User Guide

HOW TO CREATE A .KML FILE USING GOOGLE EARTH

Step-by-Step on how to create .kml Files that can be used with LandAirSea’s ® SilverCloud® Software:

1. Open Google Earth (Install it if you do not have it on your desktop or laptop).

2. On the left-hand side, you will see a section that says 'Places'.

3. Click once on 'My Places' so it is highlighted.

4. Right click on 'My Places', highlight 'Add', then select 'Folder'. A box will come up asking you to name

the folder. This is the folder where you will add all routes and Points of Interest (POIs).

• TIP: If building multiple routes, create 1 folder for the entire project (i.e. LASOverlay). Within that

folder, create sub-folders for each route, or a set of POIs. Reason being, when you want to export

routes to LandAirSea’s ® SilverCloud® Software, you want to be able to upload an entire route

overlay & POIs together. This is purely for organization but also flexibility, in case you wanted to

hide a route or set of POIs later, you could delete that routes folder/file. If you don't build sub-

folders and instead put everything into one folder, when you make edits it's hard to hide routes

when everything is within one file.

5. To plot POIs:

• Enter an address of a location in the search bar at the top left of the screen to have Google Earth

navigate to destination. Once Google Earth takes you to the location, click on the icon to plot the

point for this destination. The POI will flash and a dialogue box will appear with various options, as

well as ask you to name the POI - make sure you name the POI what you would want a User to see

on the LandAirSea’s ® SilverCloud® Software screen.

• When the POI is flashing, this means it can be moved. Move it to the location you want it to be (ie.

Load Zone, Drop off, etc.).

• Name the POI in the dialogue box that appeared.

• To customize with a different icon, you will see the icon next to where you entered in the name in

this dialogue box. Click on this button and you should see a long list of standard icons offered by

Google Earth. You can also color code the icon by selecting the 'Style/Color' button beneath the

latitude & longitude boxes. Try and match your POI colors to the route color for consistency.

• After you've entered name, moved the icon, and/or customized the icon, click 'OK' in the bottom

right hand corner to save it. After this, you will see this POI listed beneath the folder you created on

the left in Google Earth.

• TIP: Make sure, whenever you create something, you first highlight the folder you created on the

left in Google Earth so after you save it, it will automatically be listed beneath that folder. If you

somehow create an icon or route outside of this folder don’t worry, you can easily just select that

item on the left and drag it into the folder, much like you drag files in your desktop to folders.

6. To create a Route:

• Make sure you highlight the route folder on the left you want to create the route for.

• To start drawing routes, select the icon at the top to begin. A dialogue box will appear for you to

name and customize the format of the route. Name the route first before you begin plotting

points. After naming the route in the box, if you take your cursor outside of the box, you will see

your mouse looks like a target - this means that you are ready to start plotting points and drawing

the route.