RouteConverter
RouteConverter is a popular, free open-source tool to display, edit, enrich and
convert GPS routes, tracks and waypoints across 80+ formats (GPX, KML, NMEA,
TomTom, Garmin, and many more). It's a cross-platform Java/Swing desktop app with a
map view, plus a command-line tool.
🌐 routeconverter.com — features, screenshots,
supported formats, FAQ, and downloads.
Download
The Windows (.exe) and macOS (.app) downloads bundle a Java runtime —
nothing else to install. The Linux build ships as a runnable .jar that needs
Java 21 or later installed on your system.
Build & run from source
You need JDK 21 (e.g. from Adoptium). Maven comes
bundled via the wrapper — no separate install. Always build with ./mvnw,
not a system-installed mvn: the wrapper pins the exact Maven version the
build (and CI) is tested against, so a stale system Maven is never the thing
under test.
git clone [email protected]:cpesch/RouteConverter.git
cd RouteConverter
./mvnw clean package # full build + tests
# run the desktop app (build that module first):
./mvnw -pl RouteConverterLinux -am package
java -jar RouteConverterLinux/target/RouteConverterLinux.jar
# …or the command-line converter:
java -jar RouteConverterCmdLine/target/RouteConverterCmdLine.jar
On macOS/Linux, if java isn't on your PATH, activate a JDK 21 first
(e.g. via sdkman: sdk use java 21).
CI builds and tests on Java 21, plus a SpotBugs check, for every push, and on
Java 25 and Windows for master, nightly and manual runs.
Contributing
Contributions are very welcome — bug fixes, new formats, UI improvements,
translations. 🎉 See CONTRIBUTING.md for how to report
bugs, open pull requests, and translate the app. Contributors are listed in
CONTRIBUTORS.txt.
IDE setup (IntelliJ IDEA)
- File → Open… the root
pom.xml.
- Settings → Editor → GUI Designer: choose "Generate GUI into: Java source
code" and disable "Automatically copy form runtime classes…". Layout is
edited in the
.form files, not the generated $$$setupUI$$$ blocks.
Eclipse (m2e) and NetBeans work too — import the root pom.xml as a Maven project.
Code signing
The Windows installers and the standalone Java artifacts are code-signed
(Authenticode / jar signature) so Windows SmartScreen and Defender recognise
them. Free code signing for open-source projects is provided by
SignPath.org, with a certificate issued by the
SignPath Foundation. The certificate is held in
SignPath's HSM and never leaves it — CI holds only a submitter token that can
request a signature, not extract the key.
License
RouteConverter is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2 — see
LICENSE-GPL.txt. By contributing, you agree your code ships
under the GPL.
Have fun! — Christian Pesch (@cpesch)
