Thursday, June 27, 2013

Interstate Exits: Utah KML File

This is the third in a series of KML, Google Earth, files I am preparing for Offroading Home concerning the Interstate Road system, its exits and the lack of labels for them on digital maps.

When the DOT didn't respond to my several requests to make their Geo-data available in a user-friendly form, I kept seeking for other sources. I did find some and have begun the painstaking process of coding them into the .kml file type structure which can be used in Google Earth. This one joins the group with coverage of Utah.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Interstate Exits: Washington KML File

This is the second in a series of KML, Google Earth, maps that I am creating covering the Interstate system of roads and their exits in the western US states.

Google Earth is conspicuous in its absence of labels for exits on the road system; yet, that seems to be the favored method of describing routes to the various destinations in offroading trail books published these days. In fact, you need to navigate so close to the ground that you can't even tell where you are before Google even turns on many of the state road labels – and none of them are for the exits.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Interstate Exits: Wyoming KML File

One of the deficiencies, if you can call it that, of Google Earth is that it doesn't list the interstate exit numbers as one of its many options for labels. Perhaps it's just us map-making geeks that even notice it but it's been a thorn in my side for years and years while I've been trying to digitize trail maps on Google Earth.

And for just as long I've been trying to get the Department Of Transportation (DOT) to cough up their data in a publicly useable format – no joy. I'm not even convinced that I ever reached an official DOT employee. Now, I've found a source for the coordinates and have spent more hours than I thought it would take in producing Google Earth files for all the western states (where most of our available trails are located.