Google earth / maps

Download maps and plan a route using BBBike

BBBike is an application whose main objective is to provide a route planner to travel, using a bicycle, through a city and its surroundings.

How do we create our route planner?

In effect, if we enter your site websites, the first thing that is shown to us is a list with the names of different cities, from which it is possible to choose one of them by means of a mouse click.

As you can see, a list of cities to choose from appears. When selecting one of them, we enter a new screen that allows us to define our route. Suppose we chose London (London):

Once the route is defined, a report with the necessary data is obtained:

TIP: Note that at the top of the Main window a green link appears, through which "something" is downloaded in kml format, what will it be?

How is BBBike presented?

They tell us that there are available Two versions of BBBike, the "web-based", (the one we're showing) and the "independent" to download. In the latter case, it is appropriate to read the documentation which can be accessed by clicking on the option "help"From the menu located in the lower left corner of the main window:

There is even a mobile version, but, we reiterate, it is preferable to read the documentation previously.

What are the most important characteristics of BBBike?

From what is recorded in documentation, we highlight:

  • Includes more than 200 cities around the world.
  • Supports more than 17 map types (with different layers) of OpenStreetMap, Google, and Bing.
  • Possibility of exporting GPS routes such as GPX or KML
  • Reports printed in PDF format or stored on a mobile phone
  • Update of the data from OpenStreetMap weekly.
  1. What is BBBike NOT?
  • BBBike has been developed to create route plans for short distances, between 5 and approximately 15 km, whose usefulness is for bike rides. No It is intended as an aid for excursions or walks.

What tools make up BBBike?

If we choose the option "tools"From the main menu, we enter a new screen that lists the tools that make up this application:

We will outline, in broad strokes, information about the tools:

a) BBBike Application

This is another way to download the so-called "independent version". We suggest to be attentive to the indications and how to look for cities. If we download and install the 'independent version' we will get something like this. There are only two languages ​​available: German and English.

La documentation It also shows us two commands that we could use depending on the case:

b) BBBike tile server

Run your own image mosaic server. The map shown is available in style mapnik. This is an application that allows you to visualize maps with good image quality using fast mapping algorithms to represent them.

c) Map Compare

This tool was created by Geofabrik. The latest version of this tool supports up to 52 maps on screen as well as full screen mode.

d) OpenStreetMap removed service

It allows extracting areas whose maximum size is 960,000 km2, that is, a rectangular area of ​​1200 km by 800 m approximately. When we enter for the first time, it shows us a small tutor of how to use this tool:

Here we can make some observations:

The desired location. The crux of the matter. Well, as you can see, the map displayed on the website default is that of Berlin and its surroundings. What if we want another city? The key is in the button "Show latitude and longitude box":

Which, when activated, shows the desired box:

Available formats. Carefully observe the drop-down list. Here kml format does not appear. To take it into account ...:

TIPS FOR DUMMIES. In the event that the coordinates of the place from which you want to extract a map are not known, either because you are an absolute initiate, or because you have thought of a random place that you do not know, the basic steps would be:

- Search in Google the coordinates of the place you will work with.

- It is preferable that you use the latitude and longitude values ​​with your sign (if he has one) and solo with decimal point. Do not use values ​​with minutes and seconds. Enter the two values ​​in the first (Left-lower) and subtract "1" or "2" to the first decimal place of the same values ​​to enter them in the second row (Right-top corner)

- Follow the steps of the tutorial provided by the program (see lines above). After a moment, the link for download will have reached your e-mail account. Quick example:

In Google:

In BBBike: You only need to "accommodate" the area to be used:

- Press the button "extract" and ready!

e) planet.osm mirror

El download site BBBike offers a database of the OpenStreetMap Full Planet in XML OSM format as well as the binary protocolbuffer format. It also includes extracts from more than 200 cities and regions around the world. 

These are, in broad strokes, the information about BBBike. If you want to try it, do not hesitate to download the "independent" version by visiting the websites of the application. Until next time!

Golgi Alvarez

Writer, researcher, specialist in Land Management Models. He has participated in the conceptualization and implementation of models such as: National Property Administration System SINAP in Honduras, Management Model of Joint Municipalities in Honduras, Integrated Cadastre-Registry Management Model in Nicaragua, Territory Administration System SAT in Colombia . Editor of the Geofumadas knowledge blog since 2007 and creator of the AulaGEO Academy that includes more than 100 courses on GIS - CAD - BIM - Digital Twins topics.

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