[gdal-dev] Problem in importing to Google Earth a nitf image converted from a tif image by gdal_translate

mohwawang mohwawang at yahoo.com
Thu Apr 9 16:21:01 EDT 2009


Hi Roger,

My goal is to be able to directly import NITF image to GE without using KML. You can see the advantage of this application - if it works. I'm glad that you have viewed in GE georeferenced imagery created or altered by gdal. Maybe you can point out what I did wrong.

It is good that you asked about GeoTIFF. So I used gdal_translate to convert the tif image to a GeoTIFF image. I tried to drag and drop the GeoTIFF image to GE but nothing happened. I did not see the GeoTIFF image in GE and I did not get any error message either.

I can open the GeoTIFF image with OpenEV and I can read the lan/lon coordinates and they are correct. One thing is that it seems that OpenEV does not set North to Up. Its orientation aligns with the file coordinates - (0,0) is at the upper left corner. I then opened tif file in the same OpenEV and they match to each other.

Again, I can import the tif image with its kml to GE but I can not import the GeoTIFF to GE (without using kml), it seems that nothing happened. I can import the GeoTIFF to GE with kml - though that is not what I want. But the GeoTIFF is better than the NITF that could not be imported to GE even with the same kml.

What's wrong with GeoTIFF? I mean why I could not import it to GE? I listed the gdal_translate command line here:

>gdal_translate -of GTiff tiff.tif gtiff.gtf -a_srs EPSG:4326 -gcp 0 0 -70.887525562763 42.8093748999134 -gcp 560 0 -70.887525562763 42.8082925732318 -gcp 560 419 -70.8894939447889 42.8082925732318 -gcp 0 419 -70.8894939447889 42.8093748999134

I don't have a .ntif file that was not created by gdal to test GE via the "Import Image Tool".

Thanks.

Mo 
 

--- On Thu, 4/9/09, Roger André <randre at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Roger André <randre at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [gdal-dev] Problem in importing to Google Earth a nitf image  converted from a tif image by gdal_translate
> To: "mohwawang" <mohwawang at yahoo.com>
> Cc: "gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org" <gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org>
> Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009, 12:47 PM
> Hi Mo,
> 
> Thanks for that pointer on the differences between GE
> Layers and Places.  I'll be sure to take a close look
> at those links.  I've had occasion in the past to view
> georeferenced imagery in Google Earth, much of it created or
> altered by gdal in some way, so this topic interests me.
> 
> 
> I'm curious, is your goal to view the NITF format
> specifically and to have GE read the internal georeferencing
> info, or is it just to view the image in GE?  It sounds
> like you have already accomplished the latter using a KML
> Ground Overlay and a tif, a method which has also worked
> reliably for me in the past as well. I've also had
> success with PNG and JPEG format files.  
> 
> 
> Since in your .nitf test the georeferencing was supplied by
> the KML file, the red "X" you are getting implies
> to me that the image format isn't being correctly
> interpreted by GE for some reason.  The fact that Envi
> chokes on it as well does seem to point to gdal as a
> possible culprit, although the NITF format is not one that I
> have seen very much.  Have you tried importing the GeoTIFF
> version of your file directly into GE Pro as well?  Also,
> do you have a .nitf file that was not created by gdal, and
> which you could use to test GE via the "Add Image
> Overlay" tool?
> 
> 
> Roger
> --
> 
> On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 8:37 AM,
> mohwawang <mohwawang at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Roger,
> 
> 
> 
> I'm using Google Earth Pro 5.0. Thank you for the
> suggestions.
> 
> 
> 
> Google Earth Pro 4.0 also supports importing NITF:
> 
> http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_importdata.html
> that is for importing your data (including vector data and
> imagery data) to the Places of Google Earth while http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_imageoverlays.html
> is for "Using Image Overlays and 3D Models".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> See http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_layers.html#layers_vs_places
> for the difference between Layers and Places in GE.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the first time I'm importing geo-referenced
> images to Google Earth Pro and so far I don't have much
> luck. As I said that I could not use GE to import the NITF
> images converted from gdal_translate (with EPSG:4326 that is
> the same projection, Simple Cylindrical projection, or known
> as Lat/Lon WGS84 that GE uses). So I tried to narrow down
> the problem. This time I imported to GE an native Erdas
> IMAGINE image (.img) (with UTM projection that GE supports
> too) but still failed. The later test case has nothing to do
> with gdal and is purely a question for GE. That .img image
> can be opened by both IMAGINE and OpenEV.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The NITF image (converted by gdal_translate) not just could
> not be opened by GE it could not be opened by ENVI 4.1
> either. It can be opened by OpenEV (tightly related to gdal)
> though. So it could be a problem in either gdal_translate or
> ENVI (I doubt though) or both.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> 
> 
> Mo
> 
> 
> 
> --- On Thu, 4/9/09, Roger André <randre at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> > From: Roger André <randre at gmail.com>
> 
> > Subject: Re: [gdal-dev] Problem in importing to Google
> Earth a nitf image  converted from a tif image by
> gdal_translate
> 
> > To: "mohwawang" <mohwawang at yahoo.com>
> 
> > Cc: "gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org"
> <gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org>
> 
> > Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009, 12:44 AM
> 
> > Granted, I haven't
> tried V 5 yet,
> 
> > but your quote also states, "Google Earth Pro or
> 
> > EC".  Are you using one of those versions of
> the
> 
> > client?  In any case, if the file opens in OpenEV,
> chances
> 
> > are good that the .ntf generated by gdal is ok, and
> that
> 
> > there is some sort of problem with how Google Earth
> is
> 
> > reading it.  Have you tried emailing the KML support
> list
> 
> > as well?
> 
> >
> 
> > --
> 
> >
> 
> > On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 8:51 PM,
> 
> > mohwawang <mohwawang at yahoo.com>
> 
> > wrote:
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> > Google Earth 5.0 supports NITF see
> 
> >
> 
> > http://earth.google.com/intl/en/userguide/v5/ug_importdata.html
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> > [Importing Imagery
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> > You can open GIS imagery files in Google Earth Pro or
> EC
> 
> > and have the files correctly projected over the proper
> map
> 
> > coordinates in the 3D viewer. Google Earth Pro and EC
> 
> > support the following types of GIS imagery:
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >     * TIFF (.tif), including GeoTiff and compressed
> TIFF
> 
> > files
> 
> >
> 
> >     * National Imagery Transmission Format (.ntf)
> 
> >
> 
> >     * Erdas Imagine Images (.img)
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> > In addition, you can also import the following
> images.
> 
> > Because they do not contain projection information,
> you must
> 
> > manually edit their coordinates for correct
> positioning:
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >     * Atlantis MFF Raster (.hdr)
> 
> >
> 
> >     * PCIDSK Database File (.pix)
> 
> >
> 
> >     * Portable Pixmap Format (.pnm)
> 
> >
> 
> >     * Device Independent Bitmap (.bmp)
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> > Note - All imagery files must contain the correct
> 
> > projection information in order to be accurately
> 
> > re-projected by the Google Earth software.]
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> > Mo
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> > --- On Wed, 4/8/09, Roger André <randre at gmail.com>
> 
> > wrote:
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> > > From: Roger André <randre at gmail.com>
> 
> >
> 
> > > Subject: Re: [gdal-dev] Problem in importing to
> Google
> 
> > Earth a nitf image  converted from a tif image by
> 
> > gdal_translate
> 
> >
> 
> > > To: "mohwawang" <mohwawang at yahoo.com>
> 
> >
> 
> > > Cc: "gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org"
> 
> > <gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org>
> 
> >
> 
> > > Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 10:45 PM
> 
> >
> 
> > > See http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_imageoverlays.html#requirements,
> 
> >
> 
> > > I don't believe the "NITF (rw+):
> National
> 
> > Imagery
> 
> >
> 
> > > Transmission Format" is supported by Google
> 
> > Earth.
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > Roger
> 
> >
> 
> > > --
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 3:27 PM,
> 
> >
> 
> > > mohwawang <mohwawang at yahoo.com>
> 
> >
> 
> > > wrote:
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > Hi all,
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > I'm sorry that this is the third time I tried
> to
> 
> > send
> 
> >
> 
> > > this message out because I myself didn't get
> the
> 
> > first
> 
> >
> 
> > > two through gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org
> 
> >
> 
> > > so I thought others might not get it either.
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > I used gdal_translate to convert a tif image to
> a
> 
> > nitf
> 
> >
> 
> > > image as:
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > >gdal_translate -of nitf in.tif out.ntf -co
> 
> > ICORDS=G
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > Input file size is 561, 420
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 0...10...20...30...40...50...60...70...80...90...100
> 
> > -
> 
> >
> 
> > > done.
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > I can display both in.tif and out.ntf with
> OpenEV. So
> 
> > both
> 
> >
> 
> > > in.tif and out.ntf were ok to OpenEV.
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > With a simple Google Earth kml file(specifying
> the
> 
> >
> 
> > > LanLonBox)(printed below) I could import the
> in.tif
> 
> > to
> 
> >
> 
> > > Google Earth viewer to the right geo-location.
> So
> 
> > in.tif was
> 
> >
> 
> > > ok to GE.
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > However, after replacing the image file name
> from
> 
> > in.tif to
> 
> >
> 
> > > out.ntf in the same kml file (printed below) I
> could
> 
> > not
> 
> >
> 
> > > import the out.ntf to Google Earth viewer (shown
> as a
> 
> > big
> 
> >
> 
> > > red cross in a big red rectangle at the
> geo-location
> 
> > in the
> 
> >
> 
> > > GE viewer). So out.ntf was not ok to GE. Any
> ideal
> 
> > about
> 
> >
> 
> > > what might cause the problem? Was the use of
> 
> > gdal_translate
> 
> >
> 
> > > wrong or missing some options? I tried not to use
> -co
> 
> >
> 
> > > ICRODS=G but I got the same problem. Thank you.
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > printed kml for in.tif:
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > <?xml version="1.0"
> 
> >
> 
> > > encoding="UTF-8"?>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > <kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2"
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > xmlns:gx="http://www.google.com/kml/ext/2.2"
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > xmlns:kml="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2"
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > <GroundOverlay>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >   <description>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > *** Meta-Data ***
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >     Lat = 42.808863
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >   </description>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >     <name>in.tif</name>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >     <Icon>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >        <href>in.tif</href>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >       
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> <viewBoundScale>0.75</viewBoundScale>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >     </Icon>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >       <LatLonBox>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >         
> 
> > <north>42.8093748999134</north>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >         
> 
> > <south>42.8082925732318</south>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >         
> 
> > <east>-70.887525562763</east>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >         
> 
> > <west>-70.8894939447889</west>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >         
> 
> > <rotation>-95.909027</rotation>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >       </LatLonBox>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > </GroundOverlay>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > </kml>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > printed kml for out.ntf: same as in.tif
> 
> >
> 
> > > except:
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >     <name>out.ntf</name>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >     <Icon>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >        <href>out.ntf</href>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >       
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> <viewBoundScale>0.75</viewBoundScale>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >     </Icon>
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > Best Regards,
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > Mo Wang
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > _______________________________________________
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > gdal-dev mailing list
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > gdal-dev at lists.osgeo.org
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/gdal-dev
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> > >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


      


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