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Captain Tom

Google Earth Buildings to FS

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I can't find where this has been covered.  Is it possible to import the complete buildings from Google Earth into FS9, or FSX?  There is the Google Earth Warehouse but I can't find how to export them and import them into FS.

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Captain Tom

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It's not a good idea as most of the warehouse meshes are too high poly for FSX use with to many textures (drawcalls).  Your goal should be around 5k of polys with no more than 2 textures, one would be ideal.

 

If for personal use, then if the file is in collada format, use modelconverterX (fsdeveloper) to turn it into an MDL. If the file is still in sketchup format, d/l sketchup pro trial and then load it up and export as another format, or use sketchup basic and export to collada again.


Best, Michael

KDFW

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Thanks for the info Mike!  I was pretty sure that it was not a "main stream" capability or I would have heard more about it.  Now I know and will move on.  Sure seemed like a great way to populate my scenery with true-to-life visuals tho.  :(

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If you are halfway adept at Sketchup, then it's not really that tough of a job.

OF course, you dont want to pick a very complex model. IF you do, you'll want to go in and remove some of the detail.

 

As to the multiple texture problems, just google "Is there a way to export a single texture in sketchup" and itll turn up some helpful stuff (I couldnt get url to work in post)

 

In all my years computering and simming, Ive found there's always a half dozen ways to do something. And Ive come to the conclusion that no matter what I think up, someone has already done it and posted it somewhere on the web. So, just keep looking.

 

Hope that helps.

 

John

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Sketch up models are high poly and use tons of textures. Therefore try to simplify a object to use as few textures as possible I use sketch up sometimes its easier to build a object than spend all day converting.

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Talk to the guy doing Boston City for FS9 and FSX, he's models are very good.  Google is your friend, I don't have his website.


Dave Hodges

 

System Specs:  I9-13900KF, NVIDIA 4070TI, Quest 3, Multiple Displays, Lots of TERRIFIC friends, 3 cats, and a wonderfully stubborn wife.

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Thank you all for your help.  That's the greatest thing about this hobby, helping each other and making the hobby better as the result.  Appreciate all the comments!!!

 

Happy flying, and designing, to you all!!

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I use many models of "Warehouse" only for my own scenery's.
I can not see a drop in my fps.
Here is an example of the Ponte 25 de Abril in Lisbon, this is many times better than the original FSX, this also applies to the Vasco da Gama bridge in Lisbon.

 

GCkR0.jpg

 

Jan

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Thanks for the info F70!

 

Amazing.  I've been flying for 10 years, am not an IT novice but just starting to get into this. There must be a process you go through to bring in the Google Warehouse item in and place it in your FS.  Where can I go to find that process?

 

Thanks!!!!

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I use many models of "Warehouse" only for my own scenery's.

I can not see a drop in my fps.

Here is an example of the Ponte 25 de Abril in Lisbon, this is many times better than the original FSX, this also applies to the Vasco da Gama bridge in Lisbon.

 

GCkR0.jpg

 

Jan

Jan are these ships AI with routes or did you just place them as static objects?

 

 

Once you find buildings or objects you want and import them into SketchUp you can improve color/texture/etc and then export as collada .dae format. Like mentioned before, import the collada file into ModelconverterX perform mass texture update to ensure all textures are dds type, reduce draw calls then save as mdl file. There are other tools necessary to place your buildings in FSX such as Instant Scenery, Library Maker, Rwy12, or ADE. It sounds like a lot on paper, but once you get through these steps a few times it becomes rather simple.


Keith Guillory

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Jan are these ships AI with routes or did you just place them as static objects?

 

Keith,the ship on the left side is AI and on the right side is static.

The AI ships are from Henrik Nielsen (avsim library),he made many ships and routings,i have them all,it's nice if you flying VFR.

 

Jan

 

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I think some of us are talking apples here and some oranges.  The new Google Earth Photogrammetric "models" are not the 3D buildings that you saw in the Google Earth of yesteryear.  Remember how you used to be able to zoom in on a building or object and it would be "purple" highlighted, meaning it was a model stored in the Google Earth Warehouse that you could download?

 

Well, such is not the case anymore.  Google has sold Sketchup and the corresponding warehouse to Trimble in Colorado.  Google now uses Photogrammetric Modeling to create the images displayed in 3D in Google Earth.  Those PG "models" are not downloadable to my knowledge.  If they are I would sure like to know how.

 

Trimble still offers Sketchup as a free download, but they really want you to buy the $590.00 Premium version of Sketchup.  I used to take the Google Warehouse model, convert it to a Sketchup model, create an mdl file that could be placed into a library and then compiled into a bgl file that FS9 and FSX could read using  BGLCOMP.

 

During the model conversion there was a link to reduce and combine textures to get a lesser number of polygon hits if I recall correctly, but the finished product looked more autogen to me than "custom".

 

This Photogrammetric capability is intriguing to me and if the mdeling programs weren't so expensive I would certainly consider getting one.  Take a series of pictures, let the compiler go to work...poof, there's your 3D model.

 

Randy

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