How to match a big horizontal building to GE´s terrain?

twharvey

Why not use the Sandbox tools in SU to build up the terrain to fit the bottom of the model. From the screen shot you sent, it looks like this wouldn't be too hard to do.

If you downloaded the color version of the scene from GE, you can use this to paint the new terrain to exactly match the GE image.

I find that I often have to do this to get the models to look right. The downside is that Sandbox creates a lot of faces. So, make it pretty simple to begin with. You can also delete parts of the Sandbox terrain that are covered by the bulding itself to save faces. You do this by editing the Sandbox group.

If you post the .skp file, I'd be happy to have a look at it.

Tom

twharvey

OK, I found the model and I've downloaded it. I'll see what I can do.

tom

twharvey

Here's one with the Sandbox terrain under it. The only thing needed is the color photo of the ground from GE instead of the B&W that I used.

Tom

mercadopublicov6a.skp

Gaieus

Hi AH,

In this topic it's detailed quite excessively how you can "grab" the colour image and project it onto the B&W terrain. Using the sandbox tools to (as slightly as possible) modify the terrain then applying the colour image on the modified terrain is definitely the way to go.

Google even accepts this "trick" (and it's quite broadly applied) in case it is obviously impossible to model something on the GE terrain properly. They only insist on that "as slight modification as possible" condition.

AcesHigh

Thanks for the help guys. I will report on my progress later.

In the meantime, get to know Porto Alegre. We will be hosting some 2014 World Cup matches. Who knows if till 2014 you guys wont have the money to attend some matches in a World Cup in another country?

@TWHarvey: thats pro, man...

Can you guys clear me a doubt? When I import terrain from GoogleEarth... and then I upload the model to 3DWarehouse and its approved to the 3DBuildings Layer... the terrain thats inside the model WONT show up right (the layers created in the terrain importing process maybe automattically disappear)? Or does Google itself removes it?

What I mean is... the colored modified terrain, like the one TWHarvey created, THAT terrain will 100% surely appear on GoogleEarth in case the model is approved?

Gaieus

You first need to unlock that terrain then edit it and all. In order to really make sure it shows up and get rid of your doubts, you can even copy an instance of the original terrain and paste it into place and work on that. You can (and should of course) chop every part which will be invisible (under the original GE terrain) of it off so that it's small and obvious for the Google team that you are not building a hole neighbourhood

AcesHigh

Ok, some doubts. In Harvey´s terrain editing, did he made a copy of the "GoogleEarth Terrain" or the "GoogleEarth Snapshot"?

I mean, if you make a copy of the GoogleEarth terrain, it makes difficult to delete a square out of it, even with TOOLS ON SURFACE PLUGIN, doesnt it?

GoogleEarth snapshot on the other hand would need to be transformed into a sandbox face before editing...

Or is it easier to just create a sandbox out of scratch and apply texture to it???

And from this comes my 2nd question... I just tried following Gaieus steps on the other topic. I then applied the color texture over the previously B&W Snapshot. Problem is, the new color texture is slightly out of place! While you can position it, I guess that exporting it back to GE, a millimiter difference in the texture positioning will create a break in the pattern!

Btw, I am trying to position the texture over the GE Snapshot and for some weird reason, I dont see the pins! When I try to editing other faces in the model, I can see the pins. Only in the snapshot I dont see pins when positioning the texture!

EDIT: actually, I found the pins. Noticed the pins are a few kilometers away... the GE color texture is repeated a dozen times in each direction before I can see the pins.

AcesHigh

bah... Im ripping my hair off here...

ok, so I was able to correctly paint in color the GoogleEarth Snapshot.

But for some reason, the GoogleEarth Terrain got all black (in fact, same thing happened with the Snapshot, but I solved it by resetting the texture). Problem is, in the Terrain, because its not one but several faces (sandbox) I cant edit the texture! There is no TEXTURE option when right-clicking! And if I apply the texture again, it gets like this

and when it gets like that, I also cant get it right because there is no right button texture menu...

Gaieus

So when you painted the colour image on the snapshot (or actually, you shouldn't have painted it on the snapshot but reload the B&W image with the colour one) have you changed it to "Projected"? You have to go through these steps:

reload the image
unlock snapshot (best to unlock terrain the same time)
edit snapshot group
right click > Texture > Projected
sample image
edit terrain group and paint it with the projected image.
Or you can simply
reload image
unlock terrain
edit terrain group
turn hidden geometry on (view menu)
right click on a (revelaed) facet on the terrain and
project the texture (like abopve) because NOW it will let you
modify the terrain as you wish (I'd simply use the stamp tool from the sandbox for this in case of a rectangular building)

twharvey

Ace,

When you upload your model to 3DW, include your new bit of Sandbox terrain. When you look at it in GE, you'll see that it all matches up and that the colors are correct.

Here's what I would do with you model:

Copy the building model.
Open a new SU page.
Go to GE and get as close to the same scene that you had before as possible.
Now here's the trick - In GE, click File>Save>Save Image. This will give you a color image of the scene in GE.
With GE still open DON'T MOVE THE SCENE AT ALL! Open the SU window and click Tools>Google Earth>Get Current View.
Now you have the GE Terrain and the Snapshot in the Layers menu. Paste you building model on the new terrain and use the Move and scale tools to get it exectly matched the new terrain. It shouldn't take very much adjustment as you tried to match you original GE view in Step 3. above.
Save this model with a new name.
Open the Snapshot from the layers menu and unlock it (right click>Unlock.)
Right Click on the Snapshot group and click Edit Group to edit it.
Use the Select tool to highlight the face of the Sanpshot. Then click File>Import and select your saved image from Step 4. above and apply it to the B&W Snapshot.
Right click the image and click Texture>Position. Move each of the four pins to the corners of the Snapshot so that the color image precisely fits the whole image.
Now you close the Snapshot group and save the whole thing.
With the Terrain layer turned on, select the Group of your building and move it vertically so that the corner lowest in relation to the Terrain sits right on the Terrain and the other three corners float above it.
Now use the Sandbox tools to build the new terrain flush with the bottom of the building and the edges just under the surface of the original Terrain.
Use the Soften/Smooth Edges tool on the new terrain group.
Open the Sanpshot layer and use the Paint tool to sample the Color snapshot.
Still with the Paint tool, right click the new terrain group and click Edit Group. Click once on the new terrain group with the Paint tool and the color image should now be on the new terrain and, if you've been careful, it should match up with the original GE Terrain.
When you open the moldel in GE, the terrain is in color so your built terrain will match.

Hope this helps,
Tom

twharvey

Ace,

In step 16. in my answer, to sample an image, hold the Alt key with the Paint tool and click on the image to be sampled.

Tom

AcesHigh

thanks a lot. It did indeed help.

And I was able to export it to 3D Warehouse
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=47ffbeb07e53366bc5a01de21a4c6d88&ct=mdsa

to my dismay, while uploading from the browser only allowed KMZ files to be uploaded, now exporting through Sketchup, only Skp6 and Skp7 file formats were exported. And I dont even see the option to include the model for review for GoogleEarth 3D Layer, while when uploading from the browser in KMZ format, that option was present...

Gaieus

If your file is properly geolocated (either from SU 6 or 7), the upload process will automatically create the kmz file and all the related checkboxes and info fields appear. There must be something wrong with geolocation if they don't.

AcesHigh

@gaieus said:

If your file is properly geolocated (either from SU 6 or 7), the upload process will automatically create the kmz file and all the related checkboxes and info fields appear. There must be something wrong with geolocation if they don't.

the geolocation is correct. If I export from Skp to GE (place model) it appears in the correct location in the world. But checkout my Mercado Público link... there is no KMZ there, only the two skp files...

tested uploading it again... still no luck, in the upload window there is no option to say the model "is real" and show be put to review...

twharvey

Ace,

I downloaded the model from 3DW.

First, there is no Terrain or Snapshot layer in the model. So, it won't be geo-located when you upload it to 3DW. You have to keep the Terrain layer in the model even though it doesn't show in 3DW.

Second, uncheck the edges. You only need them when you're building the model. They look strange when viewing the finished model. Click View>Edge Style and remove the check mark next to Display Edges.

Third,Use the Soften/Smoothe Edges tool on the new terrain group. Right click the group, the chose Soften/Smooth Edges from the context menu. Check the box for Soften Coplaner and set the slider at something over 130 Degrees.

Fourth, go to 3DW and delete the model. Now with the terrain layer in the model, export it again to 3DW.

That should do it. Nice building, by the way. Porto Alegre looks like a niice town.

Tom

AcesHigh

Sorry Tom, no luck. In fact, I had already added the terrain layer and tried uploading it again. Only difference was that I had not deleted the other model from 3D Warehouse before. Now I did it exactly like you said, deleting the model first, then uploading the model with the Terrain Layer... but as I said, no luck. Still no option to say the building is real and correctly geolocated, still no KMZ being created by 3D Warehouse

Gaieus

Can you paste the URL of the new one? (The old obviously doesn't work any more)

twharvey

Hi,

OK, here's what I did: I downloaded you latest model from 3DW. Then I went into the Model Info window and chose the Location page. I checked the box "Use Georeferencing". Then I uploaded the model to 3DW at http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=7c2cdad3f08176b63b1f82950a151c08
It looks like it worked because it shows correctly on the Map option in 3DW.

I called it Temp and I'll leave it up for a couple of days then I'll delete it from 3DW

tom