Google Earth KML 2.1 Altitude / Elevation Filler

As of version 4.1 of Google Earth, altitude is still not saved as part of a path’s or point’s coordinates in a kml file. Google Maps used in conjunction with GMapToGPX (Google Maps Data to GPX) also generates routes without altitude data. A handy on-line service for inserting the altitude is provided at www.nearby.org.uk/elevation-kml.php (our thanks to these guys) but we were looking for a means of obtaining the figures from Google Earth itself, and do so at a much higher speed.

Requirements: Google Earth 4.1 (KML Version 2.1); Microsoft .NET 2.0 Framework

Instructions

Download the zip file and extract to an empty directory. Double click the executable to start. Select a kml file by clicking Browse and then click Start / Stop to do the work. Once complete, specify a name to save the file as. A couple of other options are also available:

Delay per path: This is the time in milliseconds to wait between flying to the first coordinate in a path and getting the altitude. Setting this too short will result in a bad result. It is worth setting this quite high (> 2000ms) if Google Earth is not yet in the neighbourhood of your first coordinate or your machine simply runs slow.

Delay per coordinate: This is the time in milliseconds to wait between flying to the subsequent coordinates in a path and getting the altitude. Setting this too short will result in a bad result. Generally this interval can be shorter than the path delay but this is of course data dependent.

Ignore Non-zero Altitudes: When checked the program will not update the altitude of any coordinates that already have an altitude.

Always on top: If checked keeps the application above Google Earth and makes it partial see-through while running.

Download Version 1.1

Versions

Version 1.1: 23 July 2007 - Fix bug when parsing certain kml files with multiple placemarks; added test kml files for Alpe d’Huez in France and Furka Pass in Switzerland.