How to extract .gpx data with python

Question

I am a new linux/python user and have .gpx files (output files that are made from GPS tracking software) and need to extract values into csv/txt for use in a GIS program. I have looked up strings and slicing etc. in my beginning python book, this website, and online. I have used a .gpx to .txt converter and can pull out the longitude and latitude into a text file. I need to extract the elevation data. The file has six lines of text at the top and I only know how to open this file in emacs (aside from uploading on a website) Here is the file starting at line 7.

Optimally, I would like to know how to extract all values through python (or Perl) into a csv or txt file. If anyone knows a website tutorial or a sample script it would be appreciated.

<metadata>
<time>2012-06-13T01:51:08Z</time>
</metadata>
<trk>
<name>Track 2012-06-12 19:51</name>
<trkseg>
<trkpt lat="43.49670697" lon="-112.03380961">
<ele>1403.0</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T01:53:44Z</time>
<extensions>
<ogt10:accuracy>34.0</ogt10:accuracy></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49796612" lon="-112.03970968">
<ele>1410.9000244140625</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T01:57:10Z</time>
<extensions>
<gpx10:speed>3.75</gpx10:speed>
<ogt10:accuracy>13.0</ogt10:accuracy>
<gpx10:course>293.20001220703125</gpx10:course></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49450857" lon="-112.04477274">
<ele>1406.5</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T02:02:24Z</time>
<extensions>
<ogt10:accuracy>12.0</ogt10:accuracy></extensions>
</trkpt>
</trkseg>
<trkseg>
<trkpt lat="43.49451057" lon="-112.04480354">
<ele>1398.9000244140625</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T02:54:55Z</time>
<extensions>
<ogt10:accuracy>10.0</ogt10:accuracy></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49464813" lon="-112.04472215">
<ele>1414.9000244140625</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T02:56:06Z</time>
<extensions>
<ogt10:accuracy>7.0</ogt10:accuracy></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49432573" lon="-112.04489684">
<ele>1410.9000244140625</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T02:57:27Z</time>
<extensions>
<gpx10:speed>3.288236618041992</gpx10:speed>
<ogt10:accuracy>21.0</ogt10:accuracy>
<gpx10:course>196.1999969482422</gpx10:course></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49397445" lon="-112.04505216">
<ele>1421.699951171875</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T02:57:30Z</time>
<extensions>
<gpx10:speed>3.0</gpx10:speed>
<ogt10:accuracy>17.0</ogt10:accuracy>
<gpx10:course>192.89999389648438</gpx10:course></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49428702" lon="-112.04265923">
<ele>1433.0</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T02:58:46Z</time>
<extensions>
<gpx10:speed>4.5</gpx10:speed>
<ogt10:accuracy>18.0</ogt10:accuracy>
<gpx10:course>32.400001525878906</gpx10:course></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49444603" lon="-112.04263691">
<ele>1430.199951171875</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T02:58:50Z</time>
<extensions>
<gpx10:speed>4.5</gpx10:speed>
<ogt10:accuracy>11.0</ogt10:accuracy>
<gpx10:course>29.299999237060547</gpx10:course></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49456961" lon="-112.04260058">
<ele>1430.4000244140625</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T02:58:52Z</time>
<extensions>
<gpx10:speed>4.5</gpx10:speed>
<ogt10:accuracy>8.0</ogt10:accuracy>
<gpx10:course>28.600000381469727</gpx10:course></extensions>
</trkpt>
<trkpt lat="43.49570131" lon="-112.04001132">
<ele>1418.199951171875</ele>
<time>2012-06-13T03:00:08Z</time>
<extensions>

Answer 1

You can install GPXpy

sudo pip install gpxpy

Then just use the library:

import gpxpy 
import gpxpy.gpx 

 gpx_file = open('input_file.gpx', 'r') 

    gpx = gpxpy.parse(gpx_file) \
    for track in gpx.tracks: 
      for segment in track.segments: 
    for point in segment.points: 
      print 'Point at ({0},{1}) -> {2}'.format(point.latitude, point.longitude, point.elevation) 

    for waypoint in gpx.waypoints: 
      print 'waypoint {0} -> ({1},{2})'.format(waypoint.name, waypoint.latitude, waypoint.longitude) 

    for route in gpx.routes: 
      print 'Route:' 

For more info: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/gpxpy

Regards

Answer 2

Every time I try to do this, I scour the internet for solutions and end up writing my own regex parser.

import re
import numpy as np

GPXfile='Lunch_Walk.gpx'
data = open(GPXfile).read()

lat = np.array(re.findall(r'lat="([^"]+)',data),dtype=float)
lon = np.array(re.findall(r'lon="([^"]+)',data),dtype=float)
time = re.findall(r'<time>([^\<]+)',data)


combined = np.array(list(zip(lat,lon,time)))

This gives an array of the format:

array([['51.504613', '-0.141894', '2020-12-26T12:43:14Z'],
       ['51.504624', '-0.141901', '2020-12-26T13:10:26Z'],
       ['51.504633', '-0.141906', '2020-12-26T13:10:28Z'],
       ...)

You can then do with this whatever you desire.