I have a mapping issue that hopefully someone out there has a solution for.
I recently downloaded the W7A Association files (KML, KMZ files) from the map page on the SOTA website to display in Google Earth. When I open either file in Google Earth all of the summit icons show up as a big red X in a white field…gone are the colored SOTA triangular icons with the summit point values displayed.
I have no clue why the SOTA icons no longer show and the “X” icons are there.
You aren’t doing anything wrong as I have had the same problem too. Rob thought he had it fixed but I guess it’s not sorted out yet. I believe it broke when he switched to the sotamaps.org domain name. I will shoot him another email.
If you want, I can make you a KML file of W7A summits using the software I wrote to process the W6 update. I don’t know what Rob’s output looks like, but mine uses colored flags and pins to represent the summit point values. Details about the summit (elevation, name, prominence if available, etc.) show up in a balloon when you float your mouse over the summit. Or maybe you have to click on the summit to get the balloon, I usually use ExpertGPS, it’s been a while since I looked at the KML output in Google Earth.
73,
Eric KU6J
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Free SOTA Spot Monitor Software + RBNGate FAQ: http://www.ku6j.com
After typing this response it occurs to me that this might be an issue with the SOTA Mapping Project software…maybe it has been recently modified. In any case what follows used to work on my three computers, but no more.
I used to be able to download a new KML file of W7A (or anyplace else), open it in Google Earth, and then see all of the different colored summit icons (point value inside the icon), and summit status was indicated by the summit name being white letters (summit has been activated) or red letters (summit has never been activated). All of it still works EXCEPT for the Icon which is no longer colored or indicates the point value for that summit).
Here is how I download the file:
Go the SOTA Mapping Project MAIN page: WWW.sotamaps.org, select: Database, Summits, SOTA mapping project, main, choose association, W7A, export, W7A, output format, then I choose either “KML File” or “KLM Network Link.” Then I select “create File.” the file is saved to my desktop.
When I open this file with google earth instead of the nice Icons of yesterday I get an icon that is a red X in a white field…and no mention of the summit value. The summit info is automatically updated whenever Google earth is opened to reflect the summit status (Activated or not).
Sorry, people - I forgot to upload a special kml file, which contains, amongst other things, references to the icons used to mark each summit. As Pat says, he sent me an email pointing out the error; I made the appropriate changes, uploaded (most of) the altered files, but forgot this file. AND I didn’t check the results - mea culpa ! All running now…
Well, IMHO that would be the minimum that would be required of such a file - and there’s a simple way to find out how the SMP KML files look…
The SMP files are produced dynamically at the exact time the user calls them, and from data which are updated twice a day from the official summits list - so I don’t have to bother with managing folders full of files. But whichever file the user actually favours in our democratic internet is purely a matter of taste…
When I started “playing SOTA”, I did not find the basic tools I was looking for, so I started making some myself. Many references to existing tools were just broken links, etc.
Later on I discovered that there are quite a few SOTA dedicated software, and I maintain a list of the ones I know of on my site.
Should I have known at that time that I could get GPX and KML files from sotamaps, I would not have bothered
- and there’s a simple way to find out how the SMP KML files look…
