Convert Shapefiles to KML for Google Earth. It's an easy, two-step process to convert any shapefile to KML with ExpertGPS Pro. View your GIS layers over Google Earth's color imagery, and create KML files from your shapefiles to share with clients or to publish online. Another way is to use ArcGIS Explorer 1500 (Newest version). Open the shapefile, Right click on the layer that contains the shape, and export to KML.
Let's Get Started!. Open Google Earth Pro. Download the following datasets for use in this exercise: and to your computer. Unzip both files into a folder on your computer. Import a GIS shapefile, or other vector dataset.
Select Import. From the File menu. Select your data's file type from the Files of type menu.
For this example, choose ESRI Shape (.shp) from the file type menu, select RiversinSoutheastAsia.shp, and click Open. If you have MapInfo.tab data, choose MapInfo (.tab) from the Files of type menu, select your TAB file and click Open. A message will appear, stating that the file contains more than 2500 features and could cause application performance degradation. When you see this message, you can choose to import just a sample, restrict to your current view, or import all.
Click the Import all button. A message will appear, asking if you would like to create a Style Template. In the next Style Template Settings dialog box, you will create a style template for the rivers, which will include colors, labels, and icons.
Under the Name tab, choose the field in the shapefile that you would like to use for the name labels for the data in Google Earth. You can use the preview table to view which field contains the content you would like to use for the labels. For this example, select “NAM” in the drop-down menu. This is the field in the shapefile that contains the names of the rivers. Under the Color tab, select to Use single color, and click on the color swatch to the right. This causes the color settings to appear. In the Select Color dialog box, choose a color for the river dataset.
For this example, select a blue color, and click OK. Under the Height tab, keep Clamp features to ground selected. This will keep the rivers clamped to the ground, following the terrain.
Click OK to finish your style. A dialog box will appear, asking if you would like to save the style template you just created. If you wish to save it for future use, click Save.
Otherwise, click Cancel. For this example, click Save. Your GIS data has been converted to KML, and the data now appears in Google Earth. Notice how the KML is also listed in the Places panel under your Temporary Places folder. To save it in Google Earth for future sessions, select and drag this file to your My Places folder before closing Google Earth. Once you have imported your vector dataset, you can optimize your files and limiting the number of points displayed at higher alititudes, by using the tool.
Save your imported vector dataset as a KML, then choose Regionate under the Tools menu. For the Input file, browse for your saved KML file. Then choose an Output folder where you want to save the regionated files. Check “Open regionated files when done” and click Regionate. Now, as you zoom in, you'll see increasingly more points. Import GeoTIFF, or other raster dataset.
To import a raster dataset, select Import. From the File menu. Select the appropriate file format from the file type menu at the bottom, select the file you want to import, and click Open. For this example, select file type GeoTIFF (.tif), select the LandCoverSEAsia.tif file, and click Open. In the New Image Overlay dialog box that appears, give a name to your raster overlay, and click OK.
Because the raster dataset in georeferenced to a coordinate system, it is automatically placed in the appropriate location. The land cover GeoTIFF has been imported into Google Earth and is located in the Places panel. If your imported image is larger than the maximum size supported by the hardware, you will be given several choices:. Click to import large images and have them automatically split into tiles and scaled according to your zoom level.
Click Scale to rescale to the maximum size supported. Click Crop to view only a full resolution subset of the image. In addition to importing GIS data into Google Earth Pro, you can also use many other tools and software programs to convert GIS data to KML files for use in Google Earth. GIS software, like ESRI ArcGIS and MapInfo, have tools to export GIS data into KML format for use in Google Earth., a free utility that converts many formats, including shapefiles to KML., a free utility that converts shapefiles to KML. MapWindow GIS has, a tool for converting GIS data to KML.
ESRI ArcGIS contains tools in the ArcToolbox (Conversion Tools To KML) for converting vector and raster GIS data to KML. is an extension for ArcGIS that converts GIS data to KML. The is a free tool that has lower limits than the full version. MapInfo Professional has a.
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Convert to kml by QGIS. Shapefile is ESRI based Vector file, While KML or Keyhole Markup Language is file which models and stores geographic features for display in Google Earth or Google maps. Many times you may require to convert the required shapefile to KML file, so that you can deploy the same over Google Earth for some reason. Is an open source tool, which let you upload the Shapefile and convert the same to KML file. Similarly ogr2ogr is also an open source tool, which let you to convert between GIS data formats. Look over using ogr2ogr tool which can be marked as an alternative to this article.
You can also see to and also in QGIS. You can also go through other.
Here are the steps to convert shapefile to kml: Convert Shapefile to kml in QGIS Convert Shapefile to kml by QGIS Convert Shapefile to kml in QGIS: 1.) Open up the installed QGIS. 2.) In the menu bar, select Layer and press. Now select the source type in the pop up window opened as File and browse the source Shapefile(Note:Your shapefile.shp,.dbf and.shx file should be in same folder). Convert Shapefile to kml by QGIS Select the coordinate reference type system if reference window appears and press ok. 3.) Right click on the name of Shapefile layer Appearing in the Left upper side and select save as: or You can select layer from the menu, and click on save as.
(Image below provide demonstrate both the options with the indicator displayed) Convert Shapefile to kml by QGIS 4.) In the Save vector layer as window, Select the format from the drop down box as Keyhole Markup Language(KML) and browse the folder in which you want to save the KML file. Name it and Press OK.
Convert Shapefile to kml by QGIS Your KML file will be in the directed folder. You can Verify the generated KML file for its validity by uploading the generated KML file to QGIS or uploading KML file in Google map. You may soon find the tool and the coding for the same on this site. You may check in. Hope this may help you in converting Shapefile to KML file easily.
If you still find problem in converting the file, do let me know by commenting below. It can be helpful to note that there are two fields in the exported KML file that can be used to store metadate e.g. Names or numbers to enable the shapefile to be linked to other datasets these are Name and Description. This is useful for when you are creating KML files for use in tools such as Qlik Sense.
Right click on your layer and select Open Attribute Table 2. Note down the names of the fields that contain the metadata you want to bring across 3. Update the DescriptionField and NameField boxes in the “Datasource Options” with the metadata field names.