function getObjectCoordData(ge, kmlObject) {
    var out = {
        'coords': [],
        'altitudeMode': -1,
        'maxAltitude': -9999
    };

    function pushLatLngAlt(lat, lng, alt) {
        out.coords.push({
            lat: lat,
            lng: lng,
            alt: alt
        });

        out.maxAltitude = Math.max(out.maxAltitude, alt);
    }

    function pushCoord(pointOrCoord) {
        pushLatLngAlt(pointOrCoord.getLatitude(), pointOrCoord.getLongitude(), pointOrCoord.getAltitude());
    }

    function pushChildCall(retval, altitudeMode) {
        out.coords = out.coords.concat(retval.coords);
        out.maxAltitude = Math.max(out.maxAltitude, retval.maxAltitude);

        // stop at first altitudeMode, so if it's already set, don't update it
        if (out.altitudeMode == -1)
            out.altitudeMode = retval.altitudeMode;
    }

    // extract the points from the given object
    if (kmlObject && 'getType' in kmlObject) {
        if (out.altitudeMode == -1 && 'getAltitudeMode' in kmlObject)
            out.altitudeMode = kmlObject.getAltitudeMode();

        switch (kmlObject.getType()) {
            // features   
            case 'KmlFolder':
            case 'KmlDocument':
                var children = kmlObject.getFeatures().getChildNodes();
                var numChildren = children.getLength();
                for (var i = 0; i < numChildren; i++)
                    pushChildCall(getObjectCoordData(ge, children.item(i)));
                break;

            case 'KmlPlacemark':
                if ('getGeometry' in kmlObject)
                    return getObjectCoordData(ge, kmlObject.getGeometry());
                break;

            case 'KmlGroundOverlay':
                var latLonBox = kmlObject.getLatLonBox();
                var alt = kmlObject.getAltitude();
                pushLatLngAlt(latLonBox.getNorth(), latLonBox.getEast(), alt);
                pushLatLngAlt(latLonBox.getNorth(), latLonBox.getWest(), alt);
                pushLatLngAlt(latLonBox.getSouth(), latLonBox.getEast(), alt);
                pushLatLngAlt(latLonBox.getSouth(), latLonBox.getWest(), alt);
                break;

            // geometries   
            case 'KmlMultiGeometry':
                var children = kmlObject.getGeometries().getChildNodes();
                var numChildren = children.getLength();
                for (var i = 0; i < numChildren; i++)
                    pushChildCall(getObjectCoordData(ge, children.item(i)));
                break;

            case 'KmlModel':
                pushCoord(kmlObject.getLocation());
                break;

            case 'KmlPolygon':
                pushChildCall(getObjectCoordData(ge, kmlObject.getOuterBoundary()));
                break;

            case 'KmlLinearRing':
            case 'KmlLineString':
                var coordsObj = kmlObject.getCoordinates();
                var n = coordsObj.getLength();
                for (var i = 0; i < n; i++)
                    pushCoord(coordsObj.get(i));
                break;

            case 'KmlCoord': // coordinates
            case 'KmlLocation': // models
            case 'KmlPoint': // points
                pushCoord(kmlObject);
                break;
        }
    }

    return out;
}

function computeFitLookAt(ge, obj, aspectRatio) {
    var DEGREES = Math.PI / 180;
    var EARTH_RADIUS = 6378137;

    var coordData = getObjectCoordData(ge, obj);

    if ('getAbstractView' in obj) {
        var la = obj.getAbstractView();
        if (la != null)
            return la;
    }

    if (coordData.coords.length) {
        // range calculation -- the hard part
        var center = null;
        var range = 0.0;
        if (coordData.coords.length == 1) {
            center = new google.maps.LatLng(coordData.coords[0].lat, coordData.coords[0].lng);
            range = 1000;
        } else {
            // compute bbox
            var bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds();
            for (var i = 0; i < coordData.coords.length; i++)
                bounds.extend(new google.maps.LatLng(coordData.coords[i].lat, coordData.coords[i].lng));

            // find center
            center = bounds.getCenter();
            var sw = bounds.getSouthWest();
            var ne = bounds.getNorthEast();

            var lngSpan = new google.maps.LatLng(center.lat(), sw.lng()).
        distanceFrom(new google.maps.LatLng(center.lat(), ne.lng()));
            var latSpan = new google.maps.LatLng(sw.lat(), center.lng()).
        distanceFrom(new google.maps.LatLng(ne.lat(), center.lng()));

            if (!aspectRatio)
                aspectRatio = 1.0;

            var PAD_FACTOR = 1.5; // add 50% to the computed range for padding
            var beta;

            var aspectUse = Math.max(aspectRatio, Math.min(1.0, lngSpan / latSpan));
            var alpha = (45.0 / (aspectUse + 0.4) - 2.0) * DEGREES; // computed experimentally;

            // create LookAt using distance formula
            if (lngSpan > latSpan) {
                // polygon is wide
                beta = Math.min(90 * DEGREES, alpha + lngSpan / 2 / EARTH_RADIUS);
            } else {
                // polygon is taller
                beta = Math.min(90 * DEGREES, alpha + latSpan / 2 / EARTH_RADIUS);
            }

            range = PAD_FACTOR * EARTH_RADIUS * (Math.sin(beta) *
        Math.sqrt(1 / Math.pow(Math.tan(alpha), 2) + 1) - 1);
        }

        var la = ge.createLookAt('');
        la.set(center.lat(), center.lng(), coordData.maxAltitude, coordData.altitudeMode, 0, 0, range);
        return la;
    }

    return null;
}