Introduction
One of the key features of Plex-Earth offers the ability to import high-resolution imagery consisting of multiple tiles.
This can be a very useful tool for professionals looking to acquire detailed depictions of any given project site regardless of size, as the quality of an image depends on the zoom level applied, which is directly related to the vertical distance between an observer and the Earth's surface. In other words, the higher the eye altitude, the lower the zoom level applied and the larger the area covered. However, this takes a toll on the clarity of the imagery.
On the contrary, by applying a much higher zoom level, the end product will be of much higher quality, containing valuable information about our project site, and therefore, enabling us to pay attention to detail while designing. Nevertheless, a higher zoom level would induce the need for a greater number of images in order to cover a given area, as eye altitude and coverage are inversely proportional. This is precisely why we have created the Import Imagery Mosaic command, which automatically takes all images necessary depending on the desired zoom level, and creates a high-quality image consisting of a grid of multiple tiles.
Imagery Mosaics come in handy if you are looking for top-notch depictions of any given project site, and this tutorial is intended to provide a brief breakdown of the details regarding this particular key feature of Plex-Earth.
Note: Before importing Imagery with Plex-Earth, it is crucial to make sure the georeference
settings of our drawing have been defined, in order for the software to know where to place
the imported Imagery.
Step 1: Select Provider and Quality Calculation method
Import high-quality imagery with very good clarity and enjoy the privilege of having a clear view of your project site within seconds.
Step 1: Select Provider and Quality Calculation method
In order to create an Imagery Mosaic, we visit the Imagery Panel of Plex-Earth and select the Import Imagery Mosaic command, as shown in the screenshot below:
We are then prompted to pick our desired way of specifying the Imagery cover area. The software provides us with the ability to specify the area we would like to cover with imagery either in our drawing or in Google Earth, and even enables us to select our preferred provider as well as the way the quality of our imported Imagery will be calculated.
All available options are highlighted in the screenshot below:
Before choosing our preferred way of specifying the Imagery cover area, let's define our desired Provider and Quality parameters first.
1) Select Provider
In order to select our preferred provider, we click on the corresponding option highlighted above and are then presented with the Imagery Source Palette, as demonstrated in the screenshot below:
In order to browse through the different available providers, we select the Click to select another provider option. Plex-Earth then automatically activates the Imagery Provider Palette:
Once we pick our preferred provider, we click Select, and Plex-Earth closes the Imagery Provider Palette. We can then browse between the different available datasets of providers that offer this option by selecting the Click to change dataset option on the Imagery Source Palette:
Once we have picked our desired dataset, we can proceed with selecting our preferred way of handling Imagery quality by clicking OK on the Imagery Source Palette:
2) Set Quality
Having selected our preferred provider and dataset, we can now specify the way the quality of our imported Imagery will be calculated. In order to do so, we click on the corresponding option highlighted above and are then presented with the two available options:
a) Automatic
This is the predefined option. If we choose this as our preferred way of calculating the quality of our imported Imagery, Plex-Earth will calculate the optimal amount of tiles to be captured based on a predefined number of tiles and the time needed for the software to collect and fetch all individual images comprising our Imagery Mosaic, depending on the size of the specified area.
b) Custom
This is the option to make if we are looking to adjust the quality of our imported Imagery manually. In this case, we will be given the opportunity to define our preferred zoom level once we have specified the area to be covered with Imagery, and Plex-Earth will subsequently provide us with an accurate estimation regarding the number of tiles necessary, depending on the zoom level and the size of the specified area.
Once our preferred parameters have been defined, we can move on to step two and pick our desired way of specifying the imagery cover area using one of the two different options provided by Plex-Earth.
Step 2: Create Imagery Mosaic
In order to import an Imagery Mosaic, we select the Import Imagery Mosaic command from the Imagery Panel of Plex-Earth and pick our desired way of specifying the Imagery cover area.
1) Specify in Drawing
We can opt for this method by clicking Specify in drawing on the Basemap Imagery Palette:
We are then prompted to define the extents of our imported Imagery by either specifying the first and second corner points of our rectangle or using a polyline in our drawing:
In this example, we are going to create a rectangle with our cursor, as demonstrated in the screenshot below:
Once we have picked the second corner point of our rectangle, and since we have set the value of the Quality parameter to custom, Plex-Earth automatically activates the Image Resolution Palette. We are then given the ability to pick our desired zoom level, and Plex-Earth also provides an accurate estimation regarding the amount of tiles needed to cover the area specified with imagery of the defined quality:
Once we have picked our preferred zoom level, we click Select and Plex-Earth activates the Mosaic Editor and the Capture Imagery Palette, providing us with the ability to capture all tiles by clicking Start capturing now!:
In case we would like to get rid of unnecessary tiles before capturing our Imagery, we can hit the CLOSE button on the Capture Imagery Palette and click Select tiles in drawing on the Mosaic Editor:
After clicking Select tiles in drawing on the Mosaic Editor, we are given the option to select the tiles we would like to capture by a point or by a rectangle. It is also possible to select or unselect all tiles, as well as to revert our selection with the click of a button. Once we have selected the tiles we would like to keep, we hit the Captured x selected tiles icon on the Mosaic Editor:
Once done, Plex-Earth captures the selected tiles and gives us a clear view of our project site:
Which only gets better as we zoom in:
And even better if we choose to hide our Mosaic's gridlines by clicking on the respective icon on the Mosaic Editor, as shown in the screenshot below:
2) Select in Google Earth
We can opt for this method by clicking Select in Google Earth on the Basemap Imagery Palette:
Once done, we are presented with a pop-up window informing us about the procedure that needs to be followed in order to specify our desired cover area in Google Earth:
We then create a Google Earth element, be it a placemark, path, or polygon, and right-click on it in order to copy it. In this example, we will use a placemark:
Once we click Copy, Plex-Earth automatically commences the Mosaic Creation process, and since we have set the value of the Quality parameter to automatic, the software calculates the optimal amount of tiles to be captured based on a predefined number of tiles and the time needed for the software to collect and fetch all individual images comprising our Imagery Mosaic, depending on the size of the specified area. Plex-Earth also activates the Mosaic Editor and the Capture Imagery Palette, providing us with the ability to capture all tiles by clicking Start capturing now!:
In case we would like to get rid of unnecessary tiles before capturing our Imagery, we can repeat the process described previously. Once we have selected the tiles we would like to keep, we hit the Captured x selected tiles icon on the Mosaic Editor:
Once done, Plex-Earth captures the selected tiles and gives us a clear view of our project site:
And here's a better view after zooming in and hiding our Mosaic's gridlines as demonstrated previously:
Conclusion
Plex-Earth offers the ability to import high-quality, up-to-date imagery from the best providers in the field into CAD drawings. Our software was developed to help you save precious time and resources, as we do realize the importance of meeting deadlines and maximizing efficiency throughout your journey in the AEC industry.
We hope that you have found this introduction on how to create mosaic images with Plex-Earth, helpful. Feel free to contact us at support@plexscape.com for any questions you may still have.
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Compatibility includes:
AutoCAD Version: 2023, 2022 , 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 , 2017 , 2016
Civil 3D® Version: 2023, 2022 , 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 , 2017 , 2016
AutoCAD Architecture Version: 2023, 2022 , 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 , 2017 , 2016
BricsCAD Pro: V22 , V21