Anyone know any command line tools for generating thumbnails of a GPX files?

I’ve found gpx2png but it doesn’t appear capable of a fixed output image size (output image size is based upon zoom level and how many tiles the route encompasses I believe).

Also found a Ruby GEM by the same name, gpx2png, part of gpx2exif, which worked the last time I tried, but now the generated image has the coordinates + location markers for what looks like every point recorded in the GPX, smushed all over each other. It’s a project that looks pretty dormant unfortunately.

Longshot I know, but does anyone know of anything else I could use to generate thumbnails for a few years of rides including daily commutes – using an image viewer to flip through the thumbnails is a really fast way of scanning for a particular ride.

Since no one else has replied, I’d look to scripting something in QGIS with an OS vector (if GB) or Openstreetmap shapefile backdrop. That way you avoid attempting to scale images. I’ve taken that approach before (not using QGIS) but there’s quite a lot of work. QGIS also has the “Generate an Atlas” feature that you could use if you first combine all your rides into one file.

Would your existing gpx2png output piped into imagemagik to resize give something usable or just a mess?

Wouldn’t know where to start with QGIS. Looks quite daunting! Don’t know Python either, certainly not got time to learn both.

As it stands, the first gpx2png I linked to (on the openstreetmap wiki) generates images too large to scale down to a thumbnail size with the route still clearly visible. It’s a Perl script though, and having a quick look at the code I should be able to figure enough Perl to customize the drawing routines so the larger images can be scaled down to a thumbnail size, or maybe get it to create images closer to the size I actually want them to be in the first place.

The 2nd gpx2png, written in Ruby, not got time to learn that (it’s only a step or two from LISP isn’t it!?) !

I only skimmed the link but does the zoom (-z) option give you something usable?

perl gpx2png.pl -z 9 mytrack.gpx

Edit: oh I see you already mentioned zoom so probably tried this.

Slightly different approach (not sure whether this is your use case) but if I want “look up” my ride history on a map, I just use Veloviewer map view and pan/zoom accordingly.
It overlays all my Strava activity on Open Cycle Map (I think) – not ideal but the only solution I’m aware of outside of a GIS.

Would love it if there was a “Lightroom-like” cataloging tool which hooked into my Strava history and allowed tagging and filtering.