Getting SketchUp Models into Google Earth
Dec 24, 2008 Google Earth, SketchUp
Since, I believe, SketchUp 5, a Get Current View (from Google Earth) button was available to import an image of what was currently in view within Google Earth. Since then, the same feature has been built in to plugins for both AutoCAD and Revit. In this post, however, I’m going to show how to bring a Google Earth image into SketchUp, model on top of it, and then export it back. A question I get often is whether or not everyone in the world can see the models you’re importing. The answer is no, however if you’ve made models that you’d like to share with the world, you can use Google’s 3D Warehouse (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/). Anyway, let’s begin:
1. In Google Earth, find the location the you want to build on.
2. Once you’re zoomed into it, you’ll need to be looking at it perfectly straight on as well as have North pointing up. Middle-mouse click within the view and drag you mouse upward until the view stops moving.
3. To the top-right of the window, you’ll see an “N” surrounding the compass icon: 
. This will cause North to point straight up.
4. Back in SketchUp, on the top toolbar, click the Get Current View icon: 
.
After a short time (and the appearance of a progress bar), the image will be imported into SketchUp. This image, however, is no ordinary image. It’s got both geographical as well as elevational data. You’ll see shortly the geographical data when we bring a model back to SketchUp. If you click the Toggle Terrain icon: 
. The flat image will go from what you see in the first image below, to what you see in the second one:
Flat Image
3D Image
So now that we’ve got our image in SketchUp, let’s build on it and export it back to Google Earth (to make life easier, click the Toggle Terrain button again to flatten the model).
5. Within SketchUp, construct your model directly on the building within the image from Google Earth:
6. Once you’re done, on the top toolbar, click the Place Model icon: 
.
Google Earth will come into focus and zoom into the region where the model is located:
If you change the model in SketchUp, simply click the Place Model icon again and, within Google Earth, you’ll be asked if you want to reload the model. Click Yes. I should just mention again, while this feature is built into SketchUp, you’ll have to download the plugin for both AutoCAD and Revit.
Tags: Google Earth, SketchUp
