ArcGIS Methods and Madness

Exporting Trimble Pathfinder Office data as KML for Google Earth

Had some GPS data I wanted to transfer into a KML file for use in Google Earth and other KML compatible programs. Although the script exports the file in a KML a little bit fo header/footer has to be added to the document before its acutally ready for use. To export the file, I had to learn the format for Pathfinder Office Export Templates. Took me a while to get a hang of it, but got it to export the data inbetween individual <> tags.

Template "code:"
{Text:}
{Text: }{Attributes}{Text:}
{Text:}
{Text:}
{Text: }{Longitude}{Text:}
{Text: }{Latitude}{Text:}
{Text: 100}
{Text: 0}
{Text: 0}
{Text:}
{Text:root://styleMaps#default+nicon=0x307+hicon=0x317}
{Text:}
{Text: }{Longitude}{Text:,}{Latitude}{Text:,0}
{Text:}
{Text:}

Once you've exported your KML file, you have to open it up in Notepad or another text editor and add the KML header and footer information. Above the first <> tag place this text in (note: remove all spaces from tags, if I didn't put them in, blogger cuts them out):

< ?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"? >
< xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.1">
<>
<>GPS Data< /name >

After the last < /placemark > tag add in this text

< /Document >
< /kml >

google earth gps data pathfinder screenshot

Download the completed KML for yourself
or
import into google maps in your browser

Combining Shapefiles

Problem: Everytime I unload GPS data from the GeoXH and post-process using Pathfinder Office it creates a new Shapefile

Solution: A piece of free software called GeoMerge allows you to pick any number of Shapefiles and merge them into one file

Links:
Geo Merge site
Direct download link

Importing Images as Symbols

In the procss of learning GIS, I was creating a map to show the locations of all the Taco Bells within my county (about 18) and desired to use a different symbol than a colored pushpin, etc. So I did some research online and on the ESRI forums and found out how.

1. Find the image, the Taco Bell image I used was from Google Image search

2. Inside of ArcGIS (9.1)
Tools > Styles > Style Manager

3. Click the Styles drop down and select "Create New"

4. Give your new style a file name

5. Find your graphic file
**note: The images have to be .bmp so use something like paint to resave the file as a bitmap

6. Select ok and then proceed to change your style for the desired layer through the standard (right click on layer > properties > symbology tab)