KML on Google Maps

Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 9:39:00 AM

Strictly speaking, it's not part of the Maps API (yet...), but we have previously announced the ability to show simple KML/KMZ files (as made in Google Earth) in Google Maps, so you can show your own stuff on top of Maps without having to learn any Javascript. For example, you can show crop circle locations as markers, and the Tour de France route as polylines (the second example was taken from our wonderful Google Earth Community). We've now got a few more tricks that you can do with KML on Maps:

To view a KML or KMZ file on Maps, just go to Google Maps, and instead of searching for a geographical address like 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, 94043, search for a complete Web address (including the "http://" part) of your KMZ file, like http://kml.lover.googlepages.com/cropcircles.kmz. Need your own web space to upload some files? Try Google Page Creator.

Finally, did you know that path and polygon drawing tools are now in the free November 1 beta of Google Earth?