Importing cad files into Google Earth

Under publish, you can publish to Google earth, command is publishkml.

I'm doing it using Carlson Survey 2013 with IntelliCad 7. What software do you have?

Shawn,

Currently, I'm using C&G with Autocad 2000.

Alan, I not an expert in this but I don't think you could easily publish to google earth with a version earlier that 2010 and it has been removed for the 2013 Autocad C3D so I think it is a very small window.

You could try some of the google earth options to import your points using a csv, txt, etc. file and I think you will be able to create some linework using a kml importer but I don't think you can do it from within your version of acad.

Carlson 2012 under utilities polyline utilities, write to polyline and google.

2012 I think was the first version. Before that, well, good luck.

If you need me to convert a few, email them to me and I'll get you the kml files.

> Currently, I'm using C&G with Autocad 2000.

You could download and evaluate Carlson 2013 which has Export Google Earth functionality (and Carlson C&G functions) built into it. Some results of the functionality can be found in the [msg=164924]Carlson 2013/Google Earth/Land Information System[/msg] thread and also the [msg=161996]Carlson 2013[/msg] thread.

As someone above identified th civil3d window that allowed simple publishing to GE is short. For a work around you could export your data as a shape file then convert the shape file to a kmz or kml file and import directly into GE.

Thank you gentlemen,

All very good suggestions. One of them is bound to work.

Nope, I am using Carlson Survey 2010 and it's in that package. AND as Ladd posted, it is available in the Carlson 2013 products.

You can still publish to google earth from c3d but need another plug in. Under the help menu there is a link to a software that will do it. I tried the trial version and it worked well. Can't remember what it cost, but was not much.

Expert GPS claims to be able to convert a DXF to KML. I haven't tried it, but the software only costs $200 but there's a free trial available. It would be kind of a clunky solution -- convert to DXF, then convert to KML -- but pretty cost-effective if you really need it.

Jim,

Thanks for the link, and I'll certainly give it a look see.

Kris Morgan handled the KML conversion for me, yesterday, but being able to do this in-house from now on would be great.

Trimble Business Center has this capability, big download, but free for basic operations

Yes, Expert GPS converts .dxf to .kml -- I do it frequently, though as Jim suggests, it is a somewhat clunky approach but it keeps costs down.

I misspoke earlier -- Expert GPS will make the conversion WITH an upgrade.