Convert GML to KML

Understanding GML and KML file formats

GML (Geography Markup Language) is an XML-based format used for storing geographical data. It is a standard developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and is widely used for sharing geographic information on the web. GML files can contain complex geographical features and are often used in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) applications.

KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is another XML-based format used for representing geographic data. Originally developed for use with Google Earth, KML files are used to display geographic data in an Earth browser. KML is simpler than GML and is often used for sharing geographic data in a more visual and user-friendly way.

How to convert GML to KML

Converting GML to KML involves transforming the complex geographical data from GML into the simpler, more visual format of KML. This can be done using various software tools and converters.

Best software for GML to KML conversion

One of the best software options for converting GML to KML is GDAL (Geospatial Data Abstraction Library). GDAL is an open-source library for reading and writing raster and vector geospatial data formats. It includes a command-line tool called ogr2ogr that can be used for file format conversion.

To convert a GML file to KML using GDAL, you can use the following command:

ogr2ogr -f "KML" output.kml input.gml

Another user-friendly option is QGIS, a free and open-source GIS application. To convert GML to KML in QGIS, follow these steps:

• Open QGIS and load your GML file.
• Go to Layer → Save As.
• Select KML as the output format.
• Choose the destination for the converted file and click OK.