CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

.gpx editting

(11 posts)
  • Started 5 years ago by dessert rat
  • Latest reply from Hobgoblin
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. dessert rat
    Member

    To those that know it seems simple, to me its like a dark art.

    All I want to do is take a .gpx I've created and edit it - shouldn't be hard. There's 100s of online sites that say its possible, but I can't work it out - pretty sure I'm not thick, but no longer 100% of that.

    what/who do I have to sacrifice to unlock this next level ?

    I’m sure someone once said that if you can't explain .gpx editing to a simpleton, then you don't understand it well enough.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  2. Snowy
    Member

    Depends what level you want to edit - if I want to change certain bits of the raw data then notepad++ or similar editor lets you do that.

    If you want a GUI to drag the route around, I use Garmin Connect website, importing the gpx into the Courses section, and can muck about with the route in there.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. dessert rat
    Member

    @ Snowy: Garmin Connect you say...

    it hates me as well.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. jonty
    Member

    If you're totally stuck, QGIS is some pretty heavyweight and difficult-to-use (but easy to google) GIS software which allows editing of QGIS.

    As Snowy says though, if it's just a case of cutting out a few points or something like that (like when you've accidentally recorded your drive home and half of the hoovering as well as your awesome ride), I find editing the file as text by hand is the easiest way.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  5. chrisfl
    Member

    My suggestion is inline with Snowy's - if it's a simple trim then editing the XML directly *sometimes* is worthwhile. And the exact answer probably depends on why you are editing the file.

    I note that there are a bunch of editors listed on the OpenStreetMap wiki.
    https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Edit_GPS_tracks

    Of these the only one I've used is josm - but mostly because I already have it open, but the process is quite easy, once you've started josm - https://josm.openstreetmap.de/

    Open your gpx file, choose convert to data layer. Move points around, edit the data for points cut points out etc. Then when you're happy save as GPX.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  6. urchaidh
    Member

    Sneaky KOM?

    Does the GPX you're importing have timestamp information in it, i.e. the time when you were at each point in the track? Files created live by loggers like Strava or Garmin do, but files drawn on mapping software like Google or OS don't.

    Strava (and possibly your Garmin) won't import files without timestamping.

    I've used GPSies to create/edit tracks before. I can also add timestamping based on a set average speed for uploading to Strava.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  7. DaveC
    Member

    I use bike hike. It allows you to load a gpx file, edit and then save as.

    In the past, when I had arrived home form a commute, I found I had not clicked the start button on my Strava app. So did a search and replaced the date with the current date, on a previous ride. I no longer do this now as I can't be bothered with the hastle and just as a manual workout. This was only for commutes though.

    My Audax rides, which I sometimes ride as a DIY by GPS, I don't do this, as I'd be cheating myself. Plus as I ride the usual routes, I try to vary them for interest and make them better, based on previous experience.

    What are you wanting to do?

    If you have the end point or a previous ride at the start, and it gives you a start point miles away, you can use thr trim tool in Strave.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  8. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    When I was young I used cut, copy and paste with scissors, tracing paper and glue you know.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  9. unhurt
    Member

    Round-ended scissors & non-toxic glue I hope.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. rbrtwtmn
    Member

    Viking gps is pretty good. It's a little confusing at first sight, but once you get into it it's a simple and powerful tool. Most importantly for me it didn't try to do extra stuff to the file - it just edited it.

    Key to understanding it are two things:
    1) You may need to do a little bit of set up to make the background map work properly. This may involve telling the software to download the map tiles (the little square images that typically make up internet mapping) rather than having the software just do this as you zoom around on the map.
    2) Understanding that you import the file into the software, edit the imported version of it, then export the results to a new file once you're done.

    OR/AND
    Use a text editor. I've often done both - used Viking to help me to identify the time for the point where I want to cut the gpx line - then used a text editor to find that point and cut everything before/after this.

    If you're not yet understanding how a GPX file works - the key to know is this: The GPX file does not really record a line as such, it records a chain of recorded points with each point recording a latitude, longitude, and time. This is typically be shown by drawing a line from point to point in the correct order. If you open the GPX file with a text editor you'll clearly see this.

    Oh - and if you're getting errors it's worth checking that the file isn't corrupted somehow. Open in a text editor - check that for every 'opening' tag <like this> there's a 'closing tag' </like this> (note the / character), all neatly stacked like this: <x><b></b><c></c></x>. Nothing should be missing - like <x><b></b><c> (missing </c></x>) - none of that will make much sense until looking at the file though.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. Hobgoblin
    Member

    I can recommend a free program called "GPS Track Editor".
    You download and install it on your (Windows) PC. It displays gpx files as a coloured lines on a map and as a table of times and locations. You can chop the tracks into smaller segments and export them fairly easily.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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