Google Earth - Sketchup Pro workflow problems / questions

[Nathank9000]

I’m trying to accomplish the following:

1.) Export the coordinates of lot boundaries from the county GIS system.
2.) Geolocate the planned site in Sketchup, so I have a 3D map.
3.) Transpose the lot boundaries onto the 3D map.
4.) Have a 3D map with lot boundaries, that can be shown to potentilal buyers / linked on a website.
5.) Situate houses on lots, according to elevations & trails (each one is different and individual, it’s a manual process).
6.) Make an aerial render of the whole development.

1 is done, I have the lot boundaries separate as well as merged into 1 “mesh”.
2 is done, Sketchup loads a 3D map properly.
3 is done, importing the merged boundaries into Google Earth worked perfectly. (And then I discovered that GE actually HAS lot boundaries already, they just don’t show them, unless you go into Delve and plan buildings…)

This is where I get stuck:

I can’t import the merged lot boundaries into Sketchup, either by themselves or as a geolocated polygon mesh - “Import failed”.

If I import them into a converter and export as a DXF / DWG, I get a FLAT mesh, and the terrain is very hilly. And I can’t use Eneroth Project To Face or something similar, because it requires a flat face… and anyway it’s not geolocated, so good luck trying to match the actual lots to the precise land. I could try using Sandbox > Drape, but I would need to be 100% sure the mesh is sized & positioned properly above the 3D surface.

There aren’t any place markers that I could use to “peg” the corners of the mesh.

I have the PROPERLY mapped (draped) lot boundaries in Google Earth… but it only exports as KML. And Sketchup doesn’t import KML. I don’t see any option in Google Earth to export as KMZ. Am I missing it somehow??? Did they remove it? There’s a ton of answers telling me to “just click on File and Export as KMZ” but there’s NO KMZ OPTION…

OK, maybe it won’t export a KMZ unless there’s a shape in there (a Collada DAE object)… alright, let’s geolocate a chunk of the ground in Sketchup, add a sample house, export that & upload it to Google Earth to “force the creation” of an actual 3D building in Collada format, so maybe it will unlock the KMZ option… aaand it shows up as an INVISIBLE object, and still doesn’t enable KMZ.

Even if I make a box on the map in Sketchup, and export it as KMZ…

…when I import it into Google Earth, it’s invisible:

Can anyone explain what I’m doing wrong, and how can I get the following to happen:

3D terrain
with lot boundaries
with 3D houses

Accessible online (as a shared Google Earth map)

?

[DaveR]

Google doesn’t supply any geometry that can be imported into SketchUp. That’s why importing the KMZ from GE fails.

You should give Google’s terms of use a good read. They prohibit use of their imagery and data in other applications.

If you can show your clients what you need from Google Earth, use it as it is. Otherwise I think your process for working with the imagery and terrain supplied by the Get Location feature in SketchUp.

[Nathank9000]

Well, that sucks. How can I show houses on a map in a way that’s accessible online?

Also, I was able to get Google Earth Pro Desktop, and that allowed me to export a KMZ (finally!)… which still causes “Import Failed” in Sketchup…

[DaveR]

You can export a KMZ from SketchUp and import that to Google Earth desktop. Last I checked the online version didn’t have the ability to import KMZ files although that may have changed.

And as I wrote, Google Earth doesn’t supply any geometry in KMZ files that SketchUp can use.

[egodsey]

You seem to have the lot line problem solved … so no need to go into all of that.

But I am not understanding the issue with the 3D model of the houses.

SketchUp supports exporting a geolocated 3D model as a .kmz file … which can then be opened in Google Earth.

Here is a SketchUp model of a rectangular house … with a red front door … and a standing seam red roof … geolocated in Trimble’s parking lot in Westminster, CO.

240914B_GeoLocate.skp (782.0 KB)

And here is a screenshot of that in Google Earth.

Obviously this is NOT a Google Earth Map … because Google Earth is NOT a mapping facility. A map (by definition) is a plan view, 2D construct … so placing a 3D model on a 2D map is a bit nonsensical. But placing a 3D model on a 3D model of the terrain … that is very useful … and exporting a .KMZ file from SketchUp does provide that facility.

240914B_GeoLocate.kmz (6.5 KB)

[Nathank9000]

I export the 3D KMZ from Sketchup.

I import it into Google Earth (the 3D Earth, not the 2D Maps).

It shows up in the sidebar.

I can Fly To it.

It has its latitude/longitude data.

It’s invisible.

Height above terrain? Sure. I know the WGS84 is a smooth globe, so “ground level” is actually 840 meters below the terrain.

Clamp to terrain? Nothing.
Clamp to ground level? Nothing.
Absolute Position, at 800 / 850 / 900 / 950 meters? Nothing.

It’s there but I can’t make it show up.

[Nathank9000]

So there’s no way to make a workflow that lets me:

1.) Make a house model in Sketchup.
2.) Put it into Google Earth on a 3D map with lot boundaries.
3.) Arrange the houses how I need them.
4.) Export the whole thing back into Sketchup for further enhancements and renders.

?

[Nathank9000]

Alternatively, if I have the lot boundaries in an SHP file (both separately and combined into a single SHP file containing the polygons of 20+ lots) - how can I get them into Sketchup onto the 3D geolocated terrain, and have the lot boundaries also be geolocated?

I can’t import SHP directly.
And as you said, I can’t export anything from Google Maps / Earth that Sketchup can import, either.

Any advice?

I’m even willing to pay for it if you want to do a 1-on-1 coaching session.

[DaveR]

Did you use SketchUp’s location feature to get 3D terrain to make sure you placed the model high enough? The terrain data for the Location feature rarely seems to match Google Earth Pro’s terrain but it should be close.