Google Earth Tube Maps - Simple

RockWorks | Utilities | EarthApps | Lines | Tubes | Simple

This program:

• Reads a listing of data from the Datasheet Editor: XYZ endpoint pairs (X1Y1Z1, X2Y2Z2)
• Creates a KML output file with simple 3D tubes drawn between these endpoints using a fixed color and radius, and either clamped to the ground, relative to the ground, or using absolute elevations.
• Creates a KMZ (zip) output file, containing the KML file.
• Loads the KMZ file in Google Earth.

See also: Google Earth Tube Maps - Advanced for more plotting options, or Google Earth Pipeline Maps for multi-segmented 3D tubes.

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary

Menu Options

• Input Columns: The prompts along the left side of the window tell RockWorks which columns in the input datasheet contain what data.
  Click on an existing name to select a different name from the drop-down list. See a sample data layout below.
  • X1: Column that contains the X coordinates for the starting point for the tubes.
    These can be Eastings in meters or feet, decimal longitudes, etc. See Defining your Datasheet Coordinates for more information.
  • Y1: Column that contains the Y coordinates for the starting point for the tubes.
    
  • Z1: Column that contains the Z or elevation coordinates, in meters or feet, for the starting point for the tubes. Be sure you've defined the units in the column headings.
    
  • X2: Column that contains the X coordinates for the tube endpoints.
    
  • Y2: Column that contains the Y coordinates for the tube endpoints.
  • Z2: Column that contains the Z coordinates for the tube endpoints.
• Color: Click on the color box to choose the color in which all of the tubes will be plotted.
• Radius (Meters): Into the prompt to the right, type in the desired radius for all of the tubes, in meters.
• Altitude Mode: These settings determine the vertical placement of the tubes.
  • Clamp to Ground: Choose this for the tube segments to lie along the ground topography (ignoring the input Z coordinates defined above). Note that long segments will be subdivided automatically to hug the ground.
  • Relative to Ground: Choose this for the tube segments to plot a specified distance above ground, based on the values in the Z column defined above. Note that this offset is assigned to the line endpoints, so that short tibes will mirror the topography but long tubes will not.
  • Absolute: Choose this to float the lines at a specific elevation, listed in the Z columns above.

Step-by-Step Summary

1. Access the Utilities program tab. 
2. Create a new datasheet and enter or import your location coordinates into the datasheet.
   Or, open one of the sample files and replace that data with your own. (In this example, the sample file = "RockWorks17 Data\EarthApps Samples\Tubes_Simple_01.rwDat")

Longitude and latitude coordinates must be in decimal format. If you're using another coordinate system, be sure you've specified the Units and the Projection Settings as appropriate.

3. Select the RockWorks | Utilities | EarthApps | Lines | Tubes | Simple menu option. 
4. Enter the menu options as described above.
   
   ! Tip: If you're working with one of the sample .rwDat files, you can load its specific menu settings by (1) clicking on the Menu button at the top of the window, (2) clicking Load from RCL, and (3) browsing for the .rcl file with the same name as the .rwDat file you're working with.
   
   
5. Click the Process button to continue. 

The program will create a KML file with tube segments between the coordinate pairs, in the color and radius you specified. It will create a KMZ (zip) file containing the KML file. The Google Earth KML and KMZ file names will be assigned automatically.

6. 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 map will be displayed in Google Earth, if requested. 

  Back to Line Maps Summary

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