is there an easy way to trace google images?

[cadman33619]

Hi all,

I have a TON of tracing to do and i need to know if there is an easier way than just using polylines. I need to trace sidewalks and roadways...and i have MILES and MILES of it to do. 

Cananyone suggest anything that would help?

thanks in advance

[doni49]

If you're asking if there is something that will automatically detect where the sidewalk is (and other features) and draw it, then I doubt you'll find that.

If you're able to create software to do that, you could charge a pretty penny for it though.  🙂

[AllenJessup]

If you happen to have IDSP then you have Raster Design. Even with that there is no EASY button.

But after you convert the images to Greyscale, tweak the contrast so the lines you want to trace are as visible as possible then convert the images to bitonal. Then there is an automatic line following routine. How well that works depends on if you can get unbroken unambiguous lines. At any point the program can't follow a line it will ask for user intervention.

Allen

[antoniovinci]

AllenJessup wrote:
tweak the contrast

---

Dear Allen, the OP would like to vectorize Google images, so I fear there's nothing to tweak within an aereal photo...

@ Cadman

What about using the free OSM road network..?

[cadman33619]

hmmm....

well i've asked the company to install Raster Design... they are sending someone over in the morning to install (along with acad 2014 C3D). If that doesn't work for me as Allen suggests...then i'll be back to square 1.

looking into open street map now. appreciate the suggestions

[rl_jackson]

Anything that you attempt to trace from a google earth image will be distorted quite a bit. The center will be OK but the outside portion of the image will not,

You best bet is to download the latest and greatest Ortho from NGS (Earth Explorer) and use that instead, at least all the ground data will we within a resonable accuracey between .3m and 1m depending on the area your in and the year the Ortho was flown.

[Joe-Bouza]

Spoiler

Id check with your municipalities for GIS files, and or the free  sources available when connecting with 360. Couldn't be any less accurate than tracing and a whole lot less manhours

[cadman33619]

rl.... would you be able to explain how i can download a ortho from earth explorer? i can't seem to figure it out

thanks

[Pointdump]

33619,

Here's a few links that might help.

Map3D: Contours from RasterFile to AutoCAD

That's from a post in the Map 3D Forum, <<Here>>

As for Earth Explorer, here's a good video that will get you started:

Downloading Landsat GeoTiff Images and Viewing them in ArcMap 10

Dave

[cadman33619]

well... i've tried to get these various solutions to work, but i've had no luck with any of them. I just cant seem to figure out how to get any of the suggestions to work for me.

i did find out that the aerial i'm using is not actually saved as part of the drawing. Its a link to the image somewhere on the internet. i guess that way the drawing would not be a HUGE file (makes sense).  the problem with that is it's hard to work with because each time you move/zoom you have to give it time to regen. 

i'll just have to keep doing it the long/hard way...trace the aerial little by little.

I appreciate everyone's help, though.