GPX Creator

GPX Creator has a pretty suggestive name that clearly states its purpose. It is designed to create, open and edit GPX files, enabling you to build travelling routes for your GPS application or device.

Setup is not required, but having Java installed in mandatory. It's enough to double click on the downloaded file and its main GUI reveals itself.  Focusing on accessibility and ease of use, rather than design, the interface consists of a single window with options that are one-click away.

The left side includes the Explorer, which encompasses a list of all the created or loaded GPX files. The 'Properties' section describes the file tags, storing information about the route length, elevation variation, and time.

Relying on the engines of OpenStreetMap, Bing Maps and MapQuest, GPX Creator displays a world map in the right panel, with detailed street details and zooming support. You can quickly navigate to a specific location by entering its latitude and longitude.

GPX Creator helps you analyze routes and add reference points to the map. Moreover, it can find the shortest path between two locations, either by foot or by bike. This way, you can easily build a travelling route, even on backcountry trails.

The application features automatic elevation correction and profiling options, displaying a graph for the entire selected route.

Built in Java, GPX Creator cnan run on all the major operating systems as a GPX viewer, analyzer, editor, and creator. It comes in handy if you want to plan your travelling route before leaving home.

Nevertheless, its functionality could be improved by adding advanced searching options to help users look for tourist attractions, restaurants and diners, or accomodation. Not to mention that it would be great if its maps would feature integrated snapshots, location suggestions and and street view, at least in popular locations.