| Label | Explanation | Data Type |
Input Map
| The map, scene, or basemap that will be converted to KML. | Map |
Output File
(KMZ) | The output KML file, which is compressed and has a .kmz extension. | File |
Map Output Scale
(Optional) |
The scale at which each layer in the map will be exported. This parameter is important with any scale dependency, such as layer visibility or scale-dependent rendering. If the layer is not visible at the output scale, it is not included in the output KML. Any value, such as 1, can be used if there are no scale dependencies. For raster layers, a value of 0 can be used to create one untiled output image. If a value greater than or equal to 1 is used, it determines the output resolution of the raster. This parameter has no effect on layers that are not raster layers. Only numeric characters are accepted; for example, enter 20000 as the scale, not 1:20000. In languages that use commas as the decimal point, 20,000 is also acceptable. If you're exporting a layer that is to be displayed as 3D vectors and the Return single composite image parameter is checked, you can set this parameter to any value as long as the features do not have any scale-dependent rendering. | Double |
Return single
composite image (Optional) | Specifies whether the output KML will contain a single composite image or separate layers.
| Boolean |
Convert features to images
(Optional) | Specifies whether each feature layer in the map will be converted to a separate raster image or preserved as features. This parameter is not used if the Return single composite image parameter is checked.
| Boolean |
Extent
(Optional) | The geographic extent of the layer to be converted. Only features or raster cells in this extent will be included in the output KML.
| Extent |
Size of Returned Image (Pixels)
(Optional) | The size of the tiles for raster layers if the Map Output Scale parameter value is greater than or equal to 1. This parameter no effect on layers that are not raster layers. | Long |
Output Image DPI
(Optional) | The device resolution for any rasters in the output KML document. Typical screen resolution is 96 dpi. If the data in the map supports a high resolution and the KML requires it, consider increasing the value. Use this parameter with the Size of Returned Image (Pixels) parameter to control output image resolution. The default value is 96. | Long |
Clamp features to ground
(Optional) | Specifies whether the z-values of the input features will be ignored and all features will be located, or clamped, at the ground elevation.
| Boolean |
Legend Layout Source
(Optional) | The name of the layout that contains legend elements that will be included in the KML output as screen overlays. | String |
Summary
Converts a map containing feature or raster layers to KML format (.kmz file). The output KML will contain a translation of Esri feature geometries, raster cells, layer symbology, and other properties.
Usage
The output .kmz file is an archive or .zip file containing a .kml file and other supplemental files. A .kmz file can be read by many applications including ArcGIS Earth and Google Earth.
You can control the appearance of KML in the following two ways:
- By default, the pop-up display is composed of all visible fields from the layer. Pop-up displays can also be set using the layer's customized pop-ups. If the layer pop-ups have not been customized, the values in the feature layer's PopupInfo field are shown in the pop-up when a KML feature is clicked. These values can be numeric or text attributes as well as HTML code stored in a text field.
- When the layer properties are not set and the feature class contains certain attributes (fields), the field properties are used in creating the KML layers that were originally created using the KML To Layer tool including attributes that define how KML is created. See KML conversion for more information about creating KML from attributes.
-
If the input has scale-dependent display properties, reduce the size of the output .kmz file by providing an appropriate Map Output Scale parameter value.
The input map's layers will be projected to WGS84, as all .kmz files must use that coordinate system. To ensure that the projection locates features and raster cells accurately, you may need to specify the geographic transformation environment. Alternatively, use the Project tool to re-project the map's layers to WGS84 with a valid transformation before to converting to KML.
The Map Output Scale and Size of Returned Image (Pixels) parameters are used together to create tiled output. For example, for an image with a size of 7000 by 5000 pixels, and a Size of Returned Image (Pixels) parameter value of 1000 pixels, the output image will be composed of 7 x 5, or 35, subimages. If the Map Output Scale parameter value is 1, each subimage will be 1000 by 1000 pixels. If the Map Output Scale parameter value is 10, each subimage will be 100 by 100 pixels.
To include a legend in the output KML as a screen overlay, specify a value for the Legend Layout Source parameter. You must have a legend element in a layout in the map.
Only legend elements will become screen overlays in KML. Each legend will become a subfolder under the main KML folder when viewing the KML data.
Parameters
—The extent will be based on the active map or scene. This option is only available when there is an active map.
—The extent will be based on an active map layer. Use the drop-down list to choose an available layer or use the 
—The extent will be based on an existing dataset.
—The extent will be reset to the default value.arcpy.conversion.MapToKML(in_map, out_kmz_file, {map_output_scale}, {is_composite}, {is_vector_to_raster}, {extent_to_export}, {image_size}, {dpi_of_client}, {ignore_zvalue}, {layout})| Name | Explanation | Data Type |
in_map | The map, scene, or basemap that will be converted to KML. | Map |
out_kmz_file | The output KML file, which is compressed and has a .kmz extension. | File |
map_output_scale (Optional) |
The scale at which each layer in the map will be exported. This parameter is important with any scale dependency, such as layer visibility or scale-dependent rendering. If the layer is not visible at the output scale, it is not included in the output KML. Any value, such as 1, can be used if there are no scale dependencies. For raster layers, a value of 0 can be used to create one untiled output image. If a value greater than or equal to 1 is used, it determines the output resolution of the raster. This parameter has no effect on layers that are not raster layers. Only numeric characters are accepted; for example, enter 20000 as the scale, not 1:20000. In languages that use commas as the decimal point, 20,000 is also acceptable. If you're exporting a layer that is to be displayed as 3D vectors and the is_composite parameter is set to NO_COMPOSITE, you can set this parameter to any value as long as the features do not have any scale-dependent rendering. | Double |
is_composite (Optional) | Specifies whether the output KML will contain a single composite image or separate layers.
| Boolean |
is_vector_to_raster (Optional) | Specifies whether each feature layer in the map will be converted to a separate raster image or preserved as features. This parameter is not used if the is_composite parameter is set to COMPOSITE.
| Boolean |
extent_to_export (Optional) | The geographic extent of the layer to be converted. Only features or raster cells in this extent will be included in the output KML. The extent can be specified using the following options:
| Extent |
image_size (Optional) | The size of the tiles for raster layers if the map_output_scale parameter value is greater than or equal to 1. This parameter has no effect on layers that are not raster layers. | Long |
dpi_of_client (Optional) | The device resolution for any rasters in the output KML document. Typical screen resolution is 96 dpi. If the data in the map supports a high resolution and the KML requires it, consider increasing the value. Use this parameter with the image_size parameter to control output image resolution. The default value is 96. | Long |
ignore_zvalue (Optional) | Specifies whether the z-values of the input features will be ignored and all features will be located, or clamped, at the ground elevation.
| Boolean |
layout (Optional) | The name of the layout that contains legend elements that will be included in the KML output as screen overlays. | String |
Code sample
The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the MapToKML function in immediate mode.
import arcpy
arcpy.conversion.MapToKML("C:/Maps/Cities.mapx", "C:/OutputMaps/Cities.kmz")The following Python script demonstrates how to use the MapToKML function in a stand-alone script.
# Import system modules
import arcpy
# Set environment settings
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data"
# Use ListFiles to identify all map files in workspace
files = arcpy.ListFiles('*.mapx')
if len(files) > 0:
for map_file in files:
# Set Local Variables
composite = 'NO_COMPOSITE'
vector = 'VECTOR_TO_VECTOR'
pixels = 2048
dpi = 96
clamped = 'ABSOLUTE'
for scale in range(10000, 20000, 30000):
# Strips the '.mapx' part of the name and appends '.kmz'
outKML = map_file[:-5]+'.kmz'
# Run MapToKML
arcpy.conversion.MapToKML(map_file, outKML, scale, composite,
vector, '', pixels, dpi, clamped)
else:
arcpy.AddMessage('There are no map files (*.mapx) in {}.'.format(arcpy.env.workspace))Environments
Licensing information
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