How do I enable TimeSpans in Google Sky? - kml

I have a google earth application that run's in the sky view, in previous versions of Google Earth I was able to use the TimeSpan element within features (such as placemarks) such that I could animate placemarks as they moved across the sky. It appears that in the latest release of Google Earth this functionality has been disabled in Sky view. If it is possible, how do I re-enable it?

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Switching Google Docs from Canvas to DOM mode - programmatically?

My question is regarding this update (https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2021/05/Google-Docs-Canvas-Based-Rendering-Update.html) from May 2021 that affects our chrome extension, that we are just finding out about now.
We have a Chrome Extension that we wrote in 2020 that needs to manipulate the DOM to highlight passages of text in google docs documents. This has obviously stopped working because Google Docs have switched from DOM to Canvas.
We did some digging around and looks like this extension here - WriQ - (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/wriq/kfkohpkagbjoncihbogfnjnddimfbgea), when installed and activated, seems to force the document to switch from Canvas to DOM mode. I could be wrong, but that's the impression I get when I do this:
When I don't have WriQ installed and activated, $(".kix-paragraphrenderer") in the console of a Google Docs document page returns null - meaning the Google Doc renderer is using the new default Canvas mode.
When I have WriQ installed and activated, (and refresh the Google Docs page if already open) $(".kix-paragraphrenderer") in the console of a Google Docs document page returns an element - meaning the Google Doc renderer is switching to DOM mode.
Can anyone explain this? Is there a way to programatically trigger the DOM mode? That's what WriQ seems to be doing.
You can try setting window._docs_force_html_by_ext = <extension-id>. That will force Google Docs to render the HTML DOM instead of Canvas.
Google is whitelisting some applications which can use a script forcing the document to a HTML Fallback version which reminds of the time before canvas or as an Annotated Canvas which makes it possible to make extension integrations with the SVG canvas.
You need to apply for whitelisting to access these features:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFxMgvXlq2KMsp0UIM66pvThTF1hpojiXQTqyq9txW79OWag/viewform

Google earth plugin alternatives for Linux

I want to show a Google Earth like globe on my website, where people can rotate it and zoom it like normal Google Earth. I want to show signed up users on my website on this glob but the problem I am facing is that Google Earth plug in is not available for Linux , what other options do I have? thanks in advance for all your help.
I'm not sure what you mean by "other options". As you correctly state the plug-in doesn't work on Linux so there isn't any other option as far as that goes.
At Google I/O back in May 2008 it was announced that the plug-in would be available for both Mac and Linux by August that year - however only the Mac version ever surfaced.
The last I heard on this was in 2011 on the feature request page for the plug-in.
"...please note that we do believe that we can support Linux in the
future, and furthermore, we intend to support it. However currently we
do not have any timeline to announce for such a release."
See: https://code.google.com/p/earth-api-samples/issues/detail?id=117
If you 'star' the request you should be notified of any updates, but as you can see it doesn't look to be something that is going to happen in any kind of hurry...
EDIT:
As for other, non-Google, alternatives you should take a look at WebGL Earth - it is still BETA but works on linux and is open source

Google Earth/KML placemark balloon with a link that can play the tour it is contained within

I am working with Google Earth (not plugin) and would like to find out if there is a way to Play a tour that is already loaded in the TOC from a placemark's balloon. This placemark is actually part of the kmz that also contains the tour. Is there a way to reference the Tour by Id and tell Google Earth to play it? Thinking something like < a href=GE.Play(tourID) >.
Any suggestion?
The auto-tour capability in KML had been requested as far back as 2009.
http://code.google.com/p/kml-samples/issues/detail?id=248
Likewise, this has been discussed in the Google Earth and KML forums:
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/kml-support-advanced/j_DQhNwNR7E
This is not yet directly supported in raw KML and Google Earth client. Using the Google Earth API you could automatically play a tour but it would be nice to do this directly with KML and Google Earth.
Google supports KML extensions through the gx: namespace. Maybe if enough users ask for this feature it can be added to a future release of Google Earth.

Why does Google Earth show incorrect images when using google hosted images

Earth often seems to load random images instead of the ones specified in kml. For example load the kml sample from the kml documentation for IconStyle (https://developers.google.com/kml/documentation/kmlreference#iconstyle) It specifies the image at http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/kml/pal3/icon21.png which when viewed in a browser is a building on a green field, but in earth shows up as mountains.
Seems almost as though earth is hard coded to use an internal palette whenever a google hosted image is found and the palettes have gotten out of sync.
(Earth version is 6.2.1.6014 (beta))
I think this is a unfortunate legacy issue.
Google Maps at one point changed around their icons - reusing the same filenames!
Google Earth on the other hand knows that many users where using the specific icons in their Places and KML files. So rather than everybodies icons suddenly changing randomly, they choose to still show the old icons.
Would be funny if it wasn't true!
If you really want to use Google hosted icons, you could use an alternative URL - one that hopefully Google Earth wont attempt to 'fix', eg http://googleapis.com/mapfiles/kml/pal3/icon21.png
But really would not recommend relying on Google Hosted icons. They can change at any point.
If you really don't want to have any problem download the icons you want to use and create a KMZ layer instead of KML. Like that you will be able to have a folder with your images inside and you won't be depending on the hosted ones.

Google Earth Questions: Making Outside Pages Appear in Google Earth and A Button That Follows

Good morning, eveyrone
I'm working on an application using Google Earth and I had two questions.
The first question involves the pop up window. I want to get an external website to appear in this bubble. I can either hardcode the website into the description of the placemark or use an iFrame. Are there any other options I can use to get a website into Google Earth?
Second question: I want to ensure that the user, at all times while using my kml, has access to certain buttons. Is there a way without querying web application every few seconds to ensure that the button remains available to the user?
Thank you for your time.
The answer to you first question is no - other than loading the html directly or using an IFRAME there is no way to display markup in the content balloons.
I am not sure what you mean in you second question, are you developing a web-based application using the Google Earth Plugin - or a kml layer for use in the google earth application. Either way you should not have to query anything to make sure a button is visible.

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