Google Earth icons suddenly replaced with dots

[Frank]

I'm using AQ v2.0.10 on a Samsung Galaxy S5 and just had an issue where KMZ files imported from Google Earth lost their icons, all of which were replaced with dots. In my current project I've tried both KML and KMZ with the same result. However, an older project I still have in AQ doesn't seem to have the issue and displays icons correctly.

With this current project I haven't performed just 1 import, but return to GE to make changes and export an updated KMZ file of the same name to import again in AQ. I've done this several times. And before importing the updated KMZ in AQ I delete the existing landmark by going to Landmarks / Displayed Landmarks, tap the 3dot menu and choose Delete Selected. But every time I deleted the landmark I get the following Error..... The requested action "onDeleteLandmark_UIT" failed.

In an effort to find out what was going on I went to my External SD card to see what's in the AQ folders located at root / storage / 4319-17E3 / Android / data / psyberia.alpinequest.full / files / landmarks / Imported landmarks. I found 15 .ldk files for my current project, apparently a file for each import, but each having a unique number in parenthesis. The same number of files were in the icons folder, but when I looked at a few they contained the correct GE icons.

In hindsight, I suspect that error is a reason for losing GE icons because I'm fairly sure icons displayed correctly after the very first import but were lost on subsequent imports once the first error occurred. I don't recall the things I tried after that, but at some point the icons started displaying correctly again. So in the interest of avoiding such issues in the future I have a few questions I hope you can answer.

1 - Would that error message be responsible for all the .ldk files? And if so, what should be done to clear up the duplicate files, and how should the error be handled should it appear again? I was going to manually delete all the .ldk files in both the landmarks & icons folders on the SD card but was't sure of the consequences.

2 - When importing newer versions of updated KMZ files, is it preferable to delete the existing landmark beforehand as mentioned above using the Delete Selected option, or is there a more suitable way?

I have a working knowledge of Windows PCs but am not very Android savvy. Any tips or tutorials you could point me to about understanding & working with AQ files would be much appreciated.

AQ is a great program BTW. It does everything I need and is very reliable in the field.

Thanks in advance.
Frank

[Frank]

The dots have returned a few days ago and now both projects are displaying dots instead of the GE icons.

I also now have over 40 ldk files in the above mentioned folders on the SD card, and am still get the error message when deleting the landmark.

I would sure appreciate some help getting to the bottom of this issue.

[Psyberia-Support]

Hi and sorry for the delay.
I'm currently investigating but there is definitely an issue with the current KML/KMZ import process.
A new version will be released in few days and I'll make sure this is fixed in it.
I'll give you an update soon, and also answer to your questions (but the app is responsible, not you),
Sorry for the disagreements,
Best regards

[Frank]

Thanks for your reply. I'll look for the new version as well as your update & answers.

[Psyberia-Support]

Hi again,
Can you confirm that you're currently using the beta version 2.1.0 and not the 2.0.1? (click on the main app menu button and check the version at the top of the sub-menu).

[Frank]

It is version v2.0.10
It's not the beta version.

[Psyberia-Support]

Hi again,

I haven't been able to reproduce this issue on both 2.0.9 and 2.0.10, all icons are correctly imported and still displayed after an upgrade from 2.0.9 to 2.0.10.
I very similar problem occurred in a beta version of 2.1.0, which has been fixed recently, that's why I thought you were using this version. Right now I've started the official release of 2.1.0, so you should see the update soon.

For your problem:
- Does it occur only on newly imported files or do files imported previously also have this problem?
- Are your icons included inside the .KMZ file or imported from online?
- After seing the error "onDeleteLandmark_UIT", could you make an error report from the app (main app menu -> More -> Report error) so I can check and fix this.

For your questions:

Would that error message be responsible for all the .ldk files?

I don't think that the error message you see is responsible (but to be sure I need to understand it).
Every time you import an external file, it's converted into an .ldk file (a format which is fast and flexible to use for the app). If a similar file (with the same name) has been previously imported, the app asks you if you want to re-use the .ldk file previously imported or import the file again into a new .ldk file. If you have made changes in the file to import, obviously you need to select "Import again". It will create a new .ldk file, with the same name but an increased number at the end of the file name so the previous file is not replaced. The same is done for the icons (if any), they are imported into the "[app folder]/icons/Imported/" folder, inside a new unique folder so icons from other imports with generic names like "icon1.jpg" are not replaced.

When importing newer versions of updated KMZ files, is it preferable to delete the existing landmark beforehand

You don't have to. As explained above, if you import a new copy of the same external file (here your KMZ file), the app will create and use another imported copy and leave the previously imported version un-modified. This is important so if you you have made changes in the previously imported version, those changes are not lost.
But if you don't need the previous version, then you are free to delete it (before or after importing the new copy). You can also delete it from the map by clicking on any displayed items from the .ldk file, then click on the .ldk file icon and select "Delete".

Hope it helps
Best regards

[Guest]

Thanks for your help. FYI The update to the official release of 2.1.0 has not yet happened, I'm still working with v2.0.10.

"For your problem:
- Does it occur only on newly imported files or do files imported previously also have this problem?"

It occurs after I import the newly updated .KMZ file. But once it occurs with that file, it seems to also occur with an older .KMZ file I've had on my device that previously worked fine. The older .KMZ file has been on my device since 2017 and never needed to be updated, and the very same 2017 file can display icons correctly or incorrectly. I hope that makes sense to you.


"- Are your icons included inside the .KMZ file or imported from online?"

They are all included inside the .KMZ file.


"- After seing the error "onDeleteLandmark_UIT", could you make an error report from the app (main app menu -> More -> Report error) so I can check and fix this."

Just now I got the error as expected and did send an error report. FYI under comments I entered "from Frank, see forum post". However, this time the icons displayed correctly, but on the older 2017 .KMZ file most icons display correctly but some are incorrect.


"You don't have to. As explained above, if you import a new copy of the same external file (here your KMZ file), the app will create and use another imported copy and leave the previously imported version un-modified. This is important so if you you have made changes in the previously imported version, those changes are not lost.
But if you don't need the previous version, then you are free to delete it (before or after importing the new copy). You can also delete it from the map by clicking on any displayed items from the .ldk file, then click on the .ldk file icon and select "Delete"."

Since I'm importing a newer version of the same file that supercedes all previous imports of the same file, I do not need or want to keep the older version of the same file. But due to the error I get upon deletion I suspect the older .ldk file is not being deleted. I now have more than 50 of them on my SD card in both the landmarks & icons folders. 8 are for the old 2017 .KMZ file, all the rest are for the current project I'm working on.

Can I safely delete all the .ldk files in those folders? Would doing so, and then importing the .KMZ files, be essentially be the same as starting over from scratch?

Best Regards,
Frank