KML and KML network links still Broken?

GarethEvans

I have been trying to add a KML file with an embedded network link in it to my ArcGIS Online account. It works fine in AGX desktop and Google Earth, but gives me nothing when I upload it then try and view it in AG Online map viewer. I then tried the network link url. It worked great in AGX Desktop and Google Earth, nothing shows on the online map viewers (AGX and AG Online Viewer). http://geoserver.ecsecc.org/geoserver/wms/kml?layers=PSDP_CONSTRAINTS:Protected_Areas

I buy ArcGIS like I buy Microsoft - I get support and it integrates...... OK, but of a great line of potential tools so far integration has been terrible! I really think AG Online, AGX desktop and online and AG plug-in for sharepoint have excellent possibilities for integrated solutions that don't require a developer, but at every turn something works in one but is broken in another meaning I haven't been able to roll out an integrated ESRI solution as I had initially planned. Frustrating.

MikeMinamiP1

I understand your frustration, but hopefully we have a workable solution.

First, I'll ask the obvious question. Why are you embedding a WMS service inside a KML network link when you can add the WMS directly to ArcGIS Online? I was able to use the URL to the WMS and display it over the map. Adding a service avoids the need for the client (browser) to draw the features. In this particular case, the number of features is small, but this will probably be a better solution if you have a lot of data.

The reason your KML is not displaying is because we're not setting a default value for ViewFormat.

According to the spec:

http://code.google.com/apis/kml/documentation/kmlreference.html#link

If you specify a <viewRefreshMode> of onStop and do not include the <viewFormat> tag in the file, the following information is automatically appended to the query string:
BBOX=[bboxWest],[bboxSouth],[bboxEast],[bboxNorth]

ArcGIS Online is not automatically doing this. The workaround is straightforward. Add this parameter to your KML.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml>
   <Folder>
      <NetworkLink>
         <name>PSDP_CONSTRAINTS:Protected_Areas</name>
         <open>1</open>
         <visibility>1</visibility>
         <Url>
            <href><![CDATA[http://geoserver.ecsecc.org:80/geoserver/wms?height=1024&width=1024&layers=PSDP_CONSTRAINTS:Protected_Areas&request=GetMap&service=wms&styles=Protected_Areas&format_options=SUPEROVERLAY:false;KMPLACEMARK:false;KMSCORE:40;KMATTR:true;&srs=EPSG:4326&format=application/vnd.google-earth.kmz&transparent=false&version=1.1.1]]></href&gt;
            <viewRefreshMode>onStop</viewRefreshMode>
            <viewRefreshTime>1</viewRefreshTime>
            <viewFormat>BBOX=[bboxWest],[bboxSouth],[bboxEast],[bboxNorth]</viewFormat>
         </Url>
      </NetworkLink>
      <LookAt>
         <longitude>26.57877455914865</longitude>
         <latitude>-32.27249827641428</latitude>
         <altitude>0</altitude>
         <range>799671.4729535136</range>
         <tilt>0</tilt>
         <heading>0</heading>
         <altitudeMode>clampToGround</altitudeMode>
      </LookAt>
   </Folder>
</kml>

We'll try to address this in a subsequent release.

Hope this helps,

Mike