Feb 26 2008
Save Google Maps Driving Directions
One of the really neat features of Google Maps that I use quite often is the ability to alter driving directions if you don’t like the given results. I’ve just written up my recent trip to the UK on my R1200GS and one of the features of the site is having a map displaying the route for the trip.
Doing a simple driving directions gives the basic route that I took but it doesn’t include the wrong turns and deviations that I made. In Google Earth the only way to change a given route is to manually modify the line, which take hours. With Google Maps I can modify the route to take account of these deviations but it doesn’t allow you to save the changes… unless you know Google-Fu!!!
It turn out the url to view a Google Map is also the same url used by the Google Maps API to access kml files. The process to save a modified route to kml is as follows:
- Get the basic driving directions
- Modify the route as you wish.
- Click the Link to this page link.
- Copy the email/IM link.
- Paste link back into your browser address bar.
- Add &output=kml to the end of the url & hit enter/go.
- Save the kml wherever you wish.
NOTE:
Following the comment from Nicole (25-04-2009) I have done a bit of playing around with Google Maps and exporting KML. When you create a route in Google Maps use the right click Directions from here / Directions to here and the right click on the map and select “Add destination”, when you come to use the above method to export the KML file, only the starting point and the first destination will be included in the exported route.
If you want to export the full route, you need to set the start point and the final destination and then “drag” the route to the intermediate destinations in-between. If you use this method and the export the KML file will include the full route.
Thanks for this tip!
Works brilliantly. You can combine it with TNConv to produce garmin or tom tom files.
Yeah brilliant tip, thanks!
Steve, can you explain combining the TNConv to create the garmin file a little more please.
I’m not familiar with the ‘TNConv’ and google doesn’t seem to show any useful search results. Is it placed at the end of the google maps link also?
Steve,
I’m with Gart; any info on using TNConv would be appreciated.
Sorry, it should have been ITNconv, google it, it’s easy to find the download.
I did however find a problem when using this method. The output .kml file from Google Maps put the end point in the wrong place, so when this is then converted to tomtom .itn file, you only get part of your intended route.
So, plan the route in google maps, output as .kml, open in google earth, deleted the last point (the one with the red marker), re-savee as a .kml, covert with ITNConv, and away you go! (Hopefully, but if you see a bloke on a V-Strom going round in circles next week in France, you’ll know it didn’t work!)
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the clarification. Google throws up loads of results for it now. The application looks to be pretty good from the screenshots and as soon as I’ve got an on-bike GPS I’ll be sure to check it out properly.
I’ll make sure to look out for a lost V-Strom when I’m in France this weekend. If you happen to see a bloke looking lost on a BMW R1200GS in France this weekend you’ll know that my map reading skills have left me and that it’s time I bought a GPS.
I tried it some time ago and it worked but now it seems to have stopped working – any ideas?
I’ve just tried it myself and it seemed to work just fine – I was able to open the KML file in Google Earth.
Do you want to email me the link I’ll try it to see if it works on my machine – gringod [at] gmail [dot] com
Is there any way to save the modified directions so they can be looked up on your mobile phone? I’ve installed G’Maps Mobile on my Blackberry, but can’t figure out how to get the PC-modified directions viewable on the phone. I’ve tried sending the link to myself, but that just brings up a generic “Enter Directions” screen on the phone’s browser.
I also don’t know how to save _directions_ to “My Maps,” which would likely be equally helpful…
Echoing BCool, any suggestion on how to get the map .kmi file to work on a mobile phone? I have Windows Mobile on mine.
Thanks
Man you´re God! As cool as it gets. Grazie Mille
hey this is pretty cool- the only thing is it’s not working for the route i’m trying to figure out. i’d be happy to send you a link so you can see what i mean.
it seems the problem is the roads are different on g-maps and g-earth, and if they can’t agree with each other the output is null after the problem area. the kml file shows to the point where the roads diverge in a yellow wood (literally) and that makes all the difference.
the problem for me is that i don’t know which route- which roads- are correct. i’m a very new driver trying to figure out a backroad way to a trailhead for an upcoming trip, and i know that if my directions are wrong, the maps don’t show this, and most likely i’ll be lost.
want me to send you a link? maybe there’s a way to solve this….
thanks!
Well – this is an old topic, but I figured out a way to get at least maps with just points (no directions) on the mobile version.
1. Create a map on Google Maps on the web. Save it. I tend to use geocoding to get a list of addresses, and then import that into Google Maps.
2. Click “Link” and copy the link that is created.
3. Create a “short link” using whatever URL trimming service you’d like, but instead of just pasting the URL, be sure to add &output=kml at the end of the URL as detailed above.
4. Search on your mobile version of Google Maps for that exact shortened URL, and voila.
Thanks for the best tip ever… very powerful, i use it to add POI for my Garmin Nuvi all the time.