GeoLab KML Export Tool

GeoLab’s KML Export Tool is an exciting new feature that allows for a network to be exported as a .xml based shapefile (.kml).

This function is automatically executed when the menu option “Output All Files With Adjustment” is checked within the Edit default options…/Adjustment tab. Alternatively, a .kml file can be generated manually by clicking the “Export Files” button on the Tools tab of GeoLab’s main window and checking off the “KML Shapefile” option.

This file will be exported to the “Exports” folder of the selected project folder.

The results from the KML Export Tool will provide vertical and horizontal errors with a realistic magnitude, so these may not be visible on the map as they will not be exaggerated as in the drawing tab.

Warning: Enabling the “Output All Files With Adjustment” option may cause a delay in the adjustment summary dialog post-adjustment, depending on the size of a network. If a .kml file is desired, it may be quicker to click the “Export KML” button rather than leaving this option enabled for each adjustment.

A KML file exported using this tool will contain the following data and metadata:

• Station Coordinates: Longitude, latitude, map projection, ellipsoid, northing, easting, orthometric height, fix (unfixed, 1 dim, 2 dim, 3 dim)

• Station Connections: From station, to station

• Station Vertical Error: At station, magnitude

• Relative Vertical Error: From station, to station, magnitude

• Station Horizontal Error: At station, semi-major axis, semi-minor axis, direction

• Relative Horizontal Error: From station, to station, semi-major axis, semi-minor axis, direction

In addition to these features, color and icon differentiation is provided based on the following:

• Station Coordinates:

  • Red with circle icon: point is not fixed

  • Pink with star icon: point is fixed in one dimension

  • Yellow with star icon: point is fixed in two dimensions

  • Blue with star icon: point is fixed in three dimensions

• Station Connections:

  • Red: connection is between unfixed points

  • Pink: connection involves at least one point fixed in one dimension

  • Yellow: connection involves at least one point fixed in two dimensions

  • Blue: connection involves at least one point fixed in three dimensions

These shapefiles can be viewed in Google Earth or any other commercially available software which can handle .kml formatted shapefiles.

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Configuring the KML Output

The KML output can be configured with several options available in the Drawing tab of the Options dialog:

• Linewidth: configure the linewidth of connections fixed in 1, 2, and 3 dimensions, as well as unfixed connections.

• Error Ellipses: configure several features relating to the error ellipses

  • linewidth (visual size)

  • resolution (higher = more circular, longer rendering time)

  • size (from realistic values to 1000km avg. inflated values for visualization); inflating the size still preserves the proportions between different ellipses