How to Export Excel Data to Google Earth

An important upgrade (in GIS.XL 2.0) was also applied on the function for data export to KML file. In the previous version, only the point, line and polygon (without holes) features could be exported. From version 2.0, the add-in also allows you to export polygons with holes. In addition, the program allows you to export supported visual properties. Another improvement is that you can export multiple map layers to one KML file. As an example we use two map layers – polygons describing a geological structure and lines showing the rivers. Both layers contain additional information in attribute tables and have defined custom visual properties (colors, line thicknesses and transparency). The map is displayed in the desired WGS-84 projection.

If you want to export this map from Excel to Google Earth, click on the item Special – Export to KML.

A help dialog is displayed to set the export. In the first combo-box (Export Mode) you define whether you want to export only one Selected Layer or All Layers. If you export one selected layer only, you will set it in the second combo-box – Layer. Consequently, you can use the Label Column combo-box to define a column (from attribute table) that will be used to create labels in Google Earth.

However, we want to export all visible layers (Visible = TRUE) in the same order as displayed in the Map panel. In this case, set the Export Mode to All Layers. The following two combo-boxes are disabled. Using the last check-box Export with Attribute Data, you can define whether data stored in the shapefile attribute table will be exported. We leave this option TRUE and finally, click on the Apply button.

Using the Save File Dialog you set directory and file name of resulted KML file.

The program exports your spatial data to the KML file (according to defined settings). You are informed about the process finish by message-box. In this step, you can automatically open exported file in the installed Google Earth (click on the Yes button).

The exported result will be displayed in Google Earth in the same format as it is in the Excel Map panel. However, this export is not completely identical because the KML specification allows exporting only some visual settings. For example, lines can be defined only as solid lines or points are displayed always as markers with three visual properties – size, color and transparency. Our result is shown in the following figure. If you click on the selected object on the map, a dialog will appear that lists all the information from the attribute table.

Keep in mind that if you want to visualize your data in Google Earth you need to have a Map panel projection set to WGS-84 (default). If you have your spatial data in another projection, you need to reproject Map panel before the export.