Introduction to Google EarthMay 24, 2011

TJ Keiran

Senior Planner / GIS Specialist

Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments

Purpose of this class

• Introduce free version of Google Earth

• Demonstrate common applications

• Show tricks to best use software productively

• Provide links to free resources/tutorials

Class Topics• Google Earth Components and Navigation

• Make a Map or Site Plan for a Document

• Import a KML

• Make a Tour

• Record a Tour

• Sketchup Teaser

Freeware

– Software• Internet Connection• Google Earth• Debut Video Capture• Google Sketchup• ESRI’s free Shape to KML converter• Google Picassa• Youtube

Disclaimer

• We will demonstrate how to use freeware

• Distributed by credible vendors

• Freeware is frequently used by COG staff

• CONSULT WITH YOUR IT STAFF AND FOLLOW YOUR EMPLOER’S POLICIES REGARDING SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

• Understand and be comfortable with the preferences

Google Earth

• Virtual Globe

• Visualization tool– Great public outreach tool

• NOT a Geographic Information System (GIS) because one cannot perform analysis

Google Earth

• Fun to use

• We’ll focus on specific work-related tasks

Google Earth (Continued)

• http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

• Free version

• Pro version (non-profits may use Pro version for free after verification process)

Google Earth Components and Navigation

Address

Recently visited

Menu Bar

Places

Layers

Tool Bar Look Around

Move Around

StreetView

Zoom

Address

ViewHeightLat /

LongImage Date

Available Layers• Borders and labels• Places of interest• Panoramio• Roads• Buildings in 3D• Google Street View• Weather• Gallery• Global awareness• Ocean• Sky layers• Mars layers

Make a Map/Site Plan for Document

• Key is to use temporary placemarks, the scale bar and placemarks as text

• Create a new folder (important later)– TOC > Places > My Places (Right Click)– Add > Folder– Name the folder– Make sure you are working in the folder as

you go along

• Zoom to scale that you want

• Turn on the Scale– View > Scale Legend– Look in bottom left hand corner

• Add temporary placemark as an anchor

Make a Map/Site Plan for Document (continued)

• Turn on the ruler tool from the toolbar and select length measurement type (feet)

• Run the ruler measurement to desired length

• Add placemark (remove text description)

• Repeat as necessary so all corners are depicted

Draw the polygon

• Select the polygon tool from the toolbar • Draw the corners using the placemarks

• Verify the measurements using the ruler

Tips

• I delete description to keep clutter down

• If you need to move a placemark simply go to “Places” in the Table of Contents, right click and select “Properties”. Now the placemark is available to edit

Tips

• To label a feature, add a placemark but turn the icon off

• Edit the polygon by right clicking on the item under “places” in the table of contents

Add the map to a document

• Edit > Copy image

• Paste image into the document

Saving and Sharing Files• Make sure the folder is highlighted in the TOC

• File > Save > Save Places

• The file will save as a *.kmz that can be e-mailed as an attachment

• Direct the recipient to save the file, right click and select, “Open with Google Earth”

• (You can e-mail the file directly from the program if Google Earth is configured to your e-mail program)

Google Earth System Requirements

• Minimum:• Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 • CPU: Pentium 3, 500Mhz • System Memory (RAM): 256MB • Hard Disk: 400MB free space • Network Speed: 128 Kbits/sec • Graphics Card: DirectX9 and 3D capable with 64MB of VRAM • Screen: 1024x768, "16-bit High Color" - DirectX 9 (to run in Direct X mode)

• Recommended:• Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 • CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz+ or AMD 2400xp+ • System Memory (RAM): 512MB • Hard Disk: 2GB free space • Network Speed: 768 Kbits/sec • Graphics Card: DirectX9 and 3D capable with 256MB of VRAM • Screen: 1280x1024, "32-bit True Color"

ArcGIS Converters

• ArcGIS Toolbox has “Layer to KML” and “Map to KML” converters

• http://resources.esri.com/help/9.3/arcgisdesktop/com/gp_toolref/conversion_tools/layer_to_kml_conversion_.htm

Simple wizard

• Know your output scale

• Layers come in to Google Earth with limited attribute information

ArcMAP Export to KML• Free extension supported by ESRI

• Needs to be registered (which is a little tricky)

• Simple wizard

• Advantage over other converter is that this tool allows the user to select one field of data to go with the KML (i.e. Name of Facility with point data)

• http://resources.arcgis.com/gallery/file/geoprocessing/details?entryID=B49A0775-1422-2418-34E1-EEA6DD9851BA

Creating a Tour

• There are many ways to create a tour

– Navigate along a line

– Record as you “freestyle” navigate

– Navigate and stop through a series of placemarks

Steps for Creating a Placemark tour

• Create a new folder

• Places > My Places > Add > Folder

• Name the folder something relevent

• Make sure the folder is highlighted when creating placemarks

How to Create a Tour

Steps for Creating a Placemark tour

• Practice with Placemark Properties

• I prefer to not have “push pins” or unnecessary text boxes

• “Double up” with placemarks– One with no info to navigate– The second with display info

Placemark Tips

• Placemarks use HTML

• http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/02/html_cheatsheet/

• Here is a good tutorial on adding photos using Picassahttp://www.aktsunami.com/lessons/GIT_exercises/5-8_AddingPhotosToPlacemarks.pdf

• Right click > Properties• Paste the code from Picasa• Play with HTML Code to change font size, color, etc

• Add additional placemarks

• You may want to change icons, fonts, images, etc to keep it interesting

• After placemarks are set, you are ready to create a tour

• Manually go through placemarks and ensure you are pleased

• Once you hit the “Tour” button, editing is more difficult

Tools > Options > TouringSets the preferences for touring

Record a Tour

• Use the record icon from the Toolbar

• Saves into the folder in TOC

• Exports with the KMZ so recipients can load into GE and run with

• You may also remove Placemarks before exporting and sharing KMZ

Advanced Touring

• Save a Tour as a media to run without Google Earth using 3rd party freeware

• Debut video capture has a great freeware program http://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/index.html

• Be careful when downloading that you don’t choose the trial version of the professional version. It’s a pain to then go to the freeware

Using Debut Video Capture to Record a Tour

• Set hot keys – Options > Hot Keys

• These allow you to start and stop recording using the keyboard

• Set the extent of the area to be recorded (I leave out the TOC and the Navigation Tools)

• Manually navigate through your placemarks or freestyle

• The file can be exported in various formats for the web or to play on common media players

• File can be converted to play on DVD, but that’s a lesson for another day

Thank youThe Cowlitz-Wahkiakum GIS Users Group meets again on June 14th.

Introduction to ArcGIS Online June 21, 2011 9:00—11:00 am

Attendees will learn the basics of how to use ESRI’s online mapping software and how to access local data.

Please register online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/92NDHNK

• Please contact me if you are interested

TJ KeiranSenior Planner / GIS SpecialistCowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (CWCOG)207 4th Avenue NorthKelso, WA 98626-4195tkeiran@cwcog.org(360) 577-3041