AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 will be launched soon; one of new features in AC3D I would like to highlight, the satellite image and surface (e.g. TIN) in Google Earth application can be imported to AC3D. Also the surface can be modified by AC3D to do further process (e.g. surface analysis, profile generation...). The previous versions need to do it   for fews complicated steps. It's impressive that the GE satellite image can be draped on the surface. So that I able to build the model all over the world.

First step it shows how to import the Google Earth image and surface into the AC3D project; it further show how to drape the image on the surface.

Step - import the Google Earth image and surface

1. Fly to a point of interest; the image appears in the Google Earth is the source image that will be imported.
   
2. Because GE can be adjusted the view, it need to make sure that the view is displayed in the top-down (application default) view, no tilting, turning or rotation have bee applied to the image.
   
3. Click File menu --> Import --> Import Google Earth Image and Surface
   
4. Follow instructions in the command prompt and, depending on whether or not your drawing has a coordinate system, defined, do one of the following:

• Choose to locate the image using the defined coordinate system or manually identify the image location
• Manually specify the image insetion point and define image rotation angle by entering the corresponding values or clicking in the drawing workspace.
  

It shows the result as follow; it's great that it could do the transformation. The coord. system is geographic coordinates (lat/ long) on the World Geodestic System of 1984 (WGS84) datum in Google Earth, but the project in AC3D uses HK 1980 grid systems.  So the drawing in proper coord. system (e.g. LIC map) can be imported without transformation.

Click picture to large

The picture shows the image and surface were imported.

Note:

• The imported image appears as greyscale in the application.
• Detail of surface (TIN)
• Number of triangles 20058
• Maximum triangle area 536.93 sq.m
• Minimum triangle area 0.29 sq.m
• Maximum triangle length 276.210
• Minimum triangle length 5.940m

Quick reference
File --> Import --> Import Google Earth Surface

Step - drape image onto surface object

1. Click surface menu --> Utilities --> Drape image
   
2. Under render material name, enter the name for the new render material. The name will be associated with the created render material.
   
3. View --> Visual styles --> Realistic
   
4. The image was draped onto the surface.
   
   Click picture to large

Quick reference
Surface --> Utilities --> Drape image --> Visual Styles (Realistic)

Note:

• The imperfection of the feature is that the imported image is as greyscale.
• In Google earth it allows to copy the image and paste it to another application, and insert it to AC3D. Also AC3D supports various geo-image format and raster image processing.