[Plugin] KML Tools (2.0.0-beta) — updated 31.05.2013

Aerilius

Importer class

I had looked at it, but since no other plugin used it I had thought users would expect to find the importer in the Plugins menu. In general I like the idea of using existing standards, so I will add this in the next update. Especially that the Importer class also allows options dialogs ( Importer.do_options) sounds promissing.

thomthom

I think the reason why no-one else has used it is because it's simply over-looked. Which is a pity as it'd help clean up the menus and integrates the ruby importers with the native ones.

(I kind of spammed the forum of the importers I could find... .. in an attempt to bring focus to this unused class. )

Jim

But there isn't a corresponding exporter class. So if you did use the Importer class, the exporter would still need to go in the standard menus which would make the UI inconsistent.

thomthom

@jim said:

But there isn't a corresponding exporter class. So if you did use the Importer class, the exporter would still need to go in the standard menus which would make the UI inconsistent.

True, this would do well as a feature request.

lbatt3

I'm new to SU, and this is completely awesome, exactly what I've been looking for.

BUT, installed it, and it worked great once to bring in a KML line (GPS "track" from Garmin opened in Google Earth and saved as KML). Also brings in KML points (GPS waypoints) no problem. But then I go to download another line KML and no luck at all. I tried removing and re-downloading/unzipping, still no luck.

I'm on Windows XP using FireFox, if that matters.

Aerilius

Hi,
can you give me a link to that file?

A possibility is that the lines are in a "network link" in the KML file. Then Google Earth loads them from the internet (so the lines are not in the file). The importer plugin cannot download network links.

lbatt3

@aerilius said:

Hi,
can you give me a link to that file?

A possibility is that the lines are in a "network link" in the KML file. Then Google Earth loads them from the internet (so the lines are not in the file). The importer plugin cannot download network links.

Here is a link to one of the KML files I had trouble with:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11217841/Garden.kml

I did find a fix - tracing the track as a regular line in GE, then exporting. These imported just fine. So I guess it's the original track files from GPS that the plugin has trouble with. GE is loading them from the MapSource software I have which holds the Garmin/GPS data. Would they still be a network link? just odd that it worked for the first one, then not after that.

Thanks again for your time creating this plugin. Can't tell you how valuable it will be in creating site layouts (we do horse farm planning).

burgemj

@pixero said:

I have the same problem as lexmonteiro (above).
IE 8 Windows 7 64bit. SketchUp 8 Pro.

I also have the same problem as lexmonteiro with regards to the fetching elevation data and am running the same setup as Pixero. I believe lexmonteiro was running an older version of IE that solved his problem. Pixero and I are not, however. Has this issue been resolved and I'm just missing it somewhere?

asteinberger

I'm having an issue which I don't think anyone else has mentioned yet. I'm trying to import extruded building footprints into Sketchup. The terrain on which they are supposed to sit is quite hilly, and what I've noticed is that when the kml files are imported, they seem to pitch in such a way that they are perpendicular to whatever slope they sit on.

The kml files themselves look fine, it's when they get imported into sketchup that the problem occurs. Any ideas???

Source KML

Aerilius

I found the reason and solved it. There was something not clear in the kml documentation. While not-extruded polygons relative to ground follow the terrain, extruded polygons don't.

asteinberger

@aerilius said:

I found the reason and solved it. There was something not clear in the kml documentation. While not-extruded polygons relative to ground follow the terrain, extruded polygons don't.

awesome! works perfectly now! I owe you a beer.

huckrorick

Thanks. This is just the tool I've been looking for. I only used it once so far but it worked beautifully (well, actually when I used it without first importing the location (just imported the kml) it was kind of screwy, but when I imported the location first it worked perfectly.
One thing that I thought might be useful to people: I didn't unzip the kmz. From Google Earth I just saved the polygons etc as kml, then imported that with you plugin.

thanks again,

Huck

cyb

The import hangs when connecting to some website. Is it a neccessary process?
Could this part be eliminated?

Aerilius

Hi,
SketchUp does not import an elevation with its Add Location feature, that's why the plugin needs to get this from the GeoNames organisation.
From where did you download the plugin? The current version on this website shouldn't have this issue anymore and should continue without elevation after some seconds. I would be curious to know if it's still not solved.

cyb

Downloaded from this topic few days ago.
Just tested. Stuck at:

fetching Elevation data...
from api.geonames.org

Aerilius

I think I fixed it. Thanks for reporting.

cyb

It works. Thanks.

JClements

What is supposed to occur when the Export KML option is used?

I don't get a dialog of any sort or anything telling me if and where the KML is saved.

Running SU8Pro, Windows7.

TIG

You should first get a webdialog with various options and when you 'ok' that you get a dialog to name/save the file to a folder...
Are there error messages in the open Ruby Console when you run the tool ?
Does your kmlTools subfolder in Plugins look like this ?

JClements

I downloaded the current version of the script.

I had another rb file in the plugins folder. KML_Loader.

I removed it and I can now get a dialog to appeaer.

However, a dialog only appears if I select geometry of a non-group (see attached jpg).