Overview¶
Note
The KML functionality described here is provided by the optional KML extension. Install the KML plugin before following these instructions.
Why use GeoServer with Google Earth?¶
GeoServer is useful when one wants to put a lot of data on to Google Earth. GeoServer automatically generates KML that can be easily and quickly served and visualized in Google Earth. GeoServer operates entirely through a Network Link, which allows it to selectively return information for the area being viewed. With GeoServer as a robust and powerful server and Google Earth providing rich visualizations, they are a perfect match for sharing your data.
Standards-based implementation¶
GeoServer supports Google Earth by providing KML as a Web Map Service (WMS) output format. This means that adding data published by GeoServer is as simple as constructing a standard WMS request and specifying
“application/vnd.google-earth.kml+xml” as the outputFormat. Since generating KML is just a WMS request, it fully supports Styling via SLD.
See the next section (Quickstart) to view GeoServer and Google Earth in action.