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Editing Google Earth .kml Files

F

familton

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185
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unitedstates
I have a Google Earth .kml file that I created for a ship going under a bridge along the route. Because of the difference between Google Earth and FSX the ship hits one of the bridge supports. Is there any way to slightly modify the .kml file, hopefully by clicking and dragging? I have been deleting the route and redoing it to eliminate the conflict. Thanks, Bob.
 
In google earth itself, if you have the kml file saved, if not reload the kml file in question, go to properties and then you can move the nodes, you can add an image layer if could be of help. or in GIS tools like Qgis, converting them in shape files, editing and resaving as kml files again.
 
Thanks Tejal. I tried going to properties and all I get is a hand and no way to highlight and move each point. Do I need to do something else? Bob.
 
Weird, you just have to open the properties Window and a Kind of square will prompt and the kml vértices highlighted in red, you have to right click on the kml file, very easy to modify the points. check it be a kml file.
 
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Here's a picture. All I get is a solid line and a hand. The hand does not show in the picture. Bob.
 

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I see a diference in the pop up window, it's say edit folder ?, what I get is edit route. you should see the red vértices.
difinitively the edition Window is diferent you have to click on the kml file directly not in the files folder.I think that is whatt happen. regards
 
Thanks Tejal. You are right. I had used the folder and not the path. It works now. I really do appreciate your help. Bob.
 
When I click on a red point I am able to move it but it adds another line from that point. Ever time I hit delete it rotates the added line around the data point. Is there any way to undo it when you make a change that you don't like? Bob.
 
it should work, don't know what could be the problem, you should see the red vértices became Green when you hover the mouse over those. work perfectly.you can move, delete any point and save
 
It does change from red to green but when I move it to a new position the old path white line is still there. Here is a screenshot. It shows the original red dot position that I dragged to the left. It shows the new position but it still shows the original white path line. If I save it the white line is still there. Will my ship follow the new line path and disregard the extra white line path?

Is there any way to undo a change? Thanks, Bob.
 

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I have tried to replicate that behaviour and it's imposible. maybe the configuration but there is not any configuration for this. I have google earth versión: 7.1.2.2041 if could be of help. as you said try to export the file and load again to see if the changes are right.
 
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May be you have 2 instances of your path in Google Earth, one on Favorite and one on Temporary...
 
Hi Tejal. I have the exact same Google Earth version. I will attach the kml file. Maybe you can see what I get after modifying it per the screenshot I sent. All I want to do is to move the path so I do not contact the river bank and crash my AI. There is a considerable difference between GE and FSX river positions. I am trying to learn FSXGET so I can make the path OK in FSX. Thanks, Bob.
 

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Thanks Tejal. You are right. I had two instances in Google. When I deleted one I now can edit the path with no problems. Thanks to FSXGET I have located the problem with the path. There is a bump on the land in FSX that Google Earth did not show. I have fixed it. My thanks to all ho have helped me. I am just learning the kml method for making AI ship traffic. Regards to all, Bob.
 
Yes all that is a Little bit confusing always, you can see the same offset when creating road traffics which the method is the same, kml file based, but in certain áreas only. Yes it seem FsxGet is a great tool for traffic above all for high density ships traffics.many routes. etc
 
For what it's worth, .kml files are in xml format and can be edited directly, not that you need to do it in this case. I use Notepad++. The following is just in case someone might find this useful: When working with the very large trafficboats.bgl file and discovering that AIBTC has some quirks when editing the plansboats.txt file, I found how easy it is to make a mistake among all the similar lines. I solved most of the problems by importing the kml file into Excel, converting the text to columns, then sorting by route number and then reversing the process to end up with a kml file sorted by route number. (This must be done very carefully!) I also sorted the plansboat.txt file by route number so it matched order of the kml file. Working in Excel also made it very easy to check for duplicates and other anomalies with simple if then statements or conditional formatting. (I found a couple errors in the default plansboats file this way.) The result is that it is a lot easier to confirm that I am editing what I want to edit, and I've not had a problem with the quirks (like hard to find duplicate lines being generated in the plansboat.txt file) since I did this.
 
Hi L-Rob. I appreciate the help. I might try that. So far I have been doing OK except for the fact that FSX and GE data is not the same. I have to run the route and if I get a shoreline crash in FSX then I have to edit the route slightly. I have made about 6 routse so far that work OK. Regards, Bob.
 
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