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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
I have made some modifications and it should now be working in IE
I think it’s time to shoot myself.
Might make a cool Chrome Extension too
It will be cool to have “save route as kml” instead of Street View. It was very helpful…..