I'm not sure what you want to achieve, but one possible solution is to save a GE image at the highest resolution (File -> Save then use the Map Options to turn off all except Scale; Resolution Maximum) and import that into SU as an image. You can then use the Scale on the image to scale image properly.

You can then place your model in SU, covering the GE image of your buildings.

If you want this to include terrain/ elevation, it's doable but more complex. See my earlier post for some of the details.

Hi,
I've spent a bit of time investigating this, as i can get quite good terrain information (1 or 2m elevation data) from local sources. I've been using QGIS (3.6) to overlay KML files provided to me with road design and other info and have been quite impressed with the results.
I use Sketchup Pro 8 with Toposhaper (Fredo6) to produce terrain surfaces and SuperDrape (TIG) to overlay satellite or other client images and to allow some modelling - so I need a good way to get from QGIS to SU8.

I found a plugin by Jim Hamilton works best - spirix_shapefile_importer - there are a number of others but his is reliable and allows the elevation data to be imported from the DBF file that is a component of the shapefiles.

It has one limitation, however; it does not deal with model units except inches (the internal SU standard) and I need meters. The code is public (with acknowledgement), so I have hacked together a quick modification to provide a units dropdown with some basic options.

In case this is useful to someone, here is the hack /modifications.

1. Replace lines 172 & 173 with

        prompts = ["Name; ","Number of PolyItems; ","X (min); ","Y (min); ","X (max); ","Y (max); ","Scale Units; ","Height; ","Database; ","Display BB; ","Geolocate; "]
        defaults = [@@name,@@imax,@@bbox[0],@@bbox[1],@@bbox[2],@@bbox[3],"m","0.0","No","No","No"]
        list = ["","","","","","","m|cm|mm|in|ft","","No|Yes","No|Yes","No|Yes"]

2. Replace line 181 with this case statement.

#---------------------------- Replaces @@scale = input[6].to_f -------------
        @@scale = case         # this value needs to reflect the base shapefile units converted to inches
          when input[6]=="m"
            100/2.54
          when input[6]=="cm"
            1/2.54
          when input[6]=="mm"
            1/25.4
          when input[6]=="in"
             1.0
          when input[6]=="ft"
             12.0
        end
       #-----------------------------------------

I'm still using Pro v8 - I gave up once the "trust us - it'll be great" licensing came in.

The loss of Geolocation was a blow, but I am now able to work through using public/ Gov terrain information and imagery using QGIS, Spirix shapefile importer, the wonderful Toposhape and Superdrape (thanks TIG!).

Suggestions;

1. Didier Bur's truly excellent points cloud plugin (Cloud v8.0bxx) is excellent and well supported - get it from the plug-in store. Fredo's Toposhaper will generate surfaces from that data.
2. If you need to do more work on it, import and preprocess in a GIS like QGIS and then export as a shapefile and import that into SU using the Spirix shapefile importer (https://sites.google.com/site/spirixcode/code/spirix_shapefile_importer.rb?attredirects=0&d=1).

Ive been using QGIS to match up LIDAR generated 2m contours with imagery and align to the same CRS. Importing using the shapefile importer has required some simple scaling but gives good results.

This market share might be data that is of interest to a number of Sketchup users/ developers.
Can I suggest setting up a simple survey (one question, tick the boxes)?
The Sketchucation admins may be prepared to co-operate, or you could set up one on something like Google Forms (I'm not a fan of Survey Monkey, but its a possibility. You would need to promote i on the other sketchup sites/ forums, for completeness.
My only request is ... if you do this - make really simple; as above.

Thanks Fredo.
All working now.
Not sure what the problem was, but the Sketchucation Uninstall process did not fix it.
I had to completely remove LibFredo and Toposhaper including all directories from the Plugin Folder and reinstall using the Sketchucation Installer. I tried the Preferences installer first, but that was not successful.

I dearly love Toposhaper!
Moz

Thanks for Toposhaper - it is wonderful!!!
I'm using it on the last Google version of Sketchup (8), and have had no problems over a long period. I recently updated to v2.5b (and LibFredo v8.9b) and have not been able to complete the final build.
I would appreciate your suggestions - I know that SU 8 Pro is now very outdated, but it is a all I need!

NOTE: The latest versions work fine on Sketchup Make 2015, but fail on the final stage with SU 8.
CLEANSING - no problems
PREVIEW - no problems
Choosing flat or rounded - no problems
Generate Terrain - Ruby error here is the log file.

Date; 22-Jun-19 21;30;15
An error occurred in GENERATION OF TERRAIN
The operation is fully aborted

undefined method `hovering_notification' for #<Traductor;;Palette;0x1bd6e938>
 
(eval); 102 -- onMouseMove
(eval); 870 -- onMouseMove
(eval); 865 -- onMouseMove_zero
(eval); 1309 -- geometry_terminate
(eval); 449 -- call
(eval); 449 -- terminate_execution
(eval); 332 -- next_step
(eval); 2548 -- geometry_step_exec
(eval); 2493 -- geometry_execute
(eval); 370 -- call
(eval); 370 -- step_geometry
(eval); 419 -- start_execution
(eval); 2493 -- geometry_execute
(eval); 1280 -- geometry_execute
(eval); 668 -- execute_validate
(eval); 130 -- execute_from_palette
(eval); 76 -- notify_from_palette
(eval); 431 -- getMenu
body_Lib6Tool.rb; 1478 -- call
body_Lib6Tool.rb; 1478 -- show
(eval); 102 -- call

Thanks for sharing, Alpro! Much appreciated. I'll try it for my non-USA locations and report back.

I'm starting this topic hoping it can be the repository for replacement or alternative solutions to importing terrain data and images. and comments on suitability or "how-to".

Background
I've been a long term user of the Geo-location function and use the satellite imagery and terrain elevations in all my work. To complicate matters, most of my work is Aust/NZ based and I've stayed with SU8 (I don't need more than it provides).

I know that Trimble offer a one-off update with access to their new imagery and data. I'd be happy to do that, but the new imagery seems to have some limitations (https://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15%26amp;t=67815) and I expect that AU/NZ will not be a priority.

Alternatives suggested in other threads
That thread also contains some references;

• Topofusion http://topofusion.com
• Google Earth Pro https://forums.sketchup.com/t/google-earth-pro-is-now-free/6601 with the extension DanielTal_GEmaker to help ease the pain of scaling/lining things up.
• CAD-Earth http://www.cad-earth.com/ This uses Google earth data and costs $249 for a permanent licence that includes terrain data. The description sounds good; does anyone have direct experience?
• Archicad (?)
• SUPlacemaker https://www.suplacemaker.com/ This uses Digitalglobe data annual subscription license for $199 US.

Areas for investigation
GIS with available DEM data.
I plan to look at this as 5m DEM data is freely available in AU. ArcGIS is the standard GIS but expensive so I'm looking at the alternatives - QGIS or qvSIG seem well supported.

Any suggestions?

Thanks Kaas. That was a big help and I'm back in operation. So I was mistaken.

Juju - I had already read that post, but it covered mostly 3D Warehouse. For me, losing GE imagery is less easily worked around. So. sorry if I wasted your time - occasionally we all need a little redirection.

Returning to SU (8 Pro) after a few months, it appears I no longer have access to 3D warehouse (no great loss to me) or other "web-based" services ... in my case that's GE imagery - which I need. Unless of course I accept the fee model, arbitrary increases in price and unstable upgrades. And I though mainframe world business models had died a death!

Or am I mistaken?

If not, then cue rant.

http://sketchucation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=271%26amp;t=62647

So, after a couple of months not using SU, I get into my version of SU8 Pro and it no longer has access to the GE imagery. Now, I realise I'm a hold out for using S8 Pro, but I don't use it enough to justify the annual fee based Trimble version and I can work with its foibles (a couple of ruby bits I wrote + some sketchucation hero rubies).
<rant>
BUT I depend on the access to GE terrain, and when that's gone, my licence is useless. I originally paid for Pro so that I could have this function, use it commercially, and amortise the cost over a few years. Trimble's model might be great for architects, but it wasn't for me. And now I get some message that "3D warehouse is no longer available on this version" and it seems, neither is Earth imagery. Am I missing something or are Trimble being bloody minded about us square pegs?

Now, I don't expect things to go on in perpetuity, but the removal of this functionality is fairly arbitrary, and given that the infrastructure remains in place (Google Earth) ... an unnecessarily heavy handed. There will be some who say "Shut up cry baby! Its free enterprise. Leave this professional software to the real users who love the Trimble way".
But its sad, because from the get go, the Sketchup experience was otherwise, even during the Google years.

In my day job, I work in education, where SU has some credibility; can't say I'll be an advocate any more.
</rant>

Any suggestions on good substitute software?

That, and an rbz are the next stage. I haven't because
l) Lack of skills - hopefully fixable.
2) It would be best if I could include the scene exporter
(not mine in any way, so I would prefer to have Author's permission)

Some plugin shadow tools I used to learn about SU Ruby. I've tried to follow TT rules. Mostly based on Shadow_Info.
Caveats:

1. Dev platform Win7 64 bit SU8. YMMV
2. Little here is original; it's mostly modded from other people's code.
3. Credits given in code where remembered (happy to add any missed).
4. Tries to deal sensibly with N/S hemispheres.
5. Shadow_info time is sometimes hard to understand so I chose to go with the flow for Daylight Saving - and let SU work it out.
6. Scene Export is Rick Wilson's - just changed to PNG and wrapped in a module.
7. No warranties, use it as you want. Post back here if you want to suggest a change/correct code
   Following are a few odds and ends I hacked up to look at shadows. Nothing sophisticated like shadow analysis, just some tools to:

Add time and season to the top LH side of screen (shadow_time.rb)

• Add lat/long to top RH side of screen (Shadow_latlong.rb)
• Slightly modded Scene_Exporter (scene_expLM.rb)
• Plugin to produce a set of scenes for export (shadow_scenes.rb) This allows you to produce a logical (to me) set of shadow scenes. By season at solstice/equinox, or by month with a range of intervals (daily, weekly etc), selectable time start/end inc sunrise/sunset and selectable hourly intervals

Adds lat & long to scene

Adds Time and season to scene

Generates a set of scenes

Exports scenes (Rick Wilson slightly modded)

This reminds me of the way things had to be done in SU6 to get colour textures on terrain. The technique was set out in detail in a go2school video. Not sure if its available from them still - it was a great help to me at the time.
The technique was to explode the mesh of the B&W, get colour imagery from Google Earth as PNG, Project as Texture, measure on mesh then use the tapemeasure to scale. Final adjustments were possible using the pin tools.
Hope this helps!

TIG's Arc 3 points does this nicely in http://sketchucation.com/forums/download/file.php?id=94422

If you want to do it without a plugin, draw 2 lines between the 3 arc points you have, then find the midpoint of the first line and draw a perpendicular from it, then the same for the second line. the intersection gives you the arc centre. Use the circle tool to draw a curve. Erase all the bits you don't need.

But the TIG tools do a better job, and with less fuss.

Received latest sketchupdate email. I'm not sure if replies go to the bit-bucket, but this is my response.

"Subscription model is a nasty surprise. An annual fee, an annual update, needed or not, and the subscription rolls on. I don't mind paying for updates with identified benefits, but this is a "Trust us, it will be great" change, and Trimble have no track record to validate that trust."

The subscription model requires a degree of trust as its an upfront payment, in expectation of features and bugfixes. Google had built a degree of credibility, and some trust. Trimble? For them, it's a great business model. For the customer? Not so much. As current version & plugins work well for me, I'll sit on v8, but look into alternatives.

Seems to have gone away for me ... my gratitude to the admins.

I appreciate the SUcation site and community and understand that you need to generate advertising revenue (and think that your approach is most always pretty sound).
So, if it just came up on the initial login or some such, that would be OK. But it came up at every page refresh, or page change and occupied the center of the screen, requiring a finger tap each time.

I love SUcation and visit a lot, even reading the ads carefully.

However ....
I sometimes look at SUcation using a browser (Chrome in this case) on an iPay(d)(TM), and find the site almost unusable due to the Tapatalk popup (or whatever the approved Apple-y name for these is) asking me to "find out more" or "cancel".
Frankly, m'dear, I don't give a d--- what it does, I'm not interested. I think its probably aggregating browsing data across websites, for dubious marketing firms, but that's not the problem.
Every reload or page-over brings it up so I have to Cancel each time.

In a SUcation session that rapidly becomes unbearable. So I swear loudly, and either forget about participating or wait 'til I'm sitting at a Win or Linux computer to get involved.
So can anyone assist an non_Appler to find his way to un-fettered basic SUcation functionality?

Thanks for posting this ... this morning my Win 7 64 machine (Lenovo T400 with ATI graphics) refused load SU 8 without Bugsplatting within seconds. I have win Update set to manual and may have updated something like a Defender file late last night, but nothing major.

GOOD NEWS - removing LIBFREDO6_Dir_47 has stopped the crashing. I had already tried removing TT stuff (started there because of the .dll objections posed by Online Armour, not because of any doubts about TT, or Fredo, both of whom I hold in awe for their excellent plugins) and was working my way through when I saw this post.

So ... Thank you, again

<edit> SU 8.0.16846
Checked update logs ... updated Defender definition KB915597 2days ago (22 Mar) but didn't restart from off until this morning, Next most recent Cumulative security updates KB2809289 and KB2807986 (as mentioned by OP) plus a number of others (Silverlight, MSRT, defimition updates etc.) on 14-Mar but I have restarted numerous times since & using SU each session.
</edit>