google earth

**Telenater** · 06-30-2005, 07:07 PM

Yes. they certainly could drape DRGs (topo maps) over the terrain, and probably will in the near future instead of the imagery. However, when they're pulling the data over the internet, any rendered system won't be as fast as a 2d one because it first has to calculate what data it needs to send, then send it and then render it. Once it's cached on your local computer it's fairly rapid to display until it needs a new dataset.

2d maps are relatively simple to do by comparison to 3d. All you're looking at on any of the online mapping programs is a flat picture of the map that's put up on a server temporarily with the extent you need and using some fancy clientside scripting to tell the computer on the other end where you clicked on the map so it can generate a new picture. It doesn't require anything other than the transmission of a picture to your computer. Google earth is a whole different can of beans because most of the number crunching is happening on your local machine instead of an array of servers that are directly connected to the datasets on at least a Gigabit network.

**backpack** · 07-01-2005, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by pube-in-my-taco

it would be easy to render the google street maps over the topographical renderings

Yea, and it already does this if you just click on roads. It will also give you driving directions with the route painted on the globe, etc. etc. Even zoomed out pretty far you can still see interstate highways, and as you get closer US and state highways show up, then local streets, all overlayed nicely on the sat photos.

Plus, in the cities you can see the 3-d buildings and fly through on your driving route, or have the subway systems light up along with the location and address of each station.

Not sure what you're complaining about, really, since it does everything google maps does and more, just a bit slower at first to load the roads or if you have a shitty computer.

**Cornholio** · 07-01-2005, 10:06 AM

Alta from Google Earth:

Ajax and Highlands from Google Earth:

**Cornholio** · 07-01-2005, 02:04 PM

I can't believe no one else thinks these are rad images.

**Buzzworthy** · 07-01-2005, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by Telenater

Damn, this guy wants everything. Displaying something in 2d and in a rendered 3d are very different things.

A 3d rendering requires far more data and processing than 2d and as a result will never be as fast. For a pure road navigation map, imagery is almost never as clear as a barebones road schematic.

The software that NASA, Google/keyhole and dare i say it ESRI have put out is nothing short of amazing IMHO.

Heh, Im wearing an ESRI tshirt right now. Their booth was right next to mine last show.

Yes, this shit is amazing for damn sure.

Originally Posted by Cornholio

I can't believe no one else thinks these are rad images.

I do.

**koolaideprived** · 07-01-2005, 02:40 PM

I'm still messing around with google earth for half an hour a day looking for new hiking routes and ski access for this winter. Much easier to visualize with than a topo map at the local library.

**pube-in-my-taco** · 07-01-2005, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Cornholio

I can't believe no one else thinks these are rad images.

Oh hell yeah. I've been playing with this program for two days straight now..

To clarify my earlier post, I'd like streetmaps or topo maps without the satellite overlay to make things clearer and faster. That has to be easy to do.

**Cornholio** · 07-01-2005, 03:01 PM

One more:

The Diamond on Longs Peak:

**Telenater** · 07-01-2005, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Buzzworthy

Heh, Im wearing an ESRI tshirt right now. Their booth was right next to mine last show.

Got to the ESRI conference so I can finally buy you a beer....

Originally Posted by pube-in-my-taco

To clarify my earlier post, I'd like streetmaps or topo maps without the satellite overlay to make things clearer and faster. That has to be easy to do.

Quite correct Pube.
Actually, it's exactly the same difficulty as what they've got going right now. The engine would be identical to the imagery engine they're using just with a different draped layer. I suspect they used the imagery because it's cooler to the average joe out there.

**ducktherope** · 07-01-2005, 03:16 PM

Wow

As I was using it to plot routes for this weekend I thought wouldn't it be nice to see distance estimates between 2 points - yep in there. How about elevation of that peak out there - yep.

Look's like you can print output out to a page - would love to find a way to record a route (movie'esque) to a MPEG, or the like to share with others.

Great find.

Now if I can just get it to give me driving directions from London to Mongolia...

**pube-in-my-taco** · 07-01-2005, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by ducktherope

Now if I can just get it to give me driving directions from London to Mongolia...

It does!
Yep, I typed London to Mongolia in the directions tab, and it gave me directions from the city centre in London to a place called Mongolia Ct - 14 miles.

**pube-in-my-taco** · 07-01-2005, 03:27 PM

Of course, I stumped it when trying to go from London to Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. But if you attempt to "fly to" Ulaanbaatar, it works fine.

**Buzzworthy** · 07-01-2005, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by Telenater

Got to the ESRI conference so I can finally buy you a beer....

I'll print this out and attach it to my requisition to go to the show. They will certainly let me go now.

**72Twenty** · 07-01-2005, 04:24 PM

Goodbye Butters! I'm off to a better place.... and $10,000 cash... good byyyye...

**koolaideprived** · 07-01-2005, 04:58 PM

Apparently in the full edition (i'm assuming you'll have to pay for it) you can hook a GPS unit up to your puter, download a trip into Google Earth and it will plot your trip on the 3d map. Cooool.

13 · 07-01-2005, 05:03 PM

Anybody else here worry that people will mark their stashes using google earth and distribute it on the 'net?

**Telenater** · 07-01-2005, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by 13

Anybody else here worry that people will mark their stashes using google earth and distribute it on the 'net?

I pretty much just did.... Not that they're not fairly well known.

**PNWbrit** · 07-01-2005, 05:10 PM

Looks like you guys have broken it!

"Thanks for your interest in Google Earth, but we're sorry we can't offer you a download right now. As you know, Google Earth is in beta, and we're still building out our ability to take on new users. We're making good progress, and expect to be able to accept new downloads shortly, so we recommend you check back daily"

**skibum87** · 07-01-2005, 10:43 PM

I was messin around with it today and i came across this:

Pointer 34"29'56.58" North 42"51'23.01" East elevation 432 feet

anyone know what it is?

my guess are alians...crop circles in iraq