Collaboration with other software
About model and data exchange with 3rd party solutions: Revit, Solibri, dRofus, Bluebeam, structural analysis solutions, and IFC, BCF and DXF/DWG-based exchange, etc.

Google Earth/Archicad Connection - AC 24 - 64 bit

PB
Advocate
Hopes raised when I saw this article:

https://graphisoft.com/us/the-powerful-google-earth-archicad-connection

More specifically: "recently GRAPHISOFT has released the add-on for the 64-bit Windows and Mac versions!"

...but where is this unicorn add-on?

Can't locate it either on Graphisoft's website or through general searching on Google...

Can anyone point us in the right direction?

Wishing all of us a healthy & happy 2021
AC27 Apple Silicon. Twinmotion.
16" M1 Max MacBook Pro 32GB, Apple Studio Display, MacOS14
8 REPLIES 8
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
It is unfortunate that the article you linked to does not have a date on it. But, you'll notice that it refers to ARCHICAD 15... 9 versions ago, when the Google Earth connection did indeed work. I don't know about the current add-on...
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
PB
Advocate
Indeed Karl, you are right: For some bizarre reason I thought it was a recent article.

If anyone can point to a method for getting a 3D terrain from Google earth into ArchiCAD on a Mac that does not involve passing through other paid software please let me know - I’d be most grateful !

Edit: Or software that is not overly costly, or involves a significant learning curve...
AC27 Apple Silicon. Twinmotion.
16" M1 Max MacBook Pro 32GB, Apple Studio Display, MacOS14
Anonymous
Not applicable
Half a year later I too searched for this unicorn connection.

It's mentioned, but it's dead. Or not even there from 17 forwards. The current import via .KMZ is a broken mess IMHO-

It was a brilliant thing for small scale and rapid prototyping. Well tough luck, they took take awesome things away, or let them die in this case?

The connection was shafted. No elevator here.

Make a snapshot import that. you Don't get terrain but it is kinda okay and works. Just not due to any value created by Graphisoft.

Should I be wrong guys in hungary, please make a short youtube video how to export from google earth the .KMZ. Because THIS is nowhere mentioned. Just 'import the file'....

Cheers and happy enduring everyone.

Singing off,
Disgruntled Archicad Customer.
Anonymous
Not applicable
PB wrote:
Indeed Karl, you are right: For some bizarre reason I thought it was a recent article.

If anyone can point to a method for getting a 3D terrain from Google earth into ArchiCAD on a Mac that does not involve passing through other paid software please let me know - I’d be most grateful !

Edit: Or software that is not overly costly, or involves a significant learning curve...

Here is the 'easy' new way apparently for 3D

PB
Advocate
Thanks - but this method only imports a 2D image: Is it really so difficult to bring the topo information in Google earth into ArchiCAD? (by that I mean topographic 3D terrain...)

...perhaps it's a closely guarded secret only available to a secret cabal of ArchiCAD users......!
AC27 Apple Silicon. Twinmotion.
16" M1 Max MacBook Pro 32GB, Apple Studio Display, MacOS14
4hotshoes
Advisor

Hey! what is going on here? Google Earth has free data and Archicad use to grab it easy and now it cannot!! Why are we going backwards? I have a site that is on top of a mountain and I need topo and context to show in my design. There use to be a command in the File menu to grab Google Earth data, Easy-peasy. Then it was a plug-in. Then nothing. What has happened?

 

Is there a work around? I think Sketchup will work and then import from there?

Todd Oeftger
AC27 Mac MacBook Pro 15", 2019, 2.3 GHz i9, 32GB, Radeon Pro 560X 4GB, 500GB SSD, 32" Samsung Display (2560x1440)

hi guys!

Any news on how to easily import google earth 3D terrain to Archicad?

sikho
Contributor

I feel like I‘ve spent a multitude of hours reading Graphisoft articles only to find they are out of date or inaccurate.

 

I have been looking for an easy way to import survey data, either GIS, KML or CSV but none of these seem to work with Archicad 25. The only way that I can do this is to generate the topography from a DWG file which is extremely time consuming.

 

It is frustrating that Archicad is stagnating/regressing in this regard..