This site is intended to provide access to the data in NYSGA Guidebooks from 1956 to the present, although work is still in progress for trips after 2006. The Guidebooks were divided into trips, and each trip can be view and/or downloaded separately. Kml files, which can be opened in Google Earth, Avenza Maps, and similar apps, were constructed from the Road Logs of each trip. Data from 1956 to 1999 can be viewed and/or downloaded from Documents-1956-1999. Those since 2000 can be viewed or downloaded from Documents-2000-Onward.
Searching, Sorting and Filtering the data
As there is an overwhelming amount of data here, we make it possible for Mac users to manipulate it using a FileMaker runtime database. This does not require the user to have access to the FileMaker app, and can be downloaded from DataBases. Although this provides elegant and sophisticated sorting options, not everyone has access to a Mac, and many users might prefer using Excel to filter the data, anyway.
We provide Excel databases, and instructions on how to use them to filter spatially and/or by the content of the Road Log Description at DataBases. Once filtered, the Excel data can be copied and pasted into a Word document (also on DataBases), which will convert it into a kml file. As one example, the user can see on Google Earth all the locations where trilobites were mentioned, within a 15 mile by 15 mile square centered on her or his location of interest. The user can then download the complete GuideBook articles of the trips of interest, and keep them in a mobile device for use in the field where neither WiFi nor cell phone coverage may be available. For Mac users who prefer Numbers and Pages to Excel and Word, we provide those files on DataBases also.
Another option for owners of iPads and iPhones is FileMaker Go, a free app which can import the database from DataBases and then filter it in the field without connecting to the internet. Its search and filter capabilities are nearly as robust as those in the desktop app. Results can then be exported as kml files or csv files.
The files produced from these various approaches can be opened in Google Earth on any platform supporting it. Because they are just text files users can modify them easily, adding text or images, moving them between folders, etc. They can also be imported into a GIS, such as those made by ESRI, or Avenza products, QGIS, etc. They use typed data to facilitate this.
Using Results in the Field
Using Google Earth on a portable device requires access to the web or previously cached imagery. With web access, however, it provides the best results: no limit to how many Stops and Views are displayed, the NYSGA logo is present, and the HTML code in descriptions is rendered, making it easier to read. Just as on a desktop browser, subscripts, superscripts and other entities such as ampersands display properly.
However, even in New York State in 2019, many areas lack cell phone coverage, making other approaches preferable. Avenza Maps, available for free for individuals on both IOS and Android platforms, can import the kml files produced by any of the methods described above. These can then be displayed on maps imported into the app from the Avenza Maps Store or on up to three maps in geo.pdf format provided by the user. All USGS topo maps are available on that store for free, so users can import them when they have web access and then take them into the field. Geologic, hydrologic, or other specialized maps can be transformed into a geo.pdf format and then imported into Avenza maps before venturing into the field. Descriptions do not have their HTML rendered. If accessed from the Filemaker Go app, however, the properly rendered descrption field can be viewed there. Avenza Maps has an upload limit of 200 placemarks per file, and the Filemaker Go app will split up larger files if necessary. Academic institutions and other serious users can subscribe to the Avenza Maps Pro app to remove the 3 map restriction, permit shapefile uploads, etc.
Users who prefer Open Street Map imagery using apps such as PocketEarth, can use the .csv files, instead. These are not yet produced from the Excel/Word or Numbers/Pages approaches, but could be implemented if there is demand for them. They are an output option from the Filemaker Go app on IOS.