Google has released 3D Warehouse Network Link, a file that connects Google Earth to the content of the Google SketchUp 3D Warehouse. This new link makes it easier to share models created in Google SketchUp in Google Earth, if the creator of the model is willing to post it to Google's 3D Warehouse. The link eliminates the need to send a KML file to every person who needs to view the model, or to post it for download elsewhere on the web. There' s a Flash-based demonstration on the 3D Warehouse page showing the link in use.
When a Google Earth user downloads the link (a file in GE's KMZ format) and opens Google Earth, special house-shaped markers appear at every location associated with a 3D model in the warehouse. A single blue house identifies a single model; a set of multi-color houses indicate more than one model is available for the location. When the user clicks on a blue house marker, a balloon displays with information about the model, a thumbnail of it, and links for downloading the model to either Google Earth or Google SketchUp. A "model complexity indicator" in the balloon gives a relative indication of the size of the model, based on the number of polygons. A large number of polygons, indicated by "Heavy" on the complexity scale, will put considerable demands on your computer's resources and may cause Google Earth to run more slowly while the model is displayed (results vary based on the user's hardware).
The 3D Warehouse Network Link is a "Places" layer in Google Earth. When a user first downloads the link, it is stored in the "Temporary Places" folder, as a folder named "3D Warehouse." To continue using the 3D Warehouse Network Link after the initial session, drag the 3D Warehouse folder from the "Temporary Places" folder to the "My Places" folder.
--RSN