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GPX save problem

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 Baz P 22 May 2019

I usually get my GPX files by plotting routes on MemoryMap then converting to a GPX file to download to my phone. My problem is downloading GPX files from other sources be it local tourist boards or magazines etc.

When I try to download the files they just open an XML file with a programming list. Right or left clicking gives me no option to 'Save As' and trying to save the XML file only gives me the XML or All Files option.

I'm probably being a numpty and doing something wrong but I'm playing the age card. Any help would be appreciated.

 Harry Jarvis 22 May 2019
In reply to Baz P:

Your browser may have set file associations which mistakenly apply the XML option to GPX files. I can tell you how to do this in Firefox, but I don't know how to do it in other browsers. 

OP Baz P 22 May 2019
In reply to Harry Jarvis:

Thank you for the quick reply. I am using Internet Explorer on the PC and a quick look doesn't reveal anything regarding file associations.

I have just tried to download the GPX file on my IPhone using Safari but again a short tap opens the file as just a list of waypoints and a long press just gives the options to copy, share etc. It doesn't give me the option to send to my MemoryMap app. or save as a GPX file in a container.

I normally just email my GPX files from MemoryMap on the PC to myself then open it on my phone and it lets me install it to the app.

 Harry Jarvis 22 May 2019
In reply to Baz P:

The fact that you have the same problem on a PC and your iPhone seems a bit odd, but may be a strange coincidence. Which version of Windows are you using on your PC?

 Mike-W-99 22 May 2019
In reply to Baz P:

If your having trouble I can email you a gpx file that definitely will open up in memory map on my iPhone. Would eliminate any issues from the actual files.

OP Baz P 22 May 2019
In reply to Harry Jarvis:

I am using Windows 7 with Internet Explorer 11.

If the GPX file is in a container and is an attachment then things seem to work ok but clicking on a download from any internet site just opens an XML file.

OP Baz P 22 May 2019
In reply to Mike-W-99:

Thank you, I will try that.

 robhorton 23 May 2019
In reply to Baz P:

GPX files do use XML markup - are you able to save as a .xml file then rename it to .gpx?

 Harry Jarvis 23 May 2019
In reply to Baz P:

I'm not familiar with the working of Windows 7 or IE11, so this is a bit of a stab in the dark - open the IE settings (small cog top-right) and select the Internet options menu item. Then, select the Programs tab, and find the File Associations option (near the bottom I think). This should allow you to set the .gpx extension with the MMNav.exe program - you will have to browse your C drive to find the Memory map folder and the .exe file within. 

In reply to Baz P:

> and trying to save the XML file only gives me the XML or All Files option.

Save as .xml

Change the extension to .gpx

GPX is an XML file with a particular schema. It is XML.

OP Baz P 27 May 2019
In reply to captain paranoia:

Sorry for the late reply. It looks like it's the website I am using, www.cyclethedales.org.uk.

Clicking the GPX box for a route only either opens it as an XML file, of which I can't seem to rename the extension, or right clicking gives me the option to "save target as". I can't seem to do anything with either of these options.

Clicking on GPX files in a couple of other websites  gives me the option to download then "open" or  "save as" and the last option saves as a GPX file. These open with no problem in Memory Map.

Downloads on the Cyclethedales site are certainly not user friendly, or idiot friendly.

Thank you for all the suggestions.

In reply to Baz P:

Using Chrome on Android, I simply did a press and hold on the GPX 'lozenge', selected 'Download link' and it downloaded to my usual downloads area. It's a normal GPX file. Clicking on the lozenge opened it up as a text file.

Using latest Firefox on windows 7, I used right-click/save link as, which opened a file save dialogue.

What OS/browser are you using, as the actions above look thoroughly conventional.

Post edited at 00:20
 Harry Jarvis 28 May 2019
In reply to captain paranoia:

I tried something similar, but without your success. I wonder if there is a problem with some, but not all, of the routes on the cyclethedales site. 

Can you, for example, download this one: 

https://cyclethedales.org.uk/route/upper_wharfedale/

I'm using Firefox on Windows 10, but get the same xml issue with MS Edge. 

In reply to Harry Jarvis:

> Can you, for example, download this one: 

Yes, no problem: Win7/Firefox.

I wonder if it's the creeping Apple-ism: "I don't think you have an app to handle that, so I won't let you download it".

OP Baz P 03 Jun 2019
In reply to Harry Jarvis:

I am using Windows 7 with IE 11.0.125 which I updated to recently.

I am using the PC so don't have the option to press and hold with the mouse.

I have exactly the same problem with all of the routes on this site and the same with the Upper Wharfdale route that you linked to. Either open as a text file or the right click menu with the "save target as". It must be a combination of this website and Internet Explorer as most other sites offering GPX file downloads give me a "save as" option.

I did a couple of routes from this website last week, along with a trip down Gaping Gill, but had to download the pdf file and trace it myself in MemoryMap. 

In reply to Baz P:

> Either open as a text file or the right click menu with the "save target as".

So what happens if you select 'save target as'? This sounds very similar to the Firefox 'save link as', which offered a file save dialogue.

OP Baz P 04 Jun 2019
In reply to captain paranoia:

Save target just seems to save a link which opens the initial file on the internet, which is the target.

 DancingOnRock 04 Jun 2019
In reply to Baz P:

All my browsers are treating the GPX file as a web page and opening it. It’s an error on the way they are presenting the file to you as a link. 

Click on the link. It will open in a new web page. Once that web page is open then select ‘file’, ‘save as’, and save the file on your hard drive. It will save as .gpx.xml

Then navigate to the file using explorer and remove the .xml part of the file name. You may need to make known file type extensions visible or it’ll just present it as .gpx file. 

Post edited at 14:40
OP Baz P 10 Jun 2019
In reply to DancingOnRock:

Thank you for the help but the file just saved as an .xml file and properties says it's an xml document. I've tried just changing the extension to .gpx but this didn't work.

I have now lost the will to live and am going anywhere for a cycle ride, cheers.

 Mike_Gannon 10 Jun 2019
In reply to Baz P:

Hi, I can't see an answer, so assume you haven't resolved this yet, so hopefully this will help.

The GPS systems were all updated this year as the GPS system went through its own sort of Y2K problem where the binary 32bit number reached its maximum value and reset to zero.

I'm guessing that you either have an older iphone/android phone or GPS tracker and the manufacturer hasn't published an update or you have updates turned off.

If you are using Windows, then try opening the .GPX file with notepad or notepad++

You will find a lines of code for each GPS way point look like this:

<trkpt lat="55.36489" lon="-1.88232">
<ele>2000.8</ele>
<time>2019-06-01T18:42:30.000Z</time>
</trkpt> 

I'm sure you can figure out what each bit means. I bet you'll find the year is not 2019, but 2099 or something different. IF you type CRTL+H and do a copy replace you can change the year to 2019 on all the entry points. Then you should be able to upload your file to your favorite app.

I had this problem with Strava, and so rather than buy a new phone I have to manually upload all of my route files rather than Sync them.

Hope that helps,

Mike

 DancingOnRock 10 Jun 2019
In reply to Mike_Gannon:

No. That’s not the issue. That particular website he is using is serving up the code as XML and not gpx and the browser is opening it in a new window instead of saving it. I’ll link to an example in a minute when I find one. 

Looking at the XML I’m not convinced the scheme is actually a GPX scheme so there may be an actual problem with the file they’re hosting. 

https://cyclethedales.org.uk/route/lower_wharfedale/

Post edited at 18:43
 DancingOnRock 10 Jun 2019
In reply to Baz P:

OK.

Click on the link. It will open a new window. Click on Save As. and select all files (*.*) and rename the file as you save it to something ending in .gpx

The upload the file to this website and it will convert it to gpx.

https://www.gpsvisualizer.com/

In reply to DancingOnRock:

> No. That’s not the issue. That particular website he is using is serving up the code as XML and not gpx

There's something weird going on, because when I do right-click/save link as, it downloads a perfect GPX file. But if I simply click on the GPX icon, it opens a text editor, and it's got a malformed header; it's missing the xml header line, and a couple of lines from the GPX schema definition.

It should see this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<gpx version="1.1"
creator="Memory-Map 5.4.2.1089 http://www.memory-map.com"
 xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
 xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1"
 xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd">

but instead you get this:

<gpx version="1.1"
creator="Memory-Map 5.4.2.1089 http://www.memory-map.com"
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd">

I'm still puzzled as to why the OP's browser won't let him right-click and download/save as/copy link to a file.

In reply to Baz P:

> I'm still puzzled as to why the OP's browser won't let him right-click and download/save as/copy link to a file.

It may just be that IE 11 is shit...

In reply to Mike_Gannon:

> You will find a lines of code for each GPS way point look like this:

There are no timestamps in the file. It's not a tracklog (i.e. recorded data), it's a route, entered using a mapping system.

OP Baz P 12 Jun 2019
In reply to captain paranoia:

Thank you for trying to help me all of the above people but If I can't click on a gpx file icon and actually get a gpx file then life is too short to faf around with things above my competency.

The normal procedure seems to work with most of the sites that I get gpx files from and have found that emailing the file to my Iphone is a lot easier than using ITunes to transfer from the PC. 

You're now absolved from any further head scratching, cheers.

 ianstevens 12 Jun 2019
In reply to Baz P:

Once you've right-clicked and selected "save target as", use the "save as type" dropdown menu (underneath the file name) and change to "all files". Then add .gpx to the end of the file name and save it. Will then work.

Issue is that gpx files are essentially a sub-type of xml files. Your browser, thinking you want to see the inner workings of a generic xml file, just shows you that. 

Edit: the reason is becasue this specific file (and presumably others you've tried) is missing the header defining it as a gpx file. Not the end of the world, but a poor way to distribute gpx.

Post edited at 15:59
 DancingOnRock 12 Jun 2019
In reply to captain paranoia:

Yes. That’s what I saw. Uploading it to the 3rd party site then fixes it. 

IE won’t let me save the target. 

I think it must be the way memory map has saved it  


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