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Septiembre 15, 2005
Google Earth Files - KML/KMZ
So, what are these KML and KMZ files anyway? They are Google Earth's file format for storing placemarks, network link information, and much more. I won't go into detail here, since there are excellent reference documents available from Google (see below). But, let me describe the fundamentals.
KML stands for Keyhole Markup Language (Keyhole was the name of the application before Google bought it and added their own features and larger databases). If you understand HTML/XML you will have little problem understanding the syntax of KML. You can learn about KML from the KML Tutorial, or get the full details from the KML Documentation.
KMZ stands for KML-Zipped. It is the default format for KML because it is a compressed version of the file. One of the more powerful features of KMZ is that it allows any images you use - say custom icons, or images in your descriptions - to be zipped up within the KMZ file. That way you can share these details without having to reference the files through some link to the Internet. For KMZ files without images, the file size will be much smaller than the equivalent KML file.
If you understand basic HTML/XML you can easily get started by saving a simple placemark you've created as a KML file (not the default KMZ), and looking at the resulting text file. If you are a programmer you will probably be fascinated by the topic of Network Links. Network links are one of the most powerful features of GE enabling a KML file to reference data dynamically on a server somewhere out on the Internet.
In a nutshell, learning to do things with KML/KMZ is the equivalent to learning to write a web page, but instead of a web page you are changing the face of the GE. Just like with web page creation tools, you don't have to know KML to create a KML file. You can start placing Placemarks or Image overlays straight from GE's interface.
Enviado por FrankTaylor at Septiembre 15, 2005 08:22 AM
Comentarios
Enviado por: husam at Octubre 22, 2005 06:15 AM
i want details about google earth.
Enviado por: prasannakumar thallapeli at Noviembre 7, 2005 03:06 AM
In which format is used by GE to store the geometric information of the earths surface? As far as I understand KML, KML is not able to store any topographic data. Is this right?
Enviado por: Stefan at Enero 14, 2006 05:09 AM
The Earth surface data is provided by Google Earth's Primary Database when you connect to Google. (I assume the base sphere is just a simple geometric model built in to the program)
The topgraphical 3D model is actually a database they got from NASA which was collected by Space Shuttle missions.
I'm not sure what geometric model they use to store the 3D data, but I believe it is simply tesselated 3-sided polygons.
Enviado por: Frank Taylor at Enero 14, 2006 08:44 AM
I want to know that whether the *.kmz/kml file foramt stores more than one location and display it on google earth?
Enviado por: viral Sompura at Enero 21, 2006 12:29 PM
Yes, .kml/.kmz files can store many locations in one file (as many as you want really, especially if you use them as a network link to a database where they can be theoretically infinite).
Enviado por: Frank Taylor at Enero 21, 2006 01:24 PM
Is it possible to capture the polygon data from Google Earth from a web page? I can control GE from the webpage, but also want to capture what the user does while in GE.
Enviado por: MDV at Marzo 7, 2006 09:04 AM
Our society has done a number of web sites. However, we are still trying to understand Google Earth Community.
Two points out of a hundred:
1. What is inscribed in one computer does not appear on another.
2. Google has taken much care in inscribing both English and French characters. The notion of WORLD COMMUNITIES is unknown to Google Earth Community. The company knows better.
Could please indicate un a good source of basic information. Merci.
MES RESPECTS
Pierre Larouche, président
Les Compagnons de Jacques Cartier - osbl president@jacquescartier.org
http://jacquescartier.org/compagnons/index.html
Enviado por: Pierre Larouche at Marzo 27, 2006 09:45 PM
How do I get rid of one that I don't want anymore? Am I stuck with it?
Enviado por: Grossman at Mayo 12, 2006 10:38 PM
You can simply delete any KMZ file in your "Places" pane. Or you can delete the file off your drive if that is what you are asking about.
Enviado por: Frank Taylor at Mayo 12, 2006 11:00 PM
What kind of feedback can be gathered from GE presently, and what is planned in the near future versions? As far as I read from the KML tutorial, I can get my server triggered on regular periods, with the wiew box currently visible in the client. That is great, but I want want more control, I want to enable user to click on the map (or doubleclick, right-click and choose option, click&move the placemark, etc.) so that the server is informed about certain point in the map. Possible use of this would be updating of my places database, and, in the longer run, an online game about nations and their quest for power and territory. I hope this doesn't mean that I need GE Pro version...
Enviado por: Pavils Jurjans at Mayo 16, 2006 11:36 AM
I'm trying to create a KMZ file from a KML with an image directory that is referenced in the KML. Is there a simple way of doing this?
Enviado por: Karel at Junio 11, 2006 05:26 AM
Is there is way to hide the content of the kmz file so that when loaded into GE the user cannot simply "save as" kml file and then open it from any editor software to easily look at and edit the content ?
In an other way to go around it : how to disable the "save as" function in the file menu when loading a kmz file ?
Enviado por: Vernice at Agosto 10, 2006 01:07 AM
How do I create a kmz in my own code. I want to produce dynamic kmz from a website. (It is more compact than kml which I can already do, and the feature of including graphics is interesting).
Enviado por: Timothy at Septiembre 6, 2006 02:46 AM
1. I have my own hardware/software combo to obtain the (lat, long) at a particular place. How do I interface this (database) with Google Earth to render it in real time and provide location tracking?
2. How do I dynamically update KML files?
3. How do I call the updated KML files in a periodic fashion?
Enviado por: Sriram Raghavan at Septiembre 27, 2006 08:03 AM
Can I used the poligon created by the google and read it in the arcview to calculate area. If possible How to do it???
thanks,
Marcelo Crossa
Enviado por: Marcelo Crossa at Noviembre 16, 2006 04:48 PM
It seems like the COM API does not provide functionality to remove polygons from the "My Places" folder in GE. As a workaround I'm thinking about 1. setting the feature to invisible and 2. remove the kml file from the computer through jscript, except that I can't find where GE stores the kml files for that. I've gone through all the GE directory on my machine. Any clues? Is there a way I can remove a polygon from the "My places" folder in GE from outside GE? (ie. using com api in hta app). Thanks a bunch.
Enviado por: mmenchu at Enero 17, 2007 03:49 PM
In a sample web application I need to extract the images from google Earth and use it on my web pages. So how can I do it without manually opening the Google Earth and saving the image using 'Save as' option.
Enviado por: Chidananda Raju at Enero 24, 2007 03:34 AM
Does anybody know where google saves the 'My Places' placemarks by default? I recently took a complete backup of my hard drive and then formmated it but without saving My Places to a KMZ file first. I had hundreds of places saved and cannot find anything referencing them in the google earth folders.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
John.
Enviado por: John Rogers at Febrero 10, 2007 10:12 AM
The myplaces.kml file is saved in
C:\Dokumente_und_Einstellungen\username\Anwendungsdaten\Google\GoogleEarth
(sorry for the German folder names, but I would have to guess the English names and they would probably not right).
Anyway, when you restored your system partition then, I'm afraid, all your files are gone.
It is my principle not to save my data on the system partition, but convince the programs to store them elsewhere. For Google Earth there is some tweaking of the registry necessary to get this done.
Enviado por: Berthold Pasch at Febrero 13, 2007 06:39 PM
Hi,
I'd like to edit the kml file to reach a specific location, at a specific altitude.
There is a 'altitude' tag, but it seems it doesn't have any effect.
Any idea how to reach a specific altitude, either with a kml file, or within Google Earth itself ?
Thanks !
Jerome
Enviado por: Jerome at Febrero 16, 2007 04:54 AM
How do I delete a KML placemark which has been shared/posted by me? It contained some incorrect information I have attempted to edit, however it still appears in its original format...
I would very much appreciate being led through the delete or edit process, and be given an indication of how long it takes for the deletion to occur in the GE Community?
Enviado por: coldwaterjohn at Febrero 28, 2007 07:45 AM
To coldwaterjohn:
If you have changed your attachment at the GEC with a new KMZ with the correct information, it should show the correct information when you download the attachment.
If you are asking about the Google Earth Community layer version of your file, that layer is updated about once every 30 - 60 days. So, if that is your issue, you may have to wait about that long before your new version is put into the layer.
Enviado por: Frank Taylor at Febrero 28, 2007 08:42 AM
I created a .kmz file by creating a subfolder under My Places, putting placemarks in the subfolder and saving the subfolder as a .kmz file.
However, when the file is opened by Google Earth, the structure is "filename.kmx > subfolder > placeholders".
Therefore if I post this .kmz online as a tour, the tour does not start automatically. If I press the 'play' button, I get "There are currently no placemarks selected for the tour. Please activate the checkbox for those Placemarks you wish to visit and restart the tour. You can also select a folder and play a tour of all its items whether or not they are checked."
However, other tours posted on the bulletin board begin automatically as soon as the file is downloaded.
I cannot move my placeholders up out of the subdirectory as I have other placeholders there. I cannot edit the .kmz file as it is zipped, and I cannot save to .kml (for the purpose of editing the file) because I am using a custom image for the placholder, and this would probably not be incorporated into the .kml file.
Question: how to get my tour to start automatically?
Enviado por: Chris at Marzo 21, 2007 10:17 AM
I converted a points layer from ArcGIS to .kmz (using ArcToolbox) and everything loads fine the first time that I start Google Earth. When I exit Google Earth I'm prompted to save my file to "My Places". I click yes and then when I reopen Google Earth the file is in "My Places" but the points themselves are missing. The labels are still there, however. If I delete the .kmz file from "My Places" and then reopen the .kmz file everything looks normal.
What am I doing wrong? Is there any way to save the file to "My Places" without losing the points the next time that I load Google Earth? Is my only option to keep reopening the .kmz file every time?
Thanks,
Jeff
Enviado por: Jeff Miller at Marzo 21, 2007 12:30 PM
Hi,
I'm trying to create a kmz file with 1000 points and attached images or perhaps video files that can be viewed in the pop-up display box.
How do I do this? I realize its possible with Google maps so what I am going to try is this...
Firstly import my 1000 files into Google Earth Plus as a shapefile created in Arc.
Save it as a kmz on my organisations website.
Open in Google maps
Attach media files through linking them to web based storage, such as you tube.
I would then like to share this file so is it possible for people to download from my site?
I'd really appreciate help with this. Its for a humanitarian project in Uganda.
Bernard
Enviado por: Bernard at Abril 12, 2007 11:09 AM
I am a student at the University of Nevada Reno and my class is working on a Google Earth Project. We are trying to take a georeferenced sanborn map of Virginia City, NV in ArcGis and convert the file to KML so that we can place it into Google Earth. We orginally used the geo refed ArcGis file as a .img file and put it into Google Earth and it worked, but when we tried to convert the file to KML it would not come in properly to Google Earth. Anyone have any suggestions?
Enviado por: D at Abril 26, 2007 06:27 PM
I e-mailed my KML file to myself and others. (there is an option to do this under the File tab)This procedure seems to insure that the file will be opened by Google earth.
Enviado por: Brian at Abril 30, 2007 12:38 PM
hi
i have two kmz files and i like to link them in a single kml file using the link tags.. when im using to do it giving the single link tag only work. The way im writing the code is:
MyCar
mymap.kmz
mycar.kmz
plz give me the solution...
Enviado por: Vinod at Junio 4, 2007 01:15 AM
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Dear Sir,
I would to know how i could open through these KML and KMZ files. Please let me know about this. i won't able to open such these kind of files