Construct a rhumb line track?

[BuckyE]

I know this is going to be a truly trivial request, but perhaps some kind soul will help an amateur?!

I would like to make a Track that is what I think is called a rhumb line: a Track whose bearing on the compass is constant all along. I’ve got 2 locations, one in the Alps and one on the Spanish coast. I want to make a constant bearing line between them. So will PE do that? Or are lines between points geodesic/Great Circles?

And at that rate, I’m also just realizing I don’t know of any way to draw a line between points in PE! Wowser!

[GeoMagik]

The Waypoint feature will show you a direct geodesic line to your selected destination. This is the shortest path possible and it is not a rhumb line. Rhumb lines tend to be somewhat longer (typically 1% to 30% longer), but can be convenient because they have a fixed compass heading (can be useful for sailors/pilots).

We will consider adding support for rhumb lines in a future update.

[BuckyE]

Thank you! After reading your post, I found a work-around, because I definitely want a rhumb line. (It’s a long story.)

I used Google Maps to make a two-point Line and added a Pin for each endpoint (3 objects total); exported the map to KML; used a free online converter to convert my KML to GPX, imported to PE. I’ve got a rhumb line track, with identified/named endpoints, and am happy as a clam.

Worked a charm! So if I’m the only user who ever requested a rhumb line Track, please ignore adding such to PE. Not worth it for so few requests!

Thanks for your explanation, it was the hint I needed.

[BuckyE]

Unless, of course, PE imported my Waypoints/Pins/endpoints and constructed its own geodesic “path.” That I have no way of evaluating!

[GeoMagik]

The lines between points of an imported track are effectively rhumb lines.

[BuckyE]

Excellent! My workaround worked. Now I know what to do.

[Author]

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