Feature Request: Path following, clamped-to-ground labels, like road labels in Google Earth

[dmgreer]

I want to be able to place path following, clamped-to-ground labels,
like how roads are labeled in Google Earth. Currently it looks like
the closest I can get to this is to make 3d text models in SketchUp.
That's pretty expensive in terms of file size and labor cost.

Also, SketchUp is an inferior tool for placing objects on Google Earth
terrain. The image it uses is low contrast, low resolution black and
white making it difficult to discern ground features, and the terrain
doesn't quite match when the completed models are loaded into Google
Earth. So then you have to go back and make adjustments, which takes
yet more time, especially when you consider that a path following,
clamped-to-ground solution would take almost no time at all.

Dale

[fraser]

Hi,

Could you not use ground overlays to add the labels?
http://code.google.com/apis/earth/documentation/advanced.html

Hope that helps...

F.

[dmgreer]

I had thought of that, but in my mind it seemed like a messy solution,
so I didn't pursue it. But I suppose I could use gd to draw little
text overlays, and then... seems like orientation would be difficult.
I suppose I could find the mid-point of the line I want the label on,
and then get the angle from that. Once you set the latlonbox does it
remain proportional when you rotate it?

Dale

On Dec 6, 8:29 am, fraser wrote:
> Hi,
>

> Could you not use ground overlays to add the labels?http://code.google.com/apis/earth/documentation/advanced.html

[dmgreer]

Okay, here are some GroundOverlay labels http://3dskimaps.com/alpinemeadows/ge
.

It took me a while because I was coming at it from the wrong angle,
pun intended. The problem is that the overlay is rotated about the
center, so you have to offset it to the point where the rotation will
produce the desired placement. I confused myself by overthinking it,
but finally realized my mistake and I think I got the trig right.

They still aren't placed as exactly as I had hoped, maybe that's due
to elevation variations. The tool I made for placing them isn't
completely interactive, for now I'm just clicking on the lift line to
get the angle, and then designating a center point along the lift
line, and then I update my database with that and make the placement
calculations. This will get me started, though.

Dale

On Dec 6, 8:29 am, fraser wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Could you not use ground overlays to add the labels?http://code.google.com/apis/earth/documentation/advanced.html