Google Earth kml Instructions Doug Medville, NSS 7073 This is what I do to create cave plots on Google Earth

images It!s pro"a"l# overl# detailed and I!m sure that there are more e$$icient wa#s %$ewer steps& to do this "ut this is what wor's $or me Do what wor's "est $or #ou "ut this should get #ou going (irst, go to Google Earth %GE& and $ind #our entrances )pen GE and in the *$l# to+ "o,, enter the entrance coordinates that #ou have in #our G-S $or #our entrance or entrances %M# G-S records in degrees and decimal minutes and that!s what I enter The $ormat is. dd mm mmm, /dd mm mmm -ut a space a$ter the comma and a minus sign in $ront o$ the longitude degrees& 0it *enter+ or the magni$#ing glass s#m"ol and GE will ta'e #ou to the entrance coordinates that #ou!ve entered 1our coordinates should "e on top o$ or close enough to the entrance shown on GE to $ind it Note that #our coordinates ma# or ma# not match where GE sa#s it is Even though #ou were there and #ou 'now that #our coordinates are where the entrance is, #ou want to use what GE sa#s "ecause that!s where it is going to place the plot -ut the cursor on top o$ the entrance that is hope$ull# visi"le on the image, read the GE coordinates at the "ottom o$ the image, and write them down I$ #ou can!t see the entrance on the image due to vegetation cover, #ou!ll have to use #our G-S coordinates and hope that the# closel# match the %hidden& entrance location on the GE image I$ #ou don!t have a G-S location, #ou!ll have to either visuall# $ind the entrance on the image or estimate where it is and then write down the coordinates that correspond to that entrance on the GE image I write down and use the GE coordinates in 2TM and not in lat3long To get the 2TMs, on the GE screen clic' *tools+, then *options+, then clic' on the 2TM "o, The coordinates will appear on the "ottom o$ the GE picture and will change as #ou move the cursor around -lace the cursor on top o$ the entrance as seen on GE and write down the 2TMs Do this $or an# other entrances that #ou have surve#ed to and $or which #ou have in/cave surve# stations This is important $or loc'ing the cave into the entrances shown on GE Now go to -ro4ect Manager and open the dat $ile $or the cave 2nder *-rocess )ptions+ loo' at *close when+ and *compile when+ and clic' always $or "oth I$ #ou don!t do this $or a multi/entrance cave, the cave plot won!t "e underneath the entrances that #ou want it to "e under 5ather than distri"uting random surve# errors throughout the plot and ma'ing small ad4ustments to each shot so that the plot lies "eneath each $i,ed entrance station, 6ompass will put all o$ the errors into the tie/in shot to the $i,ed entrance station, creating a distorted plot Thus, it is important that $or multi/entrance caves, the *close when+ always "o, should "e chec'ed

Still in 6ompass, open the cave plot and loo' at the station la"els and verticals $or the stations that #ou have G-S readings $or and write them down (or e,ample, sa# #ou have a two entrance cave and start the surve# at station 78 where #ou ta'e a G-S reading I$ this is the start o$ the surve#, the vertical is 0 $eet I$ #ou have another entrance at station 780, and have a location $or it, write down 780 and its vertical $rom the compass plot This will pro"a"l# "e in $eet so convert to meters %divide "# 3 9:& Do this $or all entrances $or which #ou have locations I$ there is an entrance $or which #ou did not ta'e a G-S reading "ut #ou can see it on the GE image, #ou can write down the 2TM $or that station and use that in$ormation %#ou!ll need to 'now the station that corresponds to that 2TM and its vertical with respect to datum& The idea is to have the ;1< coordinates $or all entrances o$ interest 6lose the plot and return to the main 6ompass screen 6lic' on *$ile+, then *pro4ect creation wi=ard+, then *insert $ile+ 6lic' on *"rowse $or a $ile+ and $ind #our dat $ile >hen #ou $ind it, clic' on it and then clic' the *open+ "o, The dat $ile now appears in the *Surve# (ile to 2se+ "o, in the screen that #ou!re in %the top o$ the screen sa#s *inserting node no 8+& Now clic' on *lin's3$i,ed stations+ at the top o$ the screen 7 "lan' ta"le will appear 0ouse'eeping. Since #ou!re entering the coordinates in meters, clic' *meters+ under *units+ and chec' the *2se 2TM+ "o, 2se the arrows to go to the 2TM =one #ou!re #our cave is in 1ou can get this in$ormation $rom the topo map that the cave is on Now go to the "lan' ta"le and, $or each station $or which #ou have coordinate in$ormation, enter the station num"er and the 2TM coordinates $or that station, including the depth, ma'ing sure that the vertical %<& coordinates are also in meters I imagine that #ou can enter the true elevations $or each station in meters "ut I 4ust enter them in terms o$ the relative vertical di$$erences "etween m# datum station, set at 0 meters, and the other stations 7$ter entering all ;1< coordinates, clic' *o'+ )"viousl# i$ it!s a one entrance cave, #ou onl# have one line entered 7$ter clic'ing *o'+, a -ro4ect 6reation wi=ard+ screen appears I$ #ou!re onl# entering data $or one cave, clic' *$inished+ I$ #ou want to enter the coordinates $or another cave $or which #ou have a surve# $ile, #ou can clic' *insert e,isting surve# $ile+ and repeat the coordinate entr# steps $or that cave 1ou can do this $or as man# caves as #ou li'e and when #ou!re done, then clic' *$inished+ 7 *Save -ro4ect (ile as+ screen appears Enter a $ile name $or #our new M7? $ile and clic' *save+ 7lthough it!s not necessar#, I pre$ace the $ile name with *'ml+ so that the $ile is identi$ia"le as the one that contains the plot that will appear on GE Now a %$ile name& M7? screen appears 6lic' on *-rocess+ and+ @iew 6ave+ and enlarge it to $ull screen si=e 6lic' on *$ile+, then *E,port 3D (ormats+ and #ou!ll get a 6ompass 3D E,porter screen

6lic' on ?MA (or caves in the continental 2 S , use the North 7merican datum 8B97 (or caves in 0awaiCi, we use North 7merican Datum 8B:3 1ou can modi$# the $ill and line colors to suit #our taste to ma'e it di$$erent $rom the red and "lue that appear on the monitor 6lic' on the *E,port ?MA $ile+ "o, and #ou!ll get a *Save -lot as ?MA $ile+ screen with #our M7? $ile name on it 6lic' *save+ and close the other screens %nearl# there& Now go to *computer+ or whatever #ou need to do to $ind #our new 'ml M7? $ile It should have a little "lue and white glo"e in $ront o$ it >hen #ou dou"le clic' on the $ile name, the plot appears on Google Earth and #ou!re done 1ou can change the image "rightness "# sliding the "ar "eneath the *places+ window (inall#, do a sanit# chec' and ma'e sure that the plot goes where #ou thin' it should go/ it should "e on top o$ the entrances that #ou!ve loc'ed in with the coordinates ta"le since #ou!re ma'ing these $i,ed coordinates to $orce the cave plot to pass over them It onl# ta'es a couple o$ minutes to do the a"ove $or a cave/ it!s prett# mechanical, once #ou get used to the seDuence o$ steps The up/$ront thin'ing part is getting the proper 2TM coordinates $or the entrances o$ interest and ma'ing sure that #ou 'now which surve# stations are at these entrances GE doesn!t 'now where #our cave outline should goE it!ll put the plot an#place #ou tell it to so #ou need to 'now where it should "e That!s wh# I loo' at the GE image to $ind m# entrances $irst and wh# I wor' with m# surve# notes and3or cave map to ma'e sure that I 'now which stations are at the entrances o$ interest (or a one or two entrance cave this is no pro"lem "ut $or "ig ones where there are lots o$ entrances and I want the plot to pass "eneath at least most o$ them, it ta'es some up e$$ort to $ind them and enter the correct ;1< coordinates $or each entrance