Google Earth to Revit

[sakar_deepak]

Hi friends

I have to design a building on a hilly site. So, i need to create a model in Revit of this hill topography showing contours and site features such as trees.

I have explored this forum and you tube to find a way to import it from Google Earth in to Revit. I came across so many ways of doing it and so many things like using flux with dynamo, sketch up, import in AutoCad, .csv file and so on that i am confused about what way i should adopt. 

What is the recommended way to create it ?

Thanks 

[sakar_deepak]

Hi @RDAOU , @ToanDN , @rudi.roux , @Anonymous , @sureshchotrani 

I am posting this link from you tube here about another way of doing it. What is the opinion of folks here about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbs7bhv7HgQ

Thanks

[RDAOU]

@ToanDN thanks 🙂 ... That's an old one which pretty much useful for early design but not sure about its accuracy lol one has to trust google I guess the infraworks method isn't bad either (a few steps longer road but also does the job)

There is AUTODESK Map 3D too which I was reading up on. Uses Bing instead of Google. Haven't tried it yet (maybe I will download and give it a shot then overlay both toposurface and check the differences

@sakar_deepak thats a cool one too but lots of input required and too many steps.

As I ve said above that's just good enough for prelim studies and early stages of the design till a real survey by a surveyor is provided. When either ways I cannot really count on the accuracy,  I would go for the shorter way 🙂

[sakar_deepak]

Hi  @RDAOU 

Yeah, out of all till now, sketch up looks the easiest way.

I have created a sample contours using TCX converter and Quick grid in Autocad. Attached is the Acad drg. of the same. But i am stuck here. It shows in 2D only. Any idea of how to convert it in 3D  ?

Thanks  

[Anonymous]

Geolocater in Sketchup is worthless now .

The parent company of Sketchup no longer has support from google maps . So you cant get a clean non blurry image.

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@RDAOU wrote:

@sakar_deepak

Screencast below...

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Geolocator is worthless. Its not supported by google maps anymore.

[Anonymous]

I have the student version of revit. When I try to install this tool it doesn't show up in my add-ins ribbon. I'm sure I'm missing something basic, or perhaps the education version doesn't accept this? 

I'm trying to get the topographical map of a very hilly location into revit to help design a unique view, while at the same time trying to avoid needing to map out the whole terrain manually. 

[singh.vishwa98]

I was also struggling with this problem, then I found a solution on YouTube. It's quite easy to grab a topography, 3D Buildings, roads, and a lot of terrain features. You can import a DWG file in Revit and make a topography from it.

Here is a website CADmapper , you can get 3D topography for AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhino and Adobe Illustrator. You have to select your location, select your design program then you can include features like topography, 3D Buildings, etc. You can also define your desired road geometry, once you set everything as per your requirement, create the file and download it. You can increase the smoothness of your topo surface in AutoCAD and import that in Revit as CAD file. It's free for areas up to 1 sq. km (charged for more than 1 sq. km).

Here is the link to YouTube Video - Topography for any Site with CADmapper  

Thank you

Hope this is helpful 🙂

[Base12]

since (as of 2018) Sketchup no longer has 3D terrain available from Google Earth (only terrible, low resolution flat satellite images from the 70's or something?) What is the current method of acquiring 3D terrain?

[syman2000]

You should check out dynamaps

https://dynamobim.org/dynamaps/

http://therevitkid.blogspot.com/2021/01/dynamaps-and-revit-adding-context-to.html

[Base12]

When I use DynaMaps, I still just get flat geometry, no 3D terrain.  One location I've tried is:

39.079486, -106.391511 (just outside of Twin Lakes, Colorado, USA) where we're attempting to design a cabin... but I have the same problem everywhere I've tried.

[Sahay_R]

The CAD To Earth app seems to be gone from the App Store.  Any replacements?