Why is importing waypoints into mapping programs so hard?
One of the more frustrating tasks I deal with is figuring out how mapping programs import data. Most will allow for you to hook up a commercial GPS, like a Garmin, and work live or download saved waypoints. But what if you just wanted to bring in a set of known locations? You would think the software manufacturers would make this most obviously useful task easy. The problem is that there isn’t really a standard data format for storing waypoint information.
Underlying all of the mapping software is some sort of geographical reference system. Therefore, each of the data points must have longitude and latitude (or some other referencing). Next, the points will have some identifying tag, like the name or waypoint number. Then, there might be coded information about attributes like elevation or time of record. Finally, there could be information on how the point is displayed (color, icon, etc.). The software should be able to parse this information once it is input.
The logically way for this to work is as a text (.txt) or comma-separated-values (.csv) file. In this format, the data for each site (=record) exists as a line with different information bits separated by commas. The software uses the commas when it is reading the text to gain the information. However, many applications use a proprietary format and therein lies the rub. (I have noticed, many will accept the ESRI standard shape file, so this is an option.)
So, how do you do it? Here is my method: 1) First, figure out the acceptable geographic format. For example, do you need decimal-degrees or UTM or some other standard? 2) Then, within the program make a few random waypoints. 3) Download these points to a file. Typically, the software will download as a text file. 4) Open up this file and *format your data points exactly!* Make sure you have the same number of spaces and any column-header information. 5) Save your file in the same format as the one you downloaded. 6) Go for the input!
This is a bit cumbersome, but I have used it successfully in National Geographic TOPO! and other software. Soon, I will post my favorite software page and I will link some conversion software.
Tags: GPS, Mapping, software, waypoints
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