By: Javier Tovar, Pedro Ceballos, and Michael González Harbour
Google Earth can be downloaded for free from
https://earth.google.com/
, and requires high-speed Internet connection (DSL o similar).
After installing, you can open the "KMZ" files thatyou will find for
each route. The program has controls to tilt the point of view and get
a 3D display of the track.
The GPS tracks are offered in the popular formats PLT,
of OziExplorer, and GPX, which is an interchange format readable from
many programs.With them it is
possible to open the route in a GPS route management application. Most
GPS receivers have their own management program.
Two popular GPS programs are:
GPS TrackMaker.
Free program that lets you manage the routes, display them
on a digital map, or transfer them to a GPS receiver.
It can be found at:
https://www.gpstm.com/
The Datum used in the GPS tracks is WGS84. Remember that there may be
significant differences, up to 300 meters, if you use an incorrect
datum. Spanish cartography usually comes with the European Datum.
The maps shown in each route are based on GoogleMaps and use the
API that allows displaying routes and markers on the map.
To plan the routes it is advisable to use maps of scale
1:50.000 or 1:25.000, wich are available from
Instituto Geográfico Nacional.
A very useful resource to plan your routes is the
Sigpac
viewer, by the
Ministery of Agriculture of the Spanish Government. It has topographic
maps of Spain at 1:25000 scale, as well as high-resolution aereal
pictures that are usually up to date.