topic Re: Layer To KML in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Layer To KML

Andreas — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 16:29:49 GMT

Hi,

I try to export a vector layer to KML with Pro 2.7, so that I can see my configured Pop-ups in Google Earth. But this doesn't work. After running the tool "Layer To KML" Google Earth still shows my (visible) attributes but not the confgured pop-up. Further more, a popup for the layer does show the label I entered under contents (and in the layer properties) what is ok, but it also shows the name of the datasource (a shapefile) - I don't want that. I tried Map To KML with the same result. At last, one of my fields has the alias "KMLSnippet" which I hoped to see in Google Earth, but it has also no effect.

Is there something I am missing?

Re: Layer To KML

RolandDuhaime — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 21:18:48 GMT

Google Earth can open shapefiles. You might have better luck with that approach. There is a limit to the number of polygons though. You can then save the layer from Google Earth as a KML file.

Re: Layer To KML

DanPatterson — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 20:10:31 GMT

did you customize the popups?

apparently there are a number of steps that need to be taken to get to the "what you see is what you get" stage

KML conversion—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

Re: Layer To KML

Andreas — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 10:41:33 GMT

Hello Dan, thank you for your respond! Yes, I think, I did 😉. I changed the entries in the "Configure Pop-ups" for the Layer and in Pro I get what I intended to show. But it is not exported into the kmx-File, it's still the "standard" attribute list.

Re: Layer To KML

Andreas — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 10:47:05 GMT

Thank you Roland, but thats not my problem. I have footprints of buildings from OSM, a few thousand. Although GE rendering gets slow with a certain amount.

Re: Layer To KML

ThomasL — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 17:23:28 GMT

I know the "Layer To KML" tool was updated in Pro 2.7 and that has unfortunately resulted in other issues like the “FolderPath” feature being bugged:

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-questions/field-name-folderpath-in-pro-2-7-stops-export-of-kml-files/td-p/1011237

Re: Layer To KML

Andreas — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 09:26:16 GMT

Hi Thomas, thank you for your hint. My problem occured with 2.6.3 and I upgraded to 2.7. I hoped that possible bug could be fixed, also because they worked on the KML part and added the Map To KML tool. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case.

Re: Layer To KML

CarlMorrison — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 13:22:57 GMT

This may not help entirely, but I found that re-ordering my fields and hiding fields that I did not want in GE made a difference as to how the table of contents and pop-ups presented in GE.

Re: Layer To KML

HeatherAlexander — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 20:42:12 GMT

I'm running 2.9, I'm getting the same issues, I tried the same fixes you did but I still get the default pop ups, even disabling the popups doesnt do anything. I tried to go back to arcmap to customize the popups to see if i could do it that way but I forget how to do it in arcmap. just wondering if anyone has any new ideas on this

Re: Layer To KML

CPaulman — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 00:03:04 GMT

I was running into the same problem where my KML file was giving the value of "no name" for each of my layer's records in the Google Earth Table of Contents.

I tried 1) Properties > Display > Display Field and 2) Configure Popups with no luck.

I then tried setting my Labeling Properties and turning on my labels. THIS WORKED! Yahoo. I now have the field that I included in my labeling properties showing up in the TOC in GE.

Re: Layer To KML

KWilliams — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:23:44 GMT

This work around worked for me!! I needed to change the symbology display name in TOC rather than it being the default ID field. Configure pop-ups was not working, but updating the label properties did work. Under label properties > Field I selected the field to display, hit Label to label them, then clicked Label again to disable the label. THEN when I generated the KML layer my display name finally updated to what I needed.

Thank you!!

Re: Layer To KML

LarsArneson — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 21:50:21 GMT

I was able to have some success at changing the labels of my exported KMZ by using the expression builder under the "Display" tab in the layer properties. I don't think this is a full solution but it is what I needed in order for the ToC in GE to show the attributes I needed!

Re: Layer To KML

JMcCoy — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 17:18:03 GMT

I use Arcgis Pro 3.2. I tested several things and then tested the opposite of: simply saving the project after updating the display settings in the layer's properties, changing the display field to one attribute and then another and then re-exporting, over-writing an already existing KML when exporting, re-setting the KML conversion tool in the geoprocessing window, converting a single layer to KML vs several layers at a time- all to no avail. I just kept converting the layer to KML repeatedly after trying something until finally the layer displayed the attribute in the GE table of contents... Has to be a bug...