GOOGLE EARTH, TOPOS, SATELLITE
Equipment
Does anyone know how to overlay topographical contours onto a Satellite photo or Google earth?
I know it's possible as I do it all the time for work and hunting adventures. I do it in a GIS program that I use frequently but have seen it done in other programs also. The quality of result depends upon your data source for image and your topo.
This may be available in Google Earth using some of the apps and extensions that are out there. You may also be able to create the map image you are looking for through your state forestry or GIS web site. I know you can do this with the tools available on the USGS National Map Viewer site.
Here is a small sample of a topo-image I took west this year.
Some details to pay attention to - Topo quads are often created with contour lines in a shade of brown and that can blend in with the colors of a sat image or aerial photo. I usually prefer black lines. The quality and color of your base image will influence what works best without losing the lines in the image or the image details among the lines.
The contour spacing reflects terrain obviously but if you are dealing with a lot of steep ground and/or close contour intervals you may find the topo lines obstruct the photo details you want to see. Some programs will allow you to create your own contour lines if the basic USGS topo quad interval isn't working for you.
When laying the contours on an image you usually just want the contours and not other colors and details from a topo quad. You can, however, overlay things like forest cover onto an image. With a current photo and an old topo quad you can see differences in land cover - sometimes these will lead you to younger/thicker woods and vegetation or steer you away from newly developed ares not seen on an old map.
Are you looking for someone to put contours on an image for you? Or are you looking for a place to start and some instructions to do it yourself?
ONxtopos has a downloadable app that let's you soup up Google maps
In GE, look next to "Layers". Click on "Earth Gallery". Search for "USGS". Click on the USGS Topographic. Click view in GE. Click on the square box right above "Layers" to "adjust opacity". Adjust as you like.
Search my nome on Vimeo. I have a few videos there that will show you step by step how to add topos. I need to add one for land ownership too.
The county you are hunting should have a GIS map that you can access, I use KCwebmap.com for my info for my county.
Midwest - YOU ROCK!
I've been doing it the hard way for years...
caltopo.com is a good site that does this for you, too.
Hey thanks everyone! Just a little more background. I use these tools extensively for scouting in the off season. I often find I can navigate the satellite images easily, but I have this need to tie the contours to the image to better understand the terrain when doing this type of scouting. Thanks again!
How do you get the Earth Gallery USGS topo maps to work in Alaska?????
Hey thanks everyone! Just a little more background. I use these tools extensively for scouting in the off season. I often find I can navigate the satellite images easily, but I have this need to tie the contours to the image to better understand the terrain when doing this type of scouting. Thanks again!
All,
See my link for Bob's vimeo. This is the proper way.
Thanks again, Bob!
Bob, I don't get the same results when I open google earth in usa topo maps. My drop down box only has 0-0-0.
Suggestions? Thanks
Thanks guys. That is a tremendous help.
Is there a way to use GE and have property lines show?
Your county should have a GIS website you can go to for that info SteveBNY
OnXMaps will overlay property lines & land ownership status onto GE, but you of course need to buy whatever state(s) you are interested in from OnXMaps.
Carl
Deadeye you should have 0-0-0 and 0-0-1 as shown.
Bob, Here is what is showing up for me. Thanks
Sorry the entire image did not appear.
google change a lot a few yrs ago, my google earth is now just a gray blob, I dont have some graphics option that it requires. I had all kinds of my areas saved and marked, and its all gone. I need to get a newer computer, thats whats messing me up.
R, the kml file should still be on your pc unless you formatted the drive. You should also be able to try the open gl or direct x options. Maybe they'll work for you.
