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How can I play with Google Earth?


Just A CAD Guy

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Glad to see everyone has calmed down on this thread,and focusing an interesting but tricky problem.

 

I think it will be a struggle as it will require cacheing as you know autocad prefers polygons/vectors not bitmapped or other graphic info.

 

Good luck

 

Nick

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You probably(?) know this but

"it's getting an image that encompasses a large area while simultaneously retaining desired resolution-"

 

High Resolution + Large Area=Humongous File Size=Very Slow Responding Drawing

 

Correct. Either:

1) I'm going to strip the layers to show only what I need to do my linework or

2) Based on file size limitation and drawing response time, I'll have to conform to whatever "that" area is, and break it into individual drawings for exactly the reason you mentioned.

3) I guess ultimately, I need to decide on max area size.

 

any thoughts?

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Glad to see everyone has calmed down on this thread

 

...the starbucks wore off

 

"Engineers are machines that turn coffee into solutions"

 

Right?

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"Engineers are machines that turn coffee into solutions"

 

*rotfl* haven't heard that one before, but true.. so true..8)

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Quick update:

 

The IT guy's initial attempt at installing the utility failed, and I had no idea things were this complex: Because of licensing, and the high number of multi-professionals I work with, access to AutoCAD 2007 is restricted through network permissions (obviously). Turns out, it took 6 months (working with Autodesk representatives), to image a disc to our specs, and what that boils down to: the application is installed on like 3 different drives: part of the program runs off my c:, part off a network drive f:...you get the idea. He tried installing it in all 3 places, and every time, AutoCAD failed to recognize the command IMPORTGEMESH (which automatically imports layered info from whatever area is shown in Google Earth-including terrain). Further, the utility isn't even a beta, it's an alpha (so downloader’s be very weary about how you approach...I said earlier, they made me sign a waiver, and also recommended not working on 'mission critical projects'). He said he was going to email some peeps and see if he could figure it out...so I'm in a standby pattern at work.

 

However, things aren't THAT complicated at my house, I just have to get a demo version of 07 or 08 (only compatible versions) installed on my machine and give it a go myself.

 

Within the next few days, I'll post either a screenshot or the dwg file where I went into Google Maps, zoomed into 50 scale (100 wasn't good enough for what I needed), and took a series of screenshots at that scale until my desired area was covered (3.1 miles required 35 screenshots). I took a screenshot (it shows the scale in the image), pasted it into paint, and cropped out the image. I saved it and imported into CAD via raster. Since it showed the scale (1"=50), I divided 50 by whatever AutoCAD determined the 1" to measure, got the scale factor, and scaled it. I did this to each image. During the screenshot process, I was careful to maintain visual match object from shot to shot (typically a car or van-I was piecing together a highway), so after scaling them all up, and stitching them together, I was quite impressed. Actually, earlier, I had pieced together the geometry of the baseline in a different drawing, and I thought to myself "How accurate is this?” So I brought in the baseline and rotated it in, to match the map, and I almost shit...this was like 2 weeks ago.

 

What I'm working on now is totally different: it's massive...like...4000 lane miles...so, I'm trying to get similar results in a fraction of the time (could you imagine?)

 

This is gonna be the last time I mention it because I think we're all past it, but I apologize for my attitude in the beginning: I realize we're on the verge of something that is happening NOW, and, I didn't know that when I first posted...so in my ignorance, I DID think the answer was going to come at "the snap of a finger". I'm glad it didn't. I'm glad that those interested will be able to take part in a learning experience, and I look forward to being a part of it.

 

I'm heading out, and I'll get that dwg of the highway with the geometry up in the next few days...until then, it's a race between me and the IT guy to get this utility installed and recognized at the command prompt. If you have any questions ASK: 2 months ago, I gave a seminar to about 60 construction engineers (my peers), on the various ways AutoCAD can: save them time, and increase accuracy…so, I AM genuinely concerned about increasing knowledge, and I've much to learn myself.

 

Enjoy the weekend All-

Adam

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Wow....

 

Adam, this sounds really interesting! I had a class in NZ a year ago where we first made a 3D-model of a house, a museum actullay and then as an optional extra placed the museum on it's correct coordinates using Google Earth... have no real idea how this was suppose to work ( I got so stuck in modelling a teeny tiny brace that kept the museum's shells together that I never finished the project - how I passed I will never know....) but it made me start playing with Google Earth and I love it!

 

I don't think I have quite grasped what the final goal is though...You mentioned a study in the beginning - is it top secret stuff or are you free to share?

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Oh yeah (just because I feel a need to shine at bit :P ) this is the Tjibaou Cultural Center - I'll see if I can't find a picture or two of the braces that I got stuck on later...)

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Guest Alan Cullen

Thank you, Tiger.......now we know that you single handedly diverted the attention of the entire Kiwi nation to your plight........that explains why they are still having trouble engaging us at sport.......:shock:

 

OOOOOHHHHHH...look.......a SMILIE.........8) (gotta remain kool)......o:)

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I don't think I have quite grasped what the final goal is though...You mentioned a study in the beginning - is it top secret stuff or are you free to share?

The linework I'm going to draw will represent the area of a route along a segment of highway. Over time, the lengths of these routes change (and we always need to know the exact length). When the routes need to be quantified, the approach has been to start over for the entire calculation (which is insane because very little changes, but it's enough to require re-quantification). I want to create a dwg that will show the area of these routes, and dynamically link the lengths to a spreadsheet. Then, in the future, if a route changes, the polylines in the drawing we have to be modified slightly with the changes updating "live" in the spreadsheet.

I'm of the belief that the investment (of time) in this endeavor now will save time in the future.

I'm trying to end a redundant way of doing something that has wasted valuable time for years.

Regards-

A-

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Aha... now it's clear what you're trying to do - and it does sound like a good idea!

 

That's usually how it is though.. if you spend a bit more time right now, you'll save time in the future - the problem is always to get someone to pay for the time you are spending right now...

 

And Alan - the Kiwis will always kick the Kangaroos bee-hind in any sport!! but talking about that - on the train home the other day, guess what the guy opposiste me was wearing? A Aussie Rugby shirt!!! :D

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Guest Alan Cullen

Just A CAD Guy........

 

At this point.......I WILL start to get serious....DO NOT use google earth to get a definitive representation of a terrain model.....you will end up in more shit than Flash Gordan.......Google Earth is new technology.......if you try to use it for definitive answers at the moment....you will suffer.......

 

We have used it in Queensland........and when we try to apply Google Earth to the deck.....nothing makes sense........the photography is not current, vertical interpretation leaves a lot to be desired......basically....use at your own peril.......

 

You have been warned..........8)

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........the photography is not current,

Outside my flat is the car I had before the car I had before the van - so certainly not current! And my parents house fills about 1/4 of a pixel - they are in an area not well represented.

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Just A CAD Guy........

 

At this point.......I WILL start to get serious....DO NOT use google earth to get a definitive representation of a terrain model.....you will end up in more shit than Flash Gordan.......Google Earth is new technology.......if you try to use it for definitive answers at the moment....you will suffer.......

 

We have used it in Queensland........and when we try to apply Google Earth to the deck.....nothing makes sense........the photography is not current, vertical interpretation leaves a lot to be desired......basically....use at your own peril.......

 

You have been warned..........8)

 

Received...and I appreciate the input. However, most U.S. Highways were built in the 1960's, so for what I'm doing, the imagery is accurate, even though it's a few years old.

 

The importing of terrain is not required for what I'm doing, although I'd like to run a check to see how viable/accurate it is.

 

I don't plan on using the image for design, just to draw perimeters, and for what I'm doing, the imagery (at a specified scale), is adequate.

 

I may have to alter my approach based on the limitations of the utility, but you see what I'm trying to do.

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Outside my flat is the car I had before the car I had before the van - so certainly not current! And my parents house fills about 1/4 of a pixel - they are in an area not well represented.

 

yeah an old fellow employee and i decided to check out his house (built as of 2003) and when we googled his address nothing came up but an early excavated area in prep. for the housing development.

 

but i'm dieing to check out what you come up with.

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  • 1 year later...

DEAR,

 

U can try immage connect plugin available with map2008 or u can use third party software like google map image downloader GMID3.2,

Using this your tradeoff is removed

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  • 7 years later...

These links are useful informations I wanted to share, I could not find more recent links, someone may need them to be helped, thare is no reason to be offensive.

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And there is no reason to be pulling up old threads just to post links. How many of these links did you check first? Is the information contained within each link still relevant?

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There are quite relevant of course.

And ok, cause I am new to the forum and unaware of the common procedure, I will post with most attention in the future.

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