3D models

[PapaCharlie62]

Is there a way to copy buildings from OpenStreetMap or Google Earth without infringing on someone else's work or copyright laws.

 

[schweitzerdude]

When you say copy buildings, do you mean copying textures found on Google Maps street view to use in Blender, etc? I have done that often to use in 3D models. Some of my models have been uploaded to the DLS as freeware. Is it legal? I am not selling my 3D models so this seems to be fair use.

Or do you mean looking at buildings in Google Earth as inspiration and replicating the building design using Blender, etc? To me it would be a stretch to say there is anything wrong with this. But I am not a lawyer.

 

[wreeder]

Google considers anything produced by Google Earth to be their property and have been known to pursue legal action to protect it. A good example was Google Map Buddy. This small program which was freely distributed allowed you to automatically gather a series of map images and make a seamless panoramic image. Google sent a cease and desist letter to the creator and then broke the API interface it used to stop it from working.

Now that being said there is a lot of photogrammetry software available that can take a series of images captured in street view and produce a 3D model for your favorite 3D modelling software. A lot of companies are involved in developing this software so at least at the moment it seems to be legal.

Search for photogrammetry software for free if you want to learn more.

 

[PapaCharlie62]

Thank you both for the help. The current buildings in the content manager do not come close to the ones in downtown Portland, Maine. I'll take a look at the photogrammetry software. It's mostly the industrial buildings that the railroad serves, not worried about the houses and other buildings. I'm a little picky when it comes to how the rail-served buildings look like, I used to be a locomotive engineer for Springfield Terminal.

 

[G.M.]

Google has no rights at all when they take photographs of buildings
Have been an architect for 40 years and each design(building) is a work of art, (whether its ugly or not)
Only the original designer has rights, not someone taking photographs and not asking permission(=Google).
Don't see any problem, using pics from the internet to make freeware buildings in Trainz.

 

[PapaCharlie62]

Thank you for that part of information, especially when it comes from an architect. I do agree with your statement about the buildings not being theirs. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

 

[frogpipe]

Sadly, that's not how photos work.

Google has no rights to the building, and has no rights to AN image of the building, but they do have rights to THEIR image of the building.

Celebrities for instance have been successfully sued for using pictures OF THEMSELVES taken by professional photographers.

So "hot model of the week" sees a photo of themselves at some event, they like it, and so they post it to their Instagram...

Boom. Law suit.