Tips for creating coverage graphs in Google Earth

Google Earth integration is very easy as long as you know how to set the latitude/longitude position of your survey area map.


The first place to start when trying to use Google Earth with VisiWave is our online tutorials. They cover all the steps necessary to collect data and create a Google Earth export file. Click on the Tutorials link on our homepage. Start by viewing Demo 3: Collecting Survey Data. Then view the two tutorials on collecting survey data and viewing it using Google Earth. The tutorial Demo 2a: Using Google Earth with VisiWave shows how to use Google Earth with a VisiWave coverage graph.

Some other tips:

• Make sure that when you collect data, the top of your survey area map points north.


• Make sure your Scale is set accurately (otherwise the overlaid graphs won't line up with the Earth's surface).


• If you aren't using a GPS, you'll still need to set the latitude/longitude of your map. You can use Google Earth to get the lat/long position of a place on your map and then enter that in VisiWave (see the tutorial).


• If you are doing a large survey and then try to export everything to Google Earth, the resulting KML file might be so large that it is cumbersome to use. On large surveys, you should split the export up into smaller sections: possibly including a subset of access points (using the "APs to Include" parameter), including the spectrum data in a separate file, or including just data combined by SSID (instead of including data on each individual access point).


• When viewing the export window, press F1 or click on Help to view detailed information on each parameter.