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Converting Google Maps Street View URLs to KML

July 20, 2015

Google Maps Classic has been discontinued, and with it old URLs that pointed to Street View are no-longer working, including some in old posts on GEB. So we decided to write a bit of JavaScript to convert between Google Maps URL formats to aid in updating the broken links to the newer version of Google Maps. This required figuring out the various Google Maps URL formats.

We thought this would be a good opportunity to create a converter from Google Maps URLs to KML. In Google Earth there is a ‘View in Google Maps’ button, but no corresponding button exists in Google Maps for the reverse process. We have mentioned in the past that it is often difficult to find underwater Street View or aerial Street View in Google Earth. Google’s new ‘Street View highlights’ layer has made it a lot easier to find some locations. But for a random Street View location, the only way to find it in Google Earth is to search for the latitude and longitude, enter Street View and then try and find the same view.


It is difficult to get from the above location in Google Maps Street View to the same location in Google Earth as seen below.

So here is our first attempt at a converter from Google Maps Street View, to Google Earth. The script takes into account which direction you are looking in the Street View, but currently ignores the zoom. There are a few short comings with the process. Firstly, Google Earth does not have historical Street View, so if you start with an historical Street View URL you will instead see the most current Street View at that location. Secondly, it only seems to work with true Street View. If you try a user contributed PhotoSphere Google Earth will not display it.

Find a location you are interested in using Google Maps Street View then copy and paste the URL into the field below then click ‘Download KML’.

Google Maps Street View URL:

Download KML

About Timothy Whitehead

Timothy has been using Google Earth since 2004 when it was still called Keyhole before it was renamed Google Earth in 2005 and has been a huge fan ever since. He is a programmer working for Red Wing Aerobatx and lives in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Filed Under: Street View Tagged With: KML, KML javascript utilities, street view

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PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Comments

  1. LeRoy Mobley says

    July 20, 2015 at 9:15 am

    I am probably doing something wrong, but I have unsuccessfully attempted to use this GSV URL 3 times:

    https://www.google.com/maps/@34.675059,135.83056,3a,75y,152.15h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sdUwoQUV28ukS66YTxsodOQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DdUwoQUV28ukS66YTxsodOQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D100%26h%3D80%26yaw%3D156.5103%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656

    When I click Download KML, GEBlog returns to the top page, and I have found no output.

    • Timothy Whitehead says

      July 20, 2015 at 12:09 pm

      Its working correctly for me. It should return to the top of the page but at the same time download a KML file. What browser are you using? I have only tested in Google Chrome.

      • LeRoy Mobley says

        July 20, 2015 at 7:21 pm

        I used IE 11 on Windows 7 Pro (64) OS.

        When I tested it on Chrome, it provide a KML which took me to the desired street view in GE.

        I also tested it with the adjacent orange dot:

        (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.675041,135.830609,3a,75y,41.63h,59.82t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sHytGK6cwdreAnLmyMTSCvQ!2e0!3e2!7i13312!8i6656)

        which worked in Chrome but not in IE.

        Further IE tests still failed to produce output in the lower left of the screen, when I knew where to expect it to appear.

        • Timothy Whitehead says

          July 30, 2015 at 6:46 am

          I have made some modifications and it should now be working in IE

  2. 123vince45 says

    July 27, 2015 at 10:39 am

    I think it’s time to shoot myself.

  3. Mano Marks says

    July 31, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    Might make a cool Chrome Extension too

  4. fjk says

    August 4, 2015 at 9:04 am

    It will be cool to have “save route as kml” instead of Street View. It was very helpful…..



PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

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