# Google Earth Export Plugin?



## macallf (Nov 22, 2008)

I have been searching for an export plugin that will create a kml file suitable for Google Earth but to no avail.

Does anybody know of one? Before I teach myself another programming language and try to write one myself!

My images are all of wildlife and landscapes and it's great to have a reference of where the images were taken. My images are all geocoded and the idea is that I could keyword search for a certain species which would then be exported to google earth and this would give me ideas for my next shoot of that animal etc.

Any help, guidance or even a better reference than adobe's SDK guide would be great, if there are no plugins available.

Thanks


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## Victoria Bampton (Nov 22, 2008)

Hi macallf, welcome to the forum!

Jeffrey Friedl's about as close as anyone I think, and there's some discussion of Google Earth in the comments of this page: http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/gps/


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## macallf (Nov 22, 2008)

Thanks for the reply But those are for geocoding the image files not creating an export to Google earth!

That part I have in place already. KML files can be packaged with jpeg images descriptions and place markers. You could then see in google earth where all your individual images were taken and see the reference images.

Unfortunately Jeffrey Friedl's plugins do not achieve this! I have checked before.


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## johnbeardy (Nov 22, 2008)

Then ask him if he can output the KML output too. It sounds useful.


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## macallf (Nov 22, 2008)

For those who have never seen this in action I have a prepared a kmz file for you to see.

It can be downloaded from here http://www.markcallf.co.uk/testfiles/sample.kmz

A KMZ file is just a zipped KML folder structure, so unzip it and you can see the structure. Just open the kmz file and Google Earth should display the images in the correct place. The images are preprocessed so the quality isn't great, hence the reason for wanting an export plugin!!!


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## Victoria Bampton (Nov 22, 2008)

Thanks for posting that Mark, that does look interesting.  I've never looked at it like that before.

I wonder if LR/Transporter could be used to come up with something like that... or Tim Armes may be willing to adapt it.


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## macallf (Nov 22, 2008)

It is quite a useful feature, not just for wildlife & landscape photographers but for architectural, site photography etc and I'm sure many others.

I can personally drive for over 2'' miles at times and also spend upto 8 hrs shooting images. Remembering where they all were is a nightmare. If you wish to go back to a certain location based on an image can be a nightmare. Having it geocoded helps but a map of relevant images makes life so much easier!!


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## Brad Snyder (Nov 22, 2008)

Going off-topic just a bit, another forum where some of us participate played with .kmz's in the Lounge/Open Topic area, just to highlight the world-wide nature of the group. We all 'borrowed' the file and added our personal locations. We just had management problems keeping the 'master' file synchronized in the event of simultaneous changes.
Fun.

Both Jeffrey and Mark seem to love fiddling, worth a direct suggestion I would think.


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## johnbeardy (Nov 22, 2008)

Mark

I assume you know that in the metadata panel, you can click the little arrow next to  GPS coordinates. That's only useful for individual images though.

Expression Media 2 actually has something similar to what you're hoping to do. You can select multiple geotagged images and they're shown as pins on a Virtual Earth window.

John


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## macallf (Nov 22, 2008)

The pin beside the gps only shows in google maps! I have actually submitted a feature request to allow uses to specify the app they want to show the placeholder in.

It's just a personal thing, but I prefer google earth.

As to Expression Media 2 it's another form of the Lightroom catalogue, another piece of software to buy and another catalogue to keep upto date! 

I use lightroom, it's grid and cataloging features are superb. I can write the plugin if necessary but why reinvent the wheel, hence the post! I do understand what you are saying though.


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## biswasg (Nov 23, 2008)

macallf said:


> I have been searching for an export plugin that will create a kml file suitable for Google Earth but to no avail.



Not exactly a plug-in, one $25 HoudahGeo software links with Lightroom to do what you intend. There is a trial version too. The software allows both geocoding as well as linking to GoogleMap. The weblink is
http://www.houdah.com/houdahGeo/


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## Kiwigeoff (Nov 23, 2008)

I think Jeffrey Friedel may also be at work on this, so stay posted.


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## macallf (Nov 23, 2008)

biswasg said:


> Not exactly a plug-in, one $25 HoudahGeo software links with Lightroom to do what you intend. There is a trial version too. The software allows both geocoding as well as linking to GoogleMap. The weblink is
> http://www.houdah.com/houdahGeo/



I think you are missing the point!!!

I use HoudahGeo to geocode the images already and yes it will output to google earth. But that won't allow me to filter images based on keywords within lightroom and , this is the important bit, it will generate a preview image based on the original RAW image!!

So any adjustments made within lightroom are not applied!!!!

The whole reason for the export plugin.

1. Filter results based on keywords within Lightroom, this includes collections, dates etc.
2. Generate the image files with develop module changes.

There is a way around it and this is what I do at the moment.

Selct the images I want in lightroom, generate jpeg files of those images, then open them in HoudaGeo and generate the KMZ file for Google Earth.

Thats why I asked if there was a plugin available to automate the process and remove the last 2 steps.


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## johnbeardy (Nov 23, 2008)

"So any adjustments made within lightroom are not applied!!!!"

One advantage of a DNG workflow....


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## macallf (Nov 23, 2008)

It certainly is 

I can understand people suggesting other methods but, this is the plugin discussion thread!

Anything that a plugin has been developed for can be done another way, the whole point of an export plugin is to remove those steps and keep everything integrated within Lightroom.

If I sound negative towards those posts, I apologise. I hope the paragraph above explains why.


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## johnbeardy (Nov 23, 2008)

Do an Export, set Houdah as your Post Processing step, launch Google Earth.


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## macallf (Nov 23, 2008)

That's an idea, but still a couple of extra steps!!!!

So, I'm writing a plugin :cheesy: Teaching myself lua as I go :shock:

Just about got the front end (The export dialog sorted). Next step, create the directories, move the rendered images, create the xml file to display and launch Google Earth.

Several days to go, me thinks


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## johnbeardy (Nov 23, 2008)

Many fewer clicks than learning Lua and debugging. If you want it now, you got it.


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## macallf (Nov 23, 2008)

When most look for the easy way, I don't 

I have a programming background and the skies are full of snow with no sign of abating any time soon!

So I can't get out, i'd rather sit here and work out how to do it!

A glutton for punishment I am :cheesy:

If I manage to get it working, i'll obviously share. Maybe of help to others.


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## Victoria Bampton (Nov 23, 2008)

Good for you Mark!  That's the kind of thing I do too!  LOL


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## macallf (Nov 23, 2008)

As you can see, I've been busy :cheesy:

This is not a mockup but a working screen grab, The location selection is working, Presets location and most of the options I think will be required.

Next is the actual processing and creation of the kml file.


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## Brad Snyder (Nov 23, 2008)

Wow, cool. On to the the high-paying jet-set world of PayPal donation-ware 

Seriously, nice work. When studying your layout, noticed a typo in line 3, Non 'Gego'encode, if you haven't already caught it.


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## calfoto (Dec 11, 2008)

Mark,
This is exactly what I've been looking for.  Are you making this plugin available??


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## macallf (Dec 11, 2008)

I shall be :cheesy:

As soon as I have a beta that I think is ready for testing I shall post a link. I won't post a time frame, as I am still teaching myself LUA!!!


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## sbacon (Dec 11, 2008)

I'd love to see this too, Mark! 

I currently use RoboGeo for exactly this purpose and I've just started it in conjunction with the Google Earth Plugin on my website. If you like, you can try it out with my Cathedral Lakes Trip Report. The Google Earth browser plugin requires a one-time install...


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## macallf (Nov 22, 2008)

I have been searching for an export plugin that will create a kml file suitable for Google Earth but to no avail.

Does anybody know of one? Before I teach myself another programming language and try to write one myself!

My images are all of wildlife and landscapes and it's great to have a reference of where the images were taken. My images are all geocoded and the idea is that I could keyword search for a certain species which would then be exported to google earth and this would give me ideas for my next shoot of that animal etc.

Any help, guidance or even a better reference than adobe's SDK guide would be great, if there are no plugins available.

Thanks


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## macallf (Dec 12, 2008)

I currently use HoudahGeo for geocoding and have a couple of images that are displayed in google maps.

Test Image

Click on the location map below the image.

These are all just test images and the site is no where near finished.

But I am still working on it.


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## Tim Armes (Jan 12, 2009)

Victoria Bampton;2868' said:
			
		

> Thanks for posting that Mark, that does look interesting.  I've never looked at it like that before.
> 
> I wonder if LR/Transporter could be used to come up with something like that... or Tim Armes may be willing to adapt it.



Funny you should say that:

http://www.weichel21.de/wordpress/?p=7'

Tim


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