Google Earth To Autocad Plugin Jun 2026
From Globe to Geometry: How to Get Google Earth Data into AutoCAD Let’s face it: Site analysis is often a headache. You need real-world context, but manually tracing a satellite image in AutoCAD is slow, inaccurate, and frankly, boring. Wouldn’t it be great if you could grab a location from Google Earth and instantly turn it into precise polylines, contours, and terrain inside AutoCAD? While Google Earth doesn’t have an "official" export button for CAD, there is a robust ecosystem of plugins and workflows that bridge this gap. Here is everything you need to know about getting Google Earth into AutoCAD. The Holy Grail: Plex.Earth (The Professional Standard) If you have a budget for professional tools, Plex.Earth is the gold standard. It is a plugin that lives directly inside AutoCAD. How it works: You select a region inside your AutoCAD drawing, and Plex.Earth pulls high-resolution satellite imagery and terrain data from Google Earth (and other providers) directly into your model space at the correct real-world scale. Why you’ll love it:
No tracing required: The image comes in as a georeferenced backdrop. Contours: It generates 3D terrain meshes from elevation data. Live Updates: If the site changes, you refresh the plugin—not your drawing.
Price: Paid subscription (typically $200–$400/year). Best for civil engineering firms.
The "Poor Man’s" Workflow (Free but Manual) Don’t have a budget? You can still do this with patience and a free third-party tool called ArcGIS Earth (or the older Google Earth Pro). Step 1: Capture the Image google earth to autocad plugin
Open Google Earth Pro (Free desktop version). Navigate to your site. Go to File > Save > Save Image . Turn off all overlays (borders, roads, labels) for a clean map. Under "Map Options," check "Scale Legend" . This is crucial for scaling later.
Step 2: Import to AutoCAD
In AutoCAD, use the ATTACH command (or PDFATTACH if you saved as PDF). Insert your screenshot. Use the Scale Legend (e.g., "1 inch = 100 feet") and the SCALE command with the Reference option to resize the image accurately. From Globe to Geometry: How to Get Google
Step 3: Trace Lock the image layer and start tracing your property lines, roads, and vegetation using polylines ( PL ).
Warning: This gives you a 2D map, not 3D terrain. It also has no coordinate system attached.
The "Magic" Plugin: Simple GIS Client or SautterTools For those who hate manual tracing, look at SautterTools (AutoCAD plugin) or Simple GIS Client (Standalone). It is a plugin that lives directly inside AutoCAD
SautterTools ($39): Allows you to draw a polygon in Google Earth ( .kml ), save it, and then use the plugin to import that KML directly into AutoCAD as editable polylines. It preserves the exact shape without tracing. Simple GIS Client (Free tier): You can export KML to DXF, though the quality varies with complex geometry.
Limitations You Need to Know (Don’t shoot the messenger) Before you run off to download plugins, understand these hard truths: