The bad news? Google Earth Pro does not export native contours directly. The good news? With a few clever workarounds, you can extract that topography and turn it into editable polylines and surfaces.
Google Earth is a fantastic (and free) source of real-world terrain data. But right now, it’s just a pretty picture. You need it as precise vectors inside AutoCAD. export topography from google earth to autocad
Here are the three best methods to export topography from Google Earth to AutoCAD, ranging from "quick and dirty" to "highly accurate." Use this if you just need the visual shape of the hills for a masterplan or rendering. The bad news
This is the pro method. You will need a third-party tool called (paid) or the open-source hero: QGIS (free). With a few clever workarounds, you can extract
Have you successfully extracted terrain from Google Earth? What workflow do you use? Let us know in the comments below!
If you do this more than once a month, invest in a dedicated AutoCAD extension like Plex.Earth . It lets you import live satellite imagery and terrain directly into your drawing window with one click.
If you are a civil engineer, landscape architect, or surveyor, you know the struggle of starting a project with zero site context. You need contours. You need elevation data. You need the lay of the land.