Use thumbnail previews to save memory in Google Earth

scripts/photo_to_kml.py

@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def get_lat_lon(exif_data):
     return lat, lon
 
 
-def export_kml_file(dirname, fnames, kml_name):
+def export_kml_file(dirname, fnames, dirname_thumbs, kml_name):
     """
     Create the kml document
     """
@@ -96,23 +96,32 @@ def export_kml_file(dirname, fnames, kml_name):
     for fname in fnames:
         print('Reading {}...'.format(fname))
         with Image.open(os.path.join(dirname, fname)) as image:
+            # Get EXIF tags
             exif_data = get_exif_data(image)
 
+            # Save thumbnail
+            image.thumbnail((128, 128))
+            image.save(os.path.join(dirname_thumbs, fname), 'jpeg')
+
         lat, lon = get_lat_lon(exif_data)
         pnt = kml.newpoint(name=fname)
         pnt.coords = [(lon, lat)]
 
-        # Add content to popup window
+        # Add popup window with full-size image
         pnt.description = (
             '<![CDATA[ <img src="{}"" height="500px" />]]>'.format(
                 os.path.join(dirname, fname)))
+
+        # Show groups of photos as camera icon
         pnt.stylemap.normalstyle.iconstyle.scale = 1
         pnt.stylemap.normalstyle.iconstyle.icon.href = (
             'http://maps.google.com/'
             'mapfiles/kml/shapes/camera.png')
-        pnt.stylemap.highlightstyle.iconstyle.scale = 2
+
+        # Show placemark as image thumbnail
+        pnt.stylemap.highlightstyle.iconstyle.scale = 3
         pnt.stylemap.highlightstyle.iconstyle.icon.href = os.path.join(
-            dirname, fname)
+            dirname_thumbs, fname)
 
     kml.save(kml_name)
 
@@ -131,9 +140,16 @@ def main():
         if os.path.splitext(f)[-1].lower() in ext
     ]
 
+    # Create thumbnails folder
+    dirname_thumbs = dirname + '-thumbs'
+    try:
+        os.mkdir(dirname_thumbs)
+    except FileExistsError:
+        pass
+
     # Create kml file
     kml_name = dirname + '.kml'
-    export_kml_file(dirname, fnames, kml_name)
+    export_kml_file(dirname, fnames, dirname_thumbs, kml_name)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':