Using GPS Devices with Google Earth
If you have a GPS (Global Position System) device, you can connect it to your computer and import your waypoint and track data into Google Earth. Topics in this section include:
Supported Devices
Google Earth currently supports most GPS devices from the following manufacturers:
The GPSBabel web site lists the devices officially supported by the Google Earth GPS import feature. You can try other devices, but they might not work correctly. If you're using a device that is not supported, you can try importing GPS data from the device to your computer as a .gpx or .loc file and then opening it in Google Earth (File > Open).
Required Connectors
You need either a serial or USB cable to connect the GPS device to your computer. Typically, your device is sold with one type of cable. If your GPS device did not come with a cable, you can visit the manufacturer's web site to purchase the correct one for your model.
About GPS Points
When your GPS data is imported into Google Earth, it is categorized into three possible folders, depending upon the type of point. These folders are:
- Tracks - Tracks (or trackpoints) are the points automatically recorded by the GPS device periodically along the recorded route. They can be imported into the Google Earth application as paths.
- Waypoints - Waypoints are points entered manually by the user and typically marked with a name, such as "home" or "turnaround point."
- Routes - Route points are those points that the GPS device uses to creating the routing, such as when you instruct the device to "go to" a recorded point from another recorded point. Route points can contain multiple connected "go to" instructions. They can be imported into the Google Earth application as paths.
Importing GPS Data
Tip - If you have a .GPX file on your computer, you can import it by dragging and dropping the file into Google Earth.
Importing the data from your GPS to Google Earth is simple:
- If you are using a Garmin USB device and a Windows computer, please install the Garmin USB driver from the CD that came with your GPS device or download this driver from the Garmin website.
- Connect your device to the computer running Google Earth.
You can use either a serial cable or USB cable, depending upon which one came with your device.
- Turn on the GPS device. Once your device is on and activated, it is not necessary to wait until it connects to satellites.
- From the 'Tools' menu, select GPS. The 'GPS' window appears.
- Select the correct manufacturer type for your device.
- Under Import, Select the types of data you want to import.
- Under Options, choose your drawing preferences. Check Draw icons at track and route points if you want an icon to be displayed in the 3D viewer for every track/route point recorded by your GPS device. Check Draw lines for tracks and routes to draw each GPS track and route as a solid line.
- Check the Adjust altitude to ground height check box to adjust all recorded point to ground level, such as when importing a track taken on foot, car, or bike. However, if your GPS track was recorded while hang gliding or flying, make sure this option is not selected so that your points appear as above-ground points.
- Click OK. When your GPS data is finished loading into Google Earth, a confirmation dialog box appears.
Your data appears in the 'Places' panel with the label 'Garmin GPS Device' or 'Magellan GPS Device', depending upon the device used (see Supported Devices). If you expand that folder, you can see the data sorted into the appropriate folders depending upon the type of data, as illustrated in the example below.
You can expand those folders and explore the information within as you would any other type of places data. This includes organizing, editing, sharing, saving, and more.
Note - If you receive a connection error, turn off the GPS device, turn it on again, and start again from Step 4 above.
Viewing Realtime GPS Information
If you have connected your portable computer to a GPS device, you can view GPS information in realtime. For example, you can view a live GPS track of your progress in a car on a laptop in Google Earth as you travel. To do this:
- Connect your GPS device and portable computer as described in steps 1-4 of Importing GPS Data.
- In the GPS dialog box, click the '>Realtime' tab.
- Choose the appropriate options:
- 'Select protocol' - If you don't know which one to use, choose 'NMEA'.
- 'Track point import limit' - This is the maximum number of points imported per poll of the device. A smaller number can result in faster data but a less accurate depiction of your journey, while a larger number can mean the opposite.
- <'Polling interval (seconds)' - This is the frequency of which Google Earth collects data from the GPS device.
- 'Automatically follow the path' - Check this to have the 3D viewer center on and follow the current realtime GPS track.
- Click Start to begin realtime GPS tracking.
