Video from map.geo.admin

Create an animated sequence from www.map.geo.admin.ch with Python. Create a list of camera positions for a Circle, Round or Path. Produce a screenshots for every camera position. Collect them together to a video file.

Getting Started

Installing Software

The following software is required for successful process execution of the script:

• Python 3
• Chromedriver

Installing Library

Install the following Python libraries:

pip install requests
pip install selenium
pip install moviepy

Running Scripts

• CreateCameras (choose one mode)
  • Circle
  • Path
  • Round
• CreateScreenshots
• CreateVideo

CreateCameras_Circle.py

• Using center coordinate and radius
• Calculating camera positions in WGS84, elevations, headings and pitches
• Save calculations in a dump file

CreateCameras_Path.py

• Using path in list format or KML file
• Smoothing path geometry
• Calculating camera positions in WGS84, elevations, headings and pitches
• Save calculations in a dump file

CreateCameras_Round.py

• Using center coordinate
• Calculating camera positions in WGS84, elevations, headings and pitches
• Save calculations in a dump file

CreateScreenshots.py

• Defining base URL from www.map.geo.admin.ch
• Link and start chromedriver
• Generate and save image for every camera position

CreateVideo.py

• Sort images
• Create list of images and collect them to a video
• Save the MP4 video file

Edit Parameter

The following main parameters should be adapted to the specific project.

Geometry Parameter

Coordinates in EPSG:2056

center = [2600000, 1200000] # Bern
path2D = [[2600334, 1199351],[2600276, 1199419]] # Marzilibahn

KML file with one LineString in EPSG:4326 in example from map.geo.admin.ch

kml = 'line.kml'

Constant elevation in meter above sea level.

elevation = 700

Pitch (inclination) in degree , 0 is horizontal.

pitch = -20

Radius in meter for the camera positions.

radius = 2000

Steps (amount) of camera positions or amount of screenshots.

steps = 4

Seconds of sleeping before taking a screenshot.

sleep = 60

Path Parameter

Place the scripts in the same folder in example.

C:\temp

The automatically generated folder has the following path.

C:\temp\Images

Then this should be the path for the chromedriver.

C:\temp\chromedriver.exe

Video

• Video_Saentis.mp4
• Video_Luzern.mp4
• Video_Gurten.mp4

Open with VLC player

Author

• Michael Zwick | twitter

History

#Python script for video production with @swisstopo, @swiss_geoportal, https://t.co/R48qMxBHAT, https://t.co/eSrZVQh4kX data available on https://t.co/PZsXliGa1M including example video from #säntis #schwägalp #alpstein pic.twitter.com/Dn6POec42k

— Michael Zwick (@zwickmichael) 21. Januar 2019

New version of https://t.co/vvuk5J6dIH available on https://t.co/PZsXliGa1M. Create a video from @swisstopo data on @swiss_geoportal with #python. Use new modes circle, path and round. #Bern #Gurten pic.twitter.com/lt1236epYm

— Michael Zwick (@zwickmichael) 24. Februar 2019

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by David Oesch GitHub
• Map viewer of the Federal spatial data infrastructure (FSDI) map.geo.admin.ch
• Data from the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo