How To View Tracks

Track Sections

Click on arrow next to the "Follow Tracks" label to show the list of track sections. Sections divide up the track into intervals ranging from 30 minutes to the entire duration of the track. Each interval starts with a track marker. You can click on the marker to get the location and time. The track points are averages of the raw GPS track data. When you zoom in to the Close Up View, the averaged track disappears. But, you can, optionally, show the raw track data in a Close Up View as described later.

Following a Track

Right click on the "Track" label and select "Show Elevation Profile". This displays a detailed chart similar to the one below.

The chart shows the altitude and speed at points along the track section along with other information. You can drag the mouse through the chart to move the large arrow along the track.

Raw Track Data

You can display the raw track data as recorded on the GPS by clicking the box next to the "Raw Track Data" label. Double click on "Raw Track Data" label to zoom in to a Close Up View at location of the track. When you zoom out the raw track data disappears and is replaced by the smoothed tracks. Raw track data is stored in separate, "Network Link", files which means that the data is not loaded into Google Earth until you perform this procedure. Because of "noise" in the GPS data, the raw tracks can appear jagged and irregular, which can distract from the overall presentation. Because of this, raw data is, by default, not shown when the presentation is loaded. However, the presentation author can change this option.

Example

If you want an example of this, try downloading the presentation, RoadTrip_2011/20110419Day_26_Natchez_Trace, from the Travel Gallery.. Click the '+' next to "Follow Tracks". You will see the folder labeled, "Tue April 19, 12:00 PM". This is the two hour track section that began 12:00 PM. Right click on the "Track" label and select, "Show Elevation Profile" to show the profile chart. You will see the elevation and speed as we proceed along the Natchez Trace Parkway. As you drag your mouse through the chart, the red arrow will move the the corresponding point on the map. Move to about 1 hour, 12 minutes into this section and zoom in to a low altitude. This is the point where I took the fairly steep trail down to Jackson Falls. The pictures show the falls and the trail, but they alone can not capture the full experience as revealed by this Travel presentation.