so-cool/xcave

Google Earth Pro image extractor and alignment

xCave

Google Earth Pro building extraction with history

Installation

Required version of Python is 2. If you're using Python virtual environments do:

mkvirtualenv xCave
workon xCave
pip install -r requirements.xxx.txt

Otherwise do:

pip install --user -r requirements.xxx.txt

Where xxx is osx or linux depending on your operating system. If you're using Mac OS X installing Xcode first is required.

Then, due to its internal structure, Python's PyAutoGUI has to be installed separately:

pip install PyAutoGUI==0.9.36

Ubuntu requires a couple of additional packages:

sudo apt-get install scrot
sudo apt-get install python-tk
sudo apt-get install python-dev
sudo apt-get install python-imaging-tk
sudo apt-get install python-numpy
sudo apt-get install python-scipy
sudo apt-get install python-xlib

---

If you just want to use image alignment module it's enough to install Python Pillow package:

pip install Pillow==3.4.2

xCave configuration

Before xCave can be used it needs to be configured. Open xCave.conf with your favourite text editor and set the following values:

• os -- line 15
• version -- line 19
• resolution -- line 33
• executable_path -- line 38
• save_location -- line 43

Their meaning and possible values are explained in detail inline in the xCave.conf file. Please note that the explanations and comments will disappear from this file once Google Earth gets calibrated.

Google Earth configuration

Configure Google Earth interface

• Uncheck Show tips at start-up
• Make sure that Search tab is opened
• Uncheck all Places
• Uncheck all Layers

Configure Google Earth speed

• In Preferences --> Navigation set Fly-To speed to maximum
• Now maximize Google Earth window to fit most of your screen space

Configure Google Earth save image

Configure Google Earth history

When resizing the window make sure that history panel fits into the screen.

Configure Google Earth exit

Usage

The software has the following commandline options:

$ ./xCave.py -h
usage: xCave.py [-h] [-c | -i IMAGERY [IMAGERY ...] | -o OSM | -k KLM
                [KLM ...] | -g GEOLOCATE GEOLOCATE | -a ALIGN | -p APPLY
                APPLY]

Google Earth Pro imagery extractor.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -c, --calibrate       Calibrate Google Earth Pro interface.
  -i IMAGERY [IMAGERY ...], --imagery IMAGERY [IMAGERY ...]
                        Download Google Earth Pro imagery from specified KML
                        file or a folder with KML files. If second argument
                        (integer) is provided the imagery will be downloaded
                        from given image number onwards (steps down the Google
                        Earth history).
  -o OSM, --osm OSM     Download region file from OpenStreet Maps. This option
                        requires a string of 4 values restricting the region:
                        "left bottom top right".
  -k KLM [KLM ...], --klm KLM [KLM ...]
                        Convert given OSM file into KLM file. The first
                        argument is a path to an OSM file or a directory
                        containing OSM files. The second optional argument is
                        a list of points of interest; 5 objects close to each
                        point will be extracted and saved as a separate KLM
                        file e.g. "(27.703625,85.309184); (27.703474,
                        85.310344)".
  -g GEOLOCATE GEOLOCATE, --geolocate GEOLOCATE GEOLOCATE
                        Geolocate image in an OSM file or a set of OSM files.
                        The first argument is OSM file or a folder containing
                        OSM files; the second argument is an image to be geo-
                        located.
  -a ALIGN, --align ALIGN
                        Invoke GUI to align images in given directory.
  -p APPLY APPLY, --apply APPLY APPLY
                        Apply alignment to images in given directory (the
                        first argument is *alignment file* and the second is
                        *directory* with images).

Usecase:

./xCave.py -h

./xCave.py -c

./xCave.py -o "85.307 27.702 85.312 27.705"

./xCave.py -k ./85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705.osm "(27.703625,85.309184); (27.703474,85.310344)"
# or ./xCave.py -k 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705.osm
# or ./xCave.py -k ./osms/

./xCave.py -i 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705_objects/112654809.kml
# or ./xCave.py -i 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705_objects/112654809.kml 7
# or ./xCave.py -i 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705_objects/

./xCave.py -g 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705.osm _test_data/WP_20161010_075.jpg
# or ./xCave.py -g osm_test/ _test_data/WP_20161010_075.jpg

./xCave.py -a 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705_objects/111823094

./xCave.py -p 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705_objects/111823094/111823094.clb 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705_objects/111823094
./xCave.py -p 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705_objects/111823094/111823094.clb 85.307_27.702_85.312_27.705_objects/112654809/

Where -i opens Google Earth and controls mouse and keybord to download the imagery, and -a opens GUI to align this imagery. The GUI invoked with -a uses the following keyboard shortcuts:

• q to quit the application,
• <up-arrow> to move the image one pixel up,
• <down-arrow> to move the image one pixel down,
• <left-arrow> to move the image one pixel left,
• <right-arrow> to move the image one pixel right,
• <return>(<enter>) to accept the allignment and go to the next image.

xcave's Issues

Skip downloading image if it's already been downloaded

The script that saves images from Google Earth does not check for existing files. This could be fixed.