## Geo-Referencing ### Geo-Referencing SketchUp allows you to geo-reference your building to a specific site manually or with Google Earth. The "Get Current View" tool from the Google toolbar in SketchUp goes to Google Earth and brings in the current view. The base image is now geotagged, as is the SketchUp/OpenStudio model (the latitude and longitude will be set for EnergyPlus). Set North to up in Google Earth before you get the current view. Otherwise SketchUp will change its North direction, which will create conflicts with OpenStudio. (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL) ### Import Nearby Buildings as Shading Surfaces Use of geo-referencing is to bring in nearby buildings from 3D Warehouse. This is not very easy to work with right now, as it does not sort the buildings by their proximity. An alternative is to use Google Earth and visually pick the buildings you want. You can click on them to download the SketchUp or KMZ files. (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL) Buildings come in correctly located because they are geo-referenced. (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL) It is easy to copy surfaces of surrounding buildings into a Shading Group. You only need surfaces that will provide shading verses the entire building. OpenStudio will convert faces to shading surfaces. Non-convex shading faces should be subdivided using the line tool into convex faces. (Credit: David Goldwasser/NREL)
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U.S. Department of Energy