago without a problem. I do not remember having any issues
and installed it on my D: partition.
<Bill>
I should have added I do have an original TOPO U.S. 2008 DVD I purchased a long time ago and this may have made a difference.
Is this about the right sequence to use those USGS geo PDFs with ozi?
1. Convert USGS geo PDF maps to native ozi explorer geo TIF files
2. Convert your GPX tracks to native ozi explorer plt tracks
I assume you using Ozi to import your GPX files.
It is under the Load Button.
3. Display the converted plt track on the ozi TIFF or OZF4 topo map
There are a lot of other things you can do. If you download and install DEMs you can plot your trail profile and also other info.
I only used ozi explorer on Android & Windows for a few minutes so I
may have some of that wrong as ozi does things different than most
apps do.
But did I get anything wrong above in what I surmised from the ozi
site?
You definitely got everything. I do not remember how many calibration points the converter puts in the *.map file but you can always add calibration points through the program (maybe only registered?). I always use at least 4 points with one at each map corner. If you get into this you probably will move on to stitching usge maps together. That is a whole new process.
I do have the android version on my phone.
Do you know why OziExplorer natively uses PLT instead of GPX tracks?
Or why OziExplorer natively uses geocalibrated TIFF/BMP instead of
geoPDFs?
I did install the Android OziExplorer APK whose interface showed a
colorful world map (of Africa & Europe) but it wouldn't even scroll
to the Americas.
So I killed it and decided to concentrate first on the PC software
tools.
Or why OziExplorer natively uses geocalibrated TIFF/BMP instead of
geoPDFs?
I do not know except people use maps that are not geoPDFs. So maybe the extra programming was not worth it to them.
I did install the Android OziExplorer APK whose interface showed a
colorful world map (of Africa & Europe) but it wouldn't even scroll
to the Americas.
So I killed it and decided to concentrate first on the PC software
tools.
You use the tiff and map files you created with OziExplorer with the Android version. I store them on the sd in my phone.
Under the 3D/Elevation menu bar selection are a couple of options to download the STRM elevation data. This is what I use. I have not tried for years whether these options still work. They also may only be available in the registered version.
You definitely are on the right course and just need to keep experimenting.
There is also Oziexplorer@groups.io that people answer questions on. You do have to join.
You would think every topo map program would handle geocalibrated PDFs
since every single inch of the USA has a free detailed geoPDF, most dating back to more than a hundred years & constantly forever updated ever since. https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-i-find-and-download-us-topo-and-historical-topographic-htmc-maps
On Mon, 25th Mar 2024 15:06:03 -0400, Wolf Greenblatt wrote:
Exactly as I expected: Long winding discussion with no prospect of
getting to the target, eventually. Despite my initial statement I'll
give you some pointers before the matter drifts even further away...
Much more of a problem, though, is the rendering of map captions,
legend, and so on right into the raster layer. As long as you only
view one tile (aka one GeoPdf file) at any given time, this is just a nuisance. But if you want to load several tiles alongside each other,
you admittedly can make the white background of the map tile border transparent. But the legend entries and the like will still overlap
parts of the adjacent map tiles. - Instead of the map you'll see just
legend text...
I stitch USGS maps together after converting them to tiff. I have a
program that lets me crop the borders off of the tiff.
What are you using to make the borders transparent and could you outline
the process?
And here I am explaining ways to do what I recommended /not/ to do. Always the same in these discussions about USGS topo maps. :-(
On Tue, 26 Mar 2024 08:54:10 -0800, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
I stitch USGS maps together after converting them to tiff. I have a
program that lets me crop the borders off of the tiff.
Why would you do this, when you can download them borderless in the
first place?? The tiles inside the KMZ format are already borderless.
What are you using to make the borders transparent and could you
outline the process?
Not the whole border, just the white background. There are several
ways, from selecting a color to be NoData inside the GIS program, to
using
gdal or even an image manipulation tool like image magick or graphics
magick to define a transparency mask. Probably the easiest way to make
the white background transparent is setting "srcnodata" when creating
a large virtual raster file from all the single tiles with
gdalbuildvrt:
https://gdal.org/programs/gdalbuildvrt.html
OTOH, you could forgo transparency completely, though, by using
gdalbuildvrt with suitable "te" parameters. You get the boundary
parameters from the doc.kml file inside each KMZ variant. But again,
why would you go this way, when you could have used KMZ in the first
place?
And here I am explaining ways to do what I recommended /not/ to do.
Always the same in these discussions about USGS topo maps. :-(
Bernd
Bernd Rose wrote:
On Tue, 26 Mar 2024 08:54:10 -0800, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
I stitch USGS maps together after converting them to tiff. I have a
program that lets me crop the borders off of the tiff.
Why would you do this, when you can download them borderless in the
first place?? The tiles inside the KMZ format are already borderless.
Bernd
I did not realize there were borderless files in the KMZ. I will
start by looking at these. I have saved your followup message.
<Bill>
So I went to USGS viewer to download a topo as a quadrangle as a KMZ. But only was given the options of geopdf or tif. I am waiting for them send me the tif and I hope it is actually the KMZ file. Have I missed something?
On Wed, 27th Mar 2024 12:09:13 -0800, Bill Bradshaw wrote:
So I went to USGS viewer to download a topo as a quadrangle as a
KMZ. But only was given the options of geopdf or tif. I am waiting
for them send me the tif and I hope it is actually the KMZ file.
Have I missed something?
Waiting to send?? Did you go to the website I suggested:
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer
You should see an overview of the map of North America with US
territory highlighted in light red. On the left side is a bar
containing basic navigation controls; and on the right side is a (retractable) settings and selection panel. If in retracted state you
should see a small black area with white arrowhead in the upper right
corner of the map window. Click there to get the panel back to
visible state.
Zoom to your area of interest and click in the center of this area.
You now should see a selection frame on the map and a list of all
available themes in the panel on the right side. You can use the
filter options of the panel (map creation time, reference scale and
theme) to reduce the list to the most relevant maps. For instance:
Show only maps from 1990 or newer, reference scale 24k, and UST (= US
Topo Collection).
If only one map fits your conditions, its entry will be expanded.
Else, just the first entry in the list will be expanded. If you want
another map from the list, select it. This focus map entry should now
be shown in expanded state, revealing the download options and other functions. Click the preferred download option (KMZ in this case) and
a SaveAs dialog should show up, enabling you to save the zipped KMZ
file(s) for your selection.
If you don't see these options, you may need to change your browser or
check its settings. (JavaScript, Cookies, and the like may be
relevant.)
Bernd
[...]Did you go to the website I suggested:
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer
I missed that it was not USGS site.
It works.