Missing pictures

[qwertz]

Hi all,

I have a problem when I create a Placemark and source a small picture to it using: <img src="C:/MyPhotos/Mountains/image.jpg"> (or some other directory on my computer because the picture is not available on the Internet). When I save the file and close GE and then re-open GE and load the file the "path" of the pictures has been changed by GE to <img src="images/image.jpg"> and of course the picture will not load.

Does anyone know where this "images" directory of GE is located?

I have tried storing the pictures in a C:/. . . Google/Google Earth Plus/images directory that I created but that does not work either.

I'm running the latest version of GE, but this has been going on for a while.

[Captain Hornblower]

Try to save it as kml, not kmz. But in that case you are the only one can use the placemark.

[Appletom]

I got it to work. In GEarth help, I found this line -

#
You can include images in your description using the IMG HTML tag to refer to either:

#
images stored on your computer's hard drive (e.g., <img src="C:\Documents and Settings\HP\My Documents\Pictures\myDescriptiveImage.jpg">)
#
images on the internet (e.g.
<img src="http://www.test.com/images/myDescriptiveImage.jpg">).

I carefully copied and pasted the red above and replaced the path with a path to a photo on my computer.

I saved it as a kmz file, closed GEarth, double clicked on the newly saved file. The photo was still there. The path was now <img src="images/RJ.jpg"> instead of <img src="C:/MyPhotos/RJ.jpg">

Not sure why you are having trouble, but be sure to copy and paste the path instead of typing it.

Attached is a kmz file with a photo that lives on my computer. I know the photo is in the kmz file because the file size is 68K. The GEarth placemark is where we retired our hot air balloon and the photo is of RJ finishing a bottle of champagne.

[Appletom]

Qwertz - check the forward and back slashes. Online paths use forward slashes ( / ) and computer hard drive paths use back slashes ( \ ). Your post shows examples with forward slashes to represent a local path.

[qwertz]

To Captain Hornblower:

How do you make a choice between KML & KMZ? When I select "save as" it automatically selects the extension?


To Appletom:

I've copied and pasted all of the paths and they save as "images/. . . " but nothing shows up when reloading. I'm not a dummy with computers but this is not letting me make any additions to GE_Hacks as there are no pictures included. I have posted also with GE http://earth.google.com/support/bin/request.py so see what they have to say.

This has been going on since I first started using GE.

[Appletom]

Qwertz - Let me try one of your files. Make a kmz using a photo on your local hard drive and post it here.

Then attach the jpeg itself. There is something I am doing that you are not, and it has to be a tiny, tiny thing. I want to look at the innards of your kmz file to see if I can discover what that tiny thing is.

Jim

[Captain Hornblower]

How do you make a choice between KML & KMZ? When I select "save as" it automatically selects the extension?

When you select save as a window opens, down at the file type is a dropdown where you can choose between kmz and kml.

[qwertz]

Hello again,

Thanks for the comebacks. I've read your replies and have been experimenting this morning.

When I make a single stand-alone placemark I don't seem to have any problem. If you look at the attached KMZs they are both identical except that one has no picture included.

The one with the photo I made this morning. The one with no picture came from a collection with multiple directories. I have a directory with two subdirectories and in there I have many placemarks, hopefully all to have photos attached either from the Internet or from my computer.

It seems the problem only occurs when saved in a directory/folder of placemarks.

I tried it again this morning. Internet links showed up fine but photos from my computer were all gray, even though they were there when I saved the file.

I even tried closing all the folders and saving just from the KMZ filename but still no luck - always missing pictures.

I also checked the KMZ from the "collection" and all text was identical to the single KMZ files attached - just no photos included. Can their be a limit on the size of a KMZ? (i.e. too many attached photos, too large photos, or too large a file?) Just guessing!

I make webpages and have less trouble than this! I may have to upload the computer photos and have them downloaded from my webserver. Seems to be the only way.

John

PS
Thanks Hornblower for the tips on KML and KMZ - trust me not to look!

Appletom, thanks for the tips on the "slashes" - I didn't know that info about their directions but when composing the first forum note I was just doing it from memory. Must be getting old!

[Appletom]

Qwertz - The kmz file with a photo worked!

[araT]

Works for me too you can also see the difference in filesize!

T.

[qwertz]

Thanks Appletom,

Yes, I know it works. It is a "single" file! But when combined in a collection of placemarks it is lost all the time.

I finally got smart and uploaded them to my server and all is working good.

It would be nice to see if someone could figure out why it doesn't work in a collection of placemarks. I've tried and tried and no luck. It has to be something to do with photo or folder size.

[Appletom]

Well - I can get two placemarks, and both show a photo, but they both show the same photo.

I'm going to figure this out if it kills me, but alas, I am out of time for today - and probably for the week.

Hopefully I will remember this next weekend.

[araT]

qwertz; since we arent having much luck solving this it might be an idea to take it to the official google eath forums aswell, the developers of the program hang out there and will probably be able to solve your problem

Good luck!

T.

[Appletom]

Good Morning Qwertz!

Who says we aren't having much luck solving this problem? We don't need no stinking official forums, we are GEH!

Once figured out, the answer is easy.

1 - Make your first placemark, using photo one on your hard drive.
2 - Save that kmz file.
3 - Make your second placemark, using photo two on your hard drive.
4 - Save that kmz file.
5 - Remove both placemarks from GEarth.
6 - Open saved placemark one.
7 - Open saved placemark two.
8 - Create a new folder.
9 - Drag both placemarks into the newly created folder.
10 - Save the folder.

As you know, when the single placemark is saved it folds the photograph into the kmz file, but creates the <img src="images/imagename"> pointer in the kmz file.

Trying to fold both placemarks into one folder before saving and reopening saves the <img src="C:\Path\Image.jpg"> lines and GEarth corrupts something in the save process.

BUT - saving - then reopening - forces the <img src="images/imagename"> to point to the proper image, then blending two single kmz files into a new folder forces each individual file to point to the proper photograph.

It works with three kmz files too! I will let you see if it works with four, five, ten, five hundred, or more placemarks.

[qwertz]

Thanks Appletom, that works great. A little more work but the end result is what I wanted. Why GE doesn't work the normal way I don't know. Thanks everybody!