Sketchup - Google Earth and Arcgis Plugin.

Tistouuu

Hello sketchup community.

I'm looking for help from a few weeks for the software Sketchup and Google Earth.
Unfortunately, I still have not found answers to my questions.
So I really hope to find help on your forum.

First question:

For all those who create real buildings with a real city with sketchup for import into Google Earth, how do you have for the true height of buildings?

Is this a height at random?
Is there a special technique to get the height?

I keep trying not to comment for weeks but without success.

Second question:

Are there people who use Sketchup with ArcGIS plugin?
Because I'd like to find solutions to my problems ...

Thank's all and sorry for my bad english.
I'm French guy...

Gaieus

Hi Tistouuu and welcome!

For your first question, the answer is not very easy. There are several way too do this some of which are not very precise.

Eyeballing obviously not precise but if you don't have any other means, this is the only possibility
trying to match the height to a photo of the building (can be hard if you don't have a good, straight photo)
using the PhotoMatch feature of SU
you can calculate by maths
you could even use a small laer measurer (this would probably be the easiest and most productive)
As for ArcGIS, our local "guru" here is Eric ("ehaflett")

linea

A Lazer distometer is the best method. Get a Leica one if you can afford it, I have a cheaper Ryobi distometer and it's not much use.

Or if you have a clear enough photo and the building is just a couple of storeys, count the brick courses. A standard modern brick is 65mm high, a standard mortar joint is 10mm high, so say 75mm per course. Count the brickcourses and multiply by 75. Older bricks will vary in size but if you can measure one of the bricks then you have a starting point.

Tistouuu

Thank's Linea and Gaieus for your help and solution.

I think The best for me it's to work with plugin Arcgis...
But i will try your suggestion...

Thank's.

Tistouu

ps: How much for a ryobi???

linea

I think mine was about £30 but if you can afford a Leica Distometer (the cheapest ones are about £100) I I really would recommend it. The Ryobi one I have is not much use for measuring outdoor distances as it only uses the lazer to shine a dot on to the surface you want to measure to, but it actually measures the distance by using a sonic beep. This works fine indoors but outdoors there is often too much interference for it to work accurately.
I have used the Leica distos and they actually measure with the lazer so they are supposed to be accurate up to about 100 metres.

If you have around £300 - £1000 to spare, the Leica bluetooth models are excellent. They will beam dimensions straight to your laptop, pda or phone. If you use them in conjunction with bluetooth enabled cad software like Powercad Sitemaster, the software can actually draw elevations or floorplans semi-automatically while you measure. See link to "Give Me Power" who sell Powercad Sitemaster. Michael Axon, the guy that runs this firm demonstrated the system at my office and it really was impressive, but expensive. The Sitemaster trial will let you save though so it is worth downloading and having a play.

http://www.powercad-sitemaster.co.uk/

edit: Its worth having a look on ebay too, just found this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEICA-DISTO-LITE-D5-LASER-MEASURE-DISTANCEMETER-IN-CASE_W0QQitemZ350122746172QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Measuring_Tools_Levels?hash=item350122746172&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318