KMZ/KML Export Issues: KMZ/KML Missing, Misplaced, or Displaying Incorrectly in Google Earth

Possible causes:

• Model is hidden or buried under Google Earth terrain
• Model is floating above the terrain
• Wrong export method used (2D exported as 3D or vice versa)
• Drawing contains objects incompatible with Plex-Earth export
• Model has not finished loading or rendering

Fixes:

1. In Google Earth, go to Layers and disable the Terrain layer — check if the model appears
2. Zoom out to verify whether the model exists elsewhere on the map
3. If disabling Terrain reveals the model, re-enable Terrain. If the model still floats or is hidden under terrain, re-export using the correct method:
   • 2D objects (lines, polylines, points, and similar) → use Export KML/KMZ
   • 3D objects (including materials and textures) → use Export 3D KMZ
4. If the drawing consists of many objects, leave Google Earth open and allow time for loading. Google Earth has rendering limitations that cause large models to load slowly
5. If the objects still do not load, and it is a 3D export, re-export without grouping objects as a single model
6. If nothing appears and incompatible objects are suspected, send the drawing to support@plexscape.com for further investigation

Cause: Incorrect or missing georeference applied to the drawing.

Fix: Apply the correct coordinate system for your project. If you do not know the proper coordinate system, go to Assign Georeference → Change Georeference → Custom Georeference, assign a known point of your export to Google Earth, and then re-export.

For guidance on georeferencing, see: Apply Custom Georeference

Possible causes:

• Unsuitable altitude mode selected before export
• Google Earth Terrain layer enabled or disabled

Fixes:

1. Toggle the Google Earth → Terrain layer to enable or disable it and check whether the model aligns correctly
2. Re-export the model using Clamped to Ground as the altitude method

If you must use Absolute or Relative altitude:

• Enable the Google Earth Terrain layer
• If the model is buried (lower than Google Earth's surface) → increase the model's elevation in the drawing and re-export
• If the model is floating (higher than Google Earth's surface) → decrease the model's elevation in the drawing and re-export

Partially or half-buried models:

• For 2D exports: If objects are close to the ground, they may appear half-buried or flickering. This is a Google Earth rendering limitation. The only resolution is to elevate the objects slightly above Google Earth's surface in the drawing and re-export using Absolute altitude
• For 3D exports: If the model appears partially buried when exported as a single model, re-export without grouping objects as a single model. If the models contain grouped objects (e.g., solar panel blocks), explode them into single objects and re-export

Possible causes:

• Scale issues: Designing with the wrong units or not working in a 1:1 scale
• Shift or distortion issues: Inaccurately defined Custom Georeference, or a coordinate system that introduces discrepancies with the drawing data

For scale issues:

1. Go to Set Georeference and check the Units setting
2. If the units are wrong, correct them and re-export
3. If you designed using a scale transformation (e.g., 1 meter to 1 centimeter for a 1:100 scale), convert to 1:1 before re-exporting

For shift and distortion issues:

1. Create a Site Area
2. Apply a Transform to the Coordinate System to match your objects
3. Re-export

Possible causes:

• Parts of the model are on a hidden or frozen layer
• Mixed 2D and 3D objects were exported using the wrong method
• Parts of the model are partially buried
• Objects not supported by the Plex-Earth export
• Hatches are not exported correctly (see Case F for dedicated steps)

Fixes:

1. Enable all relevant layers in the drawing and re-export
2. For 3D exports with missing 2D parts: Set PXV_VAR_DAE_ONLY3D to NO and re-export to include 2D objects
3. For 2D exports with missing 3D parts: 3D objects are intentionally ignored in 2D exports. Re-export using the Export 3D KMZ option instead
4. For hatches: See Case F — Hatches Not Rendering Correctly

Hatches with long curves may render as straight-line hatches in Google Earth. This is caused by the geometry of the hatch and the rendering capabilities of Google Earth, which do not preserve curved hatch boundaries.

Workaround — Replace the hatch with a mesh surface:

1. Select the hatch and type HATCHEDIT in the command line
2. In the dialog, click Recreate boundary
3. Select Region as the boundary object type and choose No when asked whether to associate the new boundary with the hatch, then click OK
4. Hide the original hatch
5. Select the new boundary and run the CONVTOSURFACE command to create a mesh surface in that area
6. Change the color of the mesh to match the original hatch color (or assign it to the appropriate layer before starting)
7. Export to Google Earth

The mesh surface will accurately represent the curved boundary in the exported KMZ.

Cause: You are performing a 3D export that also contains 2D objects such as polylines or lines. Google Earth renders these 2D objects with random colors due to its rendering behavior.

Fix: Run the command PXV_VAR_DAE_ONLY3D and set it to YES. This prevents 2D objects from being included when performing a 3D export.

Cause: Google Earth does not support dashed or custom line types.

Fix: This is a Google Earth limitation and cannot be resolved. If dashed lines are critical to your deliverable, consider exporting a screenshot or PDF alongside the KMZ to communicate the intended line styles.

Possible causes:

• The model is too large or heavy for Google Earth to render
• Too many models are already loaded in Google Earth

Fixes:

1. Close unnecessary models already loaded in Google Earth to free up memory
2. Reduce the size of your export using these techniques:
   • Define drawing objects as blocks to reduce file size
   • Export the drawing in separate parts or sections
   • Export as a single model where possible
   • Follow the tips in 4 Tips to Optimally Export Solar Farm Projects to Google Earth

Cause: Export Troubleshooting detected incompatible or problematic objects during the export process. Further investigation is required.

Fix: Send the following to support@plexscape.com:

• The exported KMZ/KML file
• The export log file
• The drawing used for export

Use Export KML/KMZ for drawings that contain primarily 2D objects such as lines, polylines, and points. Use Export 3D KMZ when your drawing contains 3D objects, materials, or textures. If your drawing contains a mix of both, export them separately for the best result.

The most common cause is a change in the georeference applied to the drawing. Check your current coordinate system and georeference settings and compare them with the previous export. If you are unsure, use Custom Georeference to assign a known point and re-export.

No. KML/KMZ export in Plex-Earth is for CAD drawing objects, not imagery. If you need to visualize imagery alongside your export in Google Earth, you can use a georeferenced raster image as a separate overlay.

Google Earth cannot render curved hatch boundaries accurately. The workaround is to recreate the hatch boundary as a mesh surface using HATCHEDIT, CONVTOSURFACE, and then export the mesh instead. See Case F for the full step-by-step process.

The most effective approaches are to define repetitive objects as CAD blocks before exporting, and to split the export into smaller sections. Both significantly reduce the output file size. See Case I for more details.

If unexpected colorful lines appear, it is likely because 2D objects are being included in a 3D export. Set PXV_VAR_DAE_ONLY3D to YES to exclude 2D objects from 3D exports. See Case G.

Submit the KMZ file, the export log, and the drawing to support@plexscape.com. The log file contains diagnostic information that our team needs to investigate the specific incompatible objects or issues detected during the export.

This is a known Google Earth limitation — it does not support custom or dashed line types. All lines are rendered as solid in Google Earth regardless of their CAD line type. This cannot be resolved within the export process.

Yes, but with limitations. Standard hatches may not render correctly in Google Earth, particularly those with curved boundaries. The recommended approach is to convert the hatch to a mesh surface before exporting. See Case F for the full workaround.

This article explains how to troubleshoot KMZ and KML export issues from Plex-Earth to Google Earth, including models not showing up, appearing in the wrong location, floating above or sinking into the terrain, and Google Earth crashing. You may have searched for:

• KMZ exported from Plex-Earth not showing up in Google Earth
• Exported KMZ file is in the wrong location or misplaced in Google Earth
• My CAD model is floating above or buried under the ground in Google Earth
• KMZ export from AutoCAD looks wrong or distorted in Google Earth
• Google Earth crashes when opening a KMZ file exported from Plex-Earth
• KML export is missing objects or some elements are not showing
• How to export a 3D model from AutoCAD or Civil 3D to Google Earth