Google Earth install check?

[MaxD]

Have added a Google Earth kml file as a route which shows on Google Earth, and it works very well. Even used the official icon to offer the GE download if they haven't got it installed. Was wondering though if there is a way where if they click the kml feed link, it checks whether they have GE installed, and if not redirects them to a download page

[MikeyB]

As Google Earth is a stand-alone program, and not a browser plug-in then I can't see how you can check if it's installed.

There is now a Google Earth API browser plug-in available which may be worth looking at, and as it's a plug-in you can tell if it's installed:
http://code.google.com/apis/earth/

If I go to that page in Firefox it shows the message: "The Google Earth Plugin instance could not be created. Try installing again." and also I get the Firefox pop-up "Addition plugins are required to display all the media on this page" message.

Another option is to display your KML on Google Maps, although there are some limitations as to what can be shown from the KML:
http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answ ... swer=41136

Cheers,
Mike

[chrisjlocke]

You could create an ActiveX control which could check the users' registry, but this would only work in IE and not Firefox, Macs, etc, so pretty crappy.

[MaxD]

I was thinking along the lines of an embedded ajax style script link in the kml file which would either check that GE was loading or scripts were enabled, then redirect to another page if not. Just got this thing about GE at the mo, but with the blinkers off, maybe adding the kml to a map would be a good idea. The active X sounds interesting too, with 70% of users using IE it could be an option.

[chrisjlocke]

Why not just display a bit of text along the lines of, "You need Google Earth to use this download link."
Requires just a <p> tag, and works across all browsers!

[MaxD]

Why not just display a bit of text along the lines of, "You need Google Earth to use this download link."
Requires just a <p> tag, and works across all browsers!

Very funny I already have something a bit more sophisticated than a <p> tag. The kml file on my site in question initiates Google Earth, and I have a download link. Have searched though and found this which is interesting:


http://www.matusz.ch/blog/projekte/xml- ... amples/n8/

[MikeyB]

Have searched though and found this which is interesting:


http://www.matusz.ch/blog/projekte/xml- ... amples/n8/

Yeah, that's the Google Earth plug-in I pointed you to in my post above!
It's very new and has some limitations and bugs but it does work, tried it myself.

[MaxD]

Found by accident that the problem has been fixed. Installed IE8 Beta 2 at the weekend on my other laptop, and visiting my site clicked the kml file link to see how it might have changed. Totally forgot I didn't have Google Earth installed on that laptop, and after a 'want to open the file' kind of message, it actually re-directed me to the GE download page Initially I thought I had clicked my 'download link' by mistake, but after checking realised that it was the browser which was re-directing me. Assuming Google Chrome does the same and maybe Firefox, then all is fixed

[paholsky]

How do i back up Google earth place mark? I've been using Google earth for a while, and i have a lot of places marked in my Google earth. I'm planning to format my computer, how do i back up all those place mark before i format, and how do i restore?
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[MikeyB]

I don't use Google Earth much at all, so can't help.
But try a search or post your question here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/earth?hl=en