How to Import MODIS Imagery into Max

MODIS satellite with the Max digital graphics look…

… what kind of sorcery is this? Did I size and position a downloaded image just right?

While I will admit to being a bit of a weirdo about that sort of thing… nope, it’s layered in Max.

Our chief meteorologist in Ohio wrote a blog in early February about the rapid ice increase on Lake Erie. He included a couple of MODIS satellite images, and I got to wondering… could I display it in Max?

Yes, and here are the steps.

  1. Go to the NASA Worldview website: https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov
  2. Zoom into the map or search for a location in the search bar at the top.
  3. Select your date (slider on the bottom) and change the base layer, if needed (menu on the left).
  4. Click the Camera icon in the upper right and adjust your bounding box for the area you want to export.
  5. Select your resolution and change the Format type to KMZ, then click Download. Put the file where you can access it from Max.
  6. Open Max and add a KML layer to a map (Add > KML File > Digital Media).
  7. In the dialog that opens, hit “Import External Content” and navigate to the KMZ file, then import it.
  8. Remember to put your KML layer underneath borders, highways, etc.
  9. Credit “NASA Worldview” for the imagery.
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