Getting 3D Buildings in Google Earth in SketchUp

[Ryan Kawailani Ozawa]

There's a lot of great information on how to put SketchUp content into
Google Earth, but how about the reverse? Can I grab the 3-D buildings
from Google Earth and play with them in Google SketchUp?

Honolulu is one of the cities where someone in Google Earth has gone in
and drawn up 3D illustrations of the various buildings in town. I've
always wanted to do cool stuff with a 3D interface, and was just about
to draw my own downtown in SketchUp before remembering that someone's
already done a decent job of it.

Since they're the same company, now, there's gotta be a way to get
those wireframes out of Google Earth into SketchUp... Right?

Mahalo from Honolulu,

Ryan

[Google Employee]

Hi Ryan,

If you're talking about the plain, gray buildings, Google Earth doesn't
export its own 3D buildings (the buildings that are displayed when you
select the "Building" layer in Google Earth). That information is
licensed and can't be redistributed, so you can't import those
buildings into SketchUp.

However, you can install the 3D Warehouse Network Link in Google Earth,
and then you can see whether other users have uploaded 3D models in
your area. For more information, see "How do I find locations in Google
Earth where 3D models are available, and download them?" at
http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=37938.

Thanks,
Tosh

[Ryan Kawailani Ozawa]

Aloha e Tosh,

Not the answer I wanted, but an understandable one, and I appreciate
the quick and complete response. I did browse around the Warehouse,
and while I found a few individual buildings, it's not the city. I
guess I could always try and draw my own!

Mahalo,

Ryan

[Google Employee]

Hi Ryan,

I look forward to seeing some of your buildings springing up. I keep an
eye on Hawaii because I lived on Maui for a short while (and left a bit
of my heart there, for sure), and also my girlfriend grew up in
Honolulu and has family on Oahu still.

If you haven't already, check out this article for a fast method to
create models for Google Earth: "How do I optimize a SketchUp model for
Google Earth?" at
http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=41100.

Thanks,
Tosh

[garek007]

Hi, After reading this post I thought this was a good place to ask my
question. I am trying to put my model into google earth so that anyone
can see it from any computer whenever they search for our address. Is
this possible? and how do I do it?

Thanks,
Stan

[Google Employee]

Hi Stan,

First, you have to build your model on a Google Earth image (see "How
do I place a SketchUp model in Google Earth?" at
http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=36241).

Second, you need to upload your model to the 3D Warehouse (see "How do
I share models via the 3D Warehouse?" at
http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=37939).

Finally, for others to see your model, they need to install the 3D
Warehouse Network Link in Google Earth, which is really easy to do (see

"How do I find locations in Google Earth where 3D models are available,
and download them?" at

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=37938).

Hope this helps,
Tosh

[garek007]

It is helpful, but what I meant was, I want anyone who looks up my
company's address on google to be able to see the 3d model of our
building when they look at it in google earth. I mean anybody who
looks us up, anywhere. I don't want them to have to install anything.

[Google Employee]

Hi Stan,

Well, they'll have to install Google Earth, and then install the 3D
Warehouse Network Link, which extends the capability of Google Earth,
and is the only way you can make your model visible to everyone.

Thanks,
Tosh