I’m trying to create a plan view of my property as the basis for a landscape design. I know the x,y position of many objects on the property as well as the property corners. I can’t find a way to enter these coordinates and then either connect several of them with straight lines (pencil tool) or locate objects at each one (tree or sprinkler). Any help would be appreciated!
A bit more information: I’m running the free version of Trimble SketchUp on Windows 7 Professional. And, sigh, no, I do not know how to do coordinate entry. So perhaps this should be assigned to another category.
You can enter absolute and relative coordinates in the VCB:
absolute e.g.: [1m;1m;1m]
relative e.g.: <1m;1m;1m>
You can use this to move cpoints to the desired positions for example…
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These plugins may be of use in plotting whatever data you have.
It’s not entirely clear to me what that data is.
Trilateration by Didier Bur
Coords-Tag from Datum by TIG
Survey Tool by J. Wehby
http://rhin.crai.archi.fr/rld/plugin_details.php?id=434
Latitude Longitude by Didier Bur
http://rhin.crai.archi.fr/rld/plugin_details.php?id=737
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The separator characters you use to enter coordinates vary according your regional settings. If you use a comma for the decimal separator, the coordinate separator is a semicolon like in Cotty’s example, in decimal-dot countries it is a comma.
Anssi
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I’ll try the Survey Tool as it seems closer to the coordinate geometry software I’ve used in land surveying work. Thanks!
Su uses the same datum as Google earth ( WGA 84). In that system the zero meridian does not go through Greenwich. Using the data you have is ok for doing your design and laying out work ,but you should not use that data for setting any property line corners etc, For example a fence. I was talking with a survey crew just a couple of months ago and they informed they sub contract with Trimble who transmits correction for GPS measurements over phone lines now so they do need to go back to office to make correction for different datum’s.
Here is a link for info out of many you can find on the net 15. Control Points and Datum Shifts | The Nature of Geographic Information
It is rather irrelevant as you cannot enter data into SketchUp using true world coordinates unless you are living in a boat moored anout a mile or two from the intersection of the equator and the Greenwich meridian.
In fact SU itself uses no datum. It is quite up to you to decide what the model origin represents. When you use geolocation, the model origin is tied to the Google maps coordinate system, but you still continue to enter data in relation to your local origin point.
Anssi
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I am confused, it is may under standing the SU default location is Boulder CO and the 2014 dat file shows that the case depending on the template one uses. However, the windows, model info Geo location does not show that and even thought there is a selection box to set manual location showing boulder it does not appear to be operational also.
What have I missed?
When we turn on shadows in SU, the shadow engine must have a location on Earth and a reference to direction upon which to base its calculations.
Consequently every SU model has a default location, even though the model is not formally Geo-Located.
One can geo-locate a model either manually or via the Add Location feature.
The default location in SketchUp 2015 is:
USA
Boulder (CO)
40.018309N
105.242139W
The model Origin [0,0,0] coincides with the model geographic coordinates
By default the +Y green axis is true north.
SketchUp automatically sets the UTC Offset for the default location at UTC-7, which is
the correct UTC Offset for Mountain Standard Time observed in Boulder, Colorado, USA.
Have you check what it really is not what you think. The dat file in my 2014 make file states the default template has the Boulder location as default. I have not check all of them yet but some does not and in addition the add manual location selection box in the window, model info , geo_location does not do any thing the best I can tell.
I did a quick check and could not find that tool in the 3 d ware house extensions . In 2014 the SU API was change from 1.8 to 2.0 and as such some of the old plugins wouild not work and a number of them had to be modified to be compatible with 2014. Make sure you are using the correct version. If you need that one contact the author and see if he can upgrade it.
As you’re familiar with survey distance/bearing conventions you’ll find Survey Tool’s dialog straightforward.
Tips:
• Before you begin, place the camera in top view and zoom out to see an appropriate amount of space.
• It works best when you draw the property border all in on go…
Reason being the tool automatically groups what it creates.
Consequently, starting and stopping with the tool will create a clutter of isolated geometry.
You can always explode and regroup the geometry as one if it’s necessary to start and stop.
I’ve had no problems with Survey Tool running on SU6, 7, 8, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
YMMV, but for me it loads, functions correctly and coexists without issues.
Given its longevity, Survey Tool is an .rb file which must be installed manually.
Here’s help with that @MakinBugBoxes
Installing Ruby Plugins (Extensions) — SketchUp Help
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Which *.dat file are you referring to, where? What’s the path?
Tip:
The locations.dat file disappeared back in SU8 when the UTC Offset list was revamped.
With the improvements introduce in SU8 the user can enter their location specific data for anywhere on the planet, including their local UTC offset whether it’s standard time or daylight saving time.
Since SU8 there’s no longer any need to go poking about in program folders and hacking a .dat file.
How To:
Click… Model Info > Geo-location > Set Manual Location
The Set Manual Geo-location dialog appears and it is prefilled with the default location. (Boulder CO)
Notice if you click OK in the Set Manual Geo-location dialog, nothing happens.
That is, the Model Info-Geo-location panel still states…”This model is not geo-located”
Now make a change to either or both of the L - Lo settings in the Set Manual Geo-location dialog.
Then click OK in the Set Manual Geo-location dialog.
The Model Info-Geo-location panel then states…”This model is manually geo-located”
If that doesn’t work for you, then the best I can tell is something’s been altered that shouldn’t have.
A *.dat file perhaps?
I did not say a thing about hacking, read the post! The dat file for both 8 and 2014 both read the same and the manual location does not work as noted. The pop up box does show the Boulder location and if I then try to set manual location it does not recognize that pre filled data. At you suggested if I over write one input with the same data ( Boulder (CO) for ths test) it will then accept and show Geo-located. I have no idea what L-Lo means so do not know if that is one you recommended.
I would recommend you have a consistent recommendation on plugin up grades to the api change. Some post say change others do not. I have been fooled more than once by the: your ok, your ok, oops you failed we made a small change:(
The dat file is in the C:\Program Files (x86)\SketchUp\SketchUp 2014\Resources\en-US;i18n.dat.
Why the geo-location was change based on the off set was done or why the misleading dat file was not corrected puzzles me. I see this lack of discipline a consistent theme with many of changes made. Reminds me of the old Windows days when Microsoft released and used the users as their regression testers. Do not get me wrong I under stand the hill they must climb. It takes special commitment by managers to have a “clean” release. Been there and done that.
I have not gone back and looked at release notes but would bet the delection of the default geo location was not stated and I would think it is important to users.
Common abbreviations for Latitude are: Lat.; L or occasionally Φ, the Greek letter phi.
Common abbreviations for Longitude are: Long.; Lo or ƛ, the Greek letter lambda.
Suggested reading directly applicable to geo-located modeling in SketchUp:
Dutton’s Navigation & Piloting - Albert S. Maloney; Naval Institute Press; Annapolis, Maryland, USA
American Practical Navigator - Nathaniel Bowditch; US Defense Mapping Agency - Hydrographic Center
Yes I am well aware of lat and long , Lo can mean local oscillator , gamma can mean right acesion. I am well aware of Julian date , ascending node , DRVID , PN code etc, etc. One should not usually use abbreviations that are not well known.
I do not know why you feel it necessary to fill up space with unrelated references you probably have not read.
I attended course at UC at Irvine taught by the inventors of GPS and is reason I bring up related issues some times. By the way DRVID means Differential Range vs Integrated Doppler, Ranging system used by the Deep Space Network. Doppler used to calibrate out the effects of electron content in " free space". , We did prove Einstein’s theory of relativity accuracy by factor of 10 vs previous knowledge on program I woked by solar conjunction and measuring the bending of radio waves by the sun. To clarify I was not on the science team just responsible for spacecraft RF system.
Impressive.
The reason I was taking issue the one book I searched did not return a sketchup hit. It is 640 pages long just finding some thing that looks nice and then saying it is directly applicable does not answer the issue. The link I posted above addressed the issues and yet the following postings did not comment on that at all yet there are many postings on the net to that issue… Helping an OP should not be a test for them to find what they need. Using GPS and sketchup can be a potential issue to OP and they should at least be aware of a possible pit fall especially if they are using old maps that may use the old NAD ( North American Datum)
This just in @ MakinBugBoxes
An updated version of Didier Bur’s Cloud plugin was just released today.
Cloud v8.0bx by Didier Bur - Now SU 2014/2015 Compatible
Cloud imports/exports a CSV .txt file of x,y,z positions such as survey data to create a points cloud.
There’s documentation and a sample file included for learning how it works.
Note you must register (free) and login to download from the SketchUcation Plugin Store.