Google Earth in MicroStation

Wouldn't it be sweet if you could attach live Google Earth imagery into your DGN like a reference file? Clip-able, Scalable, Printable.

Maybe tell the guys at Google that I will actually by google earth pro for this functionality?

thanks

t.

Parents
  • Hello,
    please find attached some information on the latest Google Earth Tools in MicroStation CONNECT:
    www.bentley.com/.../Google+Earth+Tools

    Regards
    Derval.



  • Hello
    Yes that looks pretty cool. But it is mainly about 'publishing' or pushing Microsation content to Google Earth.
    But I agree with the OP, ..... what we really want is the other way around, to have Google Earth, 'running in the background' so to speak, whilst modelling in MIcrostation/AECOSim

    Regards

    Danny Cooley

    Freelance AEC CAD/BIM Technician Architecture, MEP & Structural  ..... (& ex Low Carbon Consultant, ..... because they weren't that bothered!)

    OBD Update 10, Windows 10 Pro, HP Z4-G4, 64Gb, Xeon 3.6GHz, Quadro M4000

  • Hi.

    Just checked the Microstation CONNECT capabilities:

    1. In Google Earth, define points that you can match to your design later
    2. Save the points/places as a .kmz file
    3. In Microstation, choose your correct Coordinate System (under Utilities --> Geographic)
    4. Open 'Define Placemark Monument' tool (Utilities --> Geographic) and browse for the .kmz file
    5. Match the 'Active Placemarks' from the .kmz file to the corresponding points on the design
    6. Zoom to the perspective you desire in the design
    7. Select 'Synchronize Google Earth View'
    8. Ensure the view and perspective is correct in Google Earth
    9. Back in Microstation, select 'Capture Google Earth Image' (Utilities --> Geographic)
    10. It should add an image to the design with the size and perspective of Google Earth, but correct to the given points
    11. Display the image by changing the Display Style to something other than Wireframe

    Unfortunately it's not live, it's not in colour and it seems the resolution is fixed. Would be nice to be 'live' when zooming, and in colour.

    Either way, we've used it to add some Google Earth maps as background to our designs, so hope it helps.

    Regards

    Loftey

  • The additional Red instructions below explain how to replace the B/W image with the full color image at highest resolution available from Google Earth.

    1. In Google Earth, define points that you can match to your design later
    2. Save the points/places as a .kmz file
    3. In MicroStation, choose your correct Coordinate System (under Utilities --> Geographic)
    4. Open 'Define Placemark Monument' tool (Utilities --> Geographic) and browse for the .kmz file
    5. Match the 'Active Placemarks' from the .kmz file to the corresponding points on the design
    6. Zoom to the perspective you desire in the design
      1. In Google Earth Pro go to File>Save>Save Image. This opens the settings for saving the current Google image, at the top of the Google Earth view.
      2. Set the Map Options and Resolution as you wish, but do not close the settings, as that will change the aspect ratio of the Google Earth view window. 
    7. Select 'Synchronize Google Earth View'
    8. Ensure the view and perspective is correct in Google Earth
    9. Back in MicroStation, select 'Capture Google Earth Image' (Utilities --> Geographic)
    10. It should add an image to the design with the size and perspective of Google Earth, but correct to the given points
    11. Display the image by changing the Display Style to something other than Wireframe
      1. Now go back to Google Earth and without manipulating the view, Click on the Save Image... button at the top of the view to save the current view in color.
      2. In MicroStation, to swap the color image for the B/W image, keyin "material attribute show" and click on the mesh to query the material.
      3. In the Tool Settings dialog double-click on the material preview to edit the material.
      4. In the Material Editor click on the Pattern Map icon to open the Map editor
      5. Click on the magnifying glass to browse to the color image you saved from Google Earth.

    Now update the view window to see the new color image on the mesh. 

    HTH,

    Ron

  • That's a lot of work to get a picture into a file. Why not just screenshot it and attach as a raster?
  • A screenshot doesn't contain any geospatial information and is limited to the current screen resolution.

    Capturing the terrain from Google Earth attaches the mesh in the correct geographic location along with the b/w raster image. The raster image is applied as a material to the mesh and doesn't actually contain any geospatial information itself, so the mesh is needed for location purposes. Once you've captured the terrain if you follow the steps I outlined above you can replace the low-res b/w image with a higher resolution color image mapped to the mesh in it's correct geographic location.

    Due to the UV mapping involved in the material attachment to the mesh you can't just attach that same raster image through Raster Manager. It is distorted in the process of capturing it from Google Earth so that it maps correctly on the captured mesh.

    If you would rather have a geo-located raster reference of the captured Google imagery you can easily plot out the captured Google Earth terrain as a 2d pdf with georefencing enabled, and then attached the resulting geospatial PDF as a raster reference.

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  • A screenshot doesn't contain any geospatial information and is limited to the current screen resolution.

    Capturing the terrain from Google Earth attaches the mesh in the correct geographic location along with the b/w raster image. The raster image is applied as a material to the mesh and doesn't actually contain any geospatial information itself, so the mesh is needed for location purposes. Once you've captured the terrain if you follow the steps I outlined above you can replace the low-res b/w image with a higher resolution color image mapped to the mesh in it's correct geographic location.

    Due to the UV mapping involved in the material attachment to the mesh you can't just attach that same raster image through Raster Manager. It is distorted in the process of capturing it from Google Earth so that it maps correctly on the captured mesh.

    If you would rather have a geo-located raster reference of the captured Google imagery you can easily plot out the captured Google Earth terrain as a 2d pdf with georefencing enabled, and then attached the resulting geospatial PDF as a raster reference.

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