Import KMZ

[Nadav Syon]

Hi,

This app is exactly what I need for an experiment I run as part of my research on spatial intelligence. I was able to calibrate an image and use it, but I will have to use the app on multiple devices (tablets and/or smartphones). I WON'T calibrate the same image on dozens of devices.

I have read the FAQ and it says the KMZ is a special one and that it has the image inside it. Well, I understand and I was also able to create such KMZ file manually on my computer with G Earth & zip tweaking. But the fact that I can't import that KMZ into the app drives me crazy. I don't get why it couldn't just display an error when the file is not compatible, and if it is -- just load it!

Any help would be appreciated to help me save myself from calibrating on many devices.
Thanks!

[Marko Teittinen]

KMZs with "GroundOverlays" created on Google Earth should work fine, but it is also easy to copy maps made by Custom Maps from one device to another. I suggest you take the latter option unless you need to add marker pins in your map.

If you create and align your map image on one of your devices, you can copy the map either by sharing it to yourself (start the share action from Custom Maps menu) and select Google Drive (or email) for sharing and then open the shared map using Google Drive (or email) on all the other devices that need it. This method requires that you have not reserved another app (like Google Earth) to automatically open KMZ files on your devices. If your devices open the shared map file (which is just a KMZ file) in another app, you can move the map manually.

To move a map manually from one device to another (or many others), follow these steps

1. connect the device with the map you want to share to a laptop
   
2. find the map you want to copy on the device's storage in directory named "CustomMaps", the map file has the same name what you named it except that special characters are replaced with underscores "_" and it has .kmz extension
3. copy the map file to your laptop
4. disconnect the device from your laptop
5. connect the device you want to copy the map to, to your laptop
6. copy the map file from your laptop to directory called "CustomMaps" on the device, if the directory doesn't exist, I recommend you create any map on the device first which creates the "CustomMaps" directory. The directory will remain even if you delete the "any map" you created
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for each device you want to copy the map to

Marko Teittinen

On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 4:56 AM, <nada...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi,

The app fits exactly to what I need. I'll be doing an experiment as part of my research on spatial intelligence and I'll need to load a custom map to multiple devices (tablets and/or smartphones) for each subject to use.

The fact that I can't import a KMZ file drives me crazy. I have read the FAQ and I realize the KMZ must have the image inside it (which I've also done manually in my computer). But I don't understand why I can't import it into the app.

I won't calibrate the same image in dozens of devices...

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!

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[Nadav Syon]

Great! It worked. Thank you very much!

[Oleg Ivanov]

Hello!

I have the same problem. I can't "import" a .kmz file created on another device.

If i copy the file from my first device to the "CustomMaps" folder of the another device, when i open the app on the second device, I don't see the new map.

Please, implement the functionality to IMPORT .kmz files!

[Marko Teittinen]

There is no need to have an "import" feature in Custom Maps. Custom Maps can open .kmz files if they contain a GroundOverlay feature, and the image associated with the GroundOverlay is included in the .kmz file. GroundOverlay is KML (Keyhole Markup Language) name for images that have been placed over a specific location on Google Earth and then rotated and scaled so that the image features match the satellite imagery in Google Earth.

Note that many .kmz files only contain placemarks. Those are icons or images placed at various locations on Earth without actually specifying the orientation and scale of the image. They may also contain lines indicating a route for driving or hiking. But if the .kmz file does not contain a GroundOverlay, Custom Maps cannot display it.

If the .kmz file you cannot make visible is not too private or personal, I would be willing to take a look at it if you email the file to me, and I could explain exactly why it does not show up in Custom Maps.

Marko Teittinen

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[Oleg Ivanov]

OK Sir, you are probably right!

Maybe I do something wrong...

On my first android device I used a .pdf file containing specific map, and I created a tie points, and saved a map with CustomMaps app. Everything is good.

Now, i want to use this map on another android device. I shared the .kmz file and/or also i copied the .kmz file to device2. 

You wrote: copy the .kmz file into CustomMaps folder (in my case it already exists, i have other maps on device2). I do that, but the map is not listed in the app.

What I do wrong?

[Marko Teittinen]

Oleg,

My best guess is that the Android OS on your phone has not detected that a new file was added to that directory. If you reboot your phone, the map should show up in the list. Also, if you try to open the kmz file with a file manager app like Google Files, it should work. If I try to open a kmz file through a file manager, it asks me if I want to open it with Custom Maps or with Google Earth.

Finally, I am soon going to release a new beta version of Custom Maps that moves all map storage into the app's internal storage area. With the new beta version you should be able to open kmz files even from Google Drive app directly to Custom Maps which will make a copy into its internal storage area. So you can build your own "map library" in Drive.

Marko Teittinen

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/custom-maps-users/112a2cf9-38c1-4f4a-8f3b-f635b4991725n%40googlegroups.com.