PGLAB / GUIDES
Turn your GPX route into a personal keepsake.
A GPX file is a record of a route. With PGLAB, you can use it to personalise ALUR terrain artwork or a LAKAR route map.
What is a GPX file?
GPX is a file format used to exchange GPS information such as route points, tracks and, when recorded, elevation and time. It is different from a screenshot of your activity: the designer needs the actual route coordinates to place the journey on the map.
File-format reference: the GPX specification.
Before you start.
- Get the route file. Look for a GPX export in the service or device where your activity was recorded. The available export options depend on that service and your access to the activity.
- Choose the right journey. Use a route you own or have permission to use. Check that it contains the hike, run or ride you want to remember.
- Check private locations. A route can show where you started or finished, including a home address. Remove private sections in your route tool before uploading if you do not want them included.
- Prepare the words. Have the title, date and any personal details you want on the artwork ready. Check spelling carefully.
Make the route yours.
Open ALUR or LAKAR, choose your edition and upload the GPX file in its designer. Review the route and available settings, then use the artwork editor and 3D preview to check the composition.
A city route can read well as LAKAR’s framed map. A mountainous route can show its landscape through ALUR’s sculpted terrain. Compare the two styles if you are deciding between them.
If the route does not look right.
Check that the file is a GPX export rather than a renamed image, PDF or ZIP. Confirm the route is complete in the original recording service. If an upload fails or the route looks unexpected, keep the original file and contact PGLAB before placing an order.
No GPX? Start with a place.
LAKAR 02 — Story works with places you search for. It is the option to choose when your memory is about a location rather than a recorded activity.
Replay it before you frame it.
SUSUR is PGLAB’s free GPX trail replay tool. It processes your route on your device and uses online map services for terrain and place names. Try a replay to explore the journey in another form.