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Discover, Model and Harness our Natural and Urban
Environments

Learn how to display Surpac Data in

Google Earth
March 8, 2019
By Ash Colton (https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/author/ashcolton/)

Sometimes there is a need for displaying Surpac data (.str) in Google Earth and vice versa. To support
this, I took the opportunity to develop a dedicated macro, which is downloadable here
(https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/B-Link-blog-to-zip-file-Macros-
for-surpac_to_google_earth.zip).

The Macro is simple to use but currently only works for zones 31 to 60. If you are working in MGA you
can convert back and forth using the MGA option.

The options panel allows you to create slightly different effects in google earth depending on what you
are trying to achieve.
 (https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/1-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-
Google-Earth.png)

The image below shows a string file converted to kml using orange lines and flatten z values checked.

(https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/2-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-
Google-Earth.png)
Below shows a string file using the option to not flatten z values

(https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/3-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-
Google-Earth.png)

The second macro allows you to digitise any area on google earth and then save it as a .kml file. You can
then take the .kml file and turn it into a string file for use in Surpac.

The first step is to digitise an area on Google Earth. I use the ruler function for this and then save it.
(https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/4-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-
Google-Earth.png)

Find the saved file in the Google Earth panel and right click on it.  Choose “Save Place As”

(https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-

content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/5-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-Google-Earth.png)
Ensure the “Save as type” is set to kml and not kmz

(https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/6-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-
Google-Earth.png)

In Surpac, find the .kml file and run the second macro, kml to str.

(https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-

content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/7-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-Google-Earth.png)

This will create a string file in the Surpac navigator which has the same name as the kml file. In this
example it is road.str
 (https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-

content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/8-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-Google-Earth.png)

You can extend this functionality by digitising boundaries in Google Earth and taking screen shots
using the boundary as a reference.

The boundary can then be used in Surpac for draping images over dtm’s giving you the effect below.

(https://blogs.3ds.com/geovia/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2019/03/9-Displaying-Surpac-Data-in-
Google-Earth.png)
 Please note: Before running the macros ensure your string files are in text format and not binary!  From
Surpac 6.9 onwards everything is saved in binary by default. (This can be changed using plugin
preferences in the customise tab)

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