Google Earth Community: KML Home Companion 3.0 -- (old)

The latest version of KML home companion can be found at:

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/345310

New Features in 3.1.0
---------------------
"Categories mode" now allows Quantities (class breaks) as well as
Categories (unique values). Placemarks will now use the legend
labels instead of the actual values. The ArcMap default is that
these two are the same.

Coordinates are now all double precision

For using an attribute to calculate the heights, European-format
decimal commas will be replaced by points.

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KML Home Companion 3.0.4 11/23/05 by Jim Cser
Converts ArcMap layers into Google Earth KML files
Offered freely to the community, but use at your own risk

This is an ArcMap extension designed to create KML format text
files for use in Google Earth. I tried to create the simplest
program that would do the job, so there is only a minimum of
error checking or fancy features. Please feel free to modify the
code, report bugs, or to make suggestions for future releases.

Fixes in 3.0.4
--------------
Support for multi-region polygon features
Fixed points with categories -- first point was being dropped
Tessellate works correctly -- tag was misspelled

Fixes in 3.0.3
---------------
Fixed polygon fill with categories -- first polygon was being dropped

Fixes in 3.0.2
---------------
Polygons can have "holes" -- innerBoundaryIs tag now implemented
Fixed polygon extrusion

New Features in 3.0
--------------------
Can create single or multiple placemarks for a layer
Allows either a default color or the ArcMap layer symbology
Error checking for geometry types
Transparency is displayed as a percentage instead of a Hex number
Refresh button for layer listing
Easier method of selecting output directory

Installation
------------
Open ArcGIS
From the menu, select Tools > Customize
Click on the "Add from File" button
Browse to the KML_HomeCompanion DLL, click Open
Click on the Toolbars tab
Check "KML Home Companion", then close the window.
You should now see a toolbar with the Google Earth globe.

Controls
--------

"Layers" lists all the feature layers in the current view.
The selected layer will generate the KML file. It should not
matter whether the layer is a shapefile, coverage, or SDE.
If additional layers are added to the map, you may need to
click the Refresh Layers button.

"Geometry" gives the KML output choices: point, line, polygon
centroid, polygon outline or polygon fill. The geometry type
is checked when you try to create the KML file, but this may not
work every time.

"Altitude Mode" selects the value for the 'altitude' tag:
Pin to Ground, Relative, or Absolute.

"Height" has two options: use a default value for all features,
or use the value from the selected attribute. No checking is done
to see if the attribute is numeric. The attribute value can be
multiplied by a constant (e.g. 0.3048 to convert feet to meters).

"Look At" allows an optional 'LookAt' tag. The Lat/Long of the
center of the map will appear when the dialog opens, use the
button to refresh. Range, Tilt, and Heading are all set manually.

"Symbology" sets the color and transparancy for the KML features:

Point, Polygon Centroid --
"Same for Entire Layer" will create one placemark that contains
all the points in the layer, with no individual labeling.
"Use Categories" will create multiple placemarks, one for each point,
using the ArcMap layer symbology to create the labels.

Line, Polygon Outline, Polygon Fill--
"Same for Entire Layer" will create one placemark that contains
all the features in the layer, with no individual labeling.
"Use Categories" will create multiple placemarks, using the
ArcMap layer symbology. The colors and linewidths will be
taken directly from what you see in the table of contents.

IMPORTANT: When in "Use Categories" mode, the symbology type
must be set to some flavor of Categories. I have some error
checking for this, but this may not work every time.

"Tessellate" and "Extrude" toggle their respective tags.

"Export KML" creates the KML file, gives it the name selected in
the Layers list, and saves it into the directory in the text box.
Default directory is that of the MXD file, but you may change it
with the Directory button.

Data Projection
---------------
This version converts data into WGS1984, regardless of the projection
of the source data or the map document.

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Edited by jimcser (03/11/06 05:21 PM)

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