Can the Sbuilder Google Maps plugin not download the POI/business overlay?

[Bungo]

I am trying to use digitise the building outlines from Google Maps, and when the Google Maps downloader downloads the tiles it includes the POI/business names with it which tends to mess with the feature detection a little.

Is it possible to re-configure the downloader to not include this? When I am in google maps in a browser and zoom in with the mouse wheel these elements (and the building numbers, etc) seem to move fluidly over the background image, so they may be an overlay, or that may be a clever bit of coding of the transition from one tile set with them burned in to another with them burned in...

Either way, if they could be excluded that would make them more useful.

cheers

Braedon

 

[GaryGB]

It would be very helpful for the "GoogleServer.DLL" to have this ability, but we would need rhumbaflappy to determine if that is feasible to implement within the existing dialog structure of SBuilderX.


FYI: One may be able to implement access to Google Map layers in Global Mapper via the built-in download features:

http://www.bluemarblegeo.com/knowledgebase/global-mapper-18-1/Download_Online_Imagery.htm


...or via exported Google Maps Web Tile package(s) saved on disk:

https://www.globalmapperforum.com/discussion/9110/managing-a-large-set-of-google-maps-tiles


BTW: Apparently QGIS has features for display of Google Maps with layers control which may be enabled by plugins:

http://felix.rohrba.ch/en/2016/awesome-basemap-layer-for-your-qgis-project/

https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/20191/adding-basemaps-from-google-or-bing-in-qgis

https://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/openlayers_plugin/

http://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/quick_map_services/

http://nextgis.com/blog/quickmapservices/

[EDITED]

Regardless of the online web map tile server source or the GIS application (whether Global Mapper or QGIS) used for access and download, if one can get better Geo-rectified raster images (ex: exported GeoTIFFs) in the proper projection for submission to ScenProc, one may experience better results with less manual labor being required.

Assuming one were to use the tile downloader functions in SBuilderX rather than a 3rd partyGIS application, some additional steps might be required before one could yield GeoTIFF source files for use in ScenProc.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/knowing-ulxmap-ulxmap-of-google-images.435782/#post-728697

To output GeoTIFFs from SBuilderX after aerial imagery tiles are downloaded to disk as BMPs with matched Geo-referencing TXT files:

.....a.) Navigate SBuilderX Menu > Help > SBuilderX Help > Search Tab

.....b.) On SBuilderX Help > Search Tab > 'Type in keyword to find': "GeoTIFF"; click 'List Topics' button

.....c.) Under 'Select Topics to display' > click "Working with Maps"

.....d.) In right-side window pane, review "Working with Maps" - "Map calibration"


NOTE: SBuilderX will automatically re-project Web tile server aerial images (downloaded via SBuilderX' own tile down-loader functions) from Mercator projections to the Geographic projection.

SBuilderX's Map Properties dialog [GeoTIFF] button outputs a copy of the ex: BMP map imagery loaded from disk into a "GeoTIFF" format.

When SBuilderX does that, it also re-projects Web tile server aerial images (even if not downloaded via SBuilderX' own tile down-loader functions) from Mercator projections to the Geographic projection.

However, this function requires that 'appropriate' information be entered into the "calibration" dialog (specifically: from the Geo-referencing TXT files which accompany the BMPs of aerial imagery tiles downloaded to the same folder on disk via SBuilderX with a matching file name prefix).

NOTE: Reportedly, one may be able to "click-through" and skip the SBuilderX manual Geo-rectification / calibration process IF the aerial imagery / map imagery ex: BMP file is in a folder accompanied by a "world" file ex: [filename].txt ...where the TXT filename exactly matches the filename of the paired imagery file.

In SBuilderX, during a manually-requested "Compile BGL" procedure of selected aerial / map background image tiles, that [filename].TXT "world" file containing the Geo-rectification / calibration info is output by SBuilderX into the [SBuilderX install path]\Tools\Work sub-folder along with the 1-piece composite aerial / map imagery [filename].BMP file and a FS FDK Resample Photo01.INF file.


AFAIK, after such files have been output by SBuilderX into the [SBuilderX install path]\Tools\Work sub-folder, one must manually perform the additional process of:

1.) SBuilderX menu > File > Add Map > From Disk

2.) Browse for the 1-piece [filename].BMP image file

3.) At Geo-rectification / calibration prompt, press the {GeoTIFF} button

4.) Save a copy of selected imagery as a GeoTIFF [filename].TIF file on disk


BTW: ScenProc automatically performs any required GIS re-projection for such source GeoTIFF(s) during processing.

https://www.scenerydesign.org/category/scenproc/page/2/


[END_EDIT]


IMHO, it is most important that you identify a FS scenery format in which you wish to create and place the buildings in question.

ScenProc does have the ability to process GIS source data and detect buildings for creation / precise placement as Autogen buildings and/or as scenery library objects.

But I am also compelled to ask:

Were you instead wanting to create base footprints to be manually extruded into 3D models within a 3D modeling program ?

If so, one may more easily do this in Sketchup or another 3D modeling application with a properly projected background map.


Otherwise, consider use of a 'few' custom 3D models for notable landmarks, and use more "generic" autogen buildings detected and created by ScenProc for placement as proxies of original buildings in real world positions that might be acceptable when viewed from the user aircraft camera position in-flight altitudes as a more labor-friendly scenery development work-flow that is more FPS-friendly in FS at run time.

https://www.scenerydesign.org/2016/12/scenproc-feature-roadmap/

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/forums/scenproc.131/


The semi-automated methods offered by ScenProc may save a lot of work, and could accommodate the IMHO arbitrary and excessive use of non-square corners and off-axis wall angles in much of the building footprints seen in online web maps.

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/simplify-polygons.429825/


The innovative methods described by MOUSY also merit consideration for the greater number of buildings to be created for display on ground at considerable distances when passing by at in-flight altitudes:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...agery-for-autogen-creation-in-fsx-p3d.437969/

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=Autogen_from_OpenStreetMap_data_with_scenProc


Hope this helps a bit more !

GaryGB

 

[Bungo]

I have SHP files of the building footprints of larger buildings in the 6 local government areas of South East Tasmania, but "larger" = Bigger than your average house. The other structures have point data only. The detail of "type" is generaly good, but size, orientation is patchy at best. If I can digitise the building outlines from the Google Maps tiles, and then associate the attributes from each of the data points that fall within each polygon from the Google Data, then I have SHP data to feed to Scenproc's autogen generator.

Global Mapper's online source seems to be for tiles you already have as it wants the URL of the tile source. So we would need the correct and current map download url. It's probably in the source of rhumbaflappy's downloader somewhere I guess.

Thanks

Braedon

 

[Bungo]

For what I am doing, if you go here -> https://mapstyle.withgoogle.com/, and push all the 3 sliders to the left, is almost perfect for what I want, others might want more detail like the roads. If you could use the output from that as a form of customisation for the downloader it might mean less for rhumbaflappy to do to compromise for the needs (whims?) of individuals as they can customise it themselves with minimal effort.

cheers

Braedon

 

[GaryGB]

If you have downloaded and/or externally-derived SHP and Point data for building footprint shape and/or position, as well as file output from ScenProc building detection off of submitted map and aerial imagery, you may be further able to develop your autogen buildings with even less manual labor.

The alignment / orientation issue for placement of buildings derived from footprints may have already been addressed by Arno in recent versions of ScenProc:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/back-to-autogen-detection-for-buildings.437268/

https://www.scenerydesign.org/page/8/

GaryGB

 

[GaryGB]

I have SHP files of the building footprints of larger buildings in the 6 local government areas of South East Tasmania, but "larger" = Bigger than your average house. The other structures have point data only. The detail of "type" is generaly good, but size, orientation is patchy at best. If I can digitise the building outlines from the Google Maps tiles, and then associate the attributes from each of the data points that fall within each polygon from the Google Data, then I have SHP data to feed to Scenproc's autogen generator.

Global Mapper's online source seems to be for tiles you already have as it wants the URL of the tile source. So we would need the correct and current map download url. It's probably in the source of rhumbaflappy's downloader somewhere I guess.

Thanks

Braedon

For what I am doing, if you go here -> https://mapstyle.withgoogle.com/, and push all the 3 sliders to the left, is almost perfect for what I want, others might want more detail like the roads. If you could use the output from that as a form of customisation for the downloader it might mean less for rhumbaflappy to do to compromise for the needs (whims?) of individuals as they can customise it themselves with minimal effort.

cheers

Braedon

See:

https://www.globalmapperforum.com/discussion/5381/google-earth


FYI: Terra Incognita may have superseded GoogleOzi (by the same author):

https://sourceforge.net/p/terraincognita2/wiki/Home/

https://sourceforge.net/p/terraincognita2/wiki/Help/


I don't see any Google Maps layer control, but the extended zoom levels might help eliminate some POI / Label overlaps.


Some related links:

https://www.google.com/#q=Global+Mapper+Google+Maps+URL


GaryGB

 

[rhumbaflappy]

Hi Bungo.

Good news is that I think I can make a DLL for SBuilderX to do what you require. I also discovered there is a Google Maps API_v3 set of tiles for aerial imagery that does not require version updates.

Using the website https://mapstyle.withgoogle.com/ I assume you want map tiles that have roads, but no labels or 'landmarks'. I'll work on that. I'm not sure all areas have building locations.

I also think I can get tiles of just land and water, which might be useful.

 

[Bungo]

G'Day Dick,

Thanks for taking the time and effort of replying.

I found in hand piecing together about 600 of the screenshot tiles and doing a test raster-vectorconversion in Global Mapper that the anti-aliassing has a shade of grey on the road edges is also detected as a colour used by the buildings, so without roads would be best for my particular applicaton, but others may need them. If the downloader is georeferencing the download then I found for my requirement, the roads are not necessary (or accurate enough for that matter) as I simply used them to place the screenshot tiles next to each other correctly in rural and bushland areas with little or no buildings to match between tiles, but no other reason.

I don't know if it's feasible to have an option to select/deselect Roads, Labels, Landmarks, Water, etc. (ie all the sliders set to the left at https://mapstyle.withgoogle.com/, but others may have different requirements).

Is it possible/feasible/desirable to use the JSON confiuration output from the https://mapstyle.withgoogle.com/ page as a sort of configuration for the downloader? That way it might be less effort to cater for different needs (but slaving to a 3rd party site that no-one has any control over)?

I found with South-eastern Tasmania that comparing the Google satelite imagery to the Google Maps building footprints, that the coverage is dense at some palces where I have little GIS data, sparse others (about the same as the GIS data), and non-existent in odd places near the dense stuff, but overall it's still more detailed than the official sources I have from Local and State Governements and OSM, and overall they can build a better picture than any of them in isolation.

The end result will be a bit of a mix of Google Maps derived with Officially sourced GIS shape file point data attributes merged in, and probably get scenproc to feature-detect where these are not adequate (when I work out how that all works with a 120GB Photoshop source file). The area is about 90 x 100km in size, so a lot of variation in available GIS data over such a large area is to be expected.

I think everyone will have different requirements for data derived from Google Maps (where Google Imagery has a more singlular form used directly as PR or as an image for Autogen generaton), so it's a bit more complicated to meet a variety of needs with the maps data.

cheers

Braedon

 

[rhumbaflappy]

Here's what I have been trying as a DLL for SBuilderX:

GoogleServer_api3.zip

 

[Bungo]

Will give it a try when I get home tonight.

Thanks.

Braedon

 

[GaryGB]

This is excellent... GoogleMaps raster layer choices in SBuilderX at zoom level 21 !


Also, the top-down view of objects in raster imagery seems better aligned 'on-Nadir' with less 'warped' shapes than seen in some GoogleMaps viewers via online web browser pages.


Many thanks to Dick for making this available !


PS: Many thanks as well to Braedon, for the heads-up on the availability of the new "Google Maps APIs Styling Wizard" demo page showing new possibilities achievable via the more recent Google Maps APIs version, and for advocating this proposal with Dick.

GaryGB