Google Earth KML/KMZ Exporter for Scene Express

Click on any image to see a larger version.
From this...		to this!

View or download KML/KMZ sample output from Scene Express.

3D Nature continues pushing the envelope of realtime GIS-integrated 3D Landscape visualization by adding support for the industry-renowned Google Earth 3D client.

Hot News! Scene Express 2 for VNS 3 now supports Google Earth 5's new animated camera capabilities!

Scene Express now includes a new exporter for creating landscapes in KML/KMZ format for use in Google Earth or other KML-compliant applications like Microsoft's Virtual Earth, ESRI's ArcGIS Explorer or NASA's WorldWind. Export landcover textures including roads, orthophotos, foliage, 3D structures, water and other landscape elements from any WCS/VNS scene straight to Google Earth for viewing within an interactive 3D planet environment. Adding KML/KMZ support to the powerful landscape creation tools already found in Scene Express makes creating Google Earth scenes from existing projects as easy as clicking Export.

3D Nature Vice President of Research and Development Chris Hanson said, "Google Earth has brought 3D terrain visualization to everyman, broadening the exposure of our entire industry along the way. Making our tools support KML is only natural. While KML is not suitable for all projects, it dovetails nicely with our other capabilities ensuring access to the right tool for almost any job. For environments that require integration into a 3D globe, use Google Earth. For smaller and more detailed areas, use NatureView Express. The great thing is we have one toolset that can produce the same scene in both viewers from one GIS or CAD dataset."

The Google Earth KML exporter builds on the existing ground-breaking Realtime 3D Landscape Visualization capabilities of Scene Express by adding support for the most well-known global realtime 3D landscape viewer on Earth! Attach web pages, data tables, text documents, images, movies and sounds -- any HTML text -- to objects in the scene like Labels. Click on objects to display data or images about them! Rapidly build easily-deployable 3D Landscape Information Systems scenes using VNS and Scene Express's powerful visual interface to GIS data. Create detailed and immersive maps as has never been possible before! Scene Express can automatically divide scenes into numerous output tiles to improve viewing performance. Export multiple variants in different KML files and switch between them on the fly in Google Earth. Configure the Draw Order for each Export, allowing for one export to override a lower-priority file if both are loaded simultaneously. See Fairplay and PowerPlant demo files. Supports automatic KMZ file-zipping for convenient and compact distribution. Easily create non-rectangular exported regions and feather them into existing data layers using WCS/VNS's terrain transparency features (see PowerPlant demo scene). Categories of objects (vegetation, labels and 3d objects) are created within individual Folders allowing for easy enabling and disabling. Supports both JPEG and PNG image formats for optimal choice between size and quality. Export Vectors (CAD Polylines or GIS Polygons) into Google Earth from any VNS-supported projection or Coordinate System, or burn them into the overlay drape to improve performance at the expense of crispness. Labels are both supported using the Icons feature, allowing for billboarding and clickable Actions. Google Earth Icons are not specified in real-world heights, so they vary in apparent height from different viewpoints. Foliage is now implemented using COLLADA (.dae) 3d object crossboards, ensuring correct size at all times!. Converts 3D objects and Wall structures into Google Earth automatically, obeying all placement and alignment options, now with full texturing! Google Earth does not officially support export of a new terrain surface -- this can be approximated by turning it into a 3D object (see Red Rocks LIDAR image, above right). This geometry now supports full image drape texturing. Large or detailed terrain objects can take some time to load and degrade performance. Google Earth is not a high-detail visualization system -- it can quickly bog down with large amount of 3D objects, foliage or vector data, as well as large numbers of Actions. For projects that require high-detail realtime 3D visualization but don't require a full 3D globe, we recommend other formats/viewers such as our NatureView, which was specifically developed for these types of scenes. Click here to view sample Google Earth scenes from Scene Express.

Input Data, Projections/Datums

Scene Express relies on the data import and conversion capabilities of the host program, either WCS 6 or VNS 2.

WCS Scene Express has export size limitations that VNS Scene Express does not.

 

Order WCS/VNS and Scene Express today!

Google Earth is the trademark of Google Inc.