3D Google Earth

[Mikeha33]

A while back, Rory (Phantom16) and I were chatting, looking at ways to mark up maps, and play with them, to help our online scouting, which many of you, like me, rely on being hundreds of miles away from the nearest elk habitat. While I was messing with one particular site, CalTopo.com, I found something that has me pretty excited about scouting. I did not do anything fancy, I just stumbled upon the work of someone else, so I don't want any credit for this, but it is something that many of you would possibly benefit from, I know I have, so I wanted to share with you guys.

To start, this is on a PC, not a MAC, so I don't know how to so this for those devil computers, but I would assume it would be similar. Also, you MUST have Google Earth downloaded onto your PC for this to work.

First, log onto www.caltopo.com, and find your area. If you're not exactly sure where it is among all of the lines and blotches, then simply click into the search box, which has a set of binoculars as the icon, and type a nearby landmark, town, or something along those lines and it will zoom you into the approximate area. If you can't find it from there, you need more help than I can offer!!!!!

Do not have Google Earth open.

Once you find your area, go through the different styles of maps that CalTopo has to offer. There are several options in the upper left hand portion of your screen, such as; 7.5' Topo ; Shaded Relief; Forest Service; Aerial Topo Hybrid, etc... Find one that you like, and then you can even add more options to this, although you can do essentially these same things in GE.

If you click on "+Add New Object", then you can mark up your maps with lines, range rings, polygons, bearing lines, and others.
If clicked on "+Add New Layer", one can add the different layer options below there as an overlay to your current view, and to be honest, I have no idea what most of those are, but some of you probably will, they are over my head for now.

Up in the right hand corner of your page, directly to the left of the printer icon, there is a pull down menu, which will show your current selection of maps, USGS 7.5' Topos for me. If you hover your cursor over that, it will give you the option to add layers. I like to see the 40' contours on my maps from time to time, so I select the check box, and they will show up almost immediately. There are other layers you can directly apply to your current view, and I encourage you to check them out, there may be something on there you really like.

After getting your map marked up, and all of the layers that you like, zoom out quite a bit, back to where you can see several square miles.

Next, find the text that says "KML" that has a little Google Earth icon next to it. Left click that text.

A new window will open, with a highlighted red rectangle appearing in the center. This rectangle is what you will be importing into Google Earth, so make sure the extents are over the correct area. You can move the area by clicking on the red center dot, and dragging it where you'd like. You can also zoom out, click on one of the four arrows at each corner, and re-size to your liking.

Then, click on the "Download KML" text on the left side of your screen, next to the blue down arrow. A new window will appear and then quickly shut.

At the bottom of your screen, you should have a new download, or an option to view downloads. Either click on your new download, or go to your downloads and select the most recent one. Select the download.

Google Earth will automatically open, and your layer that you selected on Caltopo.com will automatically open (sometimes slowly, depending on the size of the area you chose) over the top of GE.

On GE, the layer will be at the bottom of "my places" in the left hand side option box, below all of your other pins and other marks, under "Temporary Places". The new map is NOT saved. Right click on "temporary places" and select "save to my places"

You now have the option to turn GE into a topo map, and right back to an aerial satellite view by simply checking or un-checking the box next to that layer, which will be called "CalTopo USGS 7.5' Topos Export (or whichever layer you selected).


Good luck, and let me know if I was to vague anywhere in the instructions!!!

[BRazz]

This works on a Mac also.

Good write up!

[jc957b]

Awesome website!!!!

Thanks for sharing and also a great write up!!!!!

[Elkduds]

Very cool. I'm trying it. Any advice to help me move the red KML layer around? I click on the center dot, it shows 4 small lines sticking out of dots, but I cannot move the center dot to a different place on the map, nor can I move the corners of the red area.

[elk.addict]

Very cool. I'm trying it. Any advice to help me move the red KML layer around? I click on the center dot, it shows 4 small lines sticking out of dots, but I cannot move the center dot to a different place on the map, nor can I move the corners of the red area.

You're probably zoomed in too far. At a minimum, you can only move from one tile to the next when dragging the red selection square. Just try zooming out some, or increasing the size of your export area.

[Elkduds]

Roger, will do. Thanks.

[elk.addict]

If I may, I'd like to add these video help files for Caltopo.They are somewhat 'hidden' on the website. Took me a while to stumble upon them. Here's a link to all of them.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5iP3ML130C7CsmHK-TUc8Q

[WapitiTalk1]

Oh great. More cool map research tools. I might not sleep for the next four weeks. Thanks buddy

[Wagnon89]

I'll have to try that out. I've spent so many hours on CalTopo the last few weeks I'm seeing it in my sleep! Indian Summer was the one who told me about that site. I love it!

[MT_Nate]

Great post! Thank you. I've always felt that the primary limitation of Google Earth was the lack of options to display USGS Topo maps. Way back when NASA WorldWind showed both aerial satellite images and USGS topo overlays, and I wondered when there'd be a way to bring this information into Google Earth. Super glad I read this post.

[Wapitibob]

You have been able to add a topo map server to GE for years as well as the surface ownership server that has FS, blm, state, reservations, etc. The server loads the overlays as you move around, and zoom in/out.

[Wapitibob]

Adding topo's to GE: https://vimeo.com/45149463

Follow the above tutorial but use this file for adding the surface management server:
http://www.geocommunicator.gov/ARCGIS/R ... rver?f=kmz

GE doesn't let the topo's and surface mgmt play together so the topo's will always be on top of the SMA layer. You will need to set transparency of the topo so you can see down to the SMA. ArcGis Explorer uses the services natively and doesn't have the problem.

[Elkduds]

GREAT thread, thanks to all, especially ADDICT. I'm good to go

[Mikeha33]

Elk addict, I am sure glad you read this post, as I learned from this also!!! Thanks for the added input!

[8seconds]

Good stuff. Thanks loads.

[BRazz]

Adding topo's to GE: https://vimeo.com/45149463

Follow the above tutorial but use this file for adding the surface management server:
http://www.geocommunicator.gov/ARCGIS/R ... rver?f=kmz

GE doesn't let the topo's and surface mgmt play together so the topo's will always be on top of the SMA layer. You will need to set transparency of the topo so you can see down to the SMA. ArcGis Explorer uses the services natively and doesn't have the problem.

Wapitibob - is it possible to add the acrgis topo service to GE on a Mac? For some reason I can download the kmz (per the vimeo instructions) but when I open the new place there is no option to view in Google Earth. The surface management one works fine.

thanks!