Googe Earth, Old Maps tip

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Puffin
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Googe Earth, Old Maps tip

Post by Puffin »

Here is the two methods for over laying maps on Google earth

Here's a useful idea that I sometimes use.

Google earth, select the area that you want and save the image to your HD.
Next go to http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapshe ... =647&y=424

and save the Victorian map of the Google earth area you have saved by right clicking on the image.

Now I use CorelDraw 11 but other image editors may do this.

Import the Google earth image into a clean page. Import the Victorian Map onto the same page.

The clever bit with Corel is you can make a colour transparent, so you make the white background of the Victorian map transparent, leaving the black areas showing.
Now drag the Map over the Google image, enlarging, twisting until the Victorian overlay matches the Google map.
Save and Print.

This way you can see just where the old track ways etc. are in a modern context.


Did you know that you can do all this in Google earth its self.

While in Google earth click add at the top of the page and click on image overlay this will open up your HD click on browse find the picture that you want to overlay click on it and it will be downloaded over the top of the view you have on Google earth,

All you have to do then is rotate the Google picture to line up with the one you have loaded in, At the side of the picture there is a box with all the coordinates and there is also a slide control so that you can slowly make the picture transparent this lets you see the Google map underneath as it is today. once you can see the two pictures overlaid you can adjust the size of the Google map to fit the one you have loaded in.

You can then save the complete picture back to your HD.

I've combined the old map, Google earth and my Garmin track waypoint file locating finds and where I've walked with my detector. Great way to work out what to do next in the field.

PS these old maps are FREE where as Old-maps.co.uk are not.

[photo]771[/photo]

Had a PM from someone who asked a few questions.


Quote:
Puffin,
Very interested in your overlay map. Recent photos.

1 Is the “track(s)” GPS plotted from your detecting day?
2 Is the “number(s)” finds or digs?
3 Which GPS system are you running?

Regards




Hi

I'll answer each question in turn.

1 The track info is stored on my GPS unit (A eTrex Personal Navigator) see the latest issue of the Searcher April 08 for an article on Garmin GPS units. Its a basic machine, but you can set it to automatically record you position either on a timed basis or distance travelled. Basically a track is a digital dot to dot. The track you see is about 12 hours worth of detecting.

2 The numbers are finds, in the field, when I find something, I bag it. If I numbered every dig I would end up creating masses of useless data, ring pulls and scrap ali etc not recorded. Press a button on the GPS which records a "Waypoint" issuing a number on the display which is transfered to the bag with a date. Takes about half a minute to do in the field. Sometimes it takes me a week or two to catalogue the finds, hence the date.

3 eTrex Personal Navigator, which I have on a lanyard around my neck. I had to buy extra cables to down load the stored data, a Garmin data cable which is an older serial connector and a serial to USB Converter. Maplins. If you go to http://www.gpsu.co.uk and download and register the GPS Utility, a programme that will down load and convert the data to date***.kml the default google file formate. A cracking programme that does lots of stuff, including uploading your own Waypoints. Say you see a feature on google earth, note its lat. and long. input it into GPSU then upload. When in the field just navigate to within 5m of the feature which may not be visible on the ground.

I then just go into Google earth load the file date***.kml and google earth displays the waypoints and the tracks. These can be edited further within GE like attaching pictures or add a description. So when you click on the icon/waypoint you can see and read about the find. As I date both the bags and file number/name, I can cross ref. them together at a later date.

Hope this is helpful, if you don't mind I will chop out your name and post this on the thread, useful info for all, I think.

Regards
Puffin
Last edited by Puffin on Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Googe Earth, Old Maps tip

Post by PhilD »

Great post Puffin will come in very handy :clap

The Google Earth method works great, saved the image. Took a bit of trial and error and found if you go back into Google later the slider above where it says layers on the left lets you toggle the transparency. Also you can overlay multiple maps on the same page.
Attachments
Google Earth plus Historic Map.JPG
Click here to register with PAS
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Re: Googe Earth, Old Maps tip

Post by mooseas »

Thanks for the tips and links Puffin, blooming fantastic.. :g12: :g25: :g25:
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Re: Googe Earth, Old Maps tip

Post by Puffin »

OK, I've been playing with maps and Google earth again.

Leeolitina kindly gave us a link to this site. http://www.brock-family.org/gavin/google-earth/ brilliant, problem is it only displays OS maps at 1:50,000 and street map scales. The more useful 1:25,000 scale that shows hedge lines and footpaths, does not display. I've found out that the OS still have not released the 1:25,000 maps for free distribution. Sadly it means paying for them.

After a little Googling I found Http://www.Anquet.co.uk where you down load a programme onto your PC. This programme allows you to purchase and download 1:25000 scale OS maps. Minimum order £10.00 for a reasonable area. But because Anquet allows you a personal License you can only use the downloaded map in high quality within the Anquet programme. You can print it out and transfer the map to a small range of smart phones and PDA's with GPS built in.

So how do you get the Anquet file format onto Google Earth? Well you don't. Using a small programme called MapCapt.exe (Google MapCapt to find it) you can capture an area of the screen and save it as a .jpg file. Get where I'm going? Hope so!

First load MapCapt and minimise, then load Anquet and the map your interested in, enlarge the area until you have at least 2 by 6 OS grid squares depending on your monitor size/shape. The smaller the area enlarged, the better, as the resulting saved image is a lowish resolution and it is easier to aline the saved .jpg image in Google earth without too much distortion. Restart MapCapt then select the two opposite corners of the area you want and save the resulting file.

Close both programmes and start Google Earth. Go to the area you are interested in. Click Add, image overlay, browse, find the saved .jpg, click. A box will show on Google earth which you can stretch, rotate and pull until it fits the area. To help you do this, there is a slider control in the dialogue box, which fads the image in and out, so you can see under the image. There you have it, reasonable quality OS 1:25,000 map overlays in Google earth. Which are more useful then 1:50,000 maps.

Have fun. :g50:
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Steve-B

Re: Googe Earth, Old Maps tip

Post by Steve-B »

Super info Barry.

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Re: Googe Earth, Old Maps tip

Post by Puffin »

Cheers Steve, I'll copy this info here as well as it seems to be something that people need to know. I've been playing with maps for 25 odd years off and on. Just love Google earth as a tool.

OK to resize an image overlay once you have saved it.

Simple.
On the tool bar at the top of the page, you will see a small rectangle icon. white on the left and blue on the right. Click this, this brings up a drop down on the left side of the screen. If you look here you will see "PLACES" under which you will find your overlay file name. Left click to highlight then right click. After a little while a dialogue box pops up, go to the bottom of this, to "PROPORTIES" click here. This re-opens the control box and allows you to edit and reposition your image overlay. (green corners reappear)

Note:- You can use this method to edit place marks, routes etc.

Note 2:- If you've paid £20 for the next version of Google Earth for the extra features. Next time you want to re-subscribe, you'll find that Google earth has stopped this service, so you may as well stick to the free version as they are planning to upgrade this to include the paid features. The Pro version will be £99 instead of £400 for the year.
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