View topic - Google Earth w/ Jeff McMurtrie's APP Map V3

How many folks use Google Earth (not Google Maps) with Jeff McMurtrie's Google map file to draw routes and study the elevation profiles?

Essentially, Google provides me with the same elevation window and measuring tools as my older Navitrak Wherever application but with more analysis.

In addition to drawing routes using the "Add Path" and tweaking the color and width of the line plus switching to Kilometers from miles, I also zoom and draw the individual portages which then shows a much shorter distance in the elevation window. This provides a truer sense of the impact of the elevation gains and losses. In one recent case a distance of 42 KM squeezed into the window, looked more like my doctor's EKG readout from my last visit. The shorter distances do seem more useful.

Since users can email their places in the form of a Google Earth "kmz" file, anyone can import those files into their own Google Earth so others can get a jump start on route planning and possibly discover errors and redo the route.

Just curious how many others are using these free option and what resources for parks other than Algonquin have been discovered?

Jester

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I know enough to know I don't know enough

I haven't tried it yet, but maybe I need too.

I can definitely see the value of being able to mark up the electronic version and then share it. Can you mark up any of the other versions?

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No, your other left!
Loon Island Outdoors
"Like" my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LoonIslandOutdoors

If you mean by "other versions" you mean previous versions of Jeff's map, yes.

I can free hand draw routes using Navitrak's Wherever and reposition the map screen without losing my work, unlike my version of SoftMap. When drawing a route using SoftMap v 4.x you could not freehand draw a route but you could by clicking and making a series of straight lines that went from point to point. The route in SoftMap would look like a sailboat that tacked rather than a powerboat that went straight to the finish line.

Google's elevation data for lakes appears to be as strange as Wherever's since right in the middle of a lake, not anywhere near land, the path displays a blip as if the canoe was being paddled over an island or a rock. I understand that result when I've tried to trace a route through a narrow channel but where the elevation should be absolutely flat, at times the water surface looks like a portage trail with undulations.

I've not used any other digital products.

Jester

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I know enough to know I don't know enough

Is Jeff McMurtrie's Google map file/app a program that runs on your computer, an app, etc.
Can you provide more info or a link?

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Brian
http://www.lssd.ca/~bjohnston/FOV1-00033C7A/

 

Download page:
http://www.algonquinmap.com/download.html

View online:
http://www.algonquinmap.com/online.html

Purchase:
http://www.algonquinmap.com/buy.html

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I'm out of bed and I made it to the keyboard....what more do you want?

Jester,

I do exactly the same thing. Although, I have found that the elevations on Jeffrey's Map and the elevations on Google Earth do not always match. It may depend on how accurate you are with your cursor and how far you have "zoomed in". So, take it with a grain of salt.

Just to clarify for people who have not used the Google Earth path feature. Create a path on Google Earth by choosing the ruler icon and then selecting the path tab in the ruler window. Now create the path by drawing lines on the map with your mouse. Once you have created a path you have to save it before you can see the paths elevation profile. Once saved hover your mouse over your path. Press the right button and then choose View Elevation Profile. Tadaa!

Another neat feature, if you hover your mouse cursor anywhere over the elavation profile window a little arrow will show where you are on the path. You can hold down the left button on your mouse as you drag the curser across the elevation profile. This will show the elevation gain/loss and average slope of that section of your path. Very handy for judging a Portage.

Complete Canadian Toporama Maps for Google Earth can be found here:
http://www.gelib.com/natural-resources- ... porama.htm
Click on the Blue button "Download with Google Earth". You can use these maps in the same way you use Jeffreys's Map. However this KMZ file just points to the data on the Government servers. It does not provide the maps themselves as a huge download. You must have an internet connection to view these Toporama maps in Google Earth.

Cheers,
Martin

Lost you guys along the way...

@Jester - The reason Google's elevation data for lakes seems strange has to do with the collection method. I'm not sure exactly what causes it, but you can see it on the MNR elevation model I use too. My lakes layer normally covers it up, but here's a picture of part of the area covered by Opeongo: http://algonquinmap.com/temp/OpeDEM.jpg

@MartinG - I'm not sure what source they use for their data, but I'm fairly sure they're off. For what it's worth, I used to use an elevation model created by the federal government (http://geobase.ca/geobase/en/data/cded/description.html) with a 20m resolution, but now I use one with a 10m resolution from the MNR. It all lines up perfectly with all of the other data I have/collect, hence my confidence that it's Google's screwup . I know for a fact that some of their imagery is off by a few hundred metres, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if their elevation data was too.

Navitrak's Wherever product was exciting for me way back when but I'd look at a canoe route drawn down the middle of a lake such as Burntroot and wonder why the elevation profile showed a "mountain" where there was nothing but water.

I usually draw the complete route in one file and then go back and add separate files for each portage so I don't have 57 KM squeezed into the elevation window. I find the separate views of the portages is much preferred and why include "flat" water in an elevation window?

Some of the trail issues result from where I click to start or end the portages. When I zoom Google to get a better view of the trail I do a better job but then I have to decide on which edge of the line marking the lake to click for starting and stopping the path. It is not always as clear as I'd like so I grunt and live with my results.

Great stuff for playing between trips. Thanks Jeff!

Jester

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I know enough to know I don't know enough

Been using his maps like this for a while. I have all my previous routes’ GPS data in Google Maps which I overlay with his map and I’ve spent many a nights drawing out potential new routes. Couldn’t imagine an easier way to make use of the maps.

Awesome

Any chance I can get a copy of your GPS data? It'd help me make the map even better

The map is now available as an app..for ipads and iphones.Made by Avenza systems you can find it for free in the app store. Great back up if you lose a map and dont have a cell signal.
http://www.avenza.com/

and have battery life for your iOS device

It's more for planning purposes given battery life limitations, but clearly it'll function anywhere

I actually already sent it to you a while back, along with some suggested corrections.