| Product(s): | WaterCAD, WaterGEMS, HAMMER, SewerGEMS, SewerCAD, StormCAD, CivilStorm, PondPack |
| Version(s): | CONNECT Edition |
| Area: | Layout and Data Input |
If I have pipe network information that was drafted inside Google Earth, can that information be imported to create a hydraulic model?
To import pipe network information from Google Earth, follow these steps:
1) Save your Google Earth project to KMZ file format.
2) Convert the KMZ file to Shapefile format. This can be done a number of ways, such as free online converters or ArcGIS.
With ArcMap:
a) First convert the KMZ to a layer using ArcToolbox > Conversion Tools > From KML > KML to layer.
b) Next, right click on each of the layers in the TOC choose Data > Export Data and export to Shapefile format. Do this each nodes and pipes.
c) Next, since Google Earth uses the WGS projection which works in angular units, you will need to reproject the shapefile to a projection that uses feet or meters. This can be done from ArcToolbox > Data Management Tools > Projections and Transformations > Project. Be sure to choose the correct projection based on your location. For example State Plane NAD 83 <state name>.
3) Use ModelBuilder to import the shapefiles. Make sure the box is checked for "Establish connectivity using spatial data", select "<label>" for the "key field" (unless you have a field with unique labels) and map any additional fields.
4) Use the available tools to clean up the data. For example if lines were not connected to points, the junctions may be floating above pipes, in which case you can use the batch pipe split tool. You can find other useful cleanup tools in Network Navigator.
Note that if you wish to align the model to a background aerial or road image, use Bing Maps to align three points of the model to three points in the Bing Map.