Keyhole Markup language

Draft

Introduction

According to Wikipedia (retrieved April 10, 2011), “Keyhole Markup Language (KML) is an XML schema for expressing geographic annotation and visualization within Internet-based, two-dimensional maps and three-dimensional Earth browsers. KML was developed for use with Google Earth, which was originally named Keyhole Earth Viewer. It was created by Keyhole, Inc, which was acquired by Google in 2004. The name "Keyhole" is an homage to the KH reconnaissance satellites, the original eye-in-the-sky military reconnaissance system first launched in 1976. KML is an international standard of the Open Geospatial Consortium.”

See also: Google Sketchup tutorial

KMZ integration and software

Google Earth files are Zip 2.0 archives that use the *.kmz extensions. At its root, the doc.kml specifying contents for display.

KML in Google KMZ files

A KMZ archive includes at least:

• A doc.kml file that defining the features for display in a a 3D Earth browser like Google Earth
• Subdirectories that includes assets, typically a Collada file representing a 3D model. For example, Sketchup creates a models directory with a Collada model and a texture subdirectory.

KML software

• kmleditor/ (win). A free KML editor (needs installation of Microsoft .Net 4

• KML Validator (online service)

Links

At Google

• KML Documentation Introduction
  • KML Tutorial
  • KML Reference

Other introductions

• Keyhole Markup Language

Websites

• Google Earth Blog

Examples

• Northeastern University