Guide to using KML and KMZ files
Files in KMZ format are available to download for routes organised by the Club des Cent Cols. These files are in the format used in particular by Google Earth (free), but they can also be used by other mapping software. When you click on the name of a KMZ file, your internet explorer will display a file opening dialogue. You can then choose to:
- choose 'open with' and (if correctly installed) Google Earth or another program will launch and open the file.
- choose 'save file' and indicate where the file is to be saved; you can then open the saved file whenever you like, and with any software you like.
Once you have launched Google Earth, you will see the routes contained in the file in the left-hand navigation bar. You need to tick one of these routes to see it displayed. If you tick only one route, it will be displayed, but this route may be (partially) outside the display area. In this case, you need to double-click on the name of the circuit for it to be displayed in full, with the display position and zoom adjusted accordingly.
KML files are used in much the same way as KMZ files. The difference is that KMZ files are compressed and can actually contain several KML files.