IMPORTING A GOOGLE EARTH IMAGE

This tech tip tutorial explains how to import Google Earth images into AllyCAD.

Make sure Google Earth is installed on your computer. Google Earth is free software downloadable from https://www.google.com/earth/

Note - new version of Google Earth and errors

The latest version of Google Earth breaks the functionality of this tool - if you receive the error below when running the Google Earth Grid Tool you can follow these steps to fix this error (Otherwise proceed from the 'Basics' heading).

Run the Command Prompt in Windows with Administrative Rights (as a normal user you might need your IT department to assist with this).

With the command prompt open, go to the default Google Earth installation folder

Once in the default install folder, type in googleearth.exe /regserver and press enter (see the above screenshot for steps). The error should no longer appear.

Basics

Drawing must have the Coordinate System set to Survey by going to Settings > Drawing Settings and then tick Surveyor.
Click on Ok when done.

Open a well-coordinated survey drawing. If the coordinates are geographically wrong then Google Earth will not be able to position it correctly.

• In CAD mode go to Tools Menu > External Utilities and click on Google Earth.
• Click on OK

Google Earth starts and GE Snapshot pops up with info. Read and understand all information on dialog boxes.

Click OK on GESnapshot dialog In Google Earth, go to Tools menu > Options and set elevation Exaggeration to 0. It might revert back to 0.01. After you have made changes, click on OK.

Search or position Google Earth to the area of your drawing. In this case my area to search is Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa.

Zoom to an area that you want to capture image from.

In Google Earth snapshot, specify path where to save the image. Maximize the Google Earth before you capture the image. Click on OK to capture the image.

If you get error message, Camera must be directly over focus point (tilt=0) and facing North (Azimuth = 0).

Press N then R on Keyboard. (N stands for North and R stands for Rotate.) Click on OK

Repeat the process with Google Earth snapshot and you shouldn’t get the error message this time.

Click on OK dialog below to continue.

In Google Earth, go to File > Save > Save image and Overwrite the image you specified in the initial capture and click on OK

HOW TO LOAD THE IMAGE IN ALLYCAD.

Make sure the drawing is open in AllyCAD. Go to Insert Menu > Image and browse to open the saved GE image. Click on Open. The Image should load on correct position of a drawing since it has an associated georeferencing .jgw world file.
NB: The image will not automatically load if drawing is Cartesian (Settings > Drawing Settings) or you copy image from one folder to another and leave or delete world files.

You may save the drawing