Any workaround for NetworkLink-Stop-Refresh bug?

[JGTM]

Hello there, we are developers interested in dynamic KML application development. And we have created numerous creative (and, yes, exciting) demo prototypes for our potential customers. But we are frequently fighting for an serious bug.

When a network link set to refresh on interval, there are chances that GE stop fetching from the network link any more (maybe after several seconds idling, maybe works well for hours then stopped). Low speed links and sparse contents returned seems to increase possibility/frequency this bug is occured.

In version 3, viewport changing (say, CTRL-1 to toggle a panel or resize anywhere to affact viewport a little) may cause the "sleeping" link to wake to refresh again (but in some cases this may not work). Disable (uncheck) the link and re-enable (check) again may also put the link out of sleeping status (but this may not work, too). In rare cases only restart Google Earth can put thing back in order.

We had reported this bug to the sysop and got response that this bug is filed and would be fixed in the upcoming build. But when GE 4 beta launched, we found the bug is still there...even worse - it's more like to sleep than previous versions. The newest updated beta 4 build 1693 included.

We have also found that when context menu is pop-up in the embedded web browser, all links and viewport are freezed until menu destroys. This may be some link tothe bug.

This feature is well documented in KML Specs and it's a very important feature in some highly interactive GE application. Without this bug fixed, we can only prompt the user that we haven't got any request and this may caused by a bug of GE. Without user press Ctrl-1 twice (in order to trigger a viewport change event), application can be totally out of sync (we generally host a web application within the embedded web browser for user to operate GE for doing things).

We are looking forward to some workaround or hotfixes for this bug. Until then, we could show you our cool applications without worrying about usability issues.

THANKS!

[PenguinOpus]

Can you post an example network link that is likely to hit this problem? There have been many things done to NW since GE3 and I'm surprised that GE4 is worse.

[JGTM]

Actually, build 4.0.1693 is better than the first public release of 4.0 beta - IMHO. Even better than GE 3 in case after falling into sleeping - we've seen that "panning" on the earth could bring network link refresh back live.

We'll prepare a demo on a server near you (we are based in Asia) and you take a look in some real environment - I mean, in my development box running network link locally, the problem is less frequently (maybe link speed issue). Also, we'd developed a workaround that even with no data to return to GE, return something invisible (say some random lines each second) may help problem to delay in some extent. -- these are all for your information, 'cause that's from white box testing aspect.

The network link will be PM to you soon. Thanks in advance!

BTW, nobody else met this issue?? I once see somebody (maybe, the Superman Returns one with Lays? ) ever mentioned this "2-minute idle problem". Is it the same thing we have discovered?

[JGTM]

A private message is sent to you with a private demo address for you to reproduce the bug...actually it's not that complex, and it's a bug you have confirmed long long ago. We just haven't found it to be fixed.

Also, we will disclose more information for the public for some real cool technology (we call it a multi-mode interactivity framework for KML) to bring life to KML application for a new level of user experience...we just cannot release because this serious bug...that's so disppointed to us and our customers...so we hope the bug is fixed as soon as possible.

Anyone in favor of what we are doing, you can leave me a message.

Thanks in advance.

[JGTM]

Basically, we are encouraging an interactive model that user interacts with Google Earth by means of embedded web browser and no need to even touch the left panel. By this way, we have total control of user experience, what user should see now, where user should see now, and how user should see now...

Previous to this user experience model, users "control" their experience by "My Places", double-click and fly to somewhere, click on the balloon and see something...open link in embedded web browser for further information. But server-driven user experience by means of continously (actually, periodically) communicating network link to the backend server requires less interaction to the left panel and the 3D viewer, which would be the cause of this bug - some idle time with no interaction to the left panel and 3D viewer but only embedded web browser.

In GE 4, when the network links stop refreshing, "panning" the earth in the 3D viewer would recover those links to be refreshing again, which is not possible in GE 3. We hope this helps to locate the bug.