Family plan was due for an upgrade, so I got an Iphone. I know there is a way to get points and lines into Google Earth because I have created some text files of lat long for that purpose, but somebody else took it from there and entered them into their phone manually.
Got a call the other day to relocate some property corners I set 15 years ago on a large boundary survey, and I thought that would be a good place to try it out, since I don't remember a lot about what it looked like at the time. I have SPC on them. Monuments should still be there, just need a metal detector.
Question is, what app do I need to be able to upload a bunch of points, or lines, into the Iphone to use with Google Earth? I know you have to create either a kmz or kml file, not sure how to generate it and upload so I can use it.
Thanks in advance
I believe the kml, file needs to be hosted or available via a url address, well at least that is how it can be done via an ipad here in South Africa, for some reason, the goggle earth app is not available here, only got goggle maps, but it can done.....
Lee
KML is some pretty straight forward commands, similar to BASIC programming. Here is a link to the Google tutorial on how to develop a KML file:
There is a section on creating line from points and entering geodetic points into the KML file.
As far as programs or apps to create the file, I have used Global Mapper in the past to create a KML file.
If you want to e-mail the line work as a dwg or dxf, I can export to KML in about 15 seconds.
I would imagine there are other program options, but Global Mapper or typing the file out are the only two methods I have ever used to create KML file.
Create KML manually
One way to make a small .kml file is to open Google Earth on your desk computer, and select or enter any one placemark, with the icon you prefer.
Then go to File / Save / SavePlaceAs
Select kml (not kmz)
Pick a file location somewhere you can find on your computer
Save
Now open the kml file with a text editor. Leave all the boilerplate at the beginning of the file and go down to which is followed by the data on the point you used. Change the name and latitude and longitude coordinates, and add more points by copying the syntax with and . Be sure to keep all the various and matched.
Save the file. Unselect all points in Google Earth, and click on your new file to bring it up in G.E. It will be in Temporary Places, and you can move it to My Places if you want.
The four pound off button?
For any one else following this thread -
Just in case you have not tried this, I will provide this information I just found.
Having just recently gotten an android OS smartphone, I had not tried what Randy is wanting to do.
After converting his dwg to a KML file, I thought about how useful that process could be on the phone.
A little reading and it appears that on an android platform it is not a simple process (if even doable) to open a KML file in Google Earth.
However, it was very easy to go into my google account and create a "My Maps" map and open the KML file there. I was then able to email the link of that map to myself and open the link on my phone. It automatically opened Google Maps and loaded the information from the KML file.
So it may be difficult or impossible to do through Google Earth, but the aerials in Google Map work out very well to accomplish the same thing.
Easy as pie and shows up very nicely on the screen. Could be very useful in recon on a bigger job by entering the deeds and fitting to some aerial photos as a starting point.
if your points are in spc, you will first need to convert to lat /long for Google earth. you can batch convert files using corpscon by using an ASCII file.
After you convert to lat / long you can bring your points into excel and save a csv file, or if your ASCII file is already comma-delimited, just change the file extension to .csv
then go find a free csv to kml converter, Google it, there are a few available.
depending on the csv/kml converter you go with, you may need to rearrange the format of your csv file that contains your points. usually the file should be in the format of lat, long,description
then you should open the kml in Google earth to see if it makes sense.
if it does, then upload your kml to "my maps" on your Google account so you can open it on your phone.
TBC will out put lines and points to a kml file, you then need an app called kml uploaded to get it on the net, and then the google earth earth app and you should be away. All these apps are free. There is also quite a good app from ESRI for shape files, but again the shape files need to be hosted on a web site.
I get the impression that these devices aren't for storing data really but accessing it off the web. The Autocad viewer from auto desk requires an active data connection to send the cad file to and stream back to you via their server, even if you have been emailed the file and it resides on the iPad.
As far as google maps and google earth go, I have found that when I type in a lat long co ordinate into google maps, it plots several kilometers away from the actual position, unlike Google earth, which is spot on. Maybe the two programs use different projections ?
I noticed that the map app that comes with the phone shows GIS parcel lines in the standard view. I have zoomed in on these in the field and navigated to the approximate locations of corners.
Now If I could get the "Find-A-Control" app mentioned recently in a Professional Surveyor article. I don't see it for the iphone.
