Now that I am working at my new job, and working on projects of a much larger scale, I am finding the benefits of having georeferenced aerial images as backgrounds for some of my projects.
I am fairly familiar with how to insert a georeferenced aerial image into Carlson 2016 OEM, but I am having a hard time sometimes finding the aerial images to reference. I use Google earth quite a bit, but don't know if there is a way to reference those aerial images, or if there is a better source to find, or create georeferenced images.
We are working on several large drainage basin projects, and the lead survey tech here in the office has been using Civil3D to pull in the aerial backgrounds, which is pretty slick, but I have no desire to move over to Civil3D, when that is the only thing I find appealing at this point about Civil3D. I am sure there are other benefits, but for what we do, Carlson Survey is what I have decided we are using, and am very happy with it.
Any ideas or suggestions for georeferenced images will be greatly appreciated. Right now the main focus of our work is the greater Memphis area, and about a 200 mile radius.
I am looking at the USGS National Map viewer, and seeing what it has to offer.
Jimmy,
I start with a google search for GIS"state name"...
For instance, Arkansas Imagery is here:
http://gis.arkansas.gov/repository/repository.php?rep=geostor-imagery
Good luck.
(I also recommend a seat of Global Mapper. This software will assist in clipping, merging, re-projecting, etc.)
DDSM:beer:
Dan B. Robison, post: 362832, member: 34 wrote: Jimmy,
I start with a google search for GIS"state name"...
For instance, Arkansas Imagery is here:
http://gis.arkansas.gov/repository/repository.php?rep=geostor-imageryGood luck.
(I also recommend a seat of Global Mapper. This software will assist in clipping, merging, re-projecting, etc.)
DDSM:beer:
Thanks Dan. I have not forgotten that I owe you a cold adult beverage at the ASPS Conference. I cannot make it this spring, but am saving some vacation time for a trip to the ASPS conference in the fall. Being on the TAPS Board of Directors, I am pretty busy this time of year with conferences.
My good friend Ken Beckwith and I wee talking about you the other day. He has met you a few times over at the conferences. He and I have been friends a long time, and he really helped give the the confidence I needed to start studying and expanding my horizons as a young survey technician. He has taught me a good deal over the years.
JC
Do you have the Civil Suite or just running Survey?
VA LS 2867, post: 362839, member: 1444 wrote: Do you have the Civil Suite or just running Survey?
Only Survey 2016. I do not do any design at all, so I did not have a need for the full suite.
I am fairly familiar with how to insert a georeferenced aerial image into Carlson 2016 OEM, but I am having a hard time sometimes finding the aerial images to reference. I use Google earth quite a bit, but don't know if there is a way to reference those aerial images, or if there is a better source to find, or create georeferenced images.[/quote wrote:
Have you tried just typing "google" in Carlson? Once it comes up, just follow the prompts.
Jimmy Cleveland, post: 362827, member: 91 wrote: Now that I am working at my new job, and working on projects of a much larger scale, I am finding the benefits of having georeferenced aerial images as backgrounds for some of my projects.
I am fairly familiar with how to insert a georeferenced aerial image into Carlson 2016 OEM, but I am having a hard time sometimes finding the aerial images to reference. I use Google earth quite a bit, but don't know if there is a way to reference those aerial images, or if there is a better source to find, or create georeferenced images.
We are working on several large drainage basin projects, and the lead survey tech here in the office has been using Civil3D to pull in the aerial backgrounds, which is pretty slick, but I have no desire to move over to Civil3D, when that is the only thing I find appealing at this point about Civil3D. I am sure there are other benefits, but for what we do, Carlson Survey is what I have decided we are using, and am very happy with it.
Any ideas or suggestions for georeferenced images will be greatly appreciated. Right now the main focus of our work is the greater Memphis area, and about a 200 mile radius.
I am looking at the USGS National Map viewer, and seeing what it has to offer.
Jim,
I'm not sure, but I believe you need Carlson GIS to pull in georeferenced photos from Google Earth.
You can also get/ create aerials from Terrain Navigator Pro, but they charge a yearly fee since Trimble bought them out. Seems like it was just over $100 per state, but may be more now, .
And they also have the quads, 100k maps, etc with the original purchase, which was worth the initial cost for me, anyway.
I use Carlson Survey 2004 with images all the time. My first preference is to obtain a tif/tiff file, but a whole list of others work. The images I use are ortho rectified but not directly ortho referenced. Along with the .tif comes a .tfw file, open it with a text editor, Wordpad, and georeference data is within. I create an SPC point, N E and insert the correct tif corner to it. It may also be necessary to properly scale it, somes 5,000 sometimes 10,000. From odd sources I have scaled to fit field measured distances, and rotate to field directions. I will often use an image rotated to project North
Under the Draw pulldown, Raster Image or Place Image by World File, it is simplest to have the image file in your project folder.
Once you have an image in the dwg you can trim it's size, fade it etc. under Edit pulldown, Image/Image Frame, Image Clip, Image Adjust. I have trimmed them down to a few acres and have also used up to 6 abutting images as in 10+ square miles.
Once I have my image file set, I use GPS field points to bring my project field survey work in. Any GIS data I pull in like shape files or lidar contours are georeferenced from the get go.
Paul in PA
Mike Lacey, post: 363166, member: 303 wrote: Jim,
I'm not sure, but I believe you need Carlson GIS to pull in georeferenced photos from Google Earth.
Carlson Survey Embedded has a GIS tab that allows you to insert georefferenced word file images.
I've found that the *.tiff files are usable by more programs and can be converted if needed.
Global Mapper is awesome for imagery and some other stuff. Well worth the $1000 (including the LiDAR module).
USGS Earth Explorer and the Bulk Download Utility
I am slowly making my way through this state - High Resolution Imagery (7.5cm) from 2014 plus Aerial LiDAR from 2011. I will have all the clouds of Cape Cod colorized and transformed to SPCS US FT by summer.
Jimmy, I use the Carlson OEM software and for the past several years I have been getting all of my photos from here:
http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/GDGHome.aspx
At the bottom right of the page under "I Want To..." select "Order by County/Counties". You can select any state and county, then select what information you want. I use the Ortho NAIP Photo which for Tennessee & Mississippi is 2014, Arkansas is 2015. This photography is usually taken in August - September time frame. You will need some type of GIS software (I use Global Mapper like others have suggested) to trim the area you want and export a geo tiff. In Carlson, select "GIS" then "Place Image by World File". This brings it in at the correct scale, rotation and location of the coordinate base you had the image set up in Global Mapper.
The NAIP photography is is updated every 2 years and is free from this site.
I've been noticing a lot of discrepancy with Google Earth. They're not coming in referenced correctly if you zoom out too much. The closer you zoom in, the better they get.
My only frustration has been that when the resource files are supplied in UTM metric and my drawing file is using some form of SPC or LDP in feet (ift or usft), Carlson doesn't seem to provide any way for the .tfw file to be automatically translated to the dwg coordinate system so the image will import properly. Has anyone figured out a way to make that happen in Carlson? There is a way to easily scale the .tfw file from ft to meters or vice versa, but no way that I can find to translate from UTM to SPC, then scale & rotate (all of the parameters in the .tfw file). This was a simple process in LDD. Just had to tell the import routine what coordinate system the source data was given.
http://tnmap.tn.gov/TNMapResources.asp
http://tn.tnmap.opendata.arcgis.com/
http://www.tngis.org/data-collections.htm
http://geodata.congeo.opendata.arcgis.com/ UTC
https://data.chattlibrary.org/ Mostly just the Chattanooga area
I second the Global Mapper. It is a relatively cheap program for what it has to offer.
Thanks everyone. I am swamped at the moment, but definitely have to explore all of these options further.
JB, I have had a similar issue. I have not figured it out yet.
Global mapper lets you assign the appropriate coordinate system, then will let you export your aerial in that system. I did not opt for the lidar package. I think I paid either 4 or 5 hundred.