Google Earth Path Configuration
Q: How should I configure HDPath for exporting a path to Google Earth?
A: With TAP6.0.2259, or later, including the 3DDisplay Module and a Maintenance Subscription date of September 30, 2008, or later, you can export path profile information to a .KML file for use with Google Earth.
Note that all values in this example are for demonstration purposes only. You should determine appropriate settings for your application.
You will get the best results for viewing a path line-of-sight and Fresnel zones in Google Earth by setting the “Bend LOS” option in the Topo Data section of the Path Settings in HDPath. You can also configure the colors to be displayed for the line of sight and Fresnel zone information in Google Earth.
(Build 2342 includes additional options for improving the Google Earth export described in this FAQ.)
For example, suppose you have a path plotted as shown (from the TAP demo sites for Cheyenne Mountain and Castle Rock):
Note that the “Bend Line of Sight” option is not checked.
You can use the “Zoom Box” function to inspect a portion of the path as shown, where the Fresnel zone appears to just graze the surface:
The detailed view confirms the fact that there are minor intermittent obstructions in the plotted Fresnel zone:
If you use the Google Earth export function and inspect that portion of the path in Google Earth, the exported file without line of sight bending does not show the obstruction to the Fresnel zone in the same portion of the path:
In TAP, you can redraw the same path, but with the “Bend Line of Sight” option checked:
When you zoom into the area of interest, the same intermittent obstructions are still evident:
Now, exporting the file to Google Earth results in a better correlation between the TAP profile and the view in Google Earth:
You can set the colors and line widths for the path information to be displayed in Google Earth from the “Google Earth Colors” item in the HDPath Configuration menu:
You can change the color and line width of each object by clicking on the color sample to the left of the description.
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Copyright 2008 by SoftWright LLC