Webmaster 6MFS Google Earth Pros and Cons

Option 1: Google Earth Hosting of Map Files and hyperlink from NWCG 6MFS page:

Problem: Google Earth does not provide an embed API, which means I cannot embed the map directly.  However I can host on my NWCG Google Account.  

Pros
1. host the KMZ file on my NWCG Webmaster Google account and reference it from our website (same way we do YouTube videos).   
2. Because the file is hosted on a google server, this approach will allow the user to interact with the Google Earth Web App for a full interactive experience. 

3. The google space we have free of charge is 15GB. To give you an idea of how many files the size of the file you sent me we can fit in 15GB storage:

• Babo Fire is approximately 4KB.   Approximately 3,932,160 files of 4 KB can fit in 15 GB of storage.  I can't imagine you will be hosting more files than that amount, do you? 

Cons: 

• If we ever exceed the 15GB storage limit, we will need to upgrade the NWCG Webmaster Google account to Google One. 

  
  Note to Sarah/Katie: While 6MFS may stay within the 15GB limit, using this account for other committees could push us over. To obtain more than 15GB of storage on Google Drive, we would need to subscribe to Google One, which offers various plans with increasing storage capacities:

  • 100 GB plan: $1.99 per month or $19.99 annually

  • 200 GB plan: $2.99 per month or $29.99 annually

  • 2 TB plan: $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually

• We cannot embed the map directly; users will need to click a hyperlink to access it. The hyperlink could be represented by a photo of the map.

  Example: A photo of the Google Map hyperlinked to the GE map hosted in the Google 
  Earth Web Application, which is viewable to the public:

Image

Option 2: Google Maps vs. Google Earth Embedding 

Google Earth does not support embedding, but Google Maps does. To achieve a similar effect, I would need to import the .kmz file into Google Maps.

Pros: 

1. This approach allows us to embed the map directly on the website, enabling visitors to interact with it from the 6MFS page without leaving our site.
2. We have 15GB of available free space on Google Drive that we can use similar to Google Earth solution Option 1.

Cons:

1. While the map is interactive and the text overlay you added is visible, it retains the standard Google Maps look and feel. Not terrible, it works.

2. Additionally, like YouTube, the embedded map will display Google My Maps branding in the window, which cannot be removed. Not terrible, we learned to live with the YouTube branding on our site.

   
   Example: Embedded Google Map on a 6MFS web page:

Option 3: Example of a file uploaded to our website server for user download:

The less desirable option is to upload the file to our website and provide a hyperlink on the 6MFS page, allowing visitors to download the file and import it into Google Maps or Google Earth themselves.

Pros:

1. We can store the file on our server, where we have unlimited storage capacity.

Cons:

1. Web visitors will need to perform all the steps to view the file, so we must provide clear instructions on how to download it and import it into their personal Google account, as well as how to view it in either Google Earth or Google Maps

    

Example of a file uploaded to our website server for user download:

• Babo Fire, 2018