3D Models and Text

Adding additional 3D data to Google Earth is a great way to make your tours look good. We're going to be using the 

1. Build a model - For this tutorial, we're going to use SketchUp, an the example model will be 3D text.

• You can import any model you make, buildings, text, shapes, whatever

• File size is a factor, keep model polygon counts low for fast loading

• You can use modeling software other than Sketchup, as long as you can export as a KMZ

• There are tons of sites and instructional videos on modeling

For 3D Text, a good starting scale is Height: 500' Extruded: 100'

3D Text dialogue box

You can move and scale the model in Google Earth, but you can only rotate around the Z axis. Rotate the Text upright before exporting to a KMZ:

Lastly, if you want to add color, do so in Sketchup.

2. Give your model a location - Use the Add Location tool to add a Lat/Long to your model. You can edit this location further once the model is in Google Earth. Click the Add Location tool.

Add Location...

This opens a map:

Location selection window

To find your region:

• Search for the location you want to add in the search box

  • Click 'Select region'

  • Click 'Grab'

The selected terrain is now in Sketchup. 

Imported terrain

3. Export the model as a KMZ - Go to File, then Export, then 3D Model. 

4. Import your model into Google Earth - Bring the KMZ into Google Earth using wither File, Open from Google Earth, or dragging the KMZ into the Google Earth window

Model in Google Earth

5. Edit the model in Google Earth - You can change some things in Google Earth. 

• • Scale

  • Rotation

  • Location

  • Elevation

To access the properties of the model, expand the KMZ and click on the Model, then Properties

Model properties

While the Properties box is open, you will see control points come up on the model. Click and drag the side and corner of these to change the scale:

Changing scale

To rotate the model, look for a diamond on one side. Click and drag this to rotate the model

Rotate control point

To change the altitude of the model, go to the Altitude tab and adjust the slider:

Adjusting the altitude

Altitude adjustment result

Once you have your text or model how you like it, you can build a tour around that or export images. 

Final result

Ready for another challenge? Head over to Model Movement to learn how to animate these models.