Overlaying Google Maps to Drive Videos

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impulsivetravelerguy

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I have been doing a ton of research on this and have come to a dead end. I have a Garmin VIRB X and take drive videos like the following:


This is a drive from Central Wisconsin to Thunder Bay, Ontario. What I want to do is put a Google Maps overlay with the GPS coordinates that have been gathered with the VIRB. I basically have got to the point where I can convert the .fit file the VIRB creates into a .kml file that I can then import into Google Maps and see my whole route. Right now I am stuck trying to figure out how to integrate into my video and also get a dot to sync up on the map with my current position like this video (I wish the guy would have explained how he did it):


So essentially I want to start doing more dash cam videos for my travel blog but want to show where I am located as the videos progress, preferably with Google Maps. Does anyone have any experience with this?
 
snacksthecat said:
This post might be of some help to you. It's not the same camera but the concept is similar.

https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/format-of-gps-data-embedded-in-mov-files.16452/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. What I'm doing now is writing a Java program that extracts the coordinates from the KML file and then essentially calls the Google Static Maps API to generate an image there. I will do this for every GPS coordinate taken and then have a collection of pictures that I will insert into a video editing program and create the final video. I took an intro to Java class in high school and then in college also had an intro to Java class. I'm a Systems Administrator by trade and have never written a program on my own accord so I'm fumbling through it now. I've got both the reading the KML file and cleaning up the data just to get the coordinates and then also found a way to automatically map it into an image. It's a matter of taking the GPS coordinates and then getting them to map for each individual image.

I am essentially using the same concept, except instead of embedding the files, I'll be making a separate video with pictures strung together where the marker on the map changes on each picture so when they are strung together in a video, it gives the appearance it's moving with the video. The separate video will need to be overlaid at the top of the drive video itself. Eventually I plan on doing more advanced things with this, but this is where I'm starting.
 
So this is what I've come up with so far. It does not sync with the video yet, but it is a good proof of concept. I have a crappy DSL connection and this took forever to process due to the sheer amount of data, so the quality is purposely set to low:


The original video where I gathered the GPS coordinates is located at:
 
impulsivetravelerguy said:
So essentially I want to start doing more dash cam videos for my travel blog but want to show where I am located as the videos progress, preferably with Google Maps.
Click to expand...

maybe doing something like how Registrator Viewer or Dashcam Viewer displays maps along side the video but do that as a picture in picture version with the map running in a corner, that's something you could sell if you got it right
 
jokiin said:
maybe doing something like how Registrator Viewer or Dashcam Viewer displays maps along side the video but do that as a picture in picture version with the map running in a corner, that's something you could sell if you got it right
Click to expand...

I was just talking to a buddy and I never knew it was called picture in picture until now. I do see iMovie and other programs support it so that's the route I'm going to take. We also talked about Registrator Viewer and that program seems pretty shady to me. It's made in Russia, when you go to their website it says its expired, and people have reported their AV goes nuts (most likely due to looking for updates in Russia). My buddy did link me to another copy of Registrator Viewer but I think going with what I've created and doing the picture in picture model might be the best. When I did a recovery on my Mac to test it out, it never download iMovie so I am slowly doing that over this crappy DSL connection. Hopefully I'll be able to play with this in a bit and give some update that. I know I'd definitely have to touch up on my Java to really polish off this app but it would be cool to commercialize it eventually. Right now it's ran via the terminal command line and to change things like zoom, you have to edit the code and recompile. I'm crippled up now with a broken leg so this is my sole focus anyway. I'll keep everyone updated on my progress.
 
jokiin said:
as you're a Mac user download this http://dashcamviewer.com/ and have a look at what I mean about the map view that goes with the video
Click to expand...

I downloaded the tried this out. It appears it is not compatible with my Garmin VIRB X. I don't really see where I could import the data files in so it must be done automatically when you import the video or those dash cams have a different way of doing data files. I know the VIRB creates a video file and a separate data file.
 
If you're serious about developing a killer app I can cut you a special developers deal on the popular SG9665GC which works everywhere. I'll send a private message.
 
impulsivetravelerguy said:
I downloaded the tried this out. It appears it is not compatible with my Garmin VIRB X. I don't really see where I could import the data files in so it must be done automatically when you import the video or those dash cams have a different way of doing data files. I know the VIRB creates a video file and a separate data file.
Click to expand...

didn't think your product would be supported (although if you have sample files the developer may be able to add support) was more meaning for you to check out the map view and how you could use that concept to create a PIP version
 
I could explain how I do mine, but you'd be running away screaming halfway through:
 
jokiin said:
didn't think your product would be supported (although if you have sample files the developer may be able to add support) was more meaning for you to check out the map view and how you could use that concept to create a PIP version
Click to expand...

My program takes a KML file and then reads that. I know GPS Babel will convert many formats to KML so that might be the way to go. I think once I do heal up, I'll buy another dash cam or two to get a good grip on them if I decide to go further with the app.
 
Feitelijk said:
I could explain how I do mine, but you'd be running away screaming halfway through:
Click to expand...

How do you do it? I know from what I've read, most people do it manually with a video editing program moving the dot on the map. Is that how you do your videos?
 
I script everything.
I take the time of the video and find the corresponding GPS data from my tracker. That supplies the script to do the text annotations.
Then I have a script to plot a GPS track to a map which gives me the picture of the map.
I already had a script for picture-in-picture to get the rear cam in, so I used that to put in the map picture.

It's all bash, imagemagick and mencoder/mplayer on linux.
 
Feitelijk said:
I script everything.
I take the time of the video and find the corresponding GPS data from my tracker. That supplies the script to do the text annotations.
Then I have a script to plot a GPS track to a map which gives me the picture of the map.
I already had a script for picture-in-picture to get the rear cam in, so I used that to put in the map picture.

It's all bash, imagemagick and mencoder/mplayer on linux.
Click to expand...

My Java program does the same thing where it takes the GPS coordinates from the KML file and then calls the Google Static Maps API and gives me a picture which I can then add to a video editing program. Since my program is Java, I should easily be able to run it on Linux and going to scripting route like you mentioned might help automate the process of stringing the images together. I'll have to fire up a Linux VM and check out those programs you mentioned.
 
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