Geo-Web blog shows us how to convert a GML file into KML using XSLT.

The post: Styling GML to KML – XSLT. There is also a sample GML data file, sample KML output, and a sample XSLT stylesheet.

Previously mentioned as an example of pro authoring tools maneuvering to make sure they can produce KML output, AmberCore continues to add KML features to their fancy Amber IQ software, now at version 2.6. From the press release:

Amber iQ 2.6 enhances its already strong support of the widely popular Google Earth application by allowing users to export both vector and raster data generated in Amber iQ to the Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format. Interactive support continues to accelerate allowing users to specify KML database fields accessible in Google Earth.

“Our work with Google compatibility continues to be driven by customers demanding to integrate Google Earth into their daily work flow,” said Martin Sendyk, President and CEO of AmberCore. “For example, we have developed the ability to automate the creation of maps in KML format. This really highlights our competitive advantage – the ability to quickly develop tools for customers on a robust and reliable platform.”

The info page is up. Ooh. Ah.

Some more benefits to having two major players in the Earth browsing space:

1) More features. If, as Darren Cope says, ArcGIS can do basic GIS analysis, Google Earth will have to catch up, perhaps by unleashing features from the Plus version.

2) Less leverage for governments upset at what these viewers show. That’s because the pandora’s box of satellite imagery delivered by the internet just got opened a whole lot wider.

The problem that Thailand, South Korea and India have had with Google Earth rest upon three facts being the case: The existence of high-resolution imagery, the existence of 3D viewers for this data, and the existence of the internet as a delivery mechanism. All three have long been around. It was only a matter of time before costs would come down to such an extent that Google could offer it for free. Now ESRI appears to be doing the same.

But while Google is expected to make its money from ads and upselling to the Plus and Pro versions, how will ESRI pay the bills?

I suspect it is going to use the Adobe PDF model and actually see ArcGIS as a cost center. ArcGIS Explorer can natively show stuff made and served by ESRI products such as ArcIMS, ArcWeb and ArcGIS server, whereas Google Earth first needs their output converted to KML. Knowing that work produced and served using ESRI tools can be viewed for free in an ESRI browser anywhere should be an incentive to buy more ESRI stuff.

Finally, if both ESRI and Google start showing Taiwan as Taiwan and the Line of Control between Pakistan and India, what are India and China going to do? Boycott Google searches and ESRI software?

[Update 11.04 UTC: Another screenshot at Phantom planet.]

[Update 2005-10-31, 11.02 UTC: David Maguire, from ESRI, elaborates on the business model:

Martin Frohlich from Maplandia has just brought his new mapping site to my attention.

There are other sites that let you search for the world’s place names. Some of them even link the result to Google Earth. But none that I have seen do such a thorough and seamless job of using Google Maps and linking to Google Earth. Add to that a whole raft of features and usability functions, and the whole is quite impressive.

First off, there are extra layers on the Google Maps, such as country border outlines. There is also extra context, such as links to neighboring countries and their places. You can search places, or browse locations by country, and in every case there is a Google Map handy. If you drill down to a specific place, there is a link to Google Earth.

One thing I particularly like about it is that appending a country name to the maplandia.com URL gets you there right away. That’s simply the fastest way to get an instant map of, say, Colombia that I know of. Another nice touch is that maplandia goes out of its way to offer you the ability to search its database from other sites.

How Stuff Works comes out with a primer on Google Earth with a very gentle learning curve. Perfect, in other words, to send on to parents or grandparents to make sure they too join the fun.

The blog of consulting company Juice Analytics has a post up with a very neat screencast showing off a dynamically generated heatmap for Google Earth, via a network link served using Python. It’s somethng I haven’t seen done before.

Just yesterday I heard about Panoramio from a helpful commenter. Panoramio is a very simple way of just placing your pictures on the map, so that you can show them to people in their proper geographic context. I asked one of the developers, Joaquin, if they were planning to output their database as a network link, much like geobloggers does with their Flickr network link. Today, Panoramio does Google Earth. That’s fast work, and another great source for photos in Google Earth.