Google Earth - More data to CSV

I use Google Earth to start BIG files, but have switched to using EXCEL to add all the other info.

I called Garmin to ask if I could use Google to down load POI data and was advised that this was not possible. Judging from what you are stating here it is possible. Are there any step by step directions avaialbe?

I unzip the files and placed them all in a seperate folder and then attempted to access them using the POI loader.

Also, I attempted to download data using the PIOloader and continue get the response that my GPS 360 is not ready.

I also have not gotten acknowledgement when I attach my GPS to the computer. (the GPS does show a computer connections)

lastly, when I attempted to run Google it could not find my GPS on any comport.

Thanks for reading my short response(:}.

Instructions for creating POI files with Google Earth are on this page: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/343.

POI Loader can also send custom POIs to a SD memory card. If you can't get your computer and GPS talking, you might use this as a work-around to get the custom POIs to your nuvi.

JM

You can add any info you want using Google Earth, but you must place all you information in the "Name" field. Seperate each piece of information, you want to manipulate, by a comma.

Example: Alafia River State Park,14326 South CR-39, Lithia FL,813-672-5320

Here the name, street address, town and State, and telephone are seperated by a comma. This info is accumulated with cut and past from a web site or typed as you please.

Save the file as a .kml and convert to a .csv. Open the file in excel and you will find the Long, Lat, and "Name" (the above example) in three columns. (Note converters (POIedit) I have used only deal with three columns which is why all of the data must be in the "Name" field.) The conversion process from .kml to .cvs (garmin comma delimited) will create a .cvs file with the comma seperated information in the "name" field placed in separate columns.

Then depending on how you would like to display your data, use the "concatination", "left". "subsitute" etc. functions to arrange, change to accomplish this. In end you end up with three or four columns, your choice. I have a c340 and I create four columns with line breaks in the fourth.

I have some camping files I am working on with 1100 poi's and I can do batch conversions using this method. Remember to keep like data seperated at the same point in the string. If you are missing data then use two commas to reflect a blank element. Otherwise you will be manualing shifting data around in the Excel spread sheet.

Good Luck,

Jim

Under what program can you choose the "concatination", "left". "subsitute" etc. functions?

And how to you add the break?

These are all text functions within Microsoft Excel. With concatentation, if you have information in Col A and Col B and want to create a new Col C with both pieces of information, you enter the formula in Col C row A =Concatenate(A1," ",B1). This takes the text in A1, adds a space, and then the text in B1. You then replicate the formula down the rows of data.

To add a line break in a cell in Excel, you use the alt key along with the enter key. When you save the Excel sheet as a .csv file, Quotation marks are automatically inserted.

The other text formulas are self explanatory within Excel.

ok, I feel quite frustrated.
I'm usually very good with computer and following instructions, but this Google Earth deal doesn't seem to work well.
I want to create a POI with all the 99 Ranch Markets.
So here's what I did.

Under the Search function of Google Earth, there's the Fly To tab. I copied and pasted all the info into the field: Anaheim,651 N. Euclid Street,Anaheim, CA 92801,(714)776-8899
Then I hit "enter" on my keyboard.
And since it's a shopping plaza, the serach retures with 3 different stores. Only "A" is what I want. It appears as:

-Folder Anaheim,651 N. Euclid Street,Anaheim, CA 92801,(714)776-8899
--A 99 Ranch
651 N. Euclid Street,Anaheim, CA 92801,
(714)776-8899
--B Tawa Supermarket
651 N. Euclid Street,Anaheim, CA 92801,
(714)776-8899
--C Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
680 N. Euclid Street,Anaheim, CA 92801,
(714)776-5512

Then, what do I do?
If I drag only A into "My Places", then the .kml file will only have "99 Ranch" as its name and no address and phone number.

If I unclick B and C and drag the folder into "My Places", then all 3 stores would still be in the "My Places" folder.
When I save Place as a .kml file, all three stores would be in there. But not the original text I typed in.

I'm not sure if I'm missing this whole thing because I'm supposed to use Google Earth Plus, but hopefully I can use the free version and someone out there can explain to me how to store the address and phone number info without doing it in excel.

Thanks a lot!

Now I will try to my own POIs

I think I figured out the Google Earth Part.

First, you can create a new folder for easier organization. To do that, go to "Add" menu on the top portion of the window, then select "Folder". Name it what every is easier for you. (ie: 99 Ranch Market.)

Then, you start searching for the addresses. To do that, type in the address in the Search function, the map will move to your address and make it the center of the page. If more than one points were found, double click on the one you want for the map to center around your POI. Once it's done that, then you go to "Add", and select "Placemark". What this do is to add a customized location on the map.

There should be small window popping up, in which you can paste all the information about the place under "name" field.

After the new place park is added, you should see a yellow pin on the map that's at the exact point that you searched for. Then drag the address to the folder you just created if it's not in there already.

Once you finished with all the addresses, go to "file", "save", "save place as". Select the .kml format and convert it to .csv later.

The only problem I have is after this. When I open with Excel, the data look quite messy. Still trying to figure that out.

Posted pictures: (they were made on a MAC, but it's exactly the same for PC.)
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~yenjungw/1.jpg
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~yenjungw/2.jpg
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~yenjungw/3.jpg
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~yenjungw/4.jpg
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~yenjungw/5.jpg
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~yenjungw/6.jpg
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~yenjungw/7.jpg

Once you have the .csv file you can open it with notepad. It's not as "cramped" looking as with Excel. All the data is there in Excel and you can click on a specific cell to see the entire contents. The more you "look" and play you'll get used to it.
Just be careful when editing with excel or notepad.
BTW-RetiredTechnician created a Poi File Verification Utility that works great with the csv files.
You can find info here at the Poi Factory as far as the nuances of creating and editing with Excel, Notepad, MapSource etc.

Edit: I noticed in another post that you actually use a Mac. I'm not familiar with what's available to you for editing that's comparable to notepad. I didn't put 2 and 2 together til now, after reading your post again. (following quote)

thanks much

Thanks for your input. I can run Windows on my MAC, so I'll try using the notepad this weekend. Thank you!

Hope sunscreenjoanna can use that tip.

Thanx Garminjaz