Google Earth Tips

TBC Work Processes (Info Only) Images and Google Earth Work Processes
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In this post we will capture tips that you may find helpful on using Google Earth

Tree Canopy Removal

In Google Earth if you have a lot of tree areas on your project, if you turn off the 3D Buildings layer the trees also will disappear making your Cut Fill Maps easier to see over the entire area of your project.

Clamp to Ground vs Absolute

If you publish data in 3D as “Absolute” you can see the Fill Areas in Google Earth but not the Cut Areas - if when you export the data you apply a Google Earth Offset of say 25’ then the site will be raised above the Google Earth Ground Surface so that you can see it in context, just not at the correct elevation - this when combined with a CF Map that is draped over the surface in Google earth can provide a great way to visualize the project data

Clamp to Ground basically drapes the image or CAD objects over the Google Earth Terrain Surface

Absolute creates the linework etc. in 3D at its true elevation, note however that some will be above Google Earth Terrain (Fill) and some will be below Google Earth Terrain (Cut). I have not yet found a way to show Cut areas effectively at Design Elevation in Google Earth - if anyone has any tips on that please let us know.

2 Likes
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Wait, are cut/fill maps exportable to GE on the latest TBC version?
Or is it still just image export from TBC?

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It is still an image - what would you prefer it to be?

Alan

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image is fine. from what I know you can not export the surface to GE. Or has something changed in the latest TBC version? beside the usual plot Capture Image.

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Google Earth does not support surface models however it does support collada files which are solid models from eg Sketchup or Autocad etc. It is possible that a surface tin could be exported as a collada file and loaded into GE. In terms of shading - collada files provide the ability to apply textures for 3D rendering and i think that also includes the ability to drape an image over the 3D model - so maybe a CF Map can be presented as a collada model in 3D in GE.

I am currently not sure if a collada model displaces the GE model where it is placed - if it does then you would be able to see cuts and fills in 3D

Alan