Lat/Long

Phillip Mathis · Post by **Phillip Mathis** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 3:40 pm

I'm trying to overlay GPS coordinates over a Google Map similar to what is displayed on the features web page. The Lat/Longs are seperate columns and produce two seperate line instead of a blended solution. Referenced the manual with no luck. Tried XYYY and XYXY with no luck. Any suggestions?

Post by **DPlotAdmin** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 4:21 pm

How are you getting this data into DPlot? It sounds like whatever you're doing that X is automatically generated, starting at X=0 and incremented by 1.

Lurking · Post by **Lurking** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 3:56 pm

Using Excel, I highlight the Longitude column, then the Latitude column, and select plot xyxy.

If I'm using a third or forth axis -> Lon, Lat, Value, Value. and then the appropriate plot.

The first column you select winds up being X.

Post by **DPlotAdmin** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 8:38 pm

Perhaps I'm confused, but

"The first column you select winds up being X."

is what you want if you select Longitude first. Right?

Phillip Mathis · Post by **Phillip Mathis** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 3:11 pm

I first tried to plot Lat as X and Long as Y. This gave me a error code (4008, I believe). I then tried time as X (got two lines as expected). The recording device records time in sexigesmal. So, I thought this format may be the problem (38:24:67.0). So, I took the decimal recorded lat /long and using a vba script converted this value to deg/min/sec(38* 24' 67" (asterix used to show degree symbol)). Still errors out. Is there a specific format the cell numbers should be in?

Post by **DPlotAdmin** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:14 pm

I first tried to plot Lat as X and Long as Y

That's backwards, but I can't see a reason for that to cause that particular error message.

Is there a specific format the cell numbers should be in?

Decimal degrees only. Excel does not have a native DMS format. There are tricks you can use (see http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1828931,00.asp, for example) to get the right appearance in Excel, but all of those involve either converting your values to text or, as in that example, modifying the numbers (which you don't want) and using a custom time format.

Phillip Mathis · Post by **Phillip Mathis** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 1:20 pm

I was incorrect in my statement, I'm just too familar with the term Lat/Long. Thanks for the info and link. I was sure that I was doing something wrong. Fortunately, Google Earth allows the use of decimal and DMS. I was quite impressed with how the overlays turned out.

Keep up the good work!

Phil

Lurking · Post by **Lurking** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 12:53 am

DPlotAdmin wrote:Perhaps I'm confused, but

"The first column you select winds up being X."

is what you want if you select Longitude first. Right?

Yes, that's the way I do it. Works like a champ.