Friday, May 3, 2013

SHP2KML - Free at last, free at last. God All Mighty Free at Last!!!

Good buy ESRI...


The $79 Solution 

Convert Shapefiles to KML for Google Earth

It's an easy, two-step process to convert any shapefile to KML with ExpertGPS Pro. View your GIS layers over Google Earth's color imagery, and create KML files from your shapefiles to share with clients or to publish online.

The first step in converting shapefiles to KML is to Import your Shapefile, using Import on the File menu. ExpertGPS Pro automatically reprojects your shapefile from UTM, state plane coordinates, or any other projection into Google Earth's native format (latitude and longitude in decimal degreees, in WGS84 datum).

To finish the KML conversion of your shapefile, press F7, the View in Google Earth command, and ExpertGPS will convert your GIS data to KML and automatically launch Google Earth to view your KML data. You can also click Export on the File menu to convert your shapefile to KML.

The Google Earth PRO Solution...

Drag and drop the SHP file set into Google Earth and - you go KML

OR 

SHP2KML Freely if you don't have Google Earth Pro

shp2kml 2.0: Shape-file to Google Earth

Shp2kml is a stand alone tool that transforms GIS layers to Google Earth. It
uses as input the most common format file for GIS (ESRI shapefile) and
generates a KML File.

Google Earth requires coordinates to be in Lat/Lon and referenced to the
WGS84 datum. Shp2kml is able to transform the coordinate system. The input
file can be Lat/Lon (Geographic) or UTM (Projected) coordinate system. Also
shp2kml will change datums if required. It contains a list of around 200
datums.

Some of the supported features are:

Lat/Long or UTM (meters)

Any Datum

Point, Lines, Polygons

Symbol properties: by Single Symbol, Unique value, Graduate Value

Labeling from attributes table

Balloon creation from attributes table

2 comments:

  1. Read yr article and purchase ExpertGPS Pro to import and reproject our county data from NAD Texas South feet to WGS84 but cannot get it converted. Tried everything and it just takes the local Texas cords and sticks it into WGS 84 up near the north pole with out converting anything - wonder if you had any insight into this problem?

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    Replies
    1. Likely a bit late but my guess is the conversion from local projection to WGS84 likely the contributing projection error. If stuff is at the North Pole then the import is seeing lat of 90 and longs that are -180 to 180. Best walk through the ESRI conversion process?

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