GEScene for MapInfo

Version 1.4

User Guide
 Table of Contents
Disclaimer ................................................................................................................................. 4
Google Earth Copyright Issues ................................................................................................ 4
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 5
Support...................................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 6
Prerequisites ............................................................................................................................. 6
Installation................................................................................................................................ 7
Autoload Option................................................................................................................ 10
File Descriptions ................................................................................................................ 11
Running GEScene .................................................................................................................. 12
GEScene Menu Options ......................................................................................................... 13
GEScene Toolbar.................................................................................................................... 14
Importing a Raster Image from Google Earth ...................................................................... 15
Step 1 – Display map window reference points in Google Earth.................................. 15
Step 2 – Save the Google Earth view as an image file.................................................... 17
Step 3 – Register and Display the saved Google Earth image in MapInfo .................. 19
Step 4 – Modify the image registration for optimal alignment ..................................... 21
Creating Image Overlays........................................................................................................ 24
Creating overlays with overwrite mode turned on ........................................................ 24
Creating overlays with overwrite mode turned off ........................................................ 26
Creating Placemarks .............................................................................................................. 28
Creating placemarks with overwrite mode turned on ................................................... 28
Creating placemarks with overwrite mode turned off................................................... 30
Terminating GEScene ............................................................................................................ 32
Preferences ............................................................................................................................. 32
General Options ................................................................................................................ 33
Overlay Options ................................................................................................................ 33
Placemark Options............................................................................................................ 34
File Directory..................................................................................................................... 37
Initialisation File .................................................................................................................... 38
[ProgramDefaults] Section .............................................................................................. 39
[Overlay] Section.............................................................................................................. 39
[Placemark] Section ......................................................................................................... 39
[GEIcon] Section .............................................................................................................. 40
[SymbolProperties] Section .............................................................................................. 40

2
Uninstalling ............................................................................................................................ 41
Option 1 - Using Start menu folder ................................................................................. 41
Option 2 - Using Windows Add / Remove Programs option......................................... 41
Option 3 – Using unins000.exe ......................................................................................... 41
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)....................................................................................... 43
History..................................................................................................................................... 45
Appendix A.............................................................................................................................. 46
Creating a High Resolution Composite Image ............................................................... 46
Tutorial .............................................................................................................................. 46
Creating a Seamless Table................................................................................................ 55
Appendix B.............................................................................................................................. 58
Removing Map Window Background from Overlays ................................................... 58
A basic introduction to PNG features ............................................................................. 59
Appendix C.............................................................................................................................. 60
Google Earth Icon Palettes & Offset Values................................................................... 60

3
Disclaimer
Although this software has been thoroughly tested, bugs may still occur, and may
cause things to happen that were not originally intended. Therefore no responsibility
is taken for any loss of data or the like that may occur from the use of this software.

This software is provided "as is" without any warranties expressed or implied.

By installing this software you agree to these terms and use this software at your own
risk.

Google Earth Copyright Issues

The author of GEScene takes no responsibility for the end use of images saved from
Google Earth. GEScene is a utility that helps automate a number of processes that can
already be done by using existing functionality within the associated applications.

The use of images saved from Google Earth lies solely on the end user abiding by
Google Earth’s Copyright, Permissions and Term of use agreements governing the
use of these images.

Extract from Google Earth web site: You can personally use an image from the
application (for example on your website, on a blog or in a word document) as long
as you preserve the copyrights and attributions including the Google logo attribution.
However, you cannot sell these to others, provide them as part of a service, or use
them in a commercial product such as a book or TV show without first getting a rights
clearance from Google.

Please refer to the following links for further copyright and usage information.

General usage permission

http://www.google.com/permissions/guidelines.html

Term and conditions

http://earth.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=25095

4
Acknowledgements
GEScene.mbx © Peter Doyle
Brisbane,
Australia
Email: pwdoyle@optusnet.com.au

Google Earth, Google Earth Plus & Google Earth Pro are trademarks of Google
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway,
Mountain View, CA 94043

MapInfo & Mapbasic are trademarks of PB MapInfo Corporation

One Global View
Troy, NY 12180

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation

One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399

Adobe & Adobe Reader are trademarks of Adobe Systems Pty Ltd
Level 4, 67 Albert Avenue
Chatswood, NSWS 2067
Australia

Uffe Kousgaard for providing Tool Manager installation routine

Support
Before requesting support, read this User Guide in the first instance, especially the
FAQ section, as this may help resolve the problem.

Support can be obtained by contacting the author at pwdoyle@optusnet.com.au

If reporting an error, please include as much detail as possible, including what caused
the error to appear and what happened when the error occurred. Also include the
details of any error messages that may appear.

Comments are always welcome, and well received.

5
Introduction
GEScene is a MapInfo utility that allows images to be exchanged in both directions
between MapInfo and Google Earth. Placemarks can also be created in Google Earth by
using MapInfo as a point of reference to easily pinpoint more obscure locations.

Images saved in Google Earth can be registered and displayed in MapInfo to

compliment existing map layers.

Conversely, the contents of any MapInfo map window can be displayed in Google
Earth as an image overly.

Google Earth is a great application for viewing data in the real world, but is limited in
its ability to display, edit and locate data from external sources.

MapInfo on the other hand, is very good at displaying, editing and locating data from
many different sources, but lacks the visual impact provided by Google Earth.

GEScene helps compliment the features of both these applications by allowing more
flexibility when displaying and analysing data.

Prerequisites
GEScene requires the following applications and settings be applied to your
computer.

• MapInfo Professional for Windows v4.5 or above.

http://www.mapinfo.com/

• Google Earth, Google Earth Plus or Google Earth Pro.

http://earth.google.com

• Screen resolution set to one of the following resolutions - 800x600, 1024x768,

1280x800, 1280x1024 1400x1050, 1680x1050 or 1920x1200.

This user guide assumes you have a moderate understanding of the operation of
MapInfo Professional & Google Earth.

6
Installation
To install GEScene, run GEScene Setup.exe. This will start the automated installation
process…

Select the setup language and press OK.

Select Next to continue, or Cancel to exit the installation.

Select the destination folder then select Next.

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Select the Start Menu folder where the GEScene shortcut will be placed or select
Don’t create a Start Menu folder to bypass this option.

Select Next to continue.

Select the required icon options then select Next.

8
Select Install to confirm settings and continue with the installation, or select Back to
revise previous settings.

A dialog will display showing the progress of the installation.

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Read the Disclaimer then select Next.

Select Finish to exit the setup and optionally launch GEScene.

Autoload Option

GEScene can be set to load automatically each time MapInfo is started.

As part of the installation process, GEScene is added to the MapInfo Tool Manager.

Access the Tool Manager by selecting Tools > Tool Manager from the MapInfo
menu bar.

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Locate the GEScene entry in the Tool Manager and check the Autoload option.

Select OK

File Descriptions

Once installation is complete the installation directory will contain the following files.

• GEScene for MapInfo User Guide.pdf – Detailed guide to using GEScene

• GEScene.dll – Resource file
• GEScene.ini – Default initialisation file
• GEScene.mbx – Main application file
• Google Earth Icon Palettes.pdf - Google Earth standard icon palettes
• Unins000.dat – Uninstallation data file
• Unins000.exe – Uninstallation executable

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Running GEScene
Run GEScene by clicking on the desktop shortcut created during the installation

or by selecting Tools > Run Mapbasic Program from the MapInfo menu bar and
selecting GEScene.mbx from the installation directory. Alternately select the Run
Mapbasic Program button on the Tools button pad.

Note: In earlier versions of MapInfo, the Run Mapbasic Program option can be found
under the Files menu.

GEScene requires the screen to be set to one of the following resolutions –

800x600, 1024x768, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1680x1050 or 1920x1200.

The following message will display if using a screen resolution that is not supported.

Change the screen resolution to a valid setting and restart GEScene.

A new toolbar titled GEScene is added to MapInfo and is shown below.

A new GEScene menu structure is also added to the MapInfo Tools menu.

The first time GEScene is run, an initialisation file GEScene.ini is created in the
installation directory. This file contains default settings for GEScene. For a more in
depth description of the initialisation file, see the Initialisation File section later in
this user guide.

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GEScene Menu Options
To access the GEScene menu, select Tools > GEScene from the MapInfo menu bar.

Toggle Toolbar – Shows or Hides the GEScene toolbar depending on its current state.

Preferences… - Displays the Preferences dialog allowing customisation of GEScene

User Guide - Opens GEScene for MapInfo User Guide using Adobe Reader.

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About… – Displays a dialog showing GEScene version number and information about
the author.

Exit – Terminates GEScene utility.

GEScene Toolbar

Selecting the various options from the GEScene toolbar will perform the following
actions.

Create Reference Points - Selecting this option will launch Google Earth and
create reference points showing the extents of the current map window.

Register / Open Image – Selecting this option will open a file browser allowing
selection of an image file for registration or displaying of a previously
registered image.

Modify Image Registration – Selecting this option allows modification of the

image registration for optimal alignment with existing map layers.

Create Image Overlay – Selecting this option will launch Google Earth and
display the contents of the current map window as an overlay image.

Create Placemark – Selecting this option will launch Google Earth and create a
placemark showing the location of the point selected in the map window.

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Importing a Raster Image from Google Earth
There are four steps required to display an image from Google Earth in MapInfo.

1. Display map window reference points in Google Earth

2. Save the Google Earth view as an image file
3. Register & Display the saved Google Earth image in MapInfo
4. Modify the image registration for optimal alignment.

Step 1 – Display map window reference points in Google Earth

This step creates reference points in Google Earth representing the bounds of the
current map window.

Select or open a map window containing the required layers and adjust the map view
to display the area over which the image is to be created.

Tip: For best results, maximise the map window before proceeding.

Select the Create Reference Points button from the GEScene toolbar.

Initially the following dialog will display asking for confirmation before launching
Google Earth. To disable this message check the Don’t show this message again
option. This message can be re-enabled through the Preferences dialog.

Select OK to launch Google Earth and create reference points showing the extents of
the current map window or select Cancel to abort this operation.

The reference points are represented by a small red cross in each corner of the image.
These are used in aligning the image registration in Step 4.

Tip: The reference points can be toggled on and off using the GEScene Reference Pts
entry in the Places section of the Google Earth sidebar.

15
Map window showing display area

Resultant Google Earth view showing reference points

16
Note: If the following dialog appears when launching Google Earth for the first time,
then Google Earth may have been installed to a directory that differs from the default
installation directory.

Press OK to locate googleearth.exe using the displayed dialog.

Locate googleearth.exe and press Open. This will save the directory path to the
initialisation file. Google Earth will launch, and this message will not be displayed
again.

Once Step1 is completed, switch to the Google Earth application.

Step 2 – Save the Google Earth view as an image file

This step describes and gives tips on how to save the Google Earth view as a raster
image suitable for using as a layer in a MapInfo map window.

Tip: To give the image a cleaner look disable some of the standard Google Earth
overlays such as the Status Bar, Grid, Overview Map, Scale Legend & Compass.

These can be disabled using the View menu options.

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Important: Performing the following before saving the image will result in a more
accurate initial alignment.

Ensure the Google Earth application window is maximised, then double click on the
GEScene Reference Pts entry in the Places section of the Google Earth sidebar. Wait
for any zooming and streaming of the image to stop before proceeding. This ensures
the reference points are optimally displayed by removing any rotation, tilts or pans
that may have been applied in Google Earth.

Do not adjust the view in any way until the rest of Step 2 is completed.

Change to full screen view by either pressing the F11 key, or selecting View > Full
Screen from the menu bar. (all four reference points should be visible)

Save the image by either selecting File > Save > Save Image from the menu bar, or
pressing the Ctrl+Alt+S keys.

Enter a filename and press Save.

Tip: It is a good idea to save images to the directory specified in the Preferences
dialog, as this is the directory the registration process looks at by default. Unless it has
been changed this will be the directory in which GEScene was installed.

Toggle back to normal view again by pressing the F11 key, or selecting View > Full
Screen from the menu bar. (the sidebar should be visible again)

Once Step 2 is complete switch back to MapInfo.

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Step 3 – Register and Display the saved Google Earth image in MapInfo

This step registers the image saved in Step 2 and displays it in the map window along
with the existing layers.

Select the Register / Open Image button from the GEScene toolbar. The following
dialog will display, allowing selection of the image file to be registered.

Tip: By default, GEScene will look in the installation directory for image files. The
default image directory can be changed through the Preferences dialog.

Select the image file and press Open. The image will be registered and displayed in
the current map window along with the existing layers.

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Distortion: Depending on the location and the size of the area being viewed, there
will be some degree of distortion (e.g. existing layers don’t align properly with the
image). This will be easily rectified in Step 4.

Note: The registration process creates a Tab file with the same name and in the same
directory as the image file. In future, this image can be re-opened the same way as any
other table, by selecting its Tab file.

If the selected image has been previously registered the following message will be
displayed.

Select Open to display the image using its original settings. The image will be added
to the current map window as if it had been opened using the File > Open option from
the MapInfo menu bar. Selecting the option
in the Preferences dialog will ensure the image is displayed if it falls outside of the
current map view.

Select Register to display the image using the current map view. This will cause the
existing registration information in the associated Tab file to be overwritten with
registration information from the current view.

Opening images while there are no map windows open is the same as using the File >
Open option from the MapInfo menu bar except the image file directory is displayed
by default. If the image has not been previously registered the following message will
display.

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Step 4 – Modify the image registration for optimal alignment

This step minimises any distortion created by the registration process by aligning the
image with the current map layers.

What causes the distortion? – In a nutshell, the distortion is an offset error caused by
trying to overlay a flat surface (the raster image) onto a round surface (the real world).
As MapInfo uses real world coordinates distortion is introduced when overlaying the
flat raster image.

Select the Modify Image Registration button from the GEScene toolbar to open the
Image Registration dialog shown below.

If the active map window contains no raster layers the following message box will
display.

Back in Step 1, mention was made of four reference points. It is these points that will
be used to help minimise the distortion.

The aim is to align the real world coordinates in MapInfo with the equivalent
reference points on the image.

21
Important: The reference points on the image are indicated by a small red cross in
each corner of the image and are numbered from 1 to 4, starting with the top left-hand
corner and progressing clockwise.

From the top list box of the Image Registration dialog, select the row labelled Pt1
then click on the centre of the corresponding reference point (in this case) represented
by the uppermost red cross shown in the image below. The second red cross labelled
Pt 1 is the MapInfo coordinate we are trying to align with.

A dialog box will open displaying information about the reference point. Press the OK
button to accept these settings. Do not alter any information in this dialog.

22
The dialog below shows that Pt 1 has now been aligned with the reference point on
the image and the Error (pixels) value has reduced.

Repeat the above process by selecting points 2,3 & 4 from the top list box in turn.
Remember to work clockwise around the image.

Select the OK button once all points have been aligned and the image should align
with the other layers in the map window.

Tips:

• To help locate the reference points, use the scroll bars in conjunction with the
zoom buttons.

• Make sure the centre of the reference point is selected. Use the zoom buttons
for a closer look. The more accurate the selection the better the final alignment
will be.

• If a reference point is hard to find, it may already be in alignment. Use the

zoom buttons to examine the point more closely.

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Creating Image Overlays
This option allows the contents of any map window to be displayed as an image
overlay in Google Earth.

Two modes of operation are available when creating overlays. These are Overwrite
mode and Non overwrite mode which are explained below.

Note: There are a number of default settings that will have an effect when creating
overlays. These are Overwrite mode, Transparency and Type.

The initial settings are …

Overwrite mode = On
Transparency = 50%
Type = jpg.

These settings are explained in more detail in the Preferences section of this User
Guide.

Creating overlays with overwrite mode turned on

Overwrite mode uses a single name GEScene Overlay for the overlay name and the
associated filename.

This name and the associated file are overwritten each time a new overlay is created.

This saves having to enter a new name each time an overlay is created and minimises
the number of files created.

To enable this mode check the option in the Overlay section of the
Preferences dialog.

To create an overlay, select or open a map window containing the layers to be display
in Google Earth.

24
Select the Create Image Overlay button from the GEScene toolbar.

Initially the following dialog will display asking for confirmation before launching
Google Earth. To disable this message check the Don’t show this message again
option. This message can be re-enabled through the Preferences dialog.

Select OK to launch Google Earth and display the image overlay showing the contents
of the selected map window or select Cancel to abort this operation.

Tip: The overlay can be toggled on and off using the GEScene Overlay entry in the
Places section of the Google Earth sidebar.

Tip: To change the transparency of the overlay, select the GEScene Overlay entry in
the sidebar and adjust the slider control. This will vary the transparency from 100%
(clear), to the value set in the Preferences dialog.

25
Creating overlays with overwrite mode turned off

This mode allows creation of multiple overlays with each having a unique name and
filename.

Overlays are displayed using their unique names while the associated files are
prefixed with Overlay (eg. Overlay Brisbane) making it easier to identify, group and
manage them in the file directory.

To enable this mode uncheck the option in the Overlay section of the
Preferences dialog.

To create an overlay, select or open a map window containing the layers to be shown
in Google Earth.

Select the Create Image Overlay button from the GEScene toolbar.

Enter an overlay name in the displayed dialog.

Select OK to launch Google Earth and display the image overlay showing the contents
of the selected map window or select Cancel to abort this operation.

Selecting the Don’t launch Google Earth (Save file only) option will cause the
associated file to be written to the file directory without launching Google Earth. This
file can be retrieved at a later time.

26
Tip: In this example, the overlay can be toggled on and off using the Brisbane entry
in the Places section of the Google Earth sidebar

Tip: To change the transparency of the overlay, select the Brisbane entry in the
sidebar and adjust the slider control. This will vary the transparency from 100%
(clear), to the value set in the Preferences dialog.

If an overlay name is entered that already exists, the following dialog will be
displayed.

Press OK to reuse the name and overwrite the file or Cancel to enter a new name

27
Tip: More information on image overlays can be found in the Google Earth help file
by selecting “Help > User Guide” from the Google Earth menu bar and selecting the
“Using image overlays” link on the displayed page.

Creating Placemarks
This option creates placemarks in Google Earth showing the location of points
selected in the map window. This is useful for locating more obscure locations in
Google Earth by using existing map layers as points of reference.

Two modes of operation are available when creating placemarks. These are Overwrite
mode and Non overwrite mode which are explained below.

Note: There are a number of default settings that will have an effect when creating
placemarks. These are Overwrite mode, Mark selected point, Elevation, Units, GE
Icon and Symbol style.

The initial settings are …

Overwrite mode = On
Mark selected point = Off
Elevation = 10
Units = km
GE Icon = Palette-3, OffsetX=224, OffsetY=32
Symbol style = CurrentSymbol()

These settings are explained in detail in the Preferences section of this user guide.

Creating placemarks with overwrite mode turned on

Overwrite mode uses a single name GEScene Placemark for the placemark name and
the associated filename.

This name and the associated file are overwritten each time a new placemark is
created.

This saves having to enter a new name each time a placemark is created and
minimises the number of files created.

To enable this mode check the option in the Placemark section of the
Preferences dialog.

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To create a placemark, select the Create Placemark button from the GEScene
toolbar then click on the map window. A placemark will be created in Google Earth
showing the location of the point selected in the map window.

Initially the following dialog will display asking for confirmation before launching
Google Earth. To disable this message check the Don’t show this message again
option. This message can be re-enabled through the Preferences dialog.

Select OK to launch Google Earth and display the placemark using the current
preference settings or select Cancel to abort this operation.

Placemark showing the location of the point selected in the map window

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Tip: The placemark can be toggled on and off using the GEScene Placemark entry in
the Places section of the Google Earth sidebar.

Creating placemarks with overwrite mode turned off

This mode allows creation of multiple placemarks with each having a unique name
and filename.

Placemarks are displayed using their unique names while the associated files are
prefixed with Placemark (eg. Placemark Brisbane) making it easier to identify, group
and manage them in the file directory.

To enable this mode uncheck the option in the Placemark section of

the Preferences dialog.

To create a placemark, select the Create Placemark button from the GEScene
toolbar then click on the map window.

Enter a placemark name in the displayed dialog.

Select OK to launch Google Earth and display the placemark or select Cancel to abort
this operation.

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Selecting the Don’t launch Google Earth (Save file only) option will cause the
associated file to be written to the file directory without launching Google Earth. This
file can be retrieved at a later time.

Placemark showing the location of the point selected in the map window

Tip: In this example, the placemark can be toggled on and off using the Brisbane
entry in the Places section of the Google Earth sidebar.

If a placemark name is entered that already exists, the following dialog will be
displayed.

Press OK to reuse the name and overwrite the file or Cancel to enter a new name.

31
Tip: More information on placemarks can be found in the Google Earth help file by
selecting “Help > User Guide” from the Google Earth menu bar and selecting the
“Using Places” link on the displayed page.

Terminating GEScene
To terminate GEScene utility, select Tools > GEScene > Exit from the MapInfo menu
bar.

This will remove the GEScene toolbar and menu structure and remove the utility from
memory.

Preferences
To display the Preferences dialog, select Tools > GEScene > Preferences from the
MapInfo menu bar.

The Preferences dialog shown below allows the default settings to be changed.

32
General Options

- This option set the status of the

confirmation message (shown below) that appears before launching Google Earth.

This message can also be disabled by selecting the checkbox on the displayed dialog.

Tip: Enabling this option is a handy way of capturing accidental presses of the Create
Reference Points button , Create Image Overlay button or Create Placemark
button that would otherwise launch Google Earth.

- This option enables or disables image

zooming when opening a previously registered image using the Register / Open Image
option . When enabled, the map view will change to display the bounds of the
opened image.
Overlay Options

33
 - This option determines the mode of operation when creating image
overlays. Checking this option enables Overwrite mode, while unchecking this option
disables Overwrite mode. See the Creating Image Overlays section in this user guide
for a description of these modes.

- This option sets the initial transparency of the overlay image

between 0% (opaque) and 100% (clear) in increments of 5%

Use the slider control in Google Earth to vary the transparency between the set value
and 100% (clear).

- This option determines the file type to be used when saving the
overlay image. Options are BMP, JPG and PNG.

Note: Files saved in PNG format are suitable for removing the background colour of
the overlay. See Appendix B of this User Guide for more information and samples.

Placemark Options

- This option determines the mode of operation when creating

placemarks. Checking this option enables Overwrite mode, while unchecking this
option disables Overwrite mode. See the Creating Placemarks section in this user
guide for a description of these modes.

Creating a placemark with this option enabled will place a symbol

in the cosmetic layer of the map window at the selected point. These points can be
removed by selecting Map > Clear Cosmetic Layer or saved to a table by selecting
Map > Save Cosmetic Objects from the menu bar.

34
 This option sets the style of the Mark Selected Point preference
above. Until changed the default setting is the CurrentSymbol() style.

This option is used to set the initial elevation used when

displaying a placemark in Google Earth. Use this setting in conjunction with the Units
option below.

This option specifies the elevation Units used when displaying

placemarks in Google Earth. Set this option to match the elevation unit set in Google
Earth.

This option displays a buttonpad containing a selection of icons used for

displaying placemarks in Google Earth. The current icon number is displayed in the
title bar.

35
Tip: To display an icons value click on the icon while holding down the mouse button
and the icon number will be displayed in the status bar. Drag the pointer off the button
pad before releasing the mouse button otherwise the icon will be selected and the
button pad dismissed.

For a greater choice of icons press the Other Icons button on the buttonpad and a
dialog will display allowing values for other icons to be selected. The initial values
displayed are for the currently selected icon.

Pressing the button will display a document titled Google Earth Icon Palettes
and Offset Values showing palette and offset values for a grater selection of icons.

This document is attached in Appendix C of this user guide.

To use one of these icons take note of the palette number and x and y offset values
and enter them into the dialog.

Example:
To display this icon select Palette 5, x: offset of 224 and y: offset of 192.

36
File Directory

Selecting the button will display the following dialog, allowing the default file
directory to be set.

This directory specifies the path to use when opening images using the
Register / Open Image option and is used to stores files when creating overlays and
placemarks.

37
Initialisation File
GEScene creates an initialisation file GEScene.ini in the installation directory the first
time it is run. This file initially contains a default set of parameters used to customise
GEScene. Although this file is automatically updated by GEScene it can be edited
using a plain text editor if desired.

[ProgramDefaults]
GoogleEarthDirectory=C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth\googleearth.exe
AdobeReader=AcroRd32.exe
FileDirectory=C:\Program Files\GEScene for Mapinfo\
DisplayMessage=Yes
ZoomOnOpen=Yes

[Overlay]
OverwriteMode=On
Transparency=7Fffffff
Type=jpg

[Placemark]
OverwriteMode=On
MarkPoint=Off
Elevation=10
ElevationUnit=km

[GEIcon]
Palette=Palette-3
OffsetX=224
OffsetY=32
DefaultIcon=6

[SymbolProperties]
SymbolShape=34
SymbolColor=16711935
SymbolSize=12
SymbolName=
SymbolStyle=0
SymbolAngle=0
SymbolFileName=
SymbolCustomStyle=0
SymbolKind=1

If the initialisation file has become corrupt due to editing or some other reason then
deleting it will cause a new initialisation file with default values to be generated the
next time GEScene is started.

Each section of the initialisation file is explained below in more detail.

38
[ProgramDefaults] Section

This section contains entries that are general to GEScene. These entries are…

GoogleEarthDirectory - This entry stores the path to the GoogleEarth executable

file.

AdobeReader - This entry stores the name of the Adobe Reader

executable file.

FileDirectory - This entry stores the path to use when opening image
files using the Register / Open Image option and when
saving files using the Create Image Overlay and Create
Placemark options.

DisplayMessage - This entry stores the status of the Display confirmation

before launching Google Earth option.

ZoomOnOpen - This entry stores the status of the Zoom to previously

registered image upon opening option.

[Overlay] Section

This section contains entries relating to creation of image overlays. These entries
are…

OverwriteMode - This entry stores the status of the Overwrite Mode option.

Transparency - This entry stores the transparency setting of the image overlay.

Type - This entry stores the image type used for saving image
overlays.

[Placemark] Section

This section contains entries relating to creation of placemarks. These entries are…

OverwriteMode - This entry stores the status of the Overwrite Mode option.

MarkPoint - This entry stores the status of the Mark Selected Point option.

Elevation - This entry stores the default elevation used for displaying
placemarks.

ElevationUnit – This entry stores the unit used for displaying placemark
elevation.

39
[GEIcon] Section

This section contains entries relating to the current Google Earth icon. These entries
are…

Palette – This entry stores the standard Google Earth icon palette in which the
icon resides.

OffsetX – This entry stores the horizontal (x) offset value of the current icon.

OffsetY – This entry stores the vertical (y) offset value of the current icon.

DefaultIcon – This entry stores the value of the currently selected icon. If other
values have been entered manually then this will say Other icon.

[SymbolProperties] Section

This section contains entries relating to the selected placemark symbol. These entries
are…

SymbolShape - This entry stores an integer value specifying the symbol shape
code, and applies to MapInfo 3.0 and TrueType symbols.

SymbolColor - This entry stores an integer value specifying the symbol colour
as an RGB value.

SymbolSize - This entry stores an integer value specifying the symbol size in
points.

SymbolName - This entry stores a text string specifying the name of the font
used by a TrueType symbol.

SymbolStyle - This entry stores an integer value specifying the style attributes
of a TrueType symbol. 0 = Plain, 1 = Bold, 16 = Border (black
outline), 32 = Drop Shadow, 256 = Halo (white outline)

SymbolAngle - This entry stores a float value specifying the rotation angle of a
TrueType symbol.

SymbolFileName - This entry stores a text string specifying the file name used by a
bitmap file symbol (custom symbol).

SymbolCustomStyle – This entry stores an integer value specifying the style attributes
of a bitmap file symbol (custom symbol). 0 = Plain, 1 =
Shadow background etc.

SymbolKind - This entry stores an integer value specifying the type of

symbol: 1 = MapInfo 3.0 symbols, 2 = TrueType symbols, 3 =
Bitmap file symbols (custom symbols)

40
Uninstalling
There are a number of ways to uninstall GEScene. These may vary slightly depending
on the version of Windows being used and the options selected during installation.

Before proceeding terminate the GEScene utility in MapInfo if it is loaded by

selecting Tools > GEScene > Exit from the MapInfo menubar. Alternatively close
down MapInfo.

Failure to do this will result in the following message and GEScene.mbx will not be
removed.

Option 1 - Using Start menu folder

Locate the start menu folder in which GEScene was installed and select the
Uninstall GEScene for Mapinfo entry.

Option 2 - Using Windows Add / Remove Programs option.

Open Windows Control Panel and select the Add or Remove Programs icon.
Locate GEScene and select remove.

Option 3 – Using unins000.exe

Run unins000.exe located in the GEScene installation directory.

41
Any overlays or placemarks created using non overwrite mode and stored in
the installation directory will remain after GEScene has been uninstalled.

42
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Why do I need to use a specific screen resolution?
A. GEScene is optimised to use 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 800, 1280 x 1024,
1400 x 1050, 1680 x 1050 or 1920 x 1200 screen resolutions. To register the
image GEScene needs to be able to relate real world coordinates (e.g.
Latitudes/Longitudes) to the corresponding points on the saved image. A
known screen resolution is needed in calculating these points.

Q. Can I change the colour, style and size of the Reference Points on the Google
Earth image?
A. Yes. To change these settings right click on the GEScene Reference Pts entry
in the Google Earth sidebar and select Properties. Keep in mind these points
will appear on the final image so choose options that are not too conspicuous.

Q. Why don’t I see all four reference points when I go to save the image?
A. The view may have been panned, zoomed or tilted. Double click on the
GEScene Reference Pts entry in the Google Earth sidebar and this should
bring the reference points back into view. Also make sure the check box for
this entry is selected.

Q. Why doesn’t the registered image line up with my map data?

A. The offset between the image and the map data is cased by distortion due to
errors introduced when trying to overlay a flat surface (the raster image) onto a
round surface (the real world). As MapInfo uses real world coordinates
distortion is introduced. The amount of distortion will vary depending on the
location and the size of the area being viewed. To remove this distortion
perform Step 4 - Modify the image registration for optimal alignment section
in this user guide.

Q. When performing Step 4 to modify the image registration I can’t seem to find
a registration point.

A. The point may already be in alignment. Use the zoom buttons on the dialog in
conjunction with the scroll bars to zoom in on the corresponding MapInfo
point and the image reference point should bee visible beneath it.

Q. There is no Unit selected in the Placemark section of the Prefernce dialog.

A. The ElevationUnit entry under [Placemark] in the initialisation file is invalid.
Valid values are “km”, & “mi”. Representing Kilometers and Miles
respectively

43
Q. Google Earth will not zoom to the specified elevation setting.
A. There maybe foreign characters in the Elevation entry in the initialisation file.
The elevation must only contain numerical values based on the selected
elevation unit.

Q. The elevation displayed in Google Earth doesn’t match the elevation I set in
GEScene.
A. Check that the selected Unit in the Placemark section of the Preference dialog
matches the selected elevation unit in Google Earth.

Q. An Error message similar to the one below appears whenever I perform a

certain action.

A. Congratulations, a program bug has been found.

Send an email containing the text from the dialog to the author (see Support
section) as well as a description of the events that caused the dialog to appear.
Include as much detail as possible.

44
History
v1.0
• Initial release

v1.1
• Added Modify Image Registration button and associated routines

v1.2
• Optimised for 800x600, 1024x768 & 1280x1024 screen resolutions
• Added User Guide button to toolbar
• Added option to re-register previously registered image
• Added Tool Manager installation routine (courtesy of Uffe Kousgaard)

v1.3
• Changed text on the Fileopen dialog box that appears when Adobe Reader
cant be found - from Locate Google Earth.exe to Locate Adobe Reader
Executable.
• Added auto detection for Adobe Reader path using Win ShellExecute API
• Added support for 1400x1050 & 1680x1050 screen resolutions (user request)
• Added Open button to Register Image File message box to allow opening and
displaying of a previously registered image.
• Added Zoom image on open option to the preferences dialog.
• Google Earth copyright section added to user guide.
• Added Appendix A (Creating a high resolution composite image) to user guide.

v1.4
• Added support for 1920x1200 screen resolution (user request)
• Added support for 1280x800 screen resolution (user request)
• Added Create Image Overlay option to toolbar
• Added Create Placemark option to toolbar
• Added Toggle Toolbar menu option
• Modified operation of Register / Open Image option so that a previously
registered image can now be opened when there are no map windows open.
• Replaced User Guide toolbar button with User Guide menu option.
• Minor cosmetic changes
• User Guide updated to include the above changes

45
Appendix A

Creating a High Resolution Composite Image

This appendix describes how to create a high resolution composite image covering a
large area.

Creating a single image for a large area gives good resolution when viewed at the
zoom level it was created for, but as the image is zoomed it becomes less usable due
to pixelation.

Creating high resolution images for large areas requires the use of multiple images,
with each image covering a smaller part of the overall area. These images are then
used to form a high resolution composite picture of the larger area.

Below is a tutorial detailing how to produce a high resolution composite picture based
on 4 smaller images using GEScene.

Tutorial

Mentally select, or draw a box around the total area to cover and divide it into as
many areas as the required to achieve the required resolution (in this case 4).

Total area showing 4 smaller areas

Zoom in on the first part of the overall area (Area 1) at a level giving the required
resolution.

Important: Once the required resolution is achieved, ensure the zoom level remains
unchanged when creating all subsequent images.

46
Map window zoomed ready to create image 1

To create the first image, perform Steps 1 to 4 in the Importing a Raster Image from
Google Earth section presented earlier in this user guide. It is important that Step 4 is
performed as this will ensure the image is seamlessly aligned with the other images in
this set.

Area1 image after being registered and aligned

To create the second image, pan the map window to cover the next part of the area of
interest (area 2) ensuring a margin of overlap has been allowed with the previous
image.

47
Map window panned ready to create image 2

Perform Steps 1 – 4 for area 2, making sure a different file name is used when saving
this image in Google Earth.

Area 2 image after being registered and aligned

To create the third image, pan the map window to cover the next part of the area of
interest (area 3) remembering to allow a margin of overlap with the previous images.

48
Map window panned ready to create image 3

Perform Steps 1 – 4 for image 3, again making sure a different file name is used when
saving.

Area 3 image after being registered and aligned

To create the fourth and final image, pan the map window to cover the last part of the
area of interest (area 4) again ensuring a margin of overlap is allowed with the
previous images.

49
Map window panned ready to create image 4

Perform Steps 1 – 4 for image 4, once again using a different file name than the ones
before.

Area 4 image after being registered and aligned

Once all four images have been created a composite picture will result consisting of
individual images covering the selected area as shown below.

50
Composite image resulting from the four high resolution images

The following picture is the result of creating a single image covering the same area
as the composite picture. Comparing the pictures at this zoom level shows little
difference in resolution between the two.

Single image covering the same area as the composite image above

The following two images show the difference in resolution between the composite
image and the single image when zoomed to the original area 1 view. The difference
in resolution between the two images is now apparent.

The first picture shows the composite image displayed at the original resolution, while
the second picture shows the single image covering the same area but with pixelation
starting to show.

51
Composite image shown at original resolution

Single image starting to show noticeable pixelation

52
Zooming the images by one level exaggerates the difference even further as can be
seen in the following two pictures.

Composite image starting to show some pixelation

Single image showing considerable pixelation

53
Zooming in by another level further exaggerates the difference as can be seen in the
resulting two pictures.

Composite image showing reasonable pixelation but still recognisable

Single image showing major pixelation and unrecognisable

54
Creating a Seamless Table

The four images created during the tutorial are based on individual tables. Displaying
this composite image in the future would require opening all the individual tables that
make up the image.

An easier way to handle this composite image is to create a single table that when
opened will display all images that make up the composite set in one go.

MapInfo provides a built in utility to handle this called Seamless Table Manager.

To run Seamless Table Manager select Tools > Tool Manager from the MapInfo
menu bar.

Check the Loaded option and press OK

The Seamless Table Manager utility will now be available in the Tools menu

Important: Before creating the seamless table close down all other tables except the
image tables to be included.

55
Select Tools > Seamless Manager > New Seamless Table menu option.

Enter a file name for the new table then press Save.

A confirmation dialog will appear.

This new table will now reference all the images that make up the composite picture
and can be opened the same as any other individual table.

56
Seamless Table Manager help dialog is shown below.

Seamless Table Manager help dialog

57
Appendix B
Removing Map Window Background from Overlays

To be able to remove the map window background from the overlay the image needs
to be saved using the PNG file format.

One of the features of the PNG file format apart from its small file size is its Alpha
Channel features.

This gives the ability to remove the map windows background colour from the
overlay using image editing software.

The image below shows the initial map window displayed in Google Earth and
showing the background colour.

Because there are so many different image editors on the market, the next step will
assume familiarity with your software of choice.

Using image editing software open the PNG file associated with the displayed overlay
and set the background colour to transparent and save the image using the same name.

Reopen the overlay in Google Earth by opening the associated kml file or press Ctrl R
to refresh the image if it is still loaded.

58
The image below shows the overlay after the background has been removed.

A basic introduction to PNG features

The following link gives a basic introduction to the features of the PNG file format

http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/pngintro.html

59
Appendix C

Google Earth Icon Palettes & Offset Values

Select icon and enter the palette number and the ‘x’ and ‘y’ offset values into the
displayed dialog (See example below)

Example:
To display this icon select Palette 5, x offset of 224 and y offset of 192.

60
NOTES:

61