AutoCAD-AutoDeskGoogle earth / mapsManifold GIS

Importing a Google Earth Image with AutoCAD

Before we saw how to do it with manifold, ArcGIS, and well we were surprised that with the popularity of AutoCAD did not reach a good negotiation with Google to do it too. Let's see the good, the bad and the ugly of this negotiation:

... THE GOOD ... is easy enough

Choose the deployment in Google Earth

For this, what you have to do is have Google Earth open, deactivate the terrain layer, the north compass and the orthogonal view. It must be remembered that the better approach we have, we will be able to obtain better resolution but it is also true that a greater number of mosaic images will be necessary.

Google earth autocad

Importing the image from AutoCAD

Being in AutoCAD, you should not minimize the window of GoogleEarth, nor close it but keep the view maximized because what the program does is capture the stream In use.

imageThen in AutoCAD we use the icon indicated on the right, or we activate it through the “importgeimage” command bar

If you have AutoCAD Map3D or AutoCAD Civil 3D, the image will be geo-referenced between the coordinates of the Google Earth box (as long as a projection system is defined for the drawing in use)

If you do not have any of the two previous programs, but only AutoCAD, or Architectural, the option will be activated to indicate the two corners of the image and the rotation angle as if we were using the raster manager. So in advance it is appropriate to have the corners of the quadrant indicated as shown above in a post of georeferencing of images from Google Earth to the evil.

Installing the extension

To install this application Should be downloaded from the AutoDesk labs page, in the same compressed file comes a version for AutoCAD 2007, although this one only serves to publish kml models from AutoCAD to Google Earth.

Once the file is unzipped, it runs and you must choose the AutoCAD installation path where you want the add-on to be installed, if you have more than one program, you must install each one.

… THE BAD …

Although it is a process authorized by Google Earh, the image is in grayscale and not in color, by Google provisions. Although there will be those who manage like this As in the case Of the 3D mesh licking it as material.

Then this imported image is stored in the same folder where the dwg file is stored, with extension .jpg and taking the first letters of the name of the vector file ... although it is a jpg with georeference properties.

The pixel size is the resolution of the displayed screen, so the closer the capture is, the smaller pixel sizes will be found because the file only recognizes the coordinates of the frame and stretches to that dimension.

Google earth autocad gray scale

The ugly

  • It is a laboratory tool, AutoDesk does not assure if including it in the next version will be free ... we hope so
  • Because it is a laboratory version, it is offered “as is”, but well, AutoCAD has always been like this and in the case of Google, everything has been Beta.
  • This tool only works with 2008 versions, both AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architectural, AutoCAD Civil 3D and AutoCAD Map 3D.
  • It only works with a license Google Earth Pro, Apparently, so either you loose $ 400 worth that license or you patches the eye.

... Anyway, it seems that I will prefer to continue doing it with manifold, Because it only cost me $ 245 that I paid.

…upgrade. AutoDesk included this tool as of AutoCAD 2009, I made the update Of the new version for download, so it already brings it included as Shown in this post.

Another tool that does this, and that surpasses it because the image comes in color, with greater precision and in mosaic, En Plex.Earth

Golgi Alvarez

Writer, researcher, specialist in Land Management Models. He has participated in the conceptualization and implementation of models such as: National Property Administration System SINAP in Honduras, Management Model of Joint Municipalities in Honduras, Integrated Cadastre-Registry Management Model in Nicaragua, Territory Administration System SAT in Colombia . Editor of the Geofumadas knowledge blog since 2007 and creator of the AulaGEO Academy that includes more than 100 courses on GIS - CAD - BIM - Digital Twins topics.

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16 Comments

  1. I think there is also an interesting one for the 3d madca bus, and I need the autocad 3d manual in english thanks

  2. What happens is that it does not work, because each capture has a slight twist, which Google Earth causes to prevent you from joining a mosaic armed with small screenshots.
    Additionally, if you have activated the 3D model you will have more deformations.

  3. I save several google mosaics on the hard disk and then insert them into autocad to obtain a map with better resolution; but when I'm going to paste the tiles I notice that there is distortion.
    In one area of ​​the mosaic squares well but at the other end does not fit.
    I pass it to autocad using raster image reference and in the window I get disabled scale / ok.

  4. Using the application:

    1) Screeny for the MAC you can catch everything that happens on your screen
    2) Camtasia for MAC performs same as Screeny
    And with this video of your trip .. you can insert it in your PPT

  5. I'm doing a power point presentation and I need to locate a certain province, I would like to zoom in and record it with the camera through Google Earth and then import it into the power point, can someone tell me how to do it?
    Thank you very much.

  6. I would like to know how I can import a video (which is recorded as a trip with the camera available to the program) from google earth to power point.
    Thanks in advance.

  7. I did not run the Importgeimage command, despite following the instructions

  8. when inserting a scanned image presents distortion in X or Y, does anyone know how to correct the distortion in each axis, hopefully in autocad?

  9. Yes, esque in the version 2008 already comes integrated

  10. I have AutoCad C3D 2008 I cannot import with the command you say…But I found that I can import the surface without the image with the “importgesurface” command

  11. I would like to know more to work with Autodesk Land Desktop

  12. I tried an interesting tool (Google Map Downloader) to capture the Google Maps png.
    The free version zooms to the 13 zoom.
    It also allows you to join all png.
    Then with Quantum GIS and the report georeferences down the corners (eye with the projections) and use it base in your GIS.
    Greetings to you

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