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

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).

JClements

my test file.

kml_test.skp

TIG

That's not right!
I get the full webdialog and I don't need to select anything at all...
Have you got ALL of the files in the subfolder that I showed in my screenshot ?
Have you got any copies of these files [or other 'kml' files] in the Plugins folder by mistake ? - if so remove them... There should only be 'kmlTools.rb' in Plugins.
It's an Extension does it appear in the Preferences dialog ?

JClements

I have the same configuration on my laptop and get the same result. And, yes, I do show KML Tools in my extensions listed and it is checked.

My KML Tools files:

TIG

Weird ?
I suggest you PM Aerilius...

JClements

In case anyone is interest there is plugin for ARC GIS that allows contours to be exported to a KML file.

The KML can be imported into GEarth. And, using KML Tools, imported into SU. The GIS plugin has some nice features such as adding text labels or text with leaders to the KML file which KML Tools handles just fine. The text info comes from the elevation name assigned to a contour group (which is a nice "welded" polyline). With this particular KML no effort was made to optimize the segmentation of the polyline contours.

It took less than 5 minutes to generate the terrain mesh using the Sandbox Tool with my Cor7 PC.

I posted this here because the old ARCgis plugin on the SketchUp site (http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/download/plugins.html) no longer works with SU7 and SU8. There is a "multipatch" function/workflow in GIS but the files created are huge and usually crash SU when attempting to import or error out. With KML Tools, SU has now regained some of the ability to handle GIS output.

If anyone is interested, I will try to find out the specifics of the GIS plugin used to create this KML.

DuluthContours.kml

JClements

Follow Up:

I've had issues with the KMT Tool export functions. I finally, did a complete re-installation of SU8. Aside from the default plugin installation, only the KML Tools were installed.

I found that Groups were ignored, but Components were not ... provided they were preselected. However, the KML of a component export could not be imported nor opened in Google Earth (Pro).

If nothing is selected then the export dialog did not display.

The selection of loose geometry works, but when imported into Google Earth, edges could be misplaced. For example, a one leg of cube was tilted.

Cube KML created via KML_tools.jpg

Aerilius

The cause of the problem one rare occasions has been fixed. Generally groups should be exported and the export dialog should show now always.
The export of ungrouped geometry is not intended. It is better to group an object so that the corresponding kml feature can be recognized.

JClements

Thanks for the update 1.4.7. Some problems still exist.

Please use the attached .skp and export to kml.

I think the following will ALWAYS FAIL to export correctly. Any geometry drawn off axis or rotated so that its edges are off axis will not export correctly.

What does work now is making a group or a component of any geometry, then exporting the group or component. However, they too will fail if subsequently rotated. Scaling the component after creating it does not appear to adversely affect the component when exported.

Regards, John

KML test 3.skp

Aerilius

Thanks for the test case. I fixed that components were exported with reversed tilt angle (Google Earth uses it in the opposite direction than SketchUp).

Ungrouped geometry is NOT intended to be used for export (as written above).

JClements

And thank you one more time.

John

justin.kromer

I've had success importing certain kml files. Others not so much. The error i'm receiving in the ruby console is as follows:

fetching elevation from url: http://api.geonames.org/astergdemJSON?formatted=true&lat=38.7126087917573&lng=-77.1426263045962&username=aerilius&style=full&callback=returnJson
kmlImport.rb: geonames returned 38
Error: #<NoMethodError: undefined method `+' for nil:NilClass>

Any input would be helpful. Thanks

Aerilius

Can you paste this in the Ruby Console before running the lugin again?

$VERBOSE=true

Then the error message will tell a bit more useful. Thanks!

JClements

Another benefit of the export KML option is creating Tour Paths for GoogleEarth. SU makes it easier to create smooth paths, edit those paths, and append a path via the Weld script. After opening the KML path in GoogleEarth, if you discover you want to reverse the direction of the tour along the path, then you can use Fredo6's revert path script and then save it as a new kml file.

schoobie

I have been importing the attached file to draw lines between the points I marked in GE Pro from a survey I did sometime ago.

But when I try to connect one point with the other, the pencil tool would never pick the end of any of the points. It picks something on the air and not sure what I am doing wrong. Please help.

points file in GE Pro

JClements

I see that the plugin is only importing the coordinates as labels with a leader, but is not adding a Construction Point to the tip of the leader; thus, you can not snap to the tip of the leader with any of SU/s drawing tools.

The import function of this plugin would have to be modified to have an option to do this.

PERHAPS THERE ALREADY IS A SCRIPT TO ADD CONSTRUCTION POINTS TO THE TIPS OF LEADERS?

TIG

Perhaps

  if !description.nil? && !description.empty?
    context.add_text description, c, [1,1,1]
  elsif !name.empty?
    context.add_text name, c, [1,1,1]
  else
    context.add_cpoint c
  end

needs to become

  if !description.nil? && !description.empty?
    context.add_text description, c, [1,1,1]
    context.add_cpoint c
  elsif !name.empty?
    context.add_text name, c, [1,1,1]
    context.add_cpoint c
  else
    context.add_cpoint c
  end

schoobie

Questions:

And how do I convert labels to construction points?
Where do I insert the code TIG is suggesting?
I have imported in the past fro GE to SU with this plugin and do not remember having this issue.