Example track and waypoints
Here is a track that was recorded with OziExplorerCE on the E-Ten G500 pocketPC phone. How the track and/or the waypoints get in OziExplorer has no importance. Here we copied the recorded .plt file from the pocketPC to OziExplorer on the PC. It would also have been possible to load the track directly from a GPS receiver or we could have loaded a .GPX file from another program or from the internet. The two waypoints are official geocaching points from geocaching.com.
Export to Google Earth
Exporting the track and waypoints to a Google Earth .kml file ("kml" stands for keyhole markup language) could not be easier. First we load the track file and the waypoint file into OziExplorer for PC. Clicking the Save button gives us the option "Export to Google Earth".
Save both at once
OziExplorere presents a list with the track file and waypoints file already checked. The loaded track file was called "G500 Track 170906.plt" and the waypoints file was called "GeoCaching.wpt".
Save to KML
Clicking "Save" allows us to give a name to the .kml file. We chose "G500 Track WP 170906.kml".
Opening KML file in Google Earth Free
As we use OziExplorer and Google Earth on two different computers, we saved the .kml file to a USB memory stick. Now we start Google Earth and click "File", "Open" and look for our new .kml file. Clicking on the file makes Google Earth rotating the globe and zoom in on the region of our track and waypoints.
In Temporary Places
In the Places panel we see that Google Earth placed our track and waypoints in the folder "OziExplorer Data" in the "Temporary Places" folder.
Save for later use
In order to keep our track and waypoints for future use, we save them to the My Places folder. Right-click on "Temporary Places" or "OziExplorer Data" and choose "Save to My Places".
In My Places
Now you can quit Google Earth. The next time that you open the program, your track and waypoints will be ready to be displayed. The display of the track and the waypoints can be toggled on/off by checking or un-checking the corresponding boxes in front of them. Double-click on one of them and Google Earth will bring you to the exact location on the planet's surface.
Our track in Google Earth
Here is how (part of) our track looks like in Google Earth. The waypoint "GCW206" is a Geocache in the middle of a forest.
No need for Google Earth Plus
If you pass by OziExplorer or GPSTrackMaker or any other program that can create .kml files, you do not need Google Earth Plus ($20 per year). Only if you want to load your track log file directly from your Garmin or Magellan receiver to Google Earth, will you need the Plus version.
Feedback from our readers
Feedback from our readers learnt us two things:
1) Google Earth can also open GPX files, so you do not absolutely need KML files to view your tracks and waypoints in this program.
2) Besides OziExplorer and GPSMapMaker there are at least three other programs that allow you to see your tracks in Google Earth. They are Garmin Mapsource, TTQV and GPS Utility.
