How to prepare a KML SuperOverlay for Google Earth

Super-overlays are a form of KML in which data is divided into regions. This allows Google Earth to refresh/request only particular regions of the map when the viewed area changes. Super-overlays are used to efficiently publish large sets of data.  MapTiler Engine is able to generate great super-overlays for Google Earth.

Download the free version of MapTiler Engine and try generating your own super-overlay!
Do you want even more? Activate the TRIAL and test the full functionality of MapTiler Engine for free. 

Types of Super-overlay

GeoServer supports two types of super-overlays: raster and vector. With raster super-overlays, GeoServer intelligently produces imagery appropriate to the current zoom level and dynamically outputs new imagery when the zoom level changes. With vector super-overlays, feature data is requested for only the visible features and new features are dynamically loaded as necessary. Raster super-overlays require fewer resources on the client, but vector super-overlays have a higher output quality.

When using the KML Reflector, super-overlays are enabled by default, whether the data in question is raster or vector. For more information on the various options for KML super-overlay output, please see the page on the KML Reflector.

Creating overlays for Google Earth in MapTiler Engine

MapTiler Engine can create overlays for Google Earth. Here is how to do it the step-by-step:

  1. Open the application and choose your file(s).

    mte-select-workflow-clean.png

  2. If the image is a GeoTIFF, it already has a geolocation inside. If not, you have to specify the Coordinate system and Georeference it. Once the georeferencing is done, proceed by clicking the “Continue” button.

    mte-input-page-gc.png

  3. Select “Google Earth KML” as the output format.

    mte-output-format-kml.png

  4. Proceed to the output settings page and click on “Continue”. Select an empty folder and the rendering will start. Once the process is finished, the .kml file is available in the rendering folder. You’ll be shown the content of .kml file and you can navigate directly to the output folder by clicking “Open folder” option.

  5. Once the .kml file is opened in the Google Earth application, the map is positioned in the correct location and perfectly overlays the terrain. It is possible to pan, zoom and view it from all sides in 3D.

You can try to create a KML super overlay with the sample image of the Grand Canyon.

On this page