Trimble Business Center

Typically I will bring in an image from Google Maps to overlay linework or control points on but that seems redundant with the capability of turning on Map view in TBC. The snag I ran into this morning is that it does not look like you can print the Map View as an underlay in Plan sets. 

I was able to accomplish this by exporting out my linework to Google earth and then use Google earth to plot the attached pdf. It works but I would like the ability to do it within Business Center so that I can add my drafting template and reduce the need to export to Google Earth to just print a pdf.

A couple requests and maybe they are already available

1. Print map view as an underlay in plan sets

A tip I found out at Dimensions:

You can use a limit box to cut down on the map view that you see in the background.

It has to be a Physical Image in the Project Pat. So what I do is use the Capture Image command to capture a High Res Image from the Background Map and then import it (it is a georeferenced Image automatically) and then you can turn off the Background Map because you now have a permanent image in the project. Now you can also use the Image properties to fade the image / grey it into the background etc and set its print priority etc so that your lines site on top of it etc. If you need to you can also add the image to your surface to enhance your 3D Views, you can also patch out the area of the Project from the Image and patch in your CF Map etc as needed.

Good tip on the Limit Box - we all learn something new every day ...

Alan

That is exactly what I needed.

Alan,

I have a few questions and/or ideas on image settings:

1. Is there a way to bump up the resolution of the DigitalGlobe imagery
   1. Your trick works great but the resolution of the digitalglobe map is not the clearest. When you export as the image, the resolution degrades even more
   2. A clearer resolution would help with takeoffs and recon of data
2. Is there a time scale option on images, similar to Google Earth's historical imagery?

#enhancementrequest

I thought maybe there was a quick and easy way to export a georeferenced image from Google Earth to bring into TBC. That would eliminate some of these issues but after some extensive research it sounds like exporting a georeferenced image from Google Earth violates legal agreements and does not exist for that reason.  

Digital Globe

Google Earth

I have seen variations between Digital Globe and Google Earth that work both ways in terms of which is the higher resolution image and also which is the more up to date image - It is not a fixed difference where Digital Globe is always the lower resolution.

Agree that at 300 DPI over a Large Area even from a Large Hi Res Monitor you will get some downgrade of the imagery when you use the Capture Command so is not perfect

The Resolution of the Digital Imagery is what it is, I don't believe that we are downgrading it - this is a resolution that we can justify delivering as a a service for free to our user base, of course Higher Resolution imagery Services are available at a price that we could draw on, we just don't see our user base paying for those - those that need Hi Res Imagery fly their own sites anyway and use the High Res Images they collect with Drones etc, those that dont do that this service is fairly useful 

I would agree that we could maybe find a way to use the Background Imagery on Plot Sheets at the resolution that it is provided to us - that would be easier than doing the Image Capture approach (I think this was a Chicken and Egg thing that Plotting predated the addition of the Map Service and we just havent implemented cropping Map Service data to Dynaviews etc. I will add it to the enhancement lists - meanwhile the work around is the best that I can offer

Alan

Another trick if you want to use Google Earth as a background image in TBC:

• Create points in TBC for anchors
• Export points  using Google Earth exporter
• Open in Google Earth
• Save view making sure that points are visible
• Import into TBC
• Align using points

A few more steps than one would desired but it allows some flexibility. This is also very useful when wanting to use historical data provided by Google Earth.