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R
RopeChoker
Inspiring
July 16, 2017
Question

Animating a Track on a Google Earth Satellite "Tour"

  • July 16, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 6713 views

I am a mountain hiker and I use Pr and Ae to create videos of my hikes to post on my hiking blog.

i am currently using Trim Paths to animate my GPS track that sits on top of a static topographical map. I will also be animating the elevation profile that goes along with that track.

I have also imported my GPS track into Google Earth Pro (GEP) and will create a "tour" using satellite imagery, which I will then turn into a movie, also using GEP, and then convert the M4V video file into a format that Media Encoder can digest.

Unfortunately, the GEP tour displays the entire track all at once and I can find no way to attach a direction arrow that moves along the track to show where I am as the tour unfolds. So I simply have a fly-over that follows the track line while the map moves around showing the satellite landscape imagery along the way in 3D.

If any of you are watching the Tour de France, what I'm trying to achieve is very similar to what NBC is doing on the pre-race show when they explain what the riders are faced with for that day's segment of the race.

So my question: Is it possible to do something like I'm doing with Trim Paths on the static map, but also do it for the track on my GEP satellite tour, and somehow have the track remain attached to the right place on the GEP satellite map as the map moves around and changes orientation and camera angle? I really need the track line to draw itself out as the tour unfolds, rather than have the entire track displayed all at once. I can use the track on the GEP tour as a guide, like I'm doing with Trim Paths, then recreate the GEP tour with the original track line turned off.

If I'm not explaining my use of Trim Paths clearly, this link to one of my hiking videos shows my use of Trim Paths, which starts at the 00:01:40 mark and lasts about 30 seconds.

Day Hike: Six Trails Loop ~ Sandia Mountains ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA - YouTube

George

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      1 reply

      Roei Tzoref
      Roei Tzoref
      Legend
      July 16, 2017
      Is it possible to do something like I'm doing with Trim Paths on the static map, but also do it for the track on my GEP satellite tour, and somehow have the track remain attached to the right place on the GEP satellite map as the map moves around and changes orientation and camera angle?

      if there is enough perspective data, you can track it in Ae or other tracking software and attach the information to the graphics. since Ae is 2D and not real 3D, you may have to get creating with the orientation part and maybe keep the infographics as 2D hovering over as the camera spins. it would be easier to help you if you upload the exact video you are trying to process, and the exact reference you are referring to.

      R
      RopeChokerAuthor
      Inspiring
      July 16, 2017

      Okay, in an effort to flesh this out a bit:

      Here is a short video clip of what NBC is doing. I am trying to accomplish the very same thing they are doing with the Google Earth part, on the right side of this video. I already have the two insets/overlays on the left side of the video worked out.

      NBC Pre-Race Example - YouTube

      Here is a short video clip of what I am getting out of Google Earth Pro when I create a tour and movie from my hiking track. Note, there is no way to determine where I am on the track.

      GEP Hike Tour Test - YouTube

      George

      Roei Tzoref
      Roei Tzoref
      Legend
      July 16, 2017

      you got 2 main ways to approach this:

      1. export a high resolution map from google, and use Ae for the hover animation using a virtual camera. this is what I do most of the time. Pros: full control over your animation, simple setup; Cons - no real topography or real cool parallax 3D'ness of your map.

      2. export a video from google, and use the 3D Camera tracker to track it, or mocha on various planar grids if possible. then create your graphics and attach it to the track by setting it's 3d switch or to a null and placing it properly.

      I am pretty sure NBC did not use After Effects for this type of enhanced sports graphics, these stuff usually are created using a special hardware and software like Viz.

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