Guide provided by CSC UTV Instructor Robert Hergott ([email protected]), who provides courses in Fort St. John, Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Fort Nelson.
Download PDF version of the GPX file opening tutorial here.
Open a GPX file on your computer
You went over to ATV Events, News And Rides In British Columbia, downloaded a map file and had no idea what to do next.
Do not fear; we will get you thru this. While this tutorial is long, not all information will apply to you directly.
It’s always easiest to open downloaded files from a computer rather than on a phone or tablet as saving, renaming, storing, and the opening is much more straightforward. Practicing on a computer may save you time, effort, and massive frustration before moving over to a phone/tablet, depending on your ability to use your phone’s onboard systems.
Let’s start using this method first.
You will see the Files section at the top of the ATV Events, News, And Rides In British Columbia site, shown here in orange.
From here are the downloadable files.
Click on the link to get to the file itself.
Clicking on this will save the file into your computer’s Download folder (unless you have changed the settings yourself, this is the default location). Specific Browsers will show downloads differently, but they all generally work the same. This screenshot is from using Chrome.
Using Windows File Explorer, navigate to your downloads folder, and it should be at or near the top, depending on when you downloaded it. Depending on your installed GPS program on your computer, the Icon may look differently. If you do not have the Icon showing, you may not have a default GPS program installed. This Icon is from Google Earth Pro and is an excellent program. You can download it for free from the link below the image.
https://www.google.com/earth/versions/#earth-pro
Double-clicking on the Icon will open using your default GPS program, as shown here in Google Earth. If the track is not displayed immediately, click on File, Open, navigate to Downloads using the menu selector on the left, and change this.
to
The GPX file will now be visible in the Open Window menu. Double-click on the 2012 – PG – Wells file for it to open inside Google Earth. A new window will open, as shown below.
Click OK.
Google Earth will now zoom you to the start of the track; from here, you can manipulate the view as you desire.
Open a GPX file on an Android device
For this section, we will discuss opening a KML file, as Google Earth cannot open a GPX file on Android. One of the easiest ways to get a KML (or KMZ) file onto your phone if you cannot download it is to email it to yourself from a computer. Other programs, such as ViewRanger, can open GPX files directly.
We will start by converting a GPX file to a KML file.
Click on Save Place As, then in the next window, rename the file and change the Save as Type to KML before clicking on Save. Ensure you know where to save it.
Next, attach the file to an email address you have access to on your phone, send the file, open it on your phone, and save the attachment. If you are not sure how to do this, follow the link below. The article is a good one, and in no way am I implying anything by sending you to this site; please do not take offence.
https://www.dummies.com/consumer-electronics/smartphones/droid/how-to-work-with-e-mail-attachments-on- your-android-phone/
Once you have downloaded the file onto your phone, we can move onto the next step. If you do not have Google Earth on your phone or tablet, use the link below and follow the instructions.
https://www.google.com/earth/versions/#earth-for-mobile
Open Google Earth on your phone or tablet and click on the 3 bars on the screen’s top left side. Then click on Projects.
Click on Open, and then on Import KML file
Click on the 3 bars on the screen’s top left side and ensure that Downloads is selected.
The KML file should be near the top; double-click on it. Once the screen shows it open, hit the back arrow on your phone to close the menus. You may now navigate Google Earth as you need.
Open a GPX file on an Apple device
Not having an iPhone (no apologies), I will write this from the tablet point of view. I will admit that it is a lot easier to open a KML file on an Apple.
For this section, we will discuss opening a KML file, as Google Earth cannot open a GPX file on an iPhone. One of the easiest ways to get a KML file onto your phone if you cannot download it is to email it to yourself from a computer. Other programs, such as ViewRanger, can open GPX files directly.
We will start by converting a GPX file to a KML file.
Click on Save Place As, then in the next window, rename the file and change the Save as Type to KML before clicking on Save. Ensure you know where to save it.
Next, attach the file to an email address you can access on your phone, send the file, open the message on your phone. Touch the attachment; a menu appears.
Touch the box with the arrow pointing up, tap the Share File via button, then choose the app you want to use to open the attachment. Scrolling to the right should show the Google Earth app icon. Click to open in Google Earth.
NOTE: If you click directly on a KML file from a website, such as one on Facebook, you may get the following show up. Do Not Panic. Touch the box with the arrow pointing up, tap the Share File via button, then choose the app you want to use to open the attachment. Scrolling to the right should show the Google Earth app icon. Click to open in Google Earth.
Many computer, phone and tablet GPS programs work the same, making it easy to use the program you choose. These steps will work, with some adaptation, to most GPS programs. Remember that YouTube, Google, or the specific program has lots of good information on the program you have chosen to use.
Thanks so much Robert, we appreciate the time you took to create this tutorial and your sharing of GPX trail files!
