Any way to use a refreshing network link on mobile versions of Maps or Earth?

[neeps]

I want to display a live feed of some regularly changing geo-located data.

My test uses two KML files accessible over the web.

The first file includes a NetworkLink element linking to the second URL, with a refreshMode on interval, and a refreshInterval of 30 seconds.

Opening this URL in GE works great.  The data from the second URL is displayed and updates regularly as expected.

Adding this URL to "My Maps" appears to work fine, but never updates.

I've not found an way to view a KML URL on Maps on either iPhone or iPad (is there a way on Android?).

The only way I've found to view a KML URL on Earth, on either iPhone or iPad, is via MyMaps.  This displays the data fine, but again it never refreshes - and in fact the version it shows reflects the state of the data when it was added to My Maps, not the state of the data when the layer was first added to the mobile Earth app.   So it appears that when the URL is added to MyMap, the network link element is honoured - but it is fetched once, stored, and never refreshed.

So is there some other way to code a refreshing feed, that doesn't get flattened out by My Maps?  Or is there some other way to point one of the mobile apps at a KML URL directly?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Brendan Kenny]

Hi Neeps,

Others may have some suggestions for workarounds, but for your main
question: most network link functionality is not supported in Google
Earth for mobile (and, as far as I know, refreshInterval does not work
at all in Maps, mobile or not). Bringing KML support to parity with
the desktop versions of the software is something we are very
interested in pursuing, but unfortunately we don't have anything to
announce right now.

Cheers,
Brendan

[barryhunter (KML Guru)]

On Jun 20, 11:03 pm, Brendan Kenny wrote:
> Hi Neeps,
>
> Others may have some suggestions for workarounds, but for your main
> question: most network link functionality is not supported in Google
> Earth for mobile (and, as far as I know, refreshInterval does not work
> at all in Maps, mobile or not).

It works on desktop. But only if interval >= 1 minute. It silently
ignores if less than a minute

http://maps.google.com/?q=http://gokml.net/43k.kml
Watch the marker (slowly) jump around the globe.

[barryhunter (KML Guru)]

On Jun 14, 5:35 pm, neeps wrote:
>
> I've not found an way to view a KML URL on Maps on either iPhone or iPad

I dont know of one, but then I dont have a device to test :)

> (is there a way on Android?).

You can just enter a kml url into the search box on the native
application.

it follows network-links but doesnt honour refreshInterval

(try http://gokml.net/43k.kml - should show a random country, once a
minute)

... also but doesnt work in mobile browser at http://maps.google.com/m

> So it appears that when the URL is
> added to MyMap, the network link element is honoured - but it is fetched
> once, stored, and never refreshed.

Correct. That is what My Maps does. it 'imports' the actual data.

A 'saved' kml network-link - while mostly works on desktop, such a map
is not visible on Mobile AFAIK.

[Brendan Kenny]

On Jun 20, 4:05 pm, barryhunter (KML Guru) wrote:
> On Jun 20, 11:03 pm, Brendan Kenny wrote:
>
> > Hi Neeps,
>
> > Others may have some suggestions for workarounds, but for your main
> > question: most network link functionality is not supported in Google
> > Earth for mobile (and, as far as I know, refreshInterval does not work
> > at all in Maps, mobile or not).
>
> It works on desktop. But only if interval >= 1 minute. It silently
> ignores if less than a minute
>
> http://maps.google.com/?q=http://gokml.net/43k.kml
> Watch the marker (slowly) jump around the globe.

Ha, obviously I should have been more patient in my tests. Thanks!

Brendan