Shape2ge is a software tool that effectively converts ESRI shapefiles to KML files that are compatible with Google Earth.
The shape2ge-engine.py is responsible for the actual conversion process and is able to convert sets of shapefiles in a batch. The engine reads conversion options from an XML config file that is generated by shape2ge-frontend.py or other methods.
On the other hand, shape2ge-frontend.py is a command-line-based frontend that allows you to generate conversion options for the engine. The frontend is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to set scales and offsets as well as to assign different display styles to various feature types.
Compared to similar software in the market, such as "Shape2Earth" and "shp2kml," shape2ge stands apart because of its ability to script or batch well. Shape2Earth has a nice GUI with many options while shp2kml is also available. However, the problem with these alternatives is that they are not suitable for scripting or batching.
Using shape2ge, it is possible to generate one config file for a whole class of shapefiles and then to convert all the shapefiles in a script using the same config file. This means that you can batch convert large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. For instance, you can convert ~3000 shapefiles containing 20m contour data for South Africa by generating one config file for the whole set and then batch converting the entire lot with the help of bash.
Overall, shape2ge is a great software for anyone who needs to convert shapefiles into Google Earth KML files. Its powerful engine and user-friendly frontend make it easy to use and highly efficient.
Version 0.1: N/A