Google Earth 6.1 adds a few KML features

Google Earth 6.1 adds a few KML features:

Our post on Google Earth 6.1 covered all of the details that we could find about the newest release of Google Earth, but Google just unveiled a few more -- some nice KML changes for developers.

Line Labels

The first is a change to the way line labels are displayed. Labels are now turned off by default in Google Earth 6.1, but you can add them at the midpoint of regular lines by using the new <gx:labelVisibility> in a <LineStyle>. Here's an example KML, as well as a screenshot below.

Improved handling of Street View in Tours

Google Earth 6.1 added some nice improvements to the Street View feature, including a wider field-of-view to match the Google Maps Street View experience. Because Maps and Earth had a different field of view, Tours that used Street View elements would always stay consistent when viewed later. You can now use the <gx:horizFov> in your <Camera> and <LookAt> tags to remedy this. Below is a video showing this change, and here is the KML file to see it for yourself.

To learn more about these new features, you can read the full post over on the Google Geo Developers Blog.