# Editing Routes in Google Earth.



## tcapri87 (Jan 17, 2009)

I have been uploading routes to garminconnect for about a year now. I have figured out that I can download routes to googleearth. I figured I would map the local trail network since no map does exist. Just wondering is there anyway to edit routes in google earth? I only wanted to save some parts of the routes I have been on, but haven't figured it out in google earth. Just wondering if there is a way to do it.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Google Earth is not the best tool for that task.

The way I do it is to download my gps files and then import them into Google Earth.

I primarily use the program to create a .kml database of trailheads I've used on my website.

Actually editing point data in GE isn't a problem.

It seems to me that when you say route, you do not actually mean a route in the GPS sense. In GPS lingo, a "route" is a series of points where each point indicates a turn or change in direction with straight lines between. This works best when riding on a road because the lines between points follow the roads well.

It sounds like you're talking about a "track" or a "breadcrumb trail". These are two terms for the same feature. A track is the way the GPS records your movements. It records a point at a certain time interval, distance interval, or it optimizes recording to put few points on straight segments and more points on curvy segments.

Other programs edit tracks much better than Google Earth. Garmin's Mapsource works pretty well for .gpx files because it shows you each track point and you can delete them, move them, or add them individually. It is also free from Garmin without the map data, and you can get free map data from gpsfiledepot.

Topofusion also works well, and it sounds like its "network" function would work perfectly for what you want to do. You can download a free trial of topofusion pro to check it out. Load some tracks of different rides on your local trail network. Run the network function on them and it will create a new file that has merged your other track files.


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## tcapri87 (Jan 17, 2009)

Hey Thanks for the info. I tried to download them but my system didn't support them or something. Is there a way to edit tracks, such as deleting tracks you don't want and saving a portion of it in GE?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

tcapri87 said:


> Hey Thanks for the info. I tried to download them but my system didn't support them or something. Is there a way to edit tracks, such as deleting tracks you don't want and saving a portion of it in GE?


That doesn't help much...what is your system? I guess if you run Mac or Linux, I can't really help you since I primarily know Windows. To get any help with Mac or Linux, you'll have to put that in the topic title to get the attention of the correct people.

I don't know of any way to actually edit a track in Google Earth. I'm looking and can't find anything.


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## stumonky (Mar 27, 2004)

You can edit the track in Google Earth when all the waypoints are visible. You just grab and pull each track where you want it to go. 

I edited/added a by-pass route for our trail this way. It still kept the previous route, but I didn't mind so much since I was adding an alternate route.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

TopoFusion is still the easiest way to make a trail network that I have seen. Just load all the tracks you have and click on "make network". It does not matter of many of them are duplicates with only short sections covering a different loop or whatever.

TopoFusion marks intersections, trims all duplicated sections, and makes a network GPX file. So easy, so nice. This is the result of about 30 tracks to make this network.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

stumonky said:


> You can edit the track in Google Earth when all the waypoints are visible. You just grab and pull each track where you want it to go.
> 
> I edited/added a by-pass route for our trail this way. It still kept the previous route, but I didn't mind so much since I was adding an alternate route.


I could not find a way to make the individual track points visible. I think the OP would like to know, also.

I have to agree with slocaus about making networks. I have a bunch of tracks from a trail network I was working on making a nice map for. It took me weeks to manually make a "network" that looked nice. Topofusion could do most of that in just a few seconds. Granted, Topofusion did not give each trail segment a different color/shape depending on whether it was a singletrack, doubletrack, or whatever. But it did the hard part for me quickly.


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## stumonky (Mar 27, 2004)

Here's a little tutorial I put together that some may find helpful:

1. Drag the .gpx file into Google Earth.

2. Prompted for "GPS Data Import", select 'Create clickable image for track and route points' (I don't typically select the 2nd box, but if you would like to see the direction of your tracks you would select this as well.









3. Once the points are loaded, expand the drop-down of GPS Device-Tracks-"File Name" I usually will expand 'Points' so I can delete my previous tracks as needed. Highlight 'Path' and right-click to select 'Properties'









4. Once the "Edit Path" dialog is open, slide it to the side and zoom into the area you would like to edit. Hover the cursor over the point you would like to change and grab/pull it to a new position. (I have highlighted before and after below with magenta boxes).









5. Continue to move points to edit the track to your new desired route.









6. Separately, while in edit mode you can click anywhere on the map and drag your cursor for new add-on track. New points will be added on the display (which can be grabbed/pulled to new positions). The new points will not get added to the original route or new track. 









7. When you are through editing/adding track, click 'ok' and the new track will now be displayed. Next, you can right click and select previous points and delete as needed. As you can see below the added track connects back in line with the original track.









8. Next, after I deleted my old points, I can go back into "Edit Path" mode and further straighten my new track. As you edit, you can right click on a point and it will delete a few points back (this is helpful if you have to delete several points). So my track now looks like so:









9. So my final edited track is now complete (below). Notice there are no points for the edited track since this is not recorded data (as part of the .gpx file). 









10. Additionally, if you wanted a separate/alternate route, you would use "New Path" and click along the new desired track as shown below:









11. Finally your modified original track and added alternate route is complete. Additionally, you can right-click on 'Path' or 'Untitled Path' (new created track - whatever named) and do further editing as described previously.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Thanks for that. Good photo tutorial. I was able to see what I was doing, or not doing (I wasn't checking the first box in the import dialog).


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2019)

Hi Stumonky,
nice tut. Can´t see any picture. What is to do?
From Austria


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

fixifoxy said:


> Hi Stumonky,
> nice tut. Can´t see any picture. What is to do?
> From Austria


you are responding to an 8 year old post. Google Earth is pretty much dead software, anyway.


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2019)

Harold, very happy to get your suggestions.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

fixifoxy said:


> Harold, very happy to get your suggestions.


start a new thread with some specific questions about what you're trying to do. In the past 8yrs, building/editing routes/courses is pretty easily done with web tools.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2019)

Harold said:


> start a new thread with some specific questions about what you're trying to do. In the past 8yrs, building/editing routes/courses is pretty easily done with web tools.


First of all Harold, thank you for your response.

If someone is reponding to an 8 your old post,
that is because this alsways on the forums. If the knowledge is outdated or never state of the art, it would better to delete these items!
As I understand, you tell me that I am a fool to use GE. But are you not able to popose better tools. I am newby and on the hurry not able to create a new threat. Next time. Let me explain:
I create bike/hiking tracks with Garmin Basecamp or Outdooractive.com sometimes using paths with no routing information in the used above mentioned software. That is why I try to look on the created route with Google Earth to find information of bike-ability or hike-ability all the used paths.
I hope I could explain what I try to do.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

fixifoxy said:


> First of all Harold, thank you for your response.
> 
> If someone is reponding to an 8 your old post,
> that is because this alsways on the forums. If the knowledge is outdated or never state of the art, it would better to delete these items!
> ...


Forums don't delete old items. They don't work that way.

It is better to just start a new discussion with specific questions. You still have not asked a specific question for me or anyone else to answer, so I don't know what to say to you otherwise.


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2019)

OK, thank you, will unregister.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

fixifoxy said:


> OK, thank you, will unregister.


why is it so hard to just start a new thread with your questions? nowhere here was I being a jerk or otherwise mean. just honest.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Harold said:


> why is it so hard to just start a new thread with your questions? nowhere here was I being a jerk or otherwise mean. just honest.


In a post above fixifoxy stated "I am newby and on the hurry not able to create a new threat". I think a new users needs 10 posts to start a thread, and I strongly suspect that English is not their first language, hence what we see as misspelling and misunderstanding. (shrug)


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## thasingletrackmastah (Nov 15, 2005)

I just read an 8 year old topic and english is not my native language.
I will unregister.


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2019)

slocaus said:


> In a post above fixifoxy stated "I am newby and on the hurry not able to create a new threat". I think a new users needs 10 posts to start a thread, and I strongly suspect that English is not their first language, hence what we see as misspelling and misunderstanding. (shrug)


You are great, but not in reading!
Why do you strongly suspect, when I stated "from Austria"
Thank you to "thasingletrackmastah"


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