Reducing the points of a route line for longer tours

For longer tours, such as driving tours where a KML file has been uploaded, you might find the map page taking very long to load, or not loading at all. This is due to the amount of points in the route line. In this case, you'll need to reduce the number points in the route line. This will enable the map to load properly.

There are two ways to go about this. For shorter routes, it's sometimes easier to just redraw over the existing route using Google Earth, and exporting that as a KML file. The other way is more involved but makes sense for longer routes where it is less efficient to redraw over the existing route. Below are instructions on both ways. If you're unsure about how to do this or need assistance, just get in touch with your editor.

Reducing nodes by redrawing a route in Google Earth

1. Open the file in Google Earth (it will zoom on to the path of the KML).
2. Click the Add Path icon at the top of the screen. It's the one with the three dots and lines in between.
3. A screen will pop up. Give it a name and click ok.
4. You can now click on the route at various points to create a new simpler path. The more points you place, the more accurate the route will be.
5. Once you're happy with the route, right click the path in the panel on the left and select Save Place As. Save it as a KML file.
6. Upload this KML file to the tour.

Reducing nodes using an online tool

1. Go to the GPS route simplification tool.
2. Upload your KML file by clicking Choose File. Then click Submit.
3. On the next page, you'll see a section called Simplification Options. Enter a number in the "Desired number of points" field. The ideal number of points for VoiceMap is less than 2500. For shorter routes, less than 1000 is ideal.
4. Click Simplify and then Download KML.

5. Upload this simplified KML file to the tour.