Litchi CSV to KML tool

[Member]

Google Earth is a quick and efficient tool to boostrap Litchi waypoint missions. Just draw different paths with an altitude relative to the ground, save to a .KML file, import to Litchi and you're done! At least apart from the cinematic stuff like POIs, curves, heading, camera...

But often you end up having to make small or bigger changes to the mission and don't want to start from scratch (the KML version). Unfortunately Litchi doesn't have an option to save to KML, so going back from a .CSV to a .KML to visualize in Earth isn't straight forward.

The reference for Litchi's altitudes in the CSV file is *the home point* (where your aircraft was powered on, typically).
The reference for Google Earth's KML (the one we prefer to use for this) is relative to the ground for each waypoint.

This tool I originally put together for my own use will take a .CSV upload, go through each of the coordinates, grab the elevation data from Google and compile a KML file you can import into Google Earth to see the path of the aircraft, using the mission's first waypoint as the home point. This is especially helpful if there is 3D mapping active in the area you're flying.

Convert Litchi .csv file to .kml with elevation

You can load any public mission on Litchi Hub, export as .CSV, use this tool to convert to KML and visualize it in Google Earth.

 

[Member]

The below KML is from Litchi Hub, video:

Low altitude flying over lake, video:

Double star, video:

 

[Quadular]

Thanks for the info, very nice tool to have

 

[Helgo]

View attachment 69719
View attachment 69720
The below KML is from Litchi Hub, video:

View attachment 69722

Low altitude flying over lake, video:

View attachment 69723

Double star, video:

View attachment 69724

Looks great, but I can not get the converter working. Get this massage: 502 bad gateway

 

[Member]

Looks great, but I can not get the converter working. Get this massage: 502 bad gateway

It works for me at the moment. Not on your end? Please check again. Also let me know if it happens when you try to submit something (and provide the .csv - PM is fine too - I'll try to reproduce the error).

 

[Helgo]

It works for me at the moment. Not on your end? Please check again. Also let me know if it happens when you try to submit something (and provide the .csv - PM is fine too - I'll try to reproduce the error).

I can load the file but then I press convert I get the massage : 502 bad gateway

 

[Member]

I downloaded a random .csv off Flylitchi/hub and it got converted into a .kml in seconds. Can you please send me the .kml you're trying to use but doesn't work? I can only fix this if I can reproduce the issue. Thanks in advance.

 

[Helgo]

I downloaded a random .csv off Flylitchi/hub and it got converted into a .kml in seconds. Can you please send me the .kml you're trying to use but doesn't work? I can only fix this if I can reproduce the issue. Thanks in advance.

I downloaded a random .csv off Flylitchi/hub and it got converted into a .kml in seconds. Can you please send me the .kml you're trying to use but doesn't work? I can only fix this if I can reproduce the issue. Thanks in advance.

I tried to attach the file but no luck. Got the massage wrong format. If you give me your email I will mail the file.

 

[InforGuy]

BTW - Litchi's current beta release for Android (3.10) includes the ability to set way point altitudes relative to the ground. May not be available in Mission Hub for some time, but it's a good start.

 

[Neon Euc]

Looks like a great and handy feature. Can you make a YouTube video on how to do this. I'm useless using pics as guide

Neon Euc

 

[Member]

I tried to attach the file but no luck. Got the massage wrong format. If you give me your email I will mail the file.

So apparently your .CSV is over a megabyte, more than 3 thousand points. Not even Litchi will import it from a .csv.

For now, please do not convert any waypoint missions over 200 points (*edit: it was a flight log - please only convert waypoints missions). Thanks.

 

[Member]

Looks like a great and handy feature. Can you make a YouTube video on how to do this. I'm useless using pics as guide

No video needed for these few simple steps.

1) Go to flylitchi.com/hub
2) Open someone's mission or create your own
3) From the menu, choose 'Export to CSV' - you'll have a .csv file
4) On the website linked, upload the .CSV file using the form
5) You get your .kml file
6) Open Google Earth, file->open, load KML and voila.

 

[Neon Euc]

Brilliant thanks for the simple step by step as I will def try that tonight

Neon Euc

 

[Random Silliness]

I haven't tried it yet, but I like the idea.

I'm too am a developer, with a fair amount of KML experience, and I often think "I could just write xxxxxxxxx to fix yyyyyyyyyy", but I never seem to get around to it. I'm glad there are people like you with the energy to take an opportunity to improve things, see it through, and share it. Well done.

I'm still mystified by the lack of mission settings editing in the hub.

 

[dwallersv]

This tool is awesome! I'm finding it indispensible with the new ground-relative feature in Litchi.

Are you willing to contribute the code/engineering to the community as open source? I'd like to see the converter hosted on phantompilots.com servers, just in case your personal hosting gets neglected in the future, which would be entirely understandable -- happens all the time for online hosted processors like this.

Regardless, really nice work, and thanks tons! Can I paypal you a sixpack of your favorite microbrew?

 

[Member]

Are you willing to contribute the code/engineering to the community as open source?

Sure, as long as the code isn't made fun of. Obviously it's a mess, I just wanted something that works, quickly.

http://plox.tor.hu/csv2kml/convert.txt

Regardless, really nice work, and thanks tons! Can I paypal you a sixpack of your favorite microbrew?

Nice gesture, but if you really want to send anything, send it to Wikileaks.

 

[Phil68]

Great tool - works fine. Thanks a lot!!

 

[grahamjohnson10]

View attachment 69719
View attachment 69720
The below KML is from Litchi Hub, video:

View attachment 69722

Low altitude flying over lake, video:

View attachment 69723

Double star, video:

View attachment 69724

It seems your tool link is broken.

 

[RodPad]

Yes,
I can't get it to work ether.
FireFox, and Chrome, 502 bad gateway.

Post if you find a fix, looking myself.

Rod

 

[RodPad]

Hey, its back, thanks to who fixed it, do we just need the page info source?
Can't be that simple.

Rod