Custom icon stopped working

[Bernd]

Greetings,

I noticed today that my custom icons stopped working in all kmz files, across different browsers on different devices.  They were working fine for years until (I believe) 2/20/2012.

Sample URL: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://map.tourofcalifornia.org/gps/rad-fondo-5.kmz&t=p

The custom icon shows up for the placemark on the left, but not on the map.  It used to show up on the map also, but now a default blue icon shows up.  I am attaching the kmz file and pasting relevant markup below.

Please advise.  Thanks!

---

Markup snippet:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.1">
<Document>
<name>GPS Satellite Data</name>
<Style id="global">
<IconStyle>
<Icon>
<href>https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_5n0LvCoPqLg/TWX4KU1SmSI/AAAAAAAAC2g/kXuPBkKDzcg/bike.png</href>
</Icon>
</IconStyle>
<LineStyle>
<color>ff141484</color>
<width>3</width>
</LineStyle>
</Style>
<Placemark>
<name>San Clemente</name>
<styleUrl>#global</styleUrl>
<Point>
<coordinates>-117.597436,33.40527,46.59999799999999</coordinates>
</Point>
</Placemark>
...

[ymg]

I've checked your file in Google Earth and your custom Icon is there, did the same in Opera and IE and everything is fine.

So I am at a lost to help you.

ymg

[Gretchen Culp]

The same thing is happening to me.  All the custom icons I used in my KMZ files no longer work in my web map.  When I checked the KMZ files in Google Earth, the custom icons are there.  Does Google Maps API v3 no longer support the icon attribute of KMZ files?

Thanks!

Gretchen

[Bernd]

I hosted my custom images on a different server (not on Picasa), then
it started working again. The new host serves the files via http
protocol, as opposed to https. For some maps, there was a delay
before it started working (probably because of caching). To confirm,
you can try re-naming your kmz file and it should work right away.

Good luck,

Bernd

[Gretchen Culp]

That makes sense.  I am hosting on http secure.  Thanks, Bernd!

[Gretchen Culp]

I use a Google Site (which is https and free... perfect price for a grad student) to host my KML and KMZ files.  I tested my KML file by first attempting use a dynamic icon.  Looked great in Google Earth but displayed the default blue marker in Google Maps.  I then tried switching the icon to a png file hosted on a http server but still no success.  Could this be because the KML file itself is stored on an https server?  Does anyone know why did Google do this?  

[Gretchen Culp]

OK, now I am thoroughly confused.  I moved the KMZ file into a more shallow directory of my Google Site and now the custom icons are displaying. Perhaps there is a string length limit for the KML URL.  In any event, it is working again... for now, at least.

[Gretchen Culp]

I think my issue definitely stemmed from lengthy KML/KMZ URL strings.  After moving my KML and KMZ files into a more shallowly located directory, those with long file names were still displaying the default blue marker.  When I shortened the file names, the custom icons worked just fine.  This limit to URL length must be a new thing because my custom icons were functioning perfectly from their former location for years.