Survey Route System — GPS Photo to Google Earth KMZ Tool

A lightweight field survey assistant that converts GPS-tagged photos into Google Earth KMZ files automatically.

将带有 GPS 信息的现场调研照片，一键转换为 Google Earth KMZ 文件，快速生成调研线路、空间位置和照片点位成果。

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Overview

Survey Route System is a desktop application designed for field survey, urban planning, environmental research, and geographic documentation workflows.

During fieldwork, mobile phones and cameras can record GPS coordinates inside image metadata. This software automatically extracts location information, compresses images, generates KML markers, and packages everything into a Google Earth compatible KMZ file.

It helps teams transform scattered survey photos into an interactive geographic survey database.

Typical Applications

• Urban planning field surveys
• Historic district documentation
• Rural revitalization research
• Landscape and environmental surveys
• Infrastructure inspections
• Site investigation and project documentation

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Features

Feature	Description
📂 Photo Folder Import	Drag & drop or select folders containing GPS photos
📍 GPS Metadata Extraction	Automatically read location information from image EXIF data
🗺️ KML Generation	Generate geographic photo points for Google Earth
📦 KMZ Packaging	Combine photos and location data into one portable file
🖼️ Image Optimization	Compress images with adjustable quality and size settings
🌐 Bilingual Interface	Chinese / English interface switching
🎨 Theme Support	Light / Dark / System theme
💻 Portable Version	Run directly without Python installation

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Workflow

GPS Photos
    │
    ▼
Survey Route System
    │
    ├── Extract EXIF GPS Information
    │
    ├── Compress Images
    │
    ├── Generate KML Location Markers
    │
    └── Package KMZ File
             │
             ▼
       Google Earth Visualization

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Quick Start

Download Version

Download the latest portable release from:

Releases

Example:

SurveyRouteSystem_v1.1.2_runtime_portable_with_installer.zip

Run

Option 1:

Double-click:
启动规划线路调研软件.vbs

Option 2:

Run:
安装到本机.cmd

The installer creates a desktop shortcut for easier access.

Advantages

• No Python environment required
• Suitable for team distribution
• Works as a standalone fieldwork utility

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Usage

Step 1 — Prepare Photos

Enable location services when taking photos:

• Smartphone GPS location enabled
• Camera location permission enabled

Supported images:

• JPG / JPEG
• Photos containing EXIF GPS metadata

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Step 2 — Import Survey Photos

Open the software:

1. Select a photo folder
2. Drag and drop photos into the application
3. Configure compression settings if needed

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Step 3 — Generate KMZ

Click:

▶ Generate KMZ

The software will create:

photos.kmz

Open the file directly with:

Google Earth

You will see:

• Photo locations
• Survey points
• Geographic distribution
• Attached images

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Development Setup

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• Windows recommended

Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

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External Dependency

This project uses:

ExifTool by Phil Harvey

Download:

https://exiftool.org/

Place:

assets/exiftool/

├── exiftool.exe
└── exiftool_files/

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Run From Source

python main.py

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Build & Release

Build with PyInstaller

cd build

pyinstaller build.spec \
--distpath ../dist \
--workpath ../build_tmp

Output:

SurveyRouteSystem_runtime_portable.zip

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Architecture

survey-route-system/

├── main.py
│
├── app/
│   ├── config.py
│   ├── i18n.py
│   ├── strings_zh.py
│   ├── strings_en.py
│
│   ├── core/
│   │   ├── compress.py
│   │   ├── kml_gen.py
│   │   └── kmz_pack.py
│
│   └── gui/
│       ├── main_window.py
│       ├── settings_dialog.py
│       └── about_dialog.py
│
├── assets/
│   ├── kml.fmt
│   └── exiftool/
│
└── build/
    ├── build.spec
    └── installer.iss

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Technology Stack

Technology	Purpose
Python	Core application logic
CustomTkinter	Modern desktop interface
Pillow	Image processing
ExifTool	GPS metadata extraction
tkinterdnd2	Drag and drop support
PyInstaller	Standalone application packaging

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Dependencies

Package	License	Purpose
ExifTool	Artistic / GPL	GPS metadata extraction
Pillow	HPND	Image compression
CustomTkinter	MIT	Modern GUI
tkinterdnd2	MIT	Drag and drop

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Future Improvements

Potential features:

• Batch survey project management
• Route timeline visualization
• GIS layer export
• Coordinate system conversion
• Online team collaboration
• Cloud-based survey database

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License

MIT License

© 2026 Survey Route System