NOAA's Weather and Climate Toolkit Tutorial

Google Earth

This tutorial explains how to export a series of radar data files (other formats will follow the same procedures) from the Toolkit and load into Google Earth for viewing as a 'Time Animation'.

Before proceeding, please review the following tutorials and prerequisites:

Completion of the Basic Tutorials and general comfort using the Viewer.
The Loading Data Tutorial.
The Animations Tutorial.
Google Earth is installed on your computer. Google Earth Home Page.
Have a basic understanding of how to use Google Earth. Visit the Google Earth Help Page.

This tutorial will start with the Animation Generator.

Animation Generator

From the Animation Generator click Export KMZ to begin the export process. Once you have clicked Save KMZ a KMZ Export Options window will appear.

KMZ Export Window

The KMZ Export Options window is where you can adjust visual and save options for the KMZ file. The options are explained below. Note that this example is for NEXRAD data (Radial data structure) and these options are slightly different for Gridded Data.

Altitude(m): Controls which view type will be used in the export: 2D (Drape over surface) or 3D (Drape over sweep model - real height).
Elevation Exaggeration: Scale factor used to apply exaggeration to the vertical values. Only appliable for the 3D (Drape over sweep model) export view type.
Create Shadow? When checked will draw a "shadow" of the currently viewed radar image draped over the ground. Only appliable for the 3D (Drape over sweep model) export view type.
Output File: Displays the output file full path. Click Browse to bring up the Choose Output File window.

Export Frames Progress Window

There are three progress bars in the Export Animation Progress window. There is also a Cancel Animation if you need to stop the processing.

The first bar (from the top) shows the processing progress on the current individual data file.
The middle bar shows the processing progress for the entire animation being generated.
The bottom bar displays how much memory is currently being used by the animation procress.

Once the animation processing is complete a window will pop up alerting you.

Export Complete Pop Up

To open the exported KMZ file in Google Earth, you may press 'Yes' button when prompted following the completion of the animation. In addition, the KMZ file may be double-clicked, dragged and dropped onto Google Earth or opened via the 'File' menu in Google Earth.

Google Earth First Load Screenshot

The options that will be unique to viewing the Weather and Climate Toolkit's KMZ output in will occur in the Places tab.

Places Tab

Underneath the NOAA Weather and Climate Toolkit Generated Animation folder there are 3 subfolders: Image Frames, Exported Data Extent, and Overlays.

Image Frames: Are the actual image frames. Their order is controlled by the radar time stamp.
Exported Data Extent: Are outlines of your view extent when the images were made in the toolkit. There are two available Outline and Background. Outline is a solid white box and Background is a lightly shaded black box.
Overlays: Contains all the Legends for each image frame as well as the NOAA Logo.

Useful Tools
From Google Earth User Guide

Transparency Slider

You can adjust the transparency of an overlay from completely transparent to fully opaque whenever it is selected in the viewer. By adjusting the transparency of the overlay image, you can see how the overlay image corresponds to the 3D viewer imagery beneath.

Located underneath the Places tab.

Time Slider

Click these arrows to move the time range earlier or later.
Drag these range markers to the right or left to re-define the time range of data displayed.
Click this to play an animation of the sequence. This works best if you move the range markers to define a time range smaller than the whole set.
Timeline Options:
1. In the time slider controls area, click the wrench 'Settings' icon
  - Start and End date/time Manually set the time extent in the Google Earth display.
  - Display Time In: Choose the time zone displayed in the time slider.
  - Animation speed: Use this slider to set the speed of the animation that occurs when you click the play button on the time slider.
2. When you are finished, click OK.
Drag this to move the time range earlier or later.

Navigation Controls

Click the north up button to reset the view so that north is at the top of the screen. Click and drag the ring to rotate your view.
Use the Look joystick to look around from a single vantage point, as if you were turning your head. Click an arrow to look in that direction or continue to press down on the mouse button to change your view. After clicking an arrow, move the mouse around on the joystick to change the direction of motion.
Use the Move joystick to move your position from one place to another. Click an arrow to look in that direction or continue to press down on the mouse button to change your view. After clicking an arrow, move the mouse around on the joystick to change the direction of motion.
Use the zoom slider to zoom in or out (+ to zoom in, - to zoom out) or click the icons at the end of the slider. As you move closer to the ground, Google Earth swoops (tilts) to change your viewing angle to be parallel to the Earth's surface. You can turn off this automatic tilt (Tools > Options > Navigation > Navigation controls; Mac: Google Earth > Preferences > Navigation > Navigation controls).

Go To The ArcGIS Tutorial