Create Revit Site with Google Earth Surface

Autodesk labs site provide "Google Earth ^TM Extension"for AutoCAD, Architecture, Civil 3D, Map 3D, the usages of the tool are:

• Import Google Earth image to .dwg applications (AutoCAD, Architecture, Civil 3D, Map 3D)
• Publishing 3D DWG Models to Google Earth ^TM
• AutoCAD Drape a grayscale Google Earth ^TM image onto a 3D mesh in AutoCAD applications

The 3rd function provide a method to import the elevation data for the current Google Earth view into AutoCAD as a mesh, then one can link the site .dwg as a reference to create Revit site, here are the steps:

1. Launch AutoCAD (or Civil 3D, etc), do as per the guide (please refer to page 8-11 of the Google Earth ^TM Extension white paper, shown at the bottom of this article) indicates. Here are the results,

Google Earth TM Site
Imported mesh (.dwg file)

 

1. Launch Revit application or open a Revit project file (.rvt), link and put the .dwg object onto the target level, adjust the location, size (scale factor) if necessary.
2. Activate the Mass & Site tap, create "Toposurface"

    
   

3. Choose "create from import\select import instance" option and select the linked dwg file.

    
   

4. Here is the result in Revit GUI,

 

Note,

Google Earth ^TM Extension downloads site: http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/google_earth_extension_beta/term_and_condition/

Google Earth ^TM Extension white paper:

http://labs.autodesk.com/files/201_300/205/file_205.pdf

Comments

[Rajarshi]

This is simply great! Coming together of two great technologies is bound to produce astounding results.

[matgarcig]

It's a shame you need to use Autocad to get the toposurface into Revit

[computer screen]

I love the blog, but this issue about Create Revit Site with Google Earth Surface is great. It is very useful for a job that I have to present next month. Thanks again. Great work

[Ricardo R Davalos]

When I import de DWG on to Revit it looks OK when I create a “Topsurface” and select “create from import\select import instance” icon, it dose not let me select the linked dwg file.
Is there something I’m doing wrong?