RockWorks | Utilities | EarthApps | Flyover | Simple: Spiral From Space
This program:
- Creates a flyover from space, zooming down to a specific XY location, with three circular passes, then zooming back out to space.
- Creates a KML output file containing the flyover.
- Creates a KMZ (zip) output file, containing the KML file.
- Loads the KMZ file in Google Earth.
See also: Simple Flyovers - Forward Facing; Simple Flyovers - Midpoint Facing
Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
Menu Options
- Tour Title: Defines the flyover name.
- Midpoint: This defines the location where the flyover will focus.
- Longitude (Decimal Degrees): Type in the longitude coordinate for the flyover focus point. This needs to be entered in a "-112.12345" format (decimal degrees). Western longitudes are entered as negative values.
- Latitude (Decimal Degrees): Type in the latitude coordinate for the flyover focus point. This needs to be entered in a "35.12345" format (decimal degrees). Southern latitudes are entered as negative values.
! Tip: If you don't know the coordinates, just open Google Earth, locate the point of interest, point to it with your mouse, and notice the longitude and latitude coordinates represented in the Google Earth screen (typically at the bottom).
- Ground Elevation (meters): Here you need to enter the elevation, in meters, for this point. RockWorks will use this to know, automatically, how far to zoom in during the flyover pauses and circles.
! Tip: If you don't know the ground elevation, open Google Earth, locate the point of interest, point to it with your mouse, and notice the elevation that is displayed in the Google Earth window (typically at the bottom).
! Another Tip: If you prefer that the automatically-computed elevations for the pauses and circles be higher than the defaults, then set the ground elevation to a higher value.
- Project Radius (meters): For this prompt, enter the radius, in meters, around which the flyover should focus. For example, if you want the first circular pass to occur 1 KM out from the center point, then you would enter: 1000. The successive circular passes will occur at incrementally smaller radii.
Step-by-Step Summary
- Access the Utilities program tab. This flyover does not require that data be entered into the datasheet.
- Select the RockWorks | Utilities | EarthApps | Flyover | Simple: Spiral From Space menu option.
- Enter the menu options as described above.
- Click the Process button to continue.
The program will create a flyover path starting in space. It will descend to the ground elevation + 5 km, above your designated point, and hold. It will then descend to the ground elevation + 2 km and fly a circle at the project radius defined above. It will descend again, to the ground elevation + 1 km and fly the circle. It will then descend one more time and fly the circle at the ground elevation + 0.25 km. Finally, it will zoom back out to space.
It will create a KML file listing the generated flyover path, and a KMZ (zip) file containing the KML file. The Google Earth KML and KMZ file names will be assigned automatically.
- If RockWorks displays the KMZ name in a popup window for your reference, you can confirm:
- Automatically load file into Google Earth: Be sure this is checked if you want to display the output at this time.
- Show this message every time a KMZ File is Created: If checked, this window will be displayed each time a Google Earth output is created. Uncheck this if you prefer not to see this window in the future.
(Both of these settings are also available via the Preferences menu.)
- Click OK to continue or Cancel to cancel the operation.
The resulting flyover will be displayed in Google Earth, if requested.
Back to Flyover Summary
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