Google Earth Image?

[kohnboy]

A simple question. Have noticed in a lot of cases in WIP shots that it appears that builders are able to place a Google Earth image under their tracks- thereby creating a "template" for laying down scenery and so on.

Meaning we see the track/.KML in BTB but it appears like its been laid on top of a map/picture of the actual surrounding area underneath it.

Is it easy to do this?

Am having to rebuild my first track and would think that this would enable me to get a lot done quicker- and potentially much more accurately.

Thanks!

 

[Stealthy]

What?

 

[Satangoss]

Click on Australian Map Button into BTB and import whatever Google Earth's image you want to base your track.

Just remember to resize background image before export (eg 4096 x 2048, 2048 x 2048, 1024 x 2048, whatever multiples of 4).

 

[kohnboy]

That was easy. Will give that a try.
Thanks man!

 

[woochoo]

for Longford i took around 80 close up (best resolution available from GE) printscreens and 'stitched' them together in photoshop, which made for quite a large image. I then cropped and resized it down to 4096x4096 and removed the modern highway (the track is based in 1967) and removed some trees and put others in to be accurate for the period, painted some shadows and gravel etc (a great way to fake shadows further from the track).

I down-sample to 1024x1024 for the 7km track for use ingame/btb (4096x4096 was having a big impact on load times). Because there are big flat paddocks around the track i made another image at 512x512 to cover the distant hills and paddocks up to 2km away from the track, so yes, i have long clip-planes.

very usefull for road shapes, radius etc. great for placing trees, bushes, houses, fences. Also, you can judge terrain height changes by different tones in the grass. For Longford i also pulled out a bit of green channel in the image which i felt was a bit rich. It looks a lot more natural now, but that will depend on your GE source images and the weather conditions.

But you really should map it to the terrain as well with the background image blend option in the terrain materials panel, then you get it in wonderful 3D as well, with the regular texture's 'add' (and maybe 'multi'?) textures too, just for some extra detail. It would be a shame if any racing game from now on doesn't support such a feature. It looks incredible when compared to the same texture repeated around the track. I can't really imagine a more accurate and appropriate way to texture the ground. Made even better because we can blend it with the magnificent PiddyProg (aka BTB) for areas close to the road where resolution can be an issue. One of the best things you can do for a track.:good:

edit: added pic. in this instance the distant hills are on the skybox, but you can see the GE image in the paddocks

 

[kohnboy]

Woochoo,
Ok. Now I know I'm on the right track.
I have to ask though. When you say....

"But you really should map it to the terrain as well with the background image blend option in the terrain materials panel..."

How is that done?

Thanks and great shot by the way.
That is much like what I am looking for!

 

[woochoo]

this is the panel you need to get to. Once you have your image in the background images section, via the 'Australia' icon, it becomes available in the terrain materials panel for blending under 'Background Image'. Then it's a matter of applying the image to polygons and rubbing and blending as needed. There is a bit more info in the help file under 'Edit Terrain'

 

[kohnboy]

Thank you VERY much. This will aid my work greatly.
Continued good luck on your project.
-kohnboy

 

[42Cliff]

PTGui http://www.ptgui.com/download.html
+
http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html

you can autostitch your screenshots together with ptgui, mwsnap is great for taking the screenshots - autonaming and all sorts of cool stuff

also, for someplaces you can get better detail aerial shots, only in grayscale - I use topofusion ( http://www.topofusion.com/3d.php#acquire ) for easy access to those .. even though you can't use them as terrain blends, they are sometimes a better choice for laying out the road, width of hairpins and stuff..

 

[kohnboy]

Am back working in BTB. Good to be back at work! Tried the basics of the above- as in importing the Google Earth Screenshot and then importing my .KML. Scale is off and they are not aligned- anyone know how I address this???

 

[kohnboy]

Scratch that. I figured it out. Man this is going to make things quicker! Thank you.

 

[senna4ever]

I have tried importing an image from GE, but it adds the image as if it was floating 500ft underneath the track and it won't let me bring it up to the track's height by clicking on the image while holding the Y key.
Anyone knows how I can fix this?

 

[chub_pearson]

I have tried importing an image from GE, but it adds the image as if it was floating 500ft underneath the track and it won't let me bring it up to the track's height by clicking on the image while holding the Y key.
Anyone knows how I can fix this?

It stays there, but is projected up onto any terrain you create when you select it as the material [or blend] for the terrain.

 

[senna4ever]

Thank you, it worked!!
Now my problem is that I can only scale the background picture and move it up and down in the top view, but I can't rotate it to match the trackside lines. How do I do that?? nothing on the Help file...

Another question...
Where do I choose the resolution in which the jpeg is saved from GE???? I need a higher resolution image than the ones I've been getting, they look pixelated at ground level... or maybe I'm covering to much squared ground in one picture??

thank you!

 

[catboy]

A Better Solution, and quick & easy! SASPlanet

I use the SASplanet software.

Select square area (CTRL for square), chose STICK and save a big image

all automatic!