Questions and answers

What GPXTopo reads, what it sends, and what it can export. For the full list of requests, see the privacy page.

Which files can I use?

GPX, FIT, TCX, GeoJSON, and KML files. The studio tells the format from the file content, so the file name does not matter. A GPX file is read for its tracks, and falls back to routes and waypoints when it has no track. ZIP and KMZ archives are not read: unzip them and use the file inside. A file can be up to 10 MB and hold up to 100,000 points. Elevation and time data are optional. Elevation feeds the elevation statistics and the profile chart, and time feeds the moving-time and pace statistics.

Is my track file uploaded?

No. The file is read and processed in your browser and is never sent to a server. To build the terrain, the studio does request map tiles, and a tile request names a map square. The tile server can see roughly which area you are looking at, but it does not get your file or your route.

Which requests does the studio make?

Elevation tiles from AWS Terrain Tiles, or from Mapterhorn if the first source fails. Imagery tiles from EOX or OpenTopoMap, only if you choose an imagery source. A request for peaks and lakes to the Overpass API (overpass-api.de), only if you turn on Map features; it sends the map area, not your route. The pages, scripts, fonts, and the sample track come from this site. There is no analytics, no cookies, and no account.

Does it work offline?

No. The studio needs the internet to download the elevation tiles for your route. Once a route is on screen, the poster, 3D-print file, and video are built on your device and can be saved without further requests, but a new route needs a connection again.

Which formats and sizes can I export?

Poster images as PNG, JPEG, or WebP, at 1080 or 2160 pixels on the short side. The shapes are 1:1, 4:5, 9:16, and 16:9, so the largest image is 3840 by 2160 pixels. Videos are WebM turntables of 6 or 12 seconds, up to 1080 pixels. 3D-print models are STL or 3MF files in millimetres.

Can I 3D print my route?

Yes. Choose STL or 3MF in the export dialog. In the same dialog you set the model width, the base thickness, and how tall the terrain and the route stand. The files are in millimetres and have a flat base.

Where does the map data come from, and what credit is needed?

Elevation comes from AWS Terrain Tiles, which combine Mapzen, USGS, NOAA, Copernicus, and regional sources, with Mapterhorn as the fallback. Optional imagery is EOxCloudless 2016 (CC BY 4.0) or OpenTopoMap (CC BY-SA 3.0, map data from OpenStreetMap contributors). The optional Map features peaks and lakes also come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), and a poster that shows them carries the credit © OpenStreetMap contributors. Each poster prints the credits of the sources it used, so keep that line when you share the image.

Does it cost anything?

No. GPXTopo is free to use, and there is nothing to sign up for. You do not need an account to export a poster.

Which browsers does it work in?

A current browser with JavaScript and WebGL 2, such as recent versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari. Recording a WebM video also needs the MediaRecorder feature. If your browser lacks it, the studio says so and you can still export images and 3D-print files.

What does the studio store on my device?

Your settings and the looks you save are kept in your browser local storage, under the keys gpxtopo.settings.v2 and gpxtopo.looks.v1. A saved look holds appearance settings only and never your coordinates. Clearing your site data in the browser removes them.