I was curious if there would be a way for a user to drag coordinates from Google earth and then have the unity application create a 3d map from that automatically for the user. Has any one done this successfully and what projects was this done on? How was this implemented and our there any thoughts on this subject. Any form of Insight would be great. I’m sure some of you have done or seen links to this kinda of thing before.
there was a racing game done with google maps… so i believe it is possible
Found this awesome gamelink on the unity blog …:
Hometown GP
Developed by Skive.co.uk – Create an F1 circuit in your browser anywhere on Google Maps, then race in 3D. Features procedural track creation, dynamic difficulty adjustment, and realistic Formula 1 speeds.
There’s plenty of info on how to make a webpage (and through it your app) talk to Google Earth, but AFAIK no info on how to retrieve topo data. It must be possible because you can directly download topo data into Sketchup, but how Sketchup does it seems to be a secret. If you find info on this I’d love to see it.
Big K. I have sketchup pro and used it to create a mesh from the data. I wonder how would some one could take this approach in a game or simulation and make terrains like sketch up using the same method for the end user to make maps and or levels from around the world non programming types. This “secret” would be great for the community no?
Eva i had played this game brilliant i must say idea. Maybe the producers of this game could shed some more light on this?
@biggthree - The topo data that GE uses is publicly available, from NOAA and a number of other sources as DEM’s and other GIS formats. So anyone can get the data. But as far as I know, there isn’t any way of extracting that data out of GE, and I think Google’s done that intentionally.
I used to have a pipeline for creating a 3d terrain model from ASC data from Google Earth. I used a few different tools to prepare the data and load it into Blender. If I remember right, it was Microdem to Wilbur to Blender.
I will see if I can re-create the process this weekend.
@DC9 - How did you export the ASC data from GE? I’ve found plenty of tutorials on how to import data into GE, but none that showed how to export data from GE. Once you’re able to export the ASC data directly from GE, then it’s a matter of converting that data into a format Unity can read (such as a heightmap for a terrain).
@bigkahuna - you can activate the srtm overlay in GE using TOPOVIEW that grid markers over the globe with hyperlinks to download sites for the ASC and GEOTIFF files. Dr Marc Mulligan from King College in London developed the interface. The data files are located on servers at King’s College.
@DC9 - Right, I remember seeing that before. But how are they managing to use GE in “Hometown GP”? I haven’t play it in a while but it looked like they were using GE as a front end and using GE terrain and aerial photos dynamically in their Unity webplayer?
yes Dc9 that be great if you could dig that up Thanks guys. Id read in other posts that "homeTown GP used flash? to get the front end. I wonder how that all plays together in Unity using flash?
I don’t know the details that are used in Hometown GP however the original release announcement indicates that they used an API for Google Maps and procedurally generated the level map, etc.
“a unique feature: By using a custom Google Maps interface, you can create your own tracks on real roads - pretty much anywhere in the world - and the game will dynamically generate a 3D racetrack which matches your route.”
"Notable features:
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Intuitive custom track designer built on Google’s route finding technology.
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Dynamic 3D world created to match your design.[/list]
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Analysis of real satellite & terrain data used to decide placement of trees, buildings and open space.
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Real altitude data used to create track height and surrounding hills.
"
They may be indicating Google Earth in the reference to the “real satellite &” and “real altitude data” however they don’t mention Google Earth explicitly.
Duck posted in the Hometown GP topic the Google Maps API as Google Maps Platform | Google for Developers which has a link to Google for Developers for the Google Earth API and the Developer’s Guide which might help out.