tutorial for importing open green map sites into google earth · tutorial for importing open green...

TutorialforImportingOpenGreenMapSitesintoGoogleEarthStep1. DownloadyourOpenGreenMapdatafilesbylogginginonOpenGreenMapandviewingyourmap(s).ChoosetheImport/Exporttaboverthemap.Scrolldownto‘KMLwithiconlabels’andclicktodownloadthefile.Youcanrenameyourfileifyoulike,keeping.kmlattheend.Note:(.KML=KeyholeMarkupLanguageisanXML(ExtensibleMarkupLanguage)filevariationusedtodisplaygeographicdatainanearthbasedbrowser,suchasGoogleEarth,GoogleMaps,etc.)Step2. Download(ifyouhavenotalreadydoneso)andopenGoogleEarthonyourcomputer.YouretainownershipbutGooglemayuseyourdata(seeTermsofServiceforcompletedetails).Step3.Doubleclickthedownloadedmapfileinstep1.ItshouldautomaticallyopeninGoogleEarth.Ifnot,andyouarepromptedwithawindowaskingyoutochooseanapplicationtoopenin,manuallyselectGoogleEarth.Googleprovidesausefulnavigationoverview.Reviewittofindmorefeatures.Step4.Onthebottomleft-handsidebaroftheGoogleEarthwindowaretwodropdownwindows,“Places”and“Layers”.Clickthehorizontalarrowdirectlyinfronteachofthemonce,torevealthefull“Places”and“Layers”window.

Places>Layers>ZoomofPreviousImage,“Places”and“Layers”location:

Step5:Afterclickingthearrowsinfrontofthe“Places”and“Layers”tabs,theywillenlargetofilltheentireleft-handside-bar.

Step6:Underthe“Places”tabyouwillseetwofurthersub-divisions:“MyPlaces”and“TemporaryPlaces”,whereyouwillfindyourfileupload.Thisiswhereallnewlyimportedfilesarrive.Clickthearrowbythefilename-Alllocationsidentifiedinyour.KMLfilewillbelistedhere,aswellasanyotherfeatures.

Lucas,canyoumakescreenshotswithjusttheexport_labelfile.

Thesamegoesforthe“Layers”tab,whichcanbeopenedtorevealarangeofmapreadingtoolsprovidedbyGoogle.(NextPage)

Step7:Viewtheinformationstoredinyour.KMLfile.Singleclickonalocationnameonthelefttohaveadescriptivewindowappear.Thiscanbedonewhileviewinganyportionoftheglobe.

Step8:Doubleclickonthesamelocationnameontheleft-handsidetozoomtothespecificlocationofthataddressontheglobe.

Checkthewindowforfurtherinformationcontained,suchaswebsitelinks,images,descriptions,directionsandcomments.Youcantoggleonoroffanynumberoflocationsandfeaturessimultaneously.Note–althoughallyoursiteswillbeproperlylocated,thereisabugyoumightwanttofix.Whenyouopenthesite’sinfowindow,eachonehasthesameaddressandphonenumber.Toremoveoredit,control/rightclickonthebluelinkforeachsiteontheleft,andchoose“GetInfo”.Makeedits,andclickOK.WhileatGetInfo(alsoknownsasProperties),youcanchangethestyleofthesite(Placemarker).Forexample,ifyoudon’tlikethelabelyoucanclickStyle,Colorandreducethelabel’sopacityto0.Checkouttheotherfeaturesandgiveyourmapauniquelook.Step9:StartcheckingoutthewholerangeoffeaturesthatGoogleEarthhastooffer,andhowthesemightinteractwithyourdatafile.Thesearefoundunderthe“Layers”sectionontheleft-handside.Toggleonoroffasdesired.Wanttobeinspired?SearchforGoogleEarthGalleryorlookforspecificanswerstoyourquestionsonline.

Step10:Explorethewaysyoucancustomizeyourownmap,byaddingmarkers,drawinglinesandpolygons,addingimages,videos,andfindinggeographicallyproximatehistoricaldataandmuchmore.ThesefeaturesandothersarefoundinthedropdownwindowsoftheGoogleEarthapp,andintheiconsattheverytopoftheGoogleEarthwindow.Formoreonthispleaseviewtheironlinetutorial-https://www.google.com/earth/learn/

SAVING:Finallymakesuretosaveyourimported.KMLdatafiles.Sincetheyarefreshlyimportedtheywillbeinthe“TemporaryPlaces”folder.Filesinthislocationwillnotbestoredunlesssavedintothepermanent“MyPlaces”folder.Control/rightclickthefilenamein“TemporaryPlaces”andscrolldowntothe“SavetoMyPlaces”option.Youcancontrol/rightclickonthetitletorenameit,too.

Yourimportedfilewilltransfertothe“MyPlaces”folder.

SharingyourGoogleEarthGreenMapSigninonthetoprighttohavethesharebuttonappear.Sincethisisadesktopapplication,thereisnoURLorembedcode.However,youcansharedifferenttypes

ofviews,filesortours–youcanevendisplayyourmaponGoogle+oremailthemtobeviewedbyothersonGoogleEarth.YoucanalsomakeaTour,recordingyourstory,addinglinksandimages,etc.StartattheAddMenuandclickTourtobegin.Thereisvideoherewithdetailedinformation-http://bit.ly/GEvid17Aneasywayistoshareanimageistomakeascreenshot(commandshift4onaMac,right-clickortopkeyonaPC).YoucanopeneachscreenshotinPreview,saveasJPGorotherformattomakesharingeasier.Youcandisplaytheseimagesofthemaponyourwebsite.WeinviteyoutoaddittoaProjectStoryonGreenMap.org(usethetagforGoogleEarthtohelpwebsiteusersfindit).It’sagoodwaytohelpothersexploreandenjoyyourefforts!ThankstoLucasReckhauswhocompletedthistutorialinJanuary2017