drawing lines using csv file of lat/long on google earth

Question

You can use the code below to create a KML file for use with Google Maps or Google Earth. It assumes your CSV file is called yourCSV.csv

#!/bin/bash

# Output KML header
cat<<EOF
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Document>
<Placemark> 
 <LineString>
  <coordinates>
EOF

# Read in CSV and append a zero altitude to each line  
sed s/$/,0.0/ yourCSV.csv 

cat<<EOF
  </coordinates>
 </LineString>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>
EOF

Save this in a file called CSV2KML then do this to make it executable and run it to make a file called mylines.kml:

chmod +x CSV2KML
./CSV2KML > mylines.kml

Output:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
<Document>
<Placemark> 
<LineString>
<coordinates>
xx.xxxxx, yy.yyyyy,0.0
xx.xxxxx, yy.yyyyy,0.0
xx.xxxxx, yy.yyyyy,0.0 
xx.xxxxx, yy.yyyyy,0.0
</coordinates>
</LineString>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

If you want the line to be red, for example, change the last part so it looks like this:

</coordinates>
</LineString>
<Style> 
<LineStyle>  
<color>#ff0000ff</color>
</LineStyle> 
</Style>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>