[BaseCamp] from Excel xls to BaseCamp waypoint gpx

Joel Tolbert jjoeltolbert at gmail.com
Mon Mar 23 08:50:32 PDT 2015 

Joe,

The extra columns thing is a giant headache.  Most tools are not made to
handle all (or even most) of the items available, and if they do, they do
it their own way.  I write my own tools to do my file manipulation, and the
rules back and forth between basecamp's version of GPX and other tools and
formats gets me a bit dizzy.  I do get them to work how I want, but it's
not how everyone else wants them to work.  Manipulating states is way too
hard for me to dig into, which is my first clue that I am doing things
"Basecamp wrong".

Now, your original question was "How do I sort by state?" I believe.  I
think you are making life difficult on yourself.  When things are tough to
do in basecamp, there's usually a reason.  Here's the "Basecamp way", or at
least "Joel's messed up basecamp way".

1.  Import all of the TOH sites into Basecamp into a TOH specific list.  It
can handle it.  I have a couple hundred thousand waypoints in mine.  Make
sure you can see the waypoints you just imported on the map in basecamp.

2.  Zoom in or out in Basecamp until you can see your whole state in the
map window.

3.  Click on the "Select Tool", which is an arrow up in your toolbar.  My
select tool icon likes to play hide-and-go-seek with me for whatever
reason.  If it is missing, go to "View" menu item, then "Toolbars", then at
the bottom, select "Show select tool".

4.  Since you are in PA (I think), click on Lake Erie just N and W of the
the PA/Ohio border and hold the left mouse button down.  "Drag" the mouse
down to the Delaware Bay between Cape may, NJ, and Lewes, DE. It will
create a big grey box on your map.

5.  Release the mouse button.  You will see all PA bonuses are highlighted,
and maybe a few more but don't sweat it, it's easy to fix later.

6.  In Basecamp, go to the "Edit" menu and choose "Copy"  (or ctrl + c for
keyboard people)

7.  In your TOH folder, make a new list, perhaps called 2014 PA Test

8.  Click on 2014 PA Test, it will be a blank map with no waypoints.

9.  "Edit" menu, "Paste".

10.  Now you only have the bonus's you selected in step 4.  If you have
some extras, just follow the same steps to highlight (southern tier NY for
example), and click delete and work your way around the borders of the
state trimming what you don't want.  Colorado people have it easy here.

Should take you 1-2 minutes tops start to finish, once you get the hang of
it and practice a few times.

Don't fight basecamp, work with it.




--Joel

On Mon, Mar 23, 2015 at 11:18 AM, saddle sore <ironbutter at gmail.com> wrote:

> Joel
>
> When I used the GEP browse option to locate the desired Excel file on my C
> drive, I clicked on my Excel file just the same as I did when using the
> GPSV browse.  Using that xls file, GEP then located each site (limited to
> 200 without a fee) on its globe/map.  It worked as an xls file imported to
> GEP.
>
> But since you mentioned saving as csv then importing to GEP, I tried that.
> It too worked.  The GEP map of the sites looked the same as when I did it
> using the xls file.  Then I noticed that even though all of my columns from
> the xls file saved over to the csv file, not all of that data was saved by
> GEP as kml.  GEP saved only the site name, latitude and longitude.  Opened
> the BC waypoints properties box and only those three items were there.  At
> least importing an xls file straight into BaseCamp brought in those three
> items, plus what I had as a column titled Description (it put that info
> into the Notes tab in the BC waypoint property box).
>
> So I've found no advantage to taking on the extra steps of converting to
> csv then opening GEP and creating kml files.  But that lack of advantage
> could be operator error on my part.  Any idea what I might have done
> wrong?  Please walk me through the steps from the point where I am seeing
> the GEP map of the sites to then getting that into BaseCamp, as that is
> where it goes fuzzy for me.
>
> Thanks, Joe
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 23, 2015 at 10:29 AM, Joel Tolbert <jjoeltolbert at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Joe,
> >
> > KML has become synonymous with Google Earth.  The pro version of Google
> > Earth is now free, and removes a lot of the limitations of the previous
> > "public" versions.  You will need to save your Excel files as "CSV" files
> > from Excel to import.
> >
> > For license information in Google Earth Pro, enter your email address,
> and
> > the license key is
> >
> > *GEPFREE*https://www.google.com/earth/explore/products/desktop.html
> >
> >
> > Joel Tolbert
> > Bethlehem, PA
> > http://www.BubblerGPS.com
> >
> >
> > > I've never played with a KML.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Sun, Mar 22, 2015 at 8:25 PM, Lynne Carey <gijane42104 at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > I believe you can import the KML file into basecamp and it brings
> that
> > > with
> > > > it doesn't it?  I seem to remember playing with it last year.  I then
> > > > exported as GPX file
> > > >
> > > > On Sun, Mar 22, 2015 at 7:00 PM, saddle sore <ironbutter at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Maura
> > > > >
> > > > > I have City location info already filling the Notes portion of the
> BC
> > > > > waypoint.  I've been playng with column names in the Excel file
> prior
> > > to
> > > > > running GPSV, as well as shifting what is in the Excel columns so
> > that
> > > > GPSV
> > > > > sees the info at different times in the conversion process.  I was
> > > hoping
> > > > > to match the Excel columns with the BC columns, but haven't figured
> > > that
> > > > > out yet.  The ordering of the columns in Excel does not seem to
> make
> > > > > much/any difference in the way it comes out in BaseCamp.  Thus, I
> > > haven't
> > > > > been able to get the columns aligned (yet).
> > > > >
> > > > > BTW, when sorting waypoints in BC for an entire List of waypoints,
> > why
> > > > are
> > > > > the columns not the same as when opening BC waypoint properties box
> > > for a
> > > > > single waypoint?  For a List, there is a column for Notes right
> after
> > > the
> > > > > column for waypoint name, but for an individual waypoint properties
> > box
> > > > the
> > > > > Notes is a tab rather than a line item category.  Not a big issue,
> > just
> > > > > noticed it.
> > > > >
> > > > > Joe
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On Sun, Mar 22, 2015 at 7:38 PM, -=maura=- <moteramaura at gmail.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Put the state in the NOTES column. Put the state alone, or first,
> > > > before
> > > > > > any other info.
> > > > > > You must match the columns in BaseCamp and Excel- BC has limited
> > and
> > > > > > specific columns, you must have those columns in excel for GPSV
> > > > convert
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Give this a try,
> > > > > > I have not done it and am unable to test at the moment.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Maura
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >  On 22/03/2015 4:23 PM, saddle sore wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >> Hi
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> I'm getting ready for 2015 Tour of Honor.  I want to make a gpx
> > file
> > > > of
> > > > > >> the
> > > > > >> 2015 info when it is all posted on April 1st, so I'm practicing
> > with
> > > > the
> > > > > >> 2014 data.  I did a lot of cutting and pasting from the 2014 map
> > to
> > > > make
> > > > > >> an
> > > > > >> Excel spreadsheet containing columns of:  memorial name, city,
> > > state,
> > > > > lat,
> > > > > >> long.
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> I initiated GPSVisualizer for the conversion from xls to gpx.  I
> > > read
> > > > > >> through the tutorial at
> > > > > >> http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/tutorials/waypoints.html and
> figured
> > > out
> > > > > >> some
> > > > > >> of the column names MUST be specific names.  Then I used the
> > > > conversion
> > > > > >> box
> > > > > >> on
> http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/convert_input?convert_format=gpx
> > to
> > > > > have
> > > > > >> GPSVisualizer create a gpx file that I could download and then
> > open
> > > in
> > > > > >> BaseCamp.
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> I want to be able to be in BaseCamp and sort the waypoints by
> > state.
> > > > I
> > > > > >> have one Excel column for State, and BaseCamp waypoint
> properties
> > > box
> > > > > has
> > > > > >> a
> > > > > >> place for State, but when converting to gpx from xls using
> > > > > GPSVisualizer,
> > > > > >> that State information is not coming over.  All I get from
> > > > GPSVisualizer
> > > > > >> is
> > > > > >> name, desc, lat, and long.
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> Does anyone have any hints on how I get the State information to
> > be
> > > > > >> converted from the Excel file to the BaseCamp waypoint
> properties
> > > box?
> > > > > >>  (I
> > > > > >> realize that after the BaseCamp waypoints are created that I can
> > > > > highlight
> > > > > >> certain waypoints and give them all the same State abbreviations
> > > > > manually.
> > > > > >> But since I already have this in the Excel file along with the
> > lat,
> > > > long
> > > > > >> and name, I'm thinking that the conversion process should
> include
> > > the
> > > > > >> State
> > > > > >> info, not just name, lat and long.  The GPSVisualizer conversion
> > > > process
> > > > > >> places the City info into the BaseCamp waypoints' Notes
> properties
> > > > line
> > > > > >> since I have the Excel column header as Desc.  Why can't I pick
> up
> > > the
> > > > > >> State from Excel and have that show up in the BaseCamp waypoint
> > > > > >> properties?
> > > > > >> )  Any ideas?  Any better ways than using GPSVisualizer?
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> Thanks, Joe Y
> > > > > >> western PA
> > > > > >>
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