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February 01, 2006
BatchGeoCode - Convert Addresses into Placemarks for Google Earth
BatchGeoCode,com is an easy-to-use free web-based application for converting a file of addresses (and other information) into either a Yahoo Map, and now also into a Google Earth KML file. The program does a lookup for the addresses you provide and converts them into latitude/longitudes (it currently only works for addresses in the USA or Canada). With the GE capability, it generates placemarks with the converted data. You can then zoom into the satellite/aerial photos and see how close the converted address appears to the actual building. You will probably see some discrepencies (just like when you put an address into the GE search form). Most postal addresses do not convert to the actual building's location.
BatchGeoCode could be a useful tool for many things including business applications. The built-in example file is for a list of Apple Stores in New York. Here is the resulting KML file 
for the built-in example. The web interface is simple to use and it shows how you can even put details in your descriptions, including photos, in your batch file.
Google Earth Plus and Pro have similar capabilities built-in (with limitations to the number of entries you can import at a time). BatchGeoCode has no apparent limit, and works with the free GE. Thanks to the author Phillip Holmstrad for bringing this to my attention. He says he plans to do a Google Maps version as well. Good work Phillip! You can also look up a single address.
Posted by FrankTaylor at February 1, 2006 08:00 AM
Comments
Posted by: savaged at February 1, 2006 09:48 AM
The site is using an API for doing address lookups from Yahoo which only works for the USA and Canada. BatchGeoCode has nothing to do with Google except it outputs to the Google Earth program.
Posted by: Frank Taylor at February 1, 2006 11:06 AM
savaged -
This is the site creator Phillip here. Frank addressed the geocoding issue, like he said its not something I can help the limitation on the U.S. Hopefully Yahoo expands their geocoding service to the rest of the world.
As to being too techy, I am a bit disappointed at that assessment as I've tried to make it as easy as possible by breaking everything into steps. What really makes or breaks the tool is if you have access to a spreadsheet program like Excel. If you have Excel it will work much easier for you.
Certainly it should be easier to use than compiling an entire KML by hand!
Anyway, let me know if there is anything inparticular that would be a good change for making it less "techy."
-Phillip
Posted by: Phillip at February 1, 2006 11:42 AM
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Phillip Holmstrad!!!!!! You must be brilliant, kind-hearted and clearly have a fantastic vision for what you batch program can do. Thank you SOOOO much for making this tool available for us!!!
Posted by: Julie Bradley at August 10, 2006 12:00 PM
Thank you Philip, it is a wonderful initiative that I'm sure many people will find useful. I am from Australia and I'm trying to make a street-level mashup map in Melbourne, Vic - does anyone know if there has there been any Australian equivalent made? eg. by Melways?
Posted by: earthfriend at November 16, 2007 04:12 PM
Philip... You are heaven sent. I am no techy either, but these capabilities have changed my life - literally - in my profession. I cannot thank you enough.
Now.. how can I go about taking addresses that I have plotted in Google earth, and 'reverse batchcode' them, so to speak, into an Excel documnent, so that I can sort them by addresses, zip, etc.?
I need to take individual places within my kml file and import them into one xml file.
Thank you AGAIN AND AGAIN!
Posted by: Kristin at April 8, 2008 12:53 PM
Hi Phillip,
wonder if you could help me with following. I'm looking for a converter from Google Earth (proper gps codes) into Google Maps. There's a difference in lat,long. Can you put me on the right track? I've seen GPS Visualiser, who change the actual maps themselves. I just want to convert my gps in lat/long for maps.
Regards,
Posted by: Pierre at May 27, 2008 02:15 PM
I just used the batchgeocode website and I love it. Sadly, I've found that there is a limitation of 500 entries.
I would appreciated it if someone could point me to some explaination on how the encoding is done.
Thank you and happy mapping.
Posted by: Zhu Zhu Xiao at July 8, 2008 08:49 PM
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I visited the site. It's a bit techy for your average Google Earth user. And what is more disturbing is that it's very USA centric. They should remember that it's Google Earth not Google USA.
The world outside America is really out there and not just on Fox news.