Working with the Waymarking KML

[+RakeInTheCache]

Following up to Groundspeak doubts about the future of Waymarking, I was looking at how I could preserve my Waymarking history, basically all the work I have put into it over the years, off line. The KML looks to be the best bet. It records in the file all of the coordinates and names of the waymarks but the photos and descriptions are kept on the Waymarking server.

 

Does anyone know of a way (maybe in Google Earth) to save the photo and description content off-line (like on my hard-drive?)

 

The idea would be to recreate the Google experience of my KML file but with all data coming from my hard drive.

 

I would be much obliged if anyone had any tips.

Edited July 21, 2015 by RakeInTheCache

[+RakeInTheCache]

So what I have discovered so far, is the "touring" feature of Google Earth. In the fact, the strategy I am using is based on the Google Earth Cache. It appears that Google Earth will cache at least the cover photo and short description of the waymark (which is not completely satisfying but maybe good enough.)

 

So I will try to industrialize this caching by creating a "tour" of my waymarks and then save the cache somewhere (along with the Google Earth installation file for the version I am using).

 

Let's see how far I can get ...

 

Then my next challenge is, how can I create a KML for all waymarks in a category? I see there is an open in the waymark display page to generate a KML file but when I use it I only get an ASPX file. A bug? Feel free to share your ideas.

Edited July 21, 2015 by RakeInTheCache

[+Benchmark Blasterz]

Sorry but I have not been on the forums in a while -- are these Groundspeak doubts about the future of Waymarking new? Has anyone from GS said they are looking at dropping WM recently? Is this imminent?

 

I have 1000s of waymarks, many of which I have worked very hard on researching. I would like to save my work if at all possible.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Benchmark Blasterz

[+lumbricus]

Sorry but I have not been on the forums in a while -- are these Groundspeak doubts about the future of Waymarking new? Has anyone from GS said they are looking at dropping WM recently? Is this imminent?

 

I have 1000s of waymarks, many of which I have worked very hard on researching. I would like to save my work if at all possible.

I remember that Bryan wrote about this topic in the old forum. He wrote that if they decide to close Waymarking.com sometime in the future, they will find a way that we could get the data or a way that our work don't get lost.

[+RakeInTheCache]

 

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want my Waymarks that I listed here published on somebody else's Google Earth tour.

 

My Waymarks may not be republished by anyone other than myself on any other sites.

 

I see your point but it would be for private use only. Like collecting newspaper or magazine articles for a scrapbook.

[+RakeInTheCache]

So here is where I'm at. Few key facts first for the record.

 

The google earth version I'm using is 7.1.2.2041. Dates from 2013 (Wow that long ago?). Well the most recent version appears to be 7.1.5.1557 so maybe I should think about updating the software.

 

On the touring options I have 5 second set as the value for time between features and about 10 seconds as the value for "wait at" features. I have checked the "Show balloon when waiting at features" option (Important because I think this is what will actually load my cover photo to the cache.)

 

Anyway I did a first experiment by performing a tour on all of my waymarks (about 2700). I went away from my PC for the day and when I came back it looked like it had finished. Then I disconnected my internet wifi connection. (Of course, google earth will complain that it can't reach the servers but you can still fly around in it). However, when I clicked on the balloons, it looked like google earth was not able to recover the photos. I'm wondering if this was too much data for the cache (maximum 2 GB).

 

So then made another experiment by doing a tour of only one category with 356 waymarks and then disconnected the internet. This time I was able to get the cover photo when clicking on the balloon, so I think I was able to get all of the waymarks in the cache.

 

Next step, found out how to save the cache....

[+RakeInTheCache]

BTW, I'm also using Windows 7.

 

OK so I found my cache folder at C:\Users\Robert\AppData\LocalLow\Google\GoogleEarth\unified_cache_leveldb_leveldb2.

 

The size of the folder is 1.95 GB and it has 1000 files.

 

I make a copy of this file.

 

Oops looks like I need to shut down google earth before I do the copy because it is locking at least one of the files.

 

Next I will turn off my internet connection, try to start google earth, clear the cache, and see what happens. The close google earth and restore the cache to my copy, rerun google earth (still off line) and see what happens, will I see my waymarks??????

[+RakeInTheCache]

OK, so I turned of my internet connection and when back into google earth off line (it complains that it can't contact the servers, etc. but I ignore this). I first notice that the balloons are missing the category icon. That's kind of disappointing. I like that icon! But the icon is replaced with a red X for every balloon.

 

Then I clear the cache. BTW, I notice that there is not only a disk cache but also a memory cache (which I don't know how to save a copy of). maybe my icon is stored in the memory cache????

 

Of course then there is just a big black space in google earth. Everything is gone. So then I exit google earth and rename my copied cache back to the original. I restart google earth and hey, I see all of my waymarks, just as they were before I emptied the cache.

 

So I think this method will work for storing at least around 400 waymarks. Not sure what the real limit might be yet.

 

Now I have to think if this is really going to be useful for me.

 

To be continued ...

[+RakeInTheCache]

Well I'll be. You can generate a KML of an entire category. You learn something new every day.

 

You click on the Google Earth logo in the Category Options side bar.