Gmap4 - Enhanced Google Map viewer with topographic maps, free, display GPS files

[Jelf]

Gmap4 is a 100% free no-ads full-screen enhanced Google Map viewer. It includes detailed topographic maps (courtesy of www.mytopo.com) for the USA and Canada. Gmap4 runs entirely online. There is nothing to buy, nothing to download, nothing to install.
In addition to surfing topographic maps, you can also view data from the following types of files: GPX, KML, KMZ, TPO & Google MyMap files.

You do need to place your GPX, KML, KMZ and TPO files online before they can be displayed by Gmap4. The easiest/fastest way to place files online is via Google Sites (free). Don’t be shy. You will find hand-holding-step-by-step instructions in the Gmap4 Help file.

Here is the general recipe for building a URL to display a data file with Gmap4 (do not include the quotes, these are not a real links):
For data files showing locations in the USA or Canada:
'http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?t=t2&q=htpp://url_to_your_file'
For data files showing other locations:
'http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=htpp://url_to_your_file'

Below is a link to the Gmap4 homepage. Check out the 'Examples' button and the Quick Start section of the 'Help' file.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

Finally, if you run a website where people file trip reports you could consider allowing Gmap4 to run in an iframe. Your users could include a 100% free interactive map with their GPS track and waypoints along with the rest of their trip report. Gmap4 has a liquid design and will look decent in an iframe down to 400px by 400px. For examples: Search the Trip Report forum at http://www.nwhikers.net for 'Gmap4'.

Enjoy,
Joseph

[Jelf]

Gmap4 has acquired some new features since my prior post. Remember, Gmap4 is a 100% free no-ads map viewer that can display detailed topographic maps. There is nothing to download or install.

1. A powerful search feature has been added. Click Menu ==> Search. You can search on:
* Addresses
* Names of places and natural features
* Latitude Longitude (Geocache format and many others)

Here’s an interactive map of the world:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...92258&t=t1&z=2.
Depending on what you are searching for, it may help if you include the name or abbreviation for the state/province/region. If you are searching for something in the USA or Canada then you can see the detailed topographic map by clicking Terrain ==> MyTopo.

2. Maps can be printed. In the menu bar for your browser click File ==> Print preview.

3. An icon can be placed at the center of the map. Here’s an example. http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...&z=14&icon=pgs

4. It is easier to get a copy of the URL that will reproduce the map you see on your screen. Click Menu ==> Map URL.
That URL can be used in a trip report, e-mailed, posted on a website, etc.

For more information please see the Gmap4 homepage where you will find examples, a change log and a detailed Help file.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

Enjoy,
Joseph - Gmap4 author

[hobbs]

I am going to have to check your site out. Sounds like you modified in a good way. One one stop shop soo to speak. Sounds like a dandy.

[fiddlehead]

Thanks Google. It looks great what i've looked at so far.

[Jelf]

Gmap4 has been updated to version 1.8.3

The present-day magnetic declination for the map center is now always displayed in the lower right corner. This value is produced using software from http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/IAGA/vmod/igrf.html combined with data from http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/WMM/back.shtml.
Since the magnetic declination is always changing, the older value printed on maps can be wrong by several degrees.

I also updated my links page to show (1) reviews of Gmap4 and (2) sites that are already using Gmap4 to produce online interactive maps.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_links.html

Finally, if you are interested in the search feature and/or print feature, please check the ‘Help’ file (and use the Table of Contents) to be sure you have seen the most recent info on those features.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

The link below will display a world map. To test-drive the search feature click Menu==>Search.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...60195&t=t1&z=2

Enjoy,
Joseph - Gmap4 author

[couscous]

Nice application. I spent some time with it yesterday getting approximate GPS coordinates for hostels (and friendlies) along the AT. Really like the lat/long display as I move the cursor around and the topo integration.

[veteran]

Is it possible to save a Google Map?

[Skidsteer]

Is it possible to save a Google Map?

If you're logged in you can save a Google Map to 'my maps'.

The gmap4 app gives you a permanent url apparently, and the ability to print maps from your browser. Which means you can print to a .PDF, thus saving the map as a file.

[veteran]

Thanx for that.

[Wise Old Owl]

awesome Jelf, just hope you are not spamming, appears to be a fine line...

Ok I am playing with it, but the software has limitations....

[Jelf]

Thanks for the kind words.

Gmap4 has been updated to version 1.9.1 dated January 17, 2011. This version adds support for UTM coordinate grids. All UTM support in Gmap4 uses the WGS84 datum. This UTM support works worldwide. For more info on UTM coordinates see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univers...rdinate_system

(Pay back time: When you visit other outdoor-related forums, please do a search and see if Gmap4 has been mentioned. If not, it would just take a moment for you to pass the word along. Also, are you doing the social network thing? Consider saying something nice about Gmap4.)

Here’s a map of Grand Canyon Village with a UTM grid.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...z=14&coord=utm

To toggle UTM support on and off, click Menu ==> UTM On/Off. If UTM is ‘on’ then Gmap4 gives you UTM information in three ways:

1. A UTM grid is displayed. This UTM grid is displayed on both the MyTopo topographic maps (USA and Canada) and the standard views (aerial, etc) provided by Google Maps.

2. The lower right corner of the screen will always show the UTM zone and UTM coordinates for both the cursor and map center.

3. You can get the UTM zone and coordinates for any point on the map by right-clicking that point.

Things to keep in mind

You can build you own map links by using URL parameters. If you want your map to appear on the user’s screen and already have UTM turned on, then add this URL parameter: &coord=utm

Here is a comparison:
With UTM on
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...t=t2&coord=utm
With UTM off (default)
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...Creek.kml&t=t2

If you zoom out far enough then you will not see a UTM grid. Instead you will only see vertical red lines which mark the edges of the UTM zones.

UTM grid lines that are near the edge of their zone often appear curved when displayed using the map projection used by Google Maps. The grid lines in the adjoining zone will curve in the opposite direction. For example, the next map is centered near Lake Tahoe. The red line marks the edge of adjoining UTM zones. Double click each side of the red line (this changes the map center) and watch the UTM grid lines change. The grid lines are calculated based on the UTM zone that contains the center of the map.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...&z=8&coord=utm

Some MyTopo topographic maps already have a UTM grid printed on them. Caution! Some of those printed grids are based on the older datum NAD27. Those older grids will have a uniform offset from the grid displayed by Gmap4 which is based on datum WGS84 . For example: Here is a map showing part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area in Washington State where the MyTopo maps have a UTM grid based on the WGS84 datum. Click Menu ==> UTM On/Off and you will see the faint UTM grid printed on the map:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...z=14&coord=utm

By contrast, here is a map showing part of the Yosemite Valley area in California, where the MyTopo maps have a UTM grid based on NAD27. Note the uniform offset between the two sets of grid lines.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...z=14&coord=utm

Usually (but not always) the different zoom levels use a different scale for the UTM grid. To learn the grid scale, compare the cursor coordinates (lower right corner) as you point to adjacent grid lines. If you want to know the zoom level, right click the map.

Maps with UTM grid lines can be printed. File ==> Print Preview

If you know of any other map viewing software that can display the MyTopo topographic maps along with a UTM grid, I would enjoy knowing about it.

Future UTM improvements

There are different methods for putting labels on the grid lines. I am pondering what will work best.
Another possible improvement is to let the user change the line width, color and/or spacing.
Other ideas?

Next Gmap4 update

Bad news: The ‘Search’ feature of Gmap4 no longer works very well for placenames. This feature uses Google’s ‘geocoding’ service on the backend. OK, I admit it. Gmap4 was pushing the envelope in its use of that service. Whoops - Google pushed back. Guess who won? I will add a second search tool that is designed to work well with placenames.

Good news: The existing ‘Search’ feature of Gmap4 still works fine for searching on (1) anything related to addresses including names of many settlements that no longer exist and (2) any reasonable way to write a latitude/longitude pair.

Finally, if you find Gmap4 to be useful I hope you can take a moment and do some ‘pay-back’ by letting other people know about it.

Enjoy!
Joseph - Gmap4 author

[Mr. Magoo]

Good job on the UTM functionality, Joseph. I prefer it to lat/lon.

[Mr. Magoo]

One thing that, if possible, would be a big help: The addition of easting and northing values on the grid. This would be a good assist when using your grid tool on a printed copy.

Good job on the UTM functionality, Joseph. I prefer it to lat/lon.

[Jelf]

Short poem of the day:
Magoo
I agree with you.
- - - -
I'm debugging that code as we speak.
Actually that's not true.
The code works just fine.
What I'm really doing is changing the code so IE8 will be happy with my css.
Stay tuned...

[Mr. Magoo]

Outstanding. Thanks for your reply.

I'll need to recite your poem to my wife and have her repeat it as part of her daily routine.

Short poem of the day:
Magoo
I agree with you.
- - - -
I'm debugging that code as we speak.
Actually that's not true.
The code works just fine.
What I'm really doing is changing the code so IE8 will be happy with my css.
Stay tuned...

[Jelf]

The UTM grid now includes labels. If they are not positioned to your liking, just drag the map a bit.

The current version of Firefox and Chrome display the UTM grid faster than IE8.

Keep in mind that the UTM grid displayed by Gmap4 uses datum WGS84 (basically the same as NAD83). The map link below displays part of the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Oregon. Note that some of the MyTopo map tiles contain a UTM grid based on the NAD27 datum.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...z=14&coord=utm

[Mr. Magoo]

Good job!

One observation: I printed a copy of a map and none of my grid tools align. I tried 1:24, 1:25, 1:5k, 1:10k; even a few oddball sizes that I have. Nothing fits.

[Jelf]

That dang Google. Honestly, Gmap4 has zero ability to control printing. Printing is entirely in the hands of Google and your browser.

What I can do however is add a scale bar to the map which will appear on prints. That is very near the top of the Gmap4 enhancement list at the moment.

[leaftye]

You really have made some huge leaps and strides in making this a valuable resource for hikers. With the UTM grid, mytopo, terrain, and gpz capabilities, and of course the ability to make a link for a mapview, this map is close to becoming my goto map for anything outdoors. I am having problems printing with Chrome though...

[Jelf]

I just promoted Gmap4 from version 1 to version 2.

Little reason: I added support for viewing the set of topo maps that used to be known as Terraserver and now are known as Microsoft Research Maps. Click the map type button in the far upper right and select “US Topo”. You can really see the quality difference compared to the MyTopo maps.

The US Topo maps often load a bit slow. Part of the reason is that each map tile must be re-projected on-the-fly in order to match the map projection used by Google Maps. I added support for these maps in case they show old (abandoned?) trails that are not on the MyTopo maps.

Big reason: This update introduces a new text file format that makes it super easy to produce maps. For a quick look, scroll down a bit on the Examples page: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_examples.html

This new file format is so easy that middle school students can quickly learn how to produce maps.

In addition to the maps on the ‘Examples’ page, here’s another example for those that would like to learn about this new text file format. This map shows the lower Mississippi River valley. Click the “i” icon near the upper middle for an interesting story.
To turn the symbol labels on/off click Menu ==> Labels On/Off.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap...h&z=9&label=on

Here is the data file that produced the ‘Mississippi’ map:
https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4f...rse_change.txt

Maps produced with this new text file format can include:
* Many different kinds of symbols (i.e. markers/icons)
* Lines of any color and any width
* Balloons that appear when symbols are clicked
* Links in the balloons
* Clickable photo thumbnails in the balloons
* And more

Did I mention that this is truly easy?

For the details, you can search the Help file on ‘delimited’. Or just go to page 32 in the 5-6-2011 version of the Help file. http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4_help.pdf

Homepage: http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.html

Enjoy.

Joseph