Naver Map new feature to generate GPX route files

Naver Map has a new feature where you can plot your own custom route on Naver Map desktop version on your computer and then export that route as a GPX file you can download and load into any other mapping or navigation app. It works mostly fine all in English (or your supported language) too. Let's take an example look.

Naver Map plotting GPX routes

Don't use "lite" map

Before you start, make sure you are using the normal, standard version of Naver Map in your browser. Check this by going to Sidebar > 더보시 (3 dot menu) > 지도 모드 (map mode). 

Map version settings of Naver Map

If it says "가벼운 지도" like in the pic above then you won't have the option to make GPX points. That's the "light mode" (as in not the heavy version). Just click it and you can change back to the 기본 (standard) version. 

Activate the GPX mode, marking points, saving GPX file

Just click on the walking directions little man icon that reads 도보 and you'll see a link here circled in purple for 코스 만들기 (course making). Tap it

Course Making option on desktop Naver Map

Now just start tapping on the map. Each click on the map will add another point. Here's an example I did for a short path walking around the lake park out in the new north Gimpo area development.

Sample course plotted on Naver Map, with GPX download

Looks like my stroll will take 20 minutes, I'll burn 72 calories, and take 2,046 steps. 

Now you can download the GPX file right there at the bottom blue button. Nice! 


Use the GPX file anywhere

This is nice because you can now use this GPX file anywhere. 

Kakao Map

For example, you can open the file directly in Kakao Map on your phone, and the path will appear as a navigable route, which is great for plotting your own custom bicycle route that you can follow along. [Note that if you're interested in this, see this similar post: Extract bicycle and walking routes as GPX files from Kakao Map - 10원 Tips]

Naver Map GPX file loaded in Kakao Map app

One small issue here is that Kakao takes the path as a single journey, so it won't necessarily follow your specifically chosen point-to-point order. Each point gets lost in a single "path" but I wouldn't expect that to be much of a problem. 

Google Earth

You can even load it up in Google Earth for convenient globe browsing. Google Earth apparetnly doesn't accept GPX files anymore but there are many free converters online to change it to a KML file. Mine came out like this:

Naver Map GPX file loaded in Google Earth, after KML conversion

Naver Map

The main point of course is to load the GPX track into Naver Map.

To do this on the Naver Map app on your phone, you have to send the file manually. It doesn't auto sync with your Naver Map favorites/bookmarks.

It's not that obvious how you do this. Basically it's the same thing you did on desktop. 

From the Map app home screen:

  1. Press the blue directions arrow at top-right
  2. Press the little walking man icon (to activate walking directions)
  3. The GPX upload icon will now appear on the line below the walking man icon
GPX upload option on Naver Map app

I had thought that this maybe only worked in Korean since I wasn't seeing this in my English set app, so tried to switch back to Korean only to discover that, in their supreme wisdom, Naver have apparently now tied the map app to your device language, at least on iOS. No longer can you simply toggle the language in Naver Map preferences. You have to change the entire device language. How stupid. 

Anyway the point is that you have to click the big circle blue arrow at top-right on the map homescreen. That's the only way to lead you into the correct spot to tap the walking man and thus get the GPX upload. 

Tap it and you open the device file browser.

Viewing Naver Map desktop generated GPX file inside Naver Map mobile app

What are you supposed to do with this now? I have no idea. Seriously. That's it. There's no option I can find for saving this in Naver Map app, storing it as a preferred route, getting guidence or turn-by-turn navigation on it, nothing. You just look at it and X out of it. 

Final thoughts


I guess in theory this is useful if you're plotting a custom hiking course or something, since at least you can see your current real location on the map so can verify that you're still on your path and heading in the right direction, but it's disappointing that you can't now set it as a guidance path. Kakao Map will do that, and many other third-party map apps will do that. So it looks like we're in a weird situation where we can use Naver Map's superior coverage to plot out a GPX path, but then need to load it up inside Kakao Map (or another) to actually use it. 

Still, it's much better than relying on Google Map to draw out GPX points. And of course you can load any GPX file into this, so even those from Strava or whatever workout app you use. I guess it could be nice for example to run a FitBit or Garmin Watch or Apple Watch workout tracking up in the mountains or etc, and be able to load that up in Naver Map to see the track on Naver's much more detailed backdrop. For that purpose, it would be nice if desktop Naver Map let you load the GPX files but it seems only mobile app right now. 

Maybe at some point they'll add the guidance function to these GPX plot points. That would be real nice so let's hope so. 

Happy mapping. 


Tagged:

Comments

Post a Comment