Screen Overlays

Overlays come in two forms. Image Overlays are covered in The Google Earth tools section. A Screen Overlay works a little different from an Image Overlay. Here is an example of each:

 Image Overlay                                                        Screen overlay

These are great for logos, legends, or keys.

1. Identify the image you want to put on the screen - save your image as a JPG or a PNG. You will be using the file location, for example:

Local images (on your computer)

    C:\Users\Derp\Desktop\tours\image-name.jpg

    /Users/Derp/images/image-name.jpg

Hosted images (on some website)

    images.website.com/photos/image-name.jpg

2. Open the Screen Overlay Template file at the bottom of this page - screen_overlay.KML. This will allow you to easily and quickly put your desired image into Google Earth. Change stuff in purple:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:gx="http://www.google.com/kml/ext/2.2" xmlns:kml="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">

  <Document>    

  <name>KML name</name>  

<description><![CDATA[

The logo it located in the bottom right hand corner

]]></description>  

<open>1</open>

<Style id="sn_noicon">

<IconStyle>

<Icon>

</Icon>

</IconStyle>

<LabelStyle>

<color>00ffffff</color>

</LabelStyle>

<ListStyle>

</ListStyle>

</Style>

<Folder>

<name>tags</name>

<Style>

<ListStyle>

<listItemType>checkHideChildren</listItemType>

<bgColor>00ffffff</bgColor>

<maxSnippetLines>2</maxSnippetLines>

</ListStyle>

</Style>

    <ScreenOverlay>

        <name>Overlay 1</name>

            <Icon>

            <href>(location of file)</href>

            </Icon>

                <overlayXY x="0" y="1" xunits="fraction" yunits="fraction"/>

                <screenXY x="0" y="1" xunits="fraction" yunits="fraction"/>

                <rotationXY x="0" y="0" xunits="fraction" yunits="fraction"/>

                <size x="0" y="0" xunits="fraction" yunits="fraction"/> 

    </ScreenOverlay>

</Folder>

</Document>

</kml>

Only change the values from zero to one. If you set <overlayXY x="2"... nothing will happen.

3. Adjust the overlay location - you can control where on the screen the Overlay shows up.

• <overlayXY and <screenXY control where the Overlay will be on the screen

• <rotationXY and <size (predictably) control the size and rotation of the Overlay

<overlayXY  x - the horizontal anchor point on the overlay (from 0 to 1)

<overlayXY  y - the vertical anchor point on the overlay (from 0 to 1)

<screenXY x - the horizontal anchor location on the screen (from 0 to 1)

<screenXY y - the vertical  anchor location on the screen (from 0 to 1)

Some variables and their results:

<overlayXY x="0" y="1"                            <overlayXY x="0.5" y="0.5"

<screenXY x="0" y="1"                            <screenXY x="0.5" y="0.5"

Considerations:

• • It's best to re-size the image in PhotoShop or similar. Re-sizing with the <size> tag can distort the image and reduce quality.

  • Certain inputs will move the image completely off screen, such as putting the bottom left of the image int e top right of the screen.

  • If you wish to share the file, be sure to save as a KMZ. A KML will not include the image file and thus not display properly.

One popular thing to do with a Screen Overlay is move the Google Earth logo around. The logo image file is attached below, as well as 4 examples of the logo in various places on the screen.