EVS-Islands

I am not a programmer. I muddle my way through HTML and have a rudimentary idea on how KML files are structured. Much of my mapping consists of polylines that ultimately make up a shoreline or a polygon that encloses an EVS layer of information. I construct most of my polylines within Global Mapper (GM) using it's digitizing capabilities. Quite often I find myself digitizing from within Googe Earth (GE). I have constructed polyline files consisting of 20,000 vertices from within GE. My files are ultimately saved in KML format and deposited onto my desktop. I am going to share my "poor man's work around" using MS Word. As the title indicates, I will explain one way to quickly and easily convert KML map files into Arc/Info Ungenerate format. My process is fast and Arc/Info Ungenerate format easily drops into any number of mapping programs.

KML File Loaded into MS Word

A KML file will load directly into MS Word. The format is what you see in the above image. Once loaded you can begin modifying it.

Delete Heading To First Lon-Lat

KML layout for vertices is lon,lat,elevation(sp). But I'm ahead of myself. You must first delete the KML heading. You will not need it for an Arc/Info Ungenerate format.

Add Polyline ID #

At the line directly above the first lon add the number 1. Each unique polyline is identified with a number and END at the end of each polyline/polygon or END END at the very end of a file.

Find and Replace

Now we get fancy. When digitizing within GE make sure you digitize directly at ground level. That will zero out the elevation. Each set of vertices includes a "0, ". Within MS Word I "Find" "0, " and "Replace" it with a manual line break "^|". Position the cursor at the beginning of the file and select "Replace All".

Conversion is Almost Complete

This file consists of 1,008 vertices and took a second to process. If my memory serves me right, the 20,000 vertice file took about five seconds to convert. This process is very fast.

Delete Bottom KML Script

At the end of the list of vertices, delete any remaining KML script.

END END and Save as a Text File

Since this is a single polyline, enter a double END END to end the file. And there you have a properly formatted Arc/Info Ungenerate file. Save it as a WhatEver.txt file and it is ready to load into your favorite mapping program

Import Modified File Into Global Mapper

I work primarily with two mapping programs. First, I'll walk you through an import into Global Mapper. This is its initial screen. Select file and determine the type of format your target file is in - .txt.

Select The File

Browse and select your file.

Adjust Settings as Needed

Global Mapper recognizes your selected file type and any potential settings. If you need to modify any of them, this is the screen where you would do that. I want my polyline to show up as an EVS Shoreline. Once everything looks alright, select "OK"...

And There It Is, One Modified GE KML File That is Now an Arc/Info Ungenerate File!

Importing The Modified File Into Marplot

Marplot, an excellent mapping freeware package, is my second mapping package. It is where I maintain my extensive database of islands and other layers of information. Go to File and Import.

Select The Modified File To Import

Browse and select the file to import.

Select "No" At This Prompt

Since the file is not a native Marplot map file, select the "NO" option here.

And There You Have It!

Within Marplot the file will load into the layer that happens to be at the top of your layer list. I always keep my Temporary layer at the top within Marplot. After I have ensured that my imported file looks fine, I move it to it's appropriate layer.

And that's how you convert a KML map file into an Arc/Info Ungenerate map file. Cool, huh?

Enjoy!

Labels: Global Mapper, Google Earth, KML, Marplot, MS Word, Ungenerate

Posted by Mr Minton at 5/30/2007 02:35:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Underneath SE Asia

Guess how? Hints - Landsat ETM+ N-47-20_2000, SRTM v3 Z_56_8.tif and Global Mapper 3D View.

Enjoy!

Labels: Global Mapper, Landsat, SRTM

Posted by Mr Minton at 5/29/2007 07:29:00 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Eiao and Hatutu Islands FP - NASA and TerraMetrics Image Oblique View (S to N)

According to Google Earth this is Eiao and Hatutu Islands. This blurry mess is claimed by either NASA or TerraMetrics. Whoever claims it, should unclaim it. I am certain that, short of being a blurry curiosity, it serves little purpose. Now for the good stuff!

Eiao and Hatutu Islands FP - DigitalGlobe Image Oblique View (S to N)

Wow! This is what the first image should look like - a nearly cloud-free image draped over an underlying SRTM to add elevation (3D effect). This is where Google Earth "shines", taking a flat picture and creating a 3D-image. I assume, that during the construction of their global masterpiece, they included all available SRTM data. Even if the overlying image is a blurry mess, the SRTM data still provides elevation data from which GE is able to create the 3D effect.

Eiao and Hatutu Islands never looked better. I've seen a number of images, maps and charts and these DigitalGlobe images rival the very best available. I am certain the French government has highly detailed maps, charts and images of these islands as they were once considered as potential sites for nuclear testing. Thank God that ill-conceived idea was dropped!

Eiao Island FP - DigitalGlobe Imagery - S to N

Focusing on Eiao Island first, one can see the eastern edge of the island made up of a severly slanting slope measuring 400-meters plus from top to bottom. This feature spans the entire western shore. The island is part of a submerged volcano. This eastern edge can be identified as the remaining above-water portion of a very large submerged caldera..

Eiao Island - DigitalGlobe Imagery Oblique View (W to E)

On the western side of the island one finds sheer cliffs of 300-meters plus. The bay shown in the above image is the traditional landing place for this island. The ascent to the plateau appears to be quite difficult from this location. The abundant vegetation above the landing place would support the reports that there is a spring located within the area. The island's plateau was once covered in a forest. It was rich in a diverse and unique flora and fauna. What little remains is in spite of the ravages of feral animals.

Eiao Island FP - DigitalGlobe Imagery - NE to SW

This is a seldom seen view of Eiao Island. The S to N view is a cartographic standard, however this NE to SW view shows the northern end of this island as having two potential landing places. They might be subject to heavy seas, but I would give the one on the left a try with a Zodiac. Also, access to the island's plateau seems more gradual from here as opposed to traditional landing places along the western shore that would involve strenuous treks.

Hatutu Island FP - DigitalGlobe Image Oblique View (S to N)

Finally, the oft cloud-shrouded Hatutu Island. My previous post describes my frustrations at obtaining clear images of this island. The one you see here is a composite. The southern portion is virtually cloud-free, whereas the northern portion is a thumbnail of imagery available from DigitalGlobe's extensive archive. So, I stitched the two images together, cut and pasted the ocean surrounding the island (for appearance sake) to create this Hatutu Island image. If you require imagery for serious work, call DigitalGlobe and they will fix you up. However, if you require a quick view that gives you an idea of the topography of this island, here it is.

Both islands, Hatutu and Eiao, are classified as Territorial Reserves. However, both islands still contend with feral animals (goats, swine, sheep, cattle, cats) that have devestated the flora and fauna of Eiao, and to a lesser extent, Hatutu. Now this is where a Hollywood star/activist could make a difference. They could, with the cooperation of local and national governments, fund a practiced group to remove these feral animals from both islands, thus allowing them to revert back to a pristine state. Any Hollywood takers? You could film a documentary about the adventure and make a few bucks, but the real payback is you get to reverse a man-made disaster and save an island. Now, that is worthwhile!

This post began as a "How To..." involving Google Earth's capabilities and DigitalGlobe's imagery, but has evolved into a celebration and a plea for help for two islands - Eiao and Hatutu Islands.

Enjoy and Help!

Labels: DigitalGlobe, feral animals, French Polynesia, Google Earth, Marquesas

Posted by Mr Minton at 5/28/2007 11:01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post