Geolocation 3D toggle feature removed
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It's not gone for everywhere. 3D Terrain is available for the spot I chose at random.
As for your area, apparently Digital Globe doesn't offer 3D terrain data, at least yet.
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3D terrain should be available globally for SU 2017 pro users. Perhaps there is a bug or server problem? Can you tell me the coordinates of where you're looking at?
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Bryce, I was looking at Girdwood, AK when I found no 3D terrain. That's the location the OP says they're from in their profile.
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I have to apologize, I didn't realize there were limits to our terrain coverage. The data set we use is from satelites and only goes up to 60 deg north latitudes. We're working on finding a data set that will give us coverage above 60 deg north.
Bryce Stout
Product Manager SketchUp -
@pilou said:
You have a trick for resolve that big problem!
(extend text Show more under the video on the Youtube site !)
I wish this solution was a bit more precise. Handling those pins manually is just not good. -
Although it complicates workflow, apparently this program does the same that Sketchup used to do, possibly even better (bigger 3D mesh areas in the highest resolution without having to add multiple grabs)...
But it costs U$250 for the version which can grab terrain meshes. The plus version (which can grab 3D terrain meshes) can also create profiles from the terrain, cross sections and slope analysis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee48HS8EuVE
alternatively, it seems Archicad (and possibly Revit too?) also can import from Google Earth, both mesh and image, and then save as SKP.
you just need what? $15k?
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Providence RI not importing 3D terrain and the aerial imagery is total crap! This is hands down one of the biggest features for me to lose!
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@Valerostudio, where in Providence is the terrain data missing? I picked a couple of spots at random and they showed both the Location Snapshot layer and the Terrain layer.
It is indeed unfortunate that Google has changed things so that SketchUp can no longer legally use and cannot even buy the images and terrain we've been used to.
You should try out Placemaker but be aware, it also uses imagery from Digital Globe.
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@dave r said:
@Valerostudio, where in Providence is the terrain data missing? I picked a couple of spots at random and they showed both the Location Snapshot layer and the Terrain layer.
It turns out that it was importing terrain, I just didn't realize it because the grid is 10X larger than Google and is now complete GARBAGE. Trimble - if you are listening, call up the boys at Google and get this feature back... PLEASE!!!!
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@valerostudio said:
Trimble - if you are listening, call up the boys at Google and get this feature back... PLEASE!!!!
Don't hold your breath. It just isn't going to happen. Google have made it clear they aren't going to provide the service anymore at any price.
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Yeah this is total crap, my Sketchup maintenance fee this year will not be going to Trimble but towards whichever 3rd party gets me back decent terrain and image resolution.
Mike
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@alpro said:
Yeah this is total crap, my Sketchup maintenance fee this year will not be going to Trimble but towards whichever 3rd party gets me back decent terrain and image resolution.
Mike
What's the alternative, Mike?
This isn't the fault of Trimble. Do you honestly think they would change the supplier for terrain and terrain imagery just to make more work for themselves and to upset their customers? If you need to be angry at someone, be angry with Google. They are the ones that forced Trimble to find a new supplier. They've made it so that there's no way Trimble could continue to make the Location content available. The content is not available from Google at any price full stop.
Digital Globe is the closest to a digital solution that is available. You can probably get higher res aerial images from your local Government's GIS department. Unfortunately that's not available in all locations so that's not even close to being a global solution.
They've made it very clear they understand the issues some users have and they are working to find solutions. I've seen a whole lot of complaints but not a single solution offered.
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Dave, I know you keep telling me it's Google, but why?, what's the whole story? I don't understand how all these other cad products can have access to Google but not Trimble. As a alternative, I don't know, but this was a feature I used almost daily from survey recon, land development massing, to UAV flight planning and of course for presentations and renders in conjunction with Skatter. I have downloaded the Cad to Earth demo mentioned above and will be trying whatever else I can find and when I find one with a workflow I can live with that's who will be getting my money, not Trimble. Trimble must of known this was coming, could of guessed that this would piss off a lot of users and should of been working on a decent replacement from day one. I have been pretty happy with what Trimble has been doing with Sketchup till now as it really degrades my everyday use of Sketchup.
Mike
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@unknownuser said:
Trimble must of known this was coming, could of guessed that this would piss off a lot of users and should of been working on a decent replacement from day one. I have been pretty happy with what Trimble has been doing with Sketchup till now as it really degrades my everyday use of Sketchup.
Trimble did know this was coming from the day they bought SketchUp. AND they have been working on it. You think they are in the business of pissing off users. They aren't. No company would do that intentionally. Spend half a minute and think about this rationally. They had a good thing with Google and the Maps API. Do you seriously think Trimble would change that if they didn't have to? Why spend money on staff and resources to develop an alternative for something they were getting for free from Google? If you were running a business, would you do that?
The plain fact is that the data is no longer available from Google. The product development team for the Location feature spent a long time looking for a global solution and got the best that is available. As I said before, lots of complainers. Not one of them has come up with a better solution than the SketchUp folks did. This data from Digital Globe doesn't come for free so Make users don't have access to it anymore.
From SketchUp team members posted in the SketchUp Community Forum:
@unknownuser said:
SketchUp was sold to Trimble 5 years ago (as of April 2012). As part of that transition Google agreed to give us free geo data for 5 years to help support the Geo-Modeling community. We passed that data along to our entire user base for free (via SU Make and Pro) for as long as we were able to do so. Google has since deprecated their entire geo-modeling program and reduced support for their geo-modeling communities.
@unknownuser said:
Google's terms of service narrowly define how their geo apis can be used. Everyone needs to understand that Google's APIs DISPLAY data. Google does not give away their data for modification which is what the Add Location feature requires.
SketchUp's Add Location requires that the imagery and other data be imported into and stored inside the skp file. Geo modeling requires that people have the right to make derivative works from that imagery. All of these actions are expressly prohibited by Google Maps API Terms of service1. see section 10.5 Intellectual Property.
*10.5 Intellectual Property Restrictions.
No distribution or sale except as permitted under the Terms. You will not distribute, sell, or otherwise make any part of the Service available to third parties except as permitted by these Terms.
No derivative works. You will not modify or create a derivative work based on any Content unless expressly permitted to do so under these Terms. For example, the following are prohibited: (i) creating server-side modification of map tiles; (ii) stitching multiple static map images together to display a map that is larger than permitted in the Maps APIs Documentation; or (iii) tracing or copying the copyrightable elements of Google’s maps or building outlines and creating a new work, such as a new mapping or navigation dataset.
No use of Content outside the Service. You will not use any Content outside of the Service except as expressly permitted to do so in Subsection (d). For example, you will not export or save the Content to a third party’s platform or service.
No caching or storage. You will not pre-fetch, cache, index, or store any Content to be used outside the Service, except that you may store limited amounts of Content solely for the purpose of improving the performance of your Maps API Implementation due to network latency (and not for the purpose of preventing Google from accurately tracking usage), and only if such storage: is temporary (and in no event more than 30 calendar days); is secure; does not manipulate or aggregate any part of the Content or Service; and does not modify attribution in any way.
No mass downloading. You will not use the Service in a manner that gives you or a third party access to mass downloads or bulk feeds of any Content. For example, you are not permitted to offer a batch geocoding service that uses Content contained in the Maps API(s).
No incorporating Google software into other software. You will not incorporate any software provided as part of the Service into other software.
No removing, obscuring, or altering terms of service, links, or proprietary rights notices. You will not: remove, obscure, or alter any Google terms of service or any links to or notices of those terms, or any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights notices; or falsify or delete any author attributions, legal notices, or other labels of the origin or source of material.*Licensing data for professional tools is extremely complicated. Google set an extremely high bar by making the decision to give away their imagery when they owned SketchUp. But it's fair to say that their own view of their API products has changed a lot since then. There are also numerous factors on the Trimble side which make our product plans incompatible with Google's api products. Nobody on the team is happy that we had to discontinue serving Google imagery. We are working on improving the imagery products we can offer in Add Location. Its just going to take time for us to get there.
You're playing at Billy's house. Tommy takes his toys and goes home and you're mad at Billy.
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That's my whole problem with this Dave, if it's against Googles terms of service how are all these 3rd party apps doing it? Besides Cad to Earth, there are quite a few others, like these two.
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I can't explain why these others are advertising that service but the Google Maps API Terms of Service is pretty clear.
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"You're playing at Billy's house. Tommy takes his toys and goes home and you're mad at Billy." - From Dave's post
The problem thousands of SU users are having is that 'Billy" knew Tommy was gonna leave 5 years ago and Billy had FIVE YEARS to come up with a solution and FIVE YEARS to tell us that they probably would not be able to in time so that many hard working souls could make alternative plans. Instead it seems Billy poured all his resources into creating new bells and whistles .
SU has a much bigger problem now. All the 'complainers' you describe are leaving the building, some with devestating losses. They have been given no choice. A few days ago I spent $1,400 on design software to replace SU. This is money i would have given to SU had they rolled out a seemless alternative. The one they had five years to develop.There were a lot of trade offs I had to make in making a decision to find new design software (Im a landscape designer in NYC) but losing the GeoLocation feature gutted SU 's value to me and many others. Nothing beats SU's 3D modeling capability and ease of ue but SU wasnt without weakness. The imaging for example left a lot to me desired. It was the whole package that made SU indispensable and GeoLocator was half of that package to many users. That feature alone saved me (and countless others) days of field work. Now its gone and SU loses me, a potential revenue stream. SU's indifference to those losses will cost them in the end. Anyone in business for long will tell you that you cant alienate people this much and expect to walk away completely unscathed.
Please don't call us 'complainers' . We are business's.We are people. Hard working people who got burned. No two ways about it. Many of us have taken a major financial hit as a result of Trimble's failure to address this properly. Dont talk down to us for not appreciating the difficulty Trimble faced. Trimble is not the victem here. Trimble should be thankful we care enough to voice our disgust at the way they've handled this.Now if you will excuse me I have to go learn how to use my expensive new design program.
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@firedean said:
A few days ago I spent $1,400 on design software to replace SU.
Can you share information concerning this alternative application and the geo location services this product provides.
@firedean said:
That feature alone saved me (and countless others) days of field work.
i.e. SU paied for itself in a very short time.
@firedean said:
Many of us have taken a major financial hit as a result of Trimble's failure to address this properly.
After making lots of money using SU for this purpose over years and with no alternative solution in this price range?
@firedean said:
SU's indifference to those losses will cost them in the end.
Would have probably been dependend on the subscription/traffic fees charged by Google for continuing this service.
Don't understand me wrong, I understand your point and Trimble should have surely communicated this a little bit earlier not only in a forum post... but if Google doesn't extend agreements concerning this service and with obviously no other provider delivering comparable quality the recent data seems to be the only viable solution and may hopefully develop in the (near) future.
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Unacceptable! what architectural project we can do without geolocation?? is like going back to pen and paper but on a computer. Both Google and Trimble are dismantling a good software which was mostly built by users and developers... same all! people do the hard work and companies make a mess while profiting.
PS geolocation not longer available in SU 2014.
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