Downloading all Base Files as KML for Google Earth

Tyler

Member
I am curious what the best method would be to download all of our base files from past jobs as KML files and import into Google Earth. Preferably showing the point number and job title in the label. The label may be a long shot but I was wondering if anyone had experience doing this.

Thank you,
Tyler
 

Clay Davidson

Active Member
I am curious what the best method would be to download all of our base files from past jobs as KML files and import into Google Earth. Preferably showing the point number and job title in the label. The label may be a long shot but I was wondering if anyone had experience doing this.

Thank you,
Tyler

I use Carlson to export a kml file. You have to set the projection in setup first. I always export my boundary line. Whatever layer the line is in is the name you will see when you click on the line in Google Earth.

Hope this helps,

Clay
 

John Thompson

Well-Known Member
Tyler, assuming all these base points are in separate projects, looks like you will need to export base points as kml one project at a time. I don't know of a way to export points from multiple projects all at once.

Clay, it may not matter for what you are doing, but I have found that Carlson Survey imports and exports kml differently than J-Field does. GE imports and exports kml as WGS84. J-Field correctly exports kml as WGS84 even if the the project coordinate system is based on NAD83. Carlson doesn't seem to recognize the difference between WGS84 and NAD83, so kml produced by Carlson is shifted about 4.5 feet (around here) from kml produced by J-FIeld. In my area, GE imagery is within a foot or so of surveyed points if the kml is from J-Field. In Carlson, you can edit the Helmert 7-Parameter Transformation (WGS84 to NAD83) to make Carlson export WGS84 kml, but if you also use Carlson to label lat/lon of any points, those coordinates will also be transformed to WGS84. I found that around here, Dx=1m, Dy=0, Dz=-1m (rotations all zero) gets the exported kml to match the imagery pretty closely. There is surely a more elegant way to transform coordinates, but I have found that to work for me.
 

Tyler

Member
Tyler, assuming all these base points are in separate projects, looks like you will need to export base points as kml one project at a time. I don't know of a way to export points from multiple projects all at once.

Okay, that's what I was thinking but I just figured maybe someone knew a work-around for this problem.
 

Joe Paulin

Well-Known Member
The kmz export on the T-LS is great! It carries all the coding and attributes of your points.
9212


If you just want your base point, you could do that and put the job number/name in the code/attributes and it would show up.
 
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