Help! what should I do after google earth changed the terrain?

[Taiko]

I recently found out Google Earth had updated maps for some cities,
unfortunately the terrain seems different and making 3d buildings I
made either sunken or floating.

for example this one:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=588db9c61f38344590f8475808b5503&hl=en-US&ctyp=3dbl
It was well positioned.

What should I do now? Reposition buildings and submit them again? I
have more than 30. If I do that, will it take years to get re-blue-
ribboned?

Please help.

Thanks

[bbkh]

http://groups.google.com/group/3dwh/browse_thread/thread/1cb528eb3f174bfe/721a089f0719c5bf?hl=zh-TW&lnk=gst&q=terrain+update#721a089f0719c5bf

http://groups.google.com/group/3dwh/browse_thread/thread/ad6801de06d8ac8/a03569e243df1290?hl=zh-TW&lnk=gst&q=terrain+update#a03569e243df1290

On 2月12日, 上午9時36分, Taiko <Taikonaut.Jiaoxiao...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I recently found out Google Earth had updated maps for some cities,
> unfortunately the terrain seems different and making 3d buildings I
> made either sunken or floating.
>

> for example this one:http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=588db9c61f38344590...

[Taiko]

wouldn't it be nice that 3d models be built on flat surface, and it
is up to Google Earth to automatically adjust buildings to terrain
when terrain applied. Wish to see this feature in Google Earth 6.

I see one having hundreds models, must be a pain fixing one by one.

[Taiko]

Or, there's an option in Sketchup model when uploading: "GE elevates
Model" or "Model self elevation".

[Zack Mertz]

The first thing you could do would be to update your model and replace
the one that is on the warehouse of course. This can be quite the
task if you have 1000s of models and every model is perfectly to the
terrain. Knowing this fact now changes the way people should approach
future models. It's a relatively easy fix for smaller foot print
models. If there is extra geometry the goes under the terrain, it
will be less noticeable if the model starts to float on the next
terrain update. This make one think about chopping up larger models
and loading smaller models to the warehouse. There is a clamp to
ground solution in Google Earth and maybe this method will be applied
to future models. If the model takes up a large area, the smaller the
pieces, the less chances there would be sinking or floating areas. I
was always under the assumption that the terrain was updated when new
imagery was released. It seems that terrain releases are separate
than imagery releases. This issue has especially been challenging
since the company I am with (concept3d) makes 1000s of Google Earth
models. I will be posting a blog next week sharing more about this
topic.

[matthiasbasler]

On Feb 14, 7:17 am, Zack Mertz <zme...@gmail.com> wrote:
> This make one think about chopping up larger models
> and loading smaller models to the warehouse.

Good point.

No matter what Google does they can only cope with small scale models
where the "elevation change" is the only one relevant. Whenever the
ground slope changes it will never be possible to automatically adjust
the buildings perfectly. Of course buildings with a large footprint
are much more prone to this effect.

The only two precautions I see are indeed:
- Have several smaller models instead of one large ... as long as this
is reasonably possible for a certain model
- Have the model extending a bit (<1m) into the ground and texturing
this "basement" in an unobtrusive way. So when the slope on the site
of your model changes your model doesn't end up floating but just
shows a bit more "artificial" basement on one side and is slightly
sunken on the other side.
Note that I didn't have the chance to actually test this in reality;
after the last terrain change my buildings ended up 1-2 meters above/
below surface. There's nothing we can do to compensate such a strong
vertical displacement.