Earth Survey Plugin (ESPlugin) Reference

This page describes a free application that runs in the Google Earth browser plugin. Please open the ESPlugin window and return to this page to learn more.

Note: The Google Earth API was deprecated on December 12, 2014 and shut down on January 11, 2017. For similar functionality, see Earth Survey Maps (ESMaps).

ESPlugin is an implementation of the GEPlugin version 7.1, associated JavaScript API version 1.0, and Maps API version 3.7. It includes selected components from HCBM, NGSCS, PLSGE, and QUADS. All ESPlugin features are supported by Internet Explorer 8+, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome.


TITLE BAR

Click on Toolbar, Status Bar, or Sidebar to toggle visibility. Click on the Survey logo to toggle the Title Bar visibility. If the Survey logo is hidden, the Title Bar will be displayed.

TOOLBAR

Type or paste a URL in the input field and click on Load URL to load KML content from the web. Loading another URL replaces the previous one. If you do not have a website where you can upload KML/KMZ files, Google Sites is free and works well. The default URL will load Hillsborough County Benchmarks (HCBM).

Type or paste an address, place name, or comma-separated latitude and longitude pair in the input field and click on Fly To to search for the location corresponding to the given address or place name, or the address corresponding to the given location. Placemarks may be added at geocoded locations with an eye altitude less than 200 m.

SIDEBAR

Options

Click on Status Bar, Navigation Control, Scale Legend, Grid, Overview Map, Atmosphere, Sun, or Historical Imagery to toggle visibility in the Google Earth Plugin window.

Click on Feet, Miles to toggle between metric and imperial units.

Click on Street View or Auto Street View to toggle availability.

Click on Wheel Speed to enter a value from 1.0 to 5.0 for the mouse wheel zoom speed. Use -1.0 to -5.0 to invert the zoom direction.

Click on Exaggeration to enter a value from 1.0 to 3.0 for the elevation exaggeration factor. Changing the Exaggeration value will enable the Terrain layer.

Click on Fly-To Speed to enter a value from 1.0 to 5.0.

NGS Control Stations

Click on Off to disable NGS Control Stations.

Click on Query Setup to open an input form.

Click on Search Results to refresh the network link.

See NGSCS to learn more about NGS Control Stations.

Section Geocoder

Click on Off to disable Section Geocoder.

Click on Point Search to refresh the network link.

Click on TRS Search to open an input form.

Click on Save As to save Section Geocoder results as a KML 2.2 document.

See PLSGE to learn more about the Section Geocoder.

Address Geocoder

Click on Instructions to display this information in a balloon for quick reference.

Type or paste an address, place name, or comma-separated latitude and longitude pair in the input field and click on Fly To to search for the location corresponding to the given address or place name, or the address corresponding to the given location. Placemarks may be added at geocoded locations with an eye altitude less than 200 m.

Ctrl-Click on the globe to search for an address corresponding to the given location.

Shift-Click on a geocoder placemark to remove it.

Alt-Click on a geocoder placemark to edit its name and description.

Drag a geocoder placemark to change its location.

Click on Save As to save Address Geocoder placemarks as a KML 2.2 document.

Overlays

Click on Off to disable Overlays.

Click on Drive-Time Polygons to refresh the network link. Polygons for 5, 10, and 15-minute drive times in the US are provided by the ESRI DriveTime US network geoprocessing service.

Click on BLM Townships, Principal Meridians, or Special Surveys to refresh the respective network link. See PLSGE to learn more about these overlays.

Click on National Hydrography, USGS Quad Index, or USGS Topo Maps to refresh the respective network link. See QUADS to learn more about these overlays.

Click on Automatic Refresh to toggle availability.

Layers

Click on Borders, Roads, Buildings, Trees, or Terrain to toggle visibility.

File

Click on Open KML to open an input form. Then choose a local file and click Open. Opening or pasting KML will replace the previous collection of objects that were either pasted or opened. Only ASCII files with an extension of ".kml" may be opened locally. Use Load URL to open a KML/KMZ file from the web.

The Open KML feature uses the HTML5 FileReader API on compatible browsers, while Internet Explorer is supported by an ActiveX script.

To open a local file in Internet Explorer, change or verify the following security settings:

    Tools, Internet Options, Security, Custom level...
  1. ActiveX controls and plug-ins,
    Initialize and script ActiveX control not marked as safe,
    Prompt
  2. Miscellaneous,
    Include local directory path when uploading files to a server,
    Enable
No data will be sent to the server or written to the local file system.

Click on Print to open an instruction balloon for quick reference. The GEPlugin does not currently support printing the 3D viewer window. Use the Status Bar page size display to verify that the ESPlugin page has an appropriate aspect ratio, or select an aspect ratio from the View panel. Then use the free Jing desktop application to save an image of the page for subsequent printing.

To send Jing output to the Windows Photo Viewer for printing,

  1. Associate Portable Network Graphics (PNG) files with the Windows Photo Viewer.
    1. Right-click any PNG file and select Open with, Choose default program.
    2. Ensure that Always use the selected program to open this kind of file is checked, and select Windows Photo Viewer.
  2. In the Jing Capture Saved dialog box, click Open the file.
  3. In the Photo Viewer Print Pictures dialog box, uncheck Fit picture to frame.

Edit

Click on Paste KML to open an input form. Then type or paste KML in the input area and click Paste. Pasting or opening KML will replace the previous collection of objects that were either opened or pasted.

Click on Delete KML to open an instruction balloon for quick reference. Shift-Click on any KML geometry object to remove it.

Click on Properties to open an instruction balloon for quick reference. Alt-Click on any KML geometry object to edit its name and description.

View

Click on an Aspect Ratio selection to conform the current page size to various media in landscape orientation, including standard or widescreen video. Page content cannot be less than 670 px × 440 px.

Selection
Aspect Ratio
Minimum Page Size
Supported Media
Name
Size
 
letter (11 × 8.5)
1.294117647
776 px × 600 px
Letter
ANSI A
11 in × 8.5 in
legal (14 × 8.5)
1.647058824
906 px × 550 px
Legal
14 in × 8.5 in
ledger (17 × 11)
1.545454545
927 px × 600 px
Ledger
Tabloid
ANSI B
S11R
17 in × 11 in
Statement
8.5 in × 5.5 in
wallet (3.25 × 2.5)
1.300000000
715 px × 550 px
Wallet1
3.25 in × 2.5 in
3R (5 × 3.5)
1.428571429
714 px × 500 px
3R
5 in × 3.5 in
4R (6 × 4)
1.500000000
750 px × 500 px
4R
6 in × 4 in
S8R
12 in × 8 in
S10R
15 in × 10 in
S12R
ARCH B
18 in × 12 in
5R (7 × 5)
1.400000000
770 px × 550 px
5R
7 in × 5 in
2R
Wallet
3.5 in × 2.5 in
8R (10 × 8)
1.250000000
750 px × 600 px
8R
10 in × 8 in
12R
15 in × 12 in
DIN / ISO / JIS
1.414213562
849 px × 600 px
A4
297 mm × 210 mm
A3
420 mm × 297 mm
ISO B5
250 mm × 176 mm
ISO B4
353 mm × 250 mm
JIS B5
257 mm × 182 mm
JIS B4
364 mm × 257 mm
4:3 video
1.333333333
800 px × 600 px
Standard
320 px × 240 px
640 px × 480 px
800 px × 600 px
4D
6 in × 4.5 in
6R
8 in × 6 in
ARCH A
12 in × 9 in
16:9 video
1.777777778
960 px × 540 px
Widescreen
640 px × 360 px
800 px × 450 px
960 px × 540 px
 
1Sometimes called US Wallet, this is the Wallet size in Windows Photo Viewer.

Click on Loaded URL, Local KML, Addresses, or Survey Logo to toggle visibility. Local KML is the last collection of objects either pasted with Paste KML or opened with Open KML. Addresses comprises all Address Geocoder placemarks. If the Survey logo is hidden, the Title Bar will be displayed.

Help

Click on Reference to open this page in a new window.

Click on About to display copyright, date, and version information.

STATUS BAR

The ESPlugin Status Bar displays the GEPlugin version number, ESPlugin page size, and the 3D viewer tilt and heading. Click on Tilt or Heading to reset the view.

All images and data are retrieved from remote servers. Data errors, accuracy, and availability are beyond the control of this application.

ESPlugin is a component of
Earth Survey Copyright © 2007-