CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
15 March 2006
Company News
Bentley Connects MicroStation to Google Earth Service
Bentley Systems, Incorporated announced that it has connected MicroStation to the Google EarthT service. As a result, for the first time, users can view and navigate 2D/3D models of infrastructure projects in the context of the Google Earth environment.
MicroStation is Bentley's desktop platform for the design, construction, and operation of the world's infrastructure, including buildings, roads, bridges, power plants, telecom networks, and much more.
In commenting on the Google Earth connection and the value it brings, Ray Bentley, lead developer, said, "The Google Earth connection is fantastic for our users, who work on major assets placed on or in the earth. The feedback regarding the connection has been great - beta users around the world are inspired by their new ability to view this work inside the Google Earth environment."
Added Joe Croser, global marketing director, Bentley platform products, "The most exciting thing about the Google Earth connection is that it facilitates richer visualization for everyone involved in a project - from designers on through to the public. I like to think of it as 'grounding design' by placing the project in situ."
Through this connection, MicroStation users can publish their DGN and DWG models of infrastructure assets being designed, approved, or maintained directly to the Google Earth environment. Here, the models can be viewed and navigated in the context of this rich geographic imagery with associated content, including buildings, transportation systems, boundaries, bodies of water, and census information - to cite just a few examples.
Moreover, the MicroStation files placed in the Google Earth environment can contain links to more detailed data that users can review locally. This information can be provided in a variety of formats, including, for example, Excel spreadsheets, Word and PDF documents, additional DGN and DWG files, and URLs - enabling diverse project information to be shared through the Google Earth interface.
The richness of the MicroStation model content is available to users of the Google Earth service. For example:
• All included levels available to the MicroStation user are persisted in the KML file, so the Google Earth user can easily switch parts of the model on and off as desired.
• Saved views in MicroStation are transferred to the KML file, so the Google Earth user can easily move through pre-configured perspectives in the model.
• Embedded links within a MicroStation file will be automatically published as Google Earth Placemarks. This allows the Google Earth viewer to quickly navigate to supporting project data.
• The geometries of MicroStation GeoGraphics users who have defined the coordinate system for their designs will be automatically exported to the correct locations in Google Earth.
• MicroStation raster imagery can be published to Google Earth to replace or augment the Google Earth imagery.
Bentley SELECT subscribers can download the new connection software now for use with MicroStation V8 2004 Edition. The capability is delivered within MicroStation V8 XM Edition.
To view an online demonstration of the MicroStation and Google Earth connection, view an eSeminar on how to publish DGN and DWG models to the Google Earth environment, or to learn more, go to http://www.bentley.com/earthtools .
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