Option to save as KML

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06-09-2021 07:02 AM
Sniffer
New Contributor II

We use ArcGIS Earth to design lines and polygons over a basemap and then export the files for use in a third party app.  We were recently using Google Earth but switched to ArcGIS Earth for a number of reasons - most importantly because we would use basemap imagery from our ArcGIS Online account.  However there is one big difference between ArcGIS Earth and Google Earth in that ArcGIS Earth only allows exporting of the feature to compressed KMZ files.  How can we export to uncompressed KML files as allowed in Google Earth?

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4 Replies
ThomasHoman
Occasional Contributor III

Hello,

A KMZ is just a compressed KML in zip format. So a secondary step from the export is to use a zip tool like 7-Zip to extract the KML. Alternatively the .kmz extension can be renamed to .zip and then Windows can handle the unzip without third party interaction.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Tom

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Sniffer
New Contributor II

Thanks Thomas - that is our current workaround but it is a second step.  I was hoping there was a means to do this from within ArcGIS Earth.  Otherwise, I wish ArcGIS Earth offered the possibility to save as a KML or KMZ file.  Thanks.

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JayantaPoddar
MVP Esteemed Contributor

KMZ is a more preferred version. According to https://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/md_help/html/kml_overview.htm

KMZ file combines the images with the KML into a single zipped file. KMZ files are better because the lossless compression decreases file sizes, although only slightly, and because they make it impossible to separate and lose required image files. Even if someone tells you they want a KML file, you should send a KMZ.  This saves you from separating the images from the KML file, and saves you the blame when the recipient separates them.

For now, using a zip-utility (or Google Earth Pro) is our option to decompress the KMZ to KML.



Think Location
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LisaT
by
Occasional Contributor III

I am having problems with these solutions.  I have a KMZ that I need to open in ArcGIS Online.  AGOL will only open KML. If I change the KMZ to ZIP and then import the KML, I get a message that there is "an issue". When doing a search on that, it is because the KML needs to be converted to UTF-8.  This is just steps upon steps upon steps.  Is there not an easier way to open a KMZ in AGOL??  I hesitate to tell my users to complete all of these steps.  It will be very simple to them...they won't use AGOL.

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