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Connect AutoCAD with Google Earth

A common desire of the AutoCAD user is to connect with Google Earth, to be able to work on the image that that toy has, although its precision is questionable, every day we find better material and it is useful instead of having nothing. Today we will see at least two alternatives to do it:

A. With the ImportGEImage command

This is the implementation of that Laboratory toy, which as of AutoCAD 2008 is integrated. This requires only three steps:

1. Configure the units. Connectautocadygoogleearth They must be in meters, just enter the UNITS command, and make the adjustment.

2. Assign projection. This must be in lat / lon and with Datum WGS84. To do this you do:

Map> Tools> Assign Global Coordinate system

Then we selected Lat Longs, LL84, with negative west.

2. Import the image. We write the ImportGEImage command and that's it. Unfortunately, it only exists for AutoCAD Civil 3D / Map and as it only asks for a central point it falls where it can, and you have to scale it, move it, rotate it. The other problem is that it only comes in grayscale as is the agreement that the two companies have. To send an image to the background, touch the border, press the right mouse button and choose “display order> send to back"

Connect autocad and google earth

B. Using Plex.earth tools.

This tool is from Plexscape, which together with XANADU present an interesting solution to integrate Google Earth and versions 2007, 2008, 2009 and AutoCAD 2010, both for Civil3D, Map, normal AutoCAD (this is great) and Architecture. It has certain similarities to the functionalities that Brings integrated Microstation.

1. Install Plex.Earth tools. Act quickly. Download it from the page from Plexscape, when installing you choose the AutoCAD version. When it is run for the first time, a panel is raised to register the version, you have to provide an email address and go to the account and for the link they send immediately. It does not matter if it is installed for different versions of AutoCAD, it is only activated once and with the PLEXEARTH command the menu is lifted, in case it does not do so when opening AutoCAD.

It is to be understood that the dwg must have assigned projection and metric units of work.

2. What Plex.Earth does. The best thing it has is that you can work in UTM, without having to switch to geographic coordinates. The region is chosen and then the zone in the boxes on the left. Few smokes catch my attention at first sight, after a comment that was made In one of my postI've decided to give it a try and was impressed by its practicality. Now I tell you what it does:

Connect autocad and google earth

  • Synchronize the AutoCAD view with Google Earth. Connect autocad and google earthThis is done with the second icon, when you select it, ask for the box and immediately move the Google Earth view until you synchronize it.
  • Place marks in Google Earth. This is done with the third icon, when activated it allows to place points that will be created in Google Earth. It is possible to make MULTIPLE points and assign them a descriptive with the NAME option. In the example, I am using a map of a new development, which in the Google Earth image is still an African palm plantation.
  • Get the center point of Google Earth. Always on the third button, and place a point in AutoCAD, with the center of the window that has Google Earth displayed.
  • Import current view of Google Earth. This is with the first icon, in Import current view, and what it does is go to Google Earth, copy a printscreen, get the extent and bring it as a picture. Interesting, better than the tool that AutoCAD already brings because it comes in colors, with a better resolution and as it uses three control points (not one like AutoCAD) it comes as requested.

Connect autocad and google earth

  • Extract the mosaic image. One of the best I've seen, it is done from the first icon, with the option "Create imagery mosaic", Same asks to define the area, then mentions how many boxes the mosaic will have and a panel is raised in which you can choose if the image is downloaded in color or grayscale, you can choose to download automatically and also individually, Being able to obviate those that do not interest with the option "skip".

Connect autocad and google earth

The last button is to configure aspects such as:

  • Work units.
  • Extra margin of image: this is great for the compass and watermark of Google Earth to be out of the box.
  • Timeout: how long to wait for the capture, you have to increase it to the one that comes predetermined according to the type of connection that we have.
  • Image format: can be jpg, png, bmp, gif and tif
  • Image path: where the downloaded images will be stored, there is an option to be in the same path as the dwg.

The trial version is fully functional, for 7 days or a limit of 40 images. The licensing forms go from $ 23.80, depending on the time and quantity of images, up to 6-month or one-year licenses; also in this post you can see the What's New in 2.

This article talks about the News from PlexEarth 2.5

Here you can download Plex.Earth

Golgi Alvarez

Writer, researcher, specialist in Land Management Models. He has participated in the conceptualization and implementation of models such as: National Property Administration System SINAP in Honduras, Management Model of Joint Municipalities in Honduras, Integrated Cadastre-Registry Management Model in Nicaragua, Territory Administration System SAT in Colombia . Editor of the Geofumadas knowledge blog since 2007 and creator of the AulaGEO Academy that includes more than 100 courses on GIS - CAD - BIM - Digital Twins topics.

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10 Comments

  1. We use Spatial Manager for AutoCAD, it integrates perfectly with the KML

  2. Good afternoon, could you help me know how to add the Plex Earth add-on to my autocad Map 3D 2014? Thank you, thank you

  3. How do I import images from google earth to civil 3D 2014 ???

  4. That's because your version of AutoCAD is missing a mouse pointer. It is solved, if you identify what the pointer is called, then you go to Windows and look for the cursor symbols, and there you rename a copy of an existing pointer with the one that asks for it.

  5. I have autocad civil 3d 2008 and do not want to import the images of google earth, I want to use it and it does not want to tell me which pointer is not valid because this is due, also I have google earth pro cracked.
    That I can do to be able to import images.

  6. The support is very good with the imaganes, but an inconvenience that I found the transfer of images (Google Earth) is in UTM PSAD56.
    What utility would help the transfer for the UTM WGS84 ... for my case

  7. Of course if you only use AutoCAD ...
    If you use AutoCAD Map 3d 2010 you have all the power of Arc Gis with the precision that AutoCAD offers ...

  8. Nothing happens with the autocad map for georeferences, I prefer the ARC GIS or the ENVI GIS, finally the Mapinfo. The autocad Map is still oriented to designs and not to mappings but still needs to improve, nothing happens.

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