New Feature! Automatic GPS Conversion (Advanced)
When looking at GPS coordinates, there are two main ways that latitude and longitude are recorded. It can be in Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS) or Decimal Degrees (DD). It will depend on which device (or website) you are using. I use my iPhone when I am recording the coordinates of cemeteries and it gives me the location in DD. Find a Grave also displays the location using DD. Google Maps will give it to you in both formats and Google Earth Pro prefers DMS.
Here are the two types of coordinates for Kiokee Baptist Church in Appling, Columbia, Georgia, United States. They both point to the same spot though they are in different formats.
33°33'06.5"N, 82°19'09.0"W (DMS)
33.551816, -82.319165 (DD)
Legacy can read both formats automatically without having to manually convert AND you can copy and paste the full coordinates into the Latitude or Longitude box and Legacy will automatically split them between the two fields. You can now grab coordinates from any website with a simple copy and paste.
Here is a screenshot from Find a Grave showing Mount Moriah Cemetery's GPS coordinates. They are in the DD format.
Using the Windows copy command (CTRL-C) copy the coordinates to the Windows clipboard, 33.53822, -82.31503. Paste these coordinates into the first box (Latitude) using the Windows paste command (CTRL-V). You can also paste into the Longitude box and get the same results.
Legacy automatically reformats and splits the coordinates between the two fields.
If you copy and paste DMS coordinates that have the internal symbols, Legacy will strip the symbols for you so you can simply copy and paste those coordinates as well.
I used an example of a "Mailing Address" for a cemetery but this feature is available anywhere that you can add coordinates such as the Distance and Bearing Calculator, the Combine Master Locations window, and the Add/Edit Location windows.
No more hand typing the coordinates and no more having to use the coordinate converter. You can copy and paste from any website and Legacy will convert the coordinates as needed. You can still hand type them in if you are getting the coordinates from a mobile GPS or phone.
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Michele Simmons Lewis, CG® is part of the Legacy Family Tree team at MyHeritage. She handles the enhancement suggestions that come in from our users as well as writing for Legacy News. You can usually find her hanging out on the Legacy User Group Facebook page answering questions and posting tips.
This should save a lot of work!