Several local group websites provide valuable on-line displays of walk routes which are available to the general public. Examples include Derby and South Derbyshire Ramblers and the Vale of Belvoir Ramblers. VBR's approach is simply to show the track on top of an OpenStreetMap (OSM) image and import it into a website or blog as you would import a photograph. This has several advantages: no hyperlinks to third party web-based applications are required, nor a registration or subscription; it allows editors to maintain control of the data in the future; and, as long as you credit OpenStreetMap and its contributors , using OSM avoids any copyright issues of the sort that would arise with Ordnance Survey maps.
The starting point for most of our tracks is a .gpx file from a GPS device. This can be displayed on an OSM map by uploading the file to, for example, the free, off-line application GPS Track Editor which can be downloaded here. A screen-scan of the track can then be made and stored as a .jpg file for importing to the website. An example is shown below.
A slightly less simple approach involves inserting a snippet of html into the website using the free, on-line application UMap. A .gpx file is uploaded, map style chosen and the appropriate html is then created for copying and pasting into the web page html editor. The end result in an "embedded" interactive map which you can zoom into and out of and pan.
This is our approach for tracks which have been recorded on GPS devices as .gpx files. As for routes, that is walks that have been created manually, we plot the walk on a 1:50k or 1:25k maps using OS Maps. The website editor first creates a route and inserts a suitable hyperlink on the website to the route or track which in this case is hosted by OS. The disadvantage is that website editor needs a subscription to OS and OS may change their terms and conditions in the future. The website visitor however does not need to register or subscribe to OS but can only view the route on top of a "standard" OS map; see here for an example. However, the standard map, like OpenStreetMap, does enable you to zoom in to see details not available on the 1:25k maps such as street names and minor footpaths.
OS Maps has other advantages in that .gpx files can be downloaded as well as uploaded. However, in our experience, the files are not always transportable to and from some mapping applications and GPS devices. This can be overcome by reformatting the files using, for example, https://www.gpsvisualizer.com/convert_input (import as a .gpx file and export as a .gpx file).
For more information, feel free to contact the VBR website editor at vbramblers@gmail.com .
The starting point for most of our tracks is a .gpx file from a GPS device. This can be displayed on an OSM map by uploading the file to, for example, the free, off-line application GPS Track Editor which can be downloaded here. A screen-scan of the track can then be made and stored as a .jpg file for importing to the website. An example is shown below.
A slightly less simple approach involves inserting a snippet of html into the website using the free, on-line application UMap. A .gpx file is uploaded, map style chosen and the appropriate html is then created for copying and pasting into the web page html editor. The end result in an "embedded" interactive map which you can zoom into and out of and pan.
This is our approach for tracks which have been recorded on GPS devices as .gpx files. As for routes, that is walks that have been created manually, we plot the walk on a 1:50k or 1:25k maps using OS Maps. The website editor first creates a route and inserts a suitable hyperlink on the website to the route or track which in this case is hosted by OS. The disadvantage is that website editor needs a subscription to OS and OS may change their terms and conditions in the future. The website visitor however does not need to register or subscribe to OS but can only view the route on top of a "standard" OS map; see here for an example. However, the standard map, like OpenStreetMap, does enable you to zoom in to see details not available on the 1:25k maps such as street names and minor footpaths.
OS Maps has other advantages in that .gpx files can be downloaded as well as uploaded. However, in our experience, the files are not always transportable to and from some mapping applications and GPS devices. This can be overcome by reformatting the files using, for example, https://www.gpsvisualizer.com/convert_input (import as a .gpx file and export as a .gpx file).
For more information, feel free to contact the VBR website editor at vbramblers@gmail.com .
