Hi, I couldn’t get back on the answer hub for some reason. So I’ll post here.
I’m wondering about the best free available satellite imagery for landscapes.
I think Google Earth you have to pay for higher resolutions? Lower resolutions are free, I believe…
USGS I can’t seem to open the .jp2 image format in Microdem. I may be missing a couple required addons for Microdem to work?
Any favorite applications to open .jp2 image formats from USGS anyone?
Also I was wanting some help,… when the imagery is downloaded from some sites the heightmap and texturemaps don’t go together. So I basically found that they use a fake texture in this case. Can someone please tell me the best textures to use when building the fake texture from the files when downloading the heightmap elevation data. Appreciate it I really want to know and get through this part of Landscapes…
I’ve been looking into it a little more…
The high res imagery can cost. Google Earth Pro for example.
I see they use image capture converter software with the free G.E. upon download for higher res shots and DEM info. can be obtained with the desktop version also.
The USGS image .jp2 come in sets and need to be assembled. The assembly software can cost! Is there a free software for this???help anyone!!!
I’m going to try a couple the free way. Google Earth online which is lower res imagery and can be downloaded with the web capture converter software without the DEM data. Unless I can try and get the DEM using the coordinates from G.E.
Not sure if I can use the image capture with USGS? With the USGS Earth Explorer it states " The up to date Google map is not to be downloaded"!! Not sure about the other USGS Viewer site yet…maybe? , but I don’t think it will be as high quality as their downloaded files that need to be assembled???
The imagery can be used separate without the heightmap information of course, but it helps to have it. So eventually I will get to Google Earth, unless I find an assembler or converter(that can import and export)!!!
If anyone else is looking I believe “Qgis” open source software does the conversion for the .jp2 files and rasters for the USGS information. I just found it so it looks like I will have to learn how it goes about this another day!! Cheers!!
That’s ok, thx for the offer though. The QGIS software loads the textures fine and for export. I don’t mind learning some basic Geo-referencing. For what I use it for, basically sticking the textures on a DEM!
It doesn’t seem that complicated. It can get complicated if using the advanced features for map making etc…
I’m not sure how G.E. is at this, but I’m sure it helps to check the textures line up and stretch out properly in a software for this.
BladeandChalice can I please get a world map from you? I been trying for WEEKS to get the images and cant find a way…I’ll give you Credit bro Im NOT artist…So trying to draw the map was never a option for me…
Im NOT artist…So trying to draw the map was never a option for me…