Importing and Exporting Maps and Routes in one File - the GPZ Format

Goal

To be able to transmit map and route data from other applications in one file. Customers simply click on the "import route data" button and will get a calibrated map and route on their Run.GPS installation.

GPZ File Format

Data is being transmitted in a ZIP archive. It contains:

• route information (exactly one file with suffix ".gpx", name does not matter)
• a number of raster maps (if more than one map image is included, Run.GPS can display multiple and combine them into one map, they might even be overlapping and with varying resolution; using one map for the entire route is just as well)

The ZIP archive does not have suffix ".zip". To be able to distinguish between the different ZIP based formats, the suffix should be ".gpz" (GPS data exchange format zipped = GPX zipped plus additional items like maps).

NB: The route and map files should be named uniquely, not just "route.gpx" because these names are kept as they are in the Run.GPS filesystem. Therefore, when using the same names, these files would overwrite.

Map File Format

The map definition constists of two files:

• a jpeg file containing the actual raster image data
• a xml descriptor file geocoding the map

The maps must be northed, i.e. the top of the map must be pointing to north.

The format of the XML descriptor file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<mapImage>
  <upperLeftCornerLat>47.916369873</upperLeftCornerLat>
  <upperLeftCornerLon>11.397551711</upperLeftCornerLon>
  <lowerRightCornerLat>47.890836559</lowerRightCornerLat>
  <lowerRightCornerLon>11.462641712</lowerRightCornerLon>
</mapImage>

This simple format defines the positions of both the NW and SE corner of the map image file.

Example

A test route with two attached raster maps shall be imported: testroute20061204.gpz

First open the routes dialog:

Than select the GPZ file:

Decide if the route shall be activated as navigation goal:

Done! The maps and the route are loaded: