Export to KMZ?

[Chris_Baze]

Is there a way to export a FormIt model to KMZ? Or is there any other straightforward way to get a FormIt model into Google Maps/Google Earth?

[Tobias_Hathorn]

Hi Chris - I have looked into this in the past and have not found a good way to get this done. It's possible there's a way I haven't found? If you see any leads please post!

[TomislavGolubovic]

Do you have just FormIt or the AEC Collections?

[jwagnerHT4AB]

i have formit and am trying to export it as a KMZ to open in googlearth

[lucdoucet_msdl]

@Chris_Baze and @jwagnerHT4AB 

Google Earth and FormIt can use the DAE file format to exchange between each other. While the DAE format does not have the geographic coordinates, you can manually place the DAE file in Google Earth on your first import. One imported, Export the placed DAE file to a KMZ file and you have the format to send to another person with the correct location.

Updating the KMZ file or Google Earth with the latest changes can be done two ways:

Option A: Google Earth

1. In FormIt, resave the updated DAE file;

2. In Google Earth, in the "Places" panel select the previously placed model and edit its properties;

3. In the Modify model window popup, the path to the link is display under the text box of the name. Update the link to the new DAE file. Save and exit the popup.
Note: If you choose to override the previous file location and name in step one, Google Earth reloads the latest file on opening and you can skip steps 2 and 3.

4. In the "Places" panel, resave the model as a KMZ file.

Option B: Modify the KMZ with a ZIP program

1. In FormIt, resave the updated DAE file with the same name;

2. In you Zip program, open the previous KMZ file (Yes KMZ is simply a ZIP file with a KML file and some additional data);

3. Open the "files" subdirectory and you will see the DAE file. Erase it and place the new DAE file with the same name; Save and close the KMZ file.

4. Open the revised KMZ file in Google Earth.

Hope this helps,

-luc
<ADDENDA> added a quick example to the message. Unzip AXM, DAE, KMZ.
<ADDENDA 2> added @jwagnerHT4AB to response.

[lucdoucet_msdl]

In looking at the details of the KML (markup language) component of the KMZ file, I can see there are geographic coordinates in the parameters.

I suspect that these coordinates are used to locate the DAE in Google Earth and could possibly be related to the origin of the FormIt group or FormIt main file. If you know the geographic coordinates for this origin, it may be possible then to edit the KML file with the correct coordinates after the initial manual placement of the DAE in Google Earth. This would increase the precision of the placement.

-luc