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

Vincent Schut schut at sarvision.nl
Fri Apr 10 03:15:11 EDT 2009


mohwawang wrote:
> Hi Roger,
>
> gdalinfo gave me only info about coordinates of GCPs but I doubt that are much useful to GE. Any other way (other than using GCP in gdal_translate) to embed the coordinates info to the GeoTIFF file?
>   
Mo,

I doubt GE will read and use your gcp's. And as there is not 
georeferencing (as: standard geotiff georeferencing) in your tiff, GE 
will fail to place your image.
I'd try to run your tiff through gdalwarp instead of gdal_translate. 
Good chance that gdalwarp will convert your unprojected image with gcp's 
into a real projected geotiff.
Just try: 'gdalwarp <inimage.tif> <outimage.tif>' and then check your 
outimage with gdal_info. It should now give you proper lat/lon values 
for the corner coordinates, instead of pixel indices.

Vincent.
> Thanks.
>
> Mo
>
> Driver: GTiff/GeoTIFF
> Files: gdal_translate_tif_to_gtiff.gtf
> Size is 561, 420
> Coordinate System is `'
> GCP Projection = GEOGCS["WGS 84",DATUM["WGS_1984",SPHEROID["WGS 84",6378137,298.2572235630016,AUTHORITY["EPSG","7030"]],AUTHORITY["EPSG","6326"]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0],UNIT["degree",0.0174532925199433],AUTHORITY["EPSG","4326"]]
> GCP[  0]: Id=1, Info=
>           (0,0) -> (-70.887525562763,42.8093748999134,0)
> GCP[  1]: Id=2, Info=
>           (560,0) -> (-70.887525562763,42.8082925732318,0)
> GCP[  2]: Id=3, Info=
>           (560,419) -> (-70.8894939447889,42.8082925732318,0)
> GCP[  3]: Id=4, Info=
>           (0,419) -> (-70.8894939447889,42.8093748999134,0)
> Metadata:
>   AREA_OR_POINT=Area
>   TIFFTAG_XRESOLUTION=300
>   TIFFTAG_YRESOLUTION=300
>   TIFFTAG_RESOLUTIONUNIT=2 (pixels/inch)
> Image Structure Metadata:
>   INTERLEAVE=PIXEL
> Corner Coordinates:
> Upper Left  (    0.0,    0.0)
> Lower Left  (    0.0,  420.0)
> Upper Right (  561.0,    0.0)
> Lower Right (  561.0,  420.0)
> Center      (  280.5,  210.0)
> Band 1 Block=561x4 Type=Byte, ColorInterp=Red
> Band 2 Block=561x4 Type=Byte, ColorInterp=Green
> Band 3 Block=561x4 Type=Byte, ColorInterp=Blue
>
> ------
>
>
> --- 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, 4:30 PM
>> Hi Mo,
>>
>> What is the gdalinfo output for the GeoTIFF that you
>> created?  If you didn't get an error when you tried to
>> load it in GE, perhaps the georeferencing in the image
>> doesn't quite match what you specified in your KML.
>>
>>
>> Roger
>> --
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 1:21 PM,
>> mohwawang <mohwawang at yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> 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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