Marble/Tracking: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:57, 28 July 2020

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In this tutorial you learn how to record a GPS track with Marble and share it with your friends. The track recording is based on the mobile version of Marble (Marble 1.0 for Nokia N900). You can also use the Desktop version of Marble, but you need a more recent version (Marble 1.1 or later) and a GPS device.

Enabling GPS Tracking

The internal GPS of the N900 is used to retrieve your current location. The track is shown in the map and can be saved for further analysis in other programs.

Enable GPS on the N900 in Marble using the GPS button (second button from the left of the four large buttons on the bottom of the screen). Once enough satellites are in view, Marble shows your current position on the screen.

Tip

If the current location is not visible on the screen, you can move to it using the Go To... menu: Click anywhere on the map and choose Go To.... In the upcoming dialog, select Current Location.

The Tracking dialog, available via the Marble - Virtual Globe menu, allows you to change tracking options. You can choose whether the track indicator (red line) should be shown. Additionally, you can choose to have Marble follow your current position and adjust the map zoom value to your speed.

Track Recording

Whenever you like, you can save your track in the Tracking dialog. Click on Save Track to open a file save dialog.

The track will be saved in kml format.

Using Tracks

Once you saved one or more tracks as .kml files, there are various ways to make use of them: Share them with your friends, analyze them in other software or use them for OpenStreetMap mapping.

Opening Tracks in Marble

Of course the .kml file can be viewed in Marble on your Desktop. Make sure Marble is installed on your Desktop system and start it. In Marble, click on Open in the File menu and select your .kml track file.

Sharing Tracks

It is also much of use as we can share our kml/gpx tracks with friends and communities just by uploading them on gpsies.com like shown below.

Converting Tracks

Both kml and gpx files are standard formats with a specified set of features (like routes and tracks) that can be used by Marble, Google Earth and similar applications. Kml is originally developed for being used with Google Earth but Marble and other applications also provide support for it. GPX on the other hand is widely accepted by the majority of applications.

The .kml file saved by Marble can easily be converted to a .gpx file with the help of gpsbabel:

gpsbabel -i kml -f input.kml -o gpx -F output.gpx

Here input.kml is the .kml file recorded by Marble and output.gpx is the gpx file to write. Gpsbabel provides support for many other formats than kml and gpx. Please consult its documentation for other formats and conversion options.

gpsbabel -h

Analyzing Tracks in Workout

Do you take your N900 with you while doing sports like walking, jogging, hiking or biking? Then you might want to load your tracks into Workout for further analysis. At the time of writing Workout does not support the .kml format natively, but you can use gpsbabel as described in the section above to convert the .kml track to .gpx format and load that into Workout.

Using Tracks for OpenStreetMap Mapping

Last but not least you can use your recorded tracks for OpenStreetMap mapping. Editors like Merkaartor support opening .gpx files. To use a Marble .kml track in Merkaartor, first convert it to .gpx format like shown in the section above. Afterwards open the .gpx file in Merkaartor using Open in the File menu. For our example track there's nothing to do, however; other OSM mappers have already mapped this way as you see in this screenshot:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''GPS Tracking Tutorial for Marble'''
+<languages />
+<translate>
+<!--T:1-->
+{{Prevnext|Special:myLanguage/Marble/Maemo/GuidanceMode|Special:myLanguage/Marble/MapThemes|Guidance Mode|Map Themes}}
-Prerequisite: You must be having Marble installed on your N900 and it can be done by following our [[Special:myLanguage/Marble/Maemo/Installation|'''Installing Marble on a Nokia N900 Guidelines''']]
+<!--T:2-->
+In this tutorial you learn how to record a GPS track with '''Marble''' and share it with your friends. The track recording is based on the mobile version of '''Marble''' ([[Special:myLanguage/Marble/Maemo/Installation|Marble 1.0 for Nokia N900]]). You can also use the Desktop version of '''Marble''', but you need a more recent version ('''Marble 1.1''' or later) and a GPS device.
-Throughout this guide, We assume you have a Nokia N900 with an installation of '''Marble''' and an installation of [http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/MoNav '''Monav'''] on it.
+== Enabling GPS Tracking == <!--T:3-->
-Please start Marble on the N900. The initial view should look similar to this one, possibly showing a different location on the map.
+<!--T:4-->
+The internal GPS of the N900 is used to retrieve your current location. The track is shown in the map and can be saved for further analysis in other programs.
+<!--T:5-->
+Enable GPS on the N900 in '''Marble''' using the <menuchoice>GPS</menuchoice> button (second button from the left of the four large buttons on the bottom of the screen). Once enough satellites are in view, '''Marble''' shows your current position on the screen.
-[[File:MarbleMaemoOfflineRouting-InitialView1.png|400px|center]]
+<!--T:6-->
+[[File:MarbleMaemo-Tracking01-EnableGPS.png|400px|center]]
-We'll use Switzerland, a country in Europe, in this example. Let's assume we're in Bern, the capital of Switzerland.
+<!--T:7-->
-So we will now download the Switzerland map now. In order to do this please open the Marble application menu: Follow the '''Marble -> Virtual Globe''' text on the top of the screen. Choose the '''routing''' option on the bottom of the screen.
+{{Tip|If the current location is not visible on the screen, you can move to it using the <menuchoice>Go To...</menuchoice> menu: Click anywhere on the map and choose <menuchoice>Go To...</menuchoice>. In the upcoming dialog, select <menuchoice>Current Location</menuchoice>.}}
-[[File:MarbleMaemo-Tracking02-Menu.png|400px|center]]
-'''GPS Tracking and Route Guidance'''
+<!--T:8-->
+The <menuchoice>Tracking</menuchoice> dialog, available via the <menuchoice>Marble - Virtual Globe</menuchoice> menu, allows you to change tracking options. You can choose whether the track indicator (red line) should be shown. Additionally, you can choose to have '''Marble''' follow your current position and adjust the map zoom value to your speed.
-The internal GPS of the N900 is used to retrieve your current location. The track is shown in the map and can be saved for further analysis in other programs.
+<!--T:9-->
+[[File:400px-MarbleMaemo-Tracking03-TrackingDialog.png|400px|center]]
-For more information about Route Guidance follow our [[Special:myLanguage/Marble/Maemo/GuidanceMode|'''Route Planning Guidelines for   Nokia N900''']].
+== Track Recording == <!--T:10-->
-GPS image somewhat looks like this.
-[[File:MarbleMaemo-Tracking01-EnableGPS.png|400px|center]]
-In route guidance mode, driving instructions are announced in front of turn points. The map follows you as you move; Marble adjusts the zoom value automatically according to your speed.
+<!--T:11-->
-[[File:400px-MarbleMaemo-GuidanceMode1.png|400px|center]]
+Whenever you like, you can save your track in the <menuchoice>Tracking</menuchoice> dialog. Click on <menuchoice>Save Track</menuchoice> to open a file save dialog.
-You can also save your route using the '''Tracking-Marble''' option.
+<!--T:12-->
 [[File:400px-MarbleMaemo-Tracking03-TrackingDialog.png|400px|center]]
-This track can be saved in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyhole_Markup_Language '''kml'''] format and can be used for further reference.
+<!--T:13-->
+The track will be saved in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyhole_Markup_Language kml] format.
+<!--T:14-->
 [[File:MarbleMaemo-Tracking04-TrackingSave.png|400px|center]]
-It's very convenient that this kml file can be viewed on your Desktop.
+== Using Tracks == <!--T:15-->
-Prerequisite: Here you must be having Marble installed on your Desktop.
-[[File:MarbleDesktopKDE-ViewTrack.png|400px|center]]
+<!--T:16-->
+Once you saved one or more tracks as .kml files, there are various ways to make use of them: Share them with your friends, analyze them in other software or use them for '''OpenStreetMap''' mapping.
-Using a command line interface converting from '''KML file format to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPX '''GPX'''] file format''' is very easy.
+=== Opening Tracks in Marble === <!--T:17-->
-== gpsbabel -i kml -f input.kml -o gpx -f output.gpx ==
+<!--T:18-->
+Of course the .kml file can be viewed in '''Marble''' on your Desktop. Make sure '''Marble''' is installed on your Desktop system and start it. In '''Marble''', click on <menuchoice>Open</menuchoice> in the <menuchoice>File</menuchoice> menu and select your .kml track file.
-where input and output are files in kml and gpx respectively.
+<!--T:19-->
+[[File:MarbleDesktopKDE-ViewTrack.png|400px|center]]
-Both '''Kml''' and '''gpx''' specify a set of features (like maps,images)that can be used by Marble, Google Earth and same kind of applications. These are standard formats. Kml is originally developed for being used with Google Earth but Now-a-days Marble is also providing support for it. GPX on the other hand is widely accepted by all the applications.
+=== Sharing Tracks === <!--T:20-->
+<!--T:21-->
 It is also much of use as we can share our kml/gpx tracks with friends and communities just by uploading them on gpsies.com like shown below.
+<!--T:22-->
 [[File:kml uploading to gpsies.png|400px|center]]
+=== Converting Tracks === <!--T:23-->
+<!--T:24-->
+Both kml and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPS_eXchange_Format gpx] files are standard formats with a specified set of features (like routes and tracks) that can be used by '''Marble''', '''Google Earth''' and similar applications. Kml is originally developed for being used with '''Google Earth''' but '''Marble''' and other applications also provide support for it. GPX on the other hand is widely accepted by the majority of applications.
+<!--T:25-->
+The .kml file saved by '''Marble''' can easily be converted to a .gpx file with the help of gpsbabel:
+<!--T:26-->
+{{Input|gpsbabel -i kml -f input.kml -o gpx -F output.gpx}}
+<!--T:27-->
+Here input.kml is the .kml file recorded by '''Marble''' and output.gpx is the gpx file to write. Gpsbabel provides support for many other formats than kml and gpx. Please consult its documentation for other formats and conversion options.
+<!--T:28-->
+{{Input|gpsbabel -h}}
+=== Analyzing Tracks in Workout === <!--T:29-->
+<!--T:30-->
+Do you take your N900 with you while doing sports like walking, jogging, hiking or biking? Then you might want to load your tracks into Workout for further analysis. At the time of writing '''Workout''' does not support the .kml format natively, but you can use gpsbabel as described in the section above to convert the .kml track to .gpx format and load that into '''Workout'''.
+<!--T:31-->
+[[File:Marble-Workout.png|400px|center]]
+=== Using Tracks for OpenStreetMap Mapping === <!--T:32-->
+<!--T:33-->
+Last but not least you can use your recorded tracks for '''OpenStreetMap''' mapping. Editors like [http://merkaartor.be/ Merkaartor] support opening .gpx files. To use a '''Marble''' .kml track in '''Merkaartor''', first convert it to .gpx format like shown in the section above. Afterwards open the .gpx file in '''Merkaartor''' using <menuchoice>Open</menuchoice> in the <menuchoice>File</menuchoice> menu. For our example track there's nothing to do, however; other OSM mappers have already mapped this way as you see in this screenshot:
+<!--T:34-->
+[[File:Marble-Merkaartor.png|400px|center]]
+<!--T:35-->
+{{Prevnext|Special:myLanguage/Marble/Maemo/GuidanceMode|Special:myLanguage/Marble/MapThemes|Guidance Mode|Map Themes}}
+<!--T:36-->
+[[Category:Education]]
+</translate>