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How To

The document provides steps to add a Google Earth satellite image into ArcMap. It describes using Google Earth to add control points to the corners of an image area, exporting the image, and then importing and georeferencing it in ArcMap using the control points.

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Mihaela Vasiliu
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38 views

How To

The document provides steps to add a Google Earth satellite image into ArcMap. It describes using Google Earth to add control points to the corners of an image area, exporting the image, and then importing and georeferencing it in ArcMap using the control points.

Uploaded by

Mihaela Vasiliu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How To: Add a Google Earth Satellite Image Into ArcMap

ArcMap 10 now allows you to bring in Bing Maps imagery as baselayers to your project.
However, this requires a robust network connection because you are constantly feeding
in live data from their servers. As an alternative method to bring in satellite imagery into
ArcMap, the following tutorial guides you through the steps of bringing in selected
screenshots from Google Earth into ArcMap. One huge advantage of using Google Earth
imagery is that you will be able to bring in historical data that is now available.

G OOG LE EA RTH
You will navigate to the location in Google Earth that you want to bring in to ArcMap.
Then, you will add 4 control points on each corner of the image, record their
latitude/longitude coordinates, and export the image as a jpg file.
1. Open Google Earth
2. In the Layers panel, turn everything of
3. Go to Tools -> Options, and change the Show Lat/Long option to Decimal
Degrees
4. Navigate to the area and extent that you want to use in ArcMap
5. Press r on your keyboard. This will reset the view angle to be top down
and rotates the map so that it is north up
6. Press F11 to make your map go full screen
7. Click on the add placemark button
8. Move the icon from the middle of the screen to the top left corner of the map
9. Rename the icon Top-left
10. Click the button to change the icon

11. Choose this icon:


12. Jot down (or copy and paste) the latitude and longitude coordinates
somewhere you can access later
13. Repeat the process and add icons for Top-right, Bottom-left and Bottomright
14. Now its time to export the image. Go to File -> Save -> Save Image and
save your file

A RC MA P
Now you will import your google earth image, and georeference it based on the 4 control
points you created.
1. Open ArcMap
2. Go to View -> Data Frame Properties and select the Coordinate System tab
3. Choose Predefined -> Geographic Coordinate Systems -> World -> WGS 1984
4. Go to Customize -> Toolbars -> Georeferencing
5. Add the image file from Google to ArcMap. If it prompts you to build
pyramids, click ok
6. Zoom into the top left corner of your satellite image
7. From the georeferencing toolbar, click the add control points button

8. Hover over the exact center of the top left icon you created, and LEFT click
once
9. Now, RIGHT click once and click on Input X and Y

10. Add the correct coordinates for your Top-left control pointWARNING:
Remember that X is LONGITUDE and Y is LATITUDE
11. Repeat the process for the remaining 3 control points. If the map has
disappeared from your view port, just right click on the layer, and select
zoom to layer

12. To finish your georeferencing, click on the Georeferencing menu item from
the toolbar, and select update georeferencing

You should now be able to overlay additional layers on top of the satellite image. Below is
an example of a landuse layer on top of a Google Earth image.

Landuse over imported Google Earth image

Hot Tip: Historical Imagery


You can also import historical satellite imagery from Google. This could be useful to see
temporal changes in the landscape of your project areas.
1.

Go to View -> Historical Imagery, or just click on the historical imagery icon from
the toolbar

2.

You can then slide the time bar handle to display imagery for available times

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