Placemarks lookat range ignored - kml

Question

I'm using this KML file (lets call it load.kml)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.1">
<Document>
<NetworkLink>
<refreshVisibility>1</refreshVisibility>
<flyToView>1</flyToView>
<Link> <href>C:\\Users\\bridenstinek\\workspace\\AlertServlet\\resources\\outboundKML\\test.kml</href>
<refreshMode>onInterval</refreshMode>
<refreshInterval>20</refreshInterval>
</Link>
</NetworkLink>
</Document>
</kml>
To point Google Earth to a kml file (lets call it test.kml). When I load test.kml regularly (without using load.kml) the range I set works correctly (the zoom level is how I set it).
But when test.kml gets loaded using load.kml the range is incorrect. The placemark zooms in really far and ignores the range I set in the test.kml file.
Is there something overriding the range inside load.kml?
Example of test.kml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:gx="http://www.google.com/kml/ext/2.2" xmlns:kml="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:location="http://example.com">
<Document>
<name>Example</name>
<Style id="alertKMLStyle">
<BalloonStyle>
<text><![CDATA[<center>
<b><font color="#CC0000" size="+8">$[name]</font></b>
<br/></center><br/>
<font size="+2">$[description]</font>
<br/><br/>
]]></text>
</BalloonStyle>
</Style>
<Placemark>
<name>Example Name</name>
<description>Example Description</description>
<LookAt>
<location:coordinates>800</location:coordinates>
<longitude>2.294</longitude>
<latitude>48.858</latitude>
<altitude>0.5</altitude>
<heading>12.23742976490019</heading>
<tilt>0</tilt>
<range>115718.4889366544</range>
<gx:altitudeMode>relativeToSeaFloor</gx:altitudeMode>
</LookAt>
<styleUrl>#alertKMLStyle</styleUrl>
<gx:balloonVisibility>1</gx:balloonVisibility>
<Point>
<gx:drawOrder>1</gx:drawOrder>
<coordinates>2.294,48.858,0</coordinates>
</Point>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

Answer 1

There are a few undocumented differences when you load KML directly as opposed to via a NetworkLink.
When you load the KML via the NetworLink it looks for a LookAt or Camera in the outermost element which is the Document in test.kml file.
You can either 1) copy/move the <LookAt> from the Placemark to the parent Document element in test.kml or 2) copy the <LookAt> and insert into the NetworkLink in load.kml and make flyToView=0.
If the target KML has timestamps then the behavior via Networklinks is different then loading it directly. See related issue.