
I'd guess that in the glorious future when 3D display technology is more common, we'll all get it. Google has been gathering 3D Street View data since at least 2008, and for April Fools' Day, it showed 3D Street View imagery for those with old-style red-and-blue 3D glasses. With 3D glasses, though, Google wants to go deeper. Microsoft's technology, which requires the company's Silverlight plug-in, is different, though: it shows an immersive street-level view based on shots taken from the street. Microsoft is working on its own 3D view of the world with Bing Maps. And Google also is rebuilding its higher-level 3D Web technology, O3D, on a WebGL foundation. Google is among the browser makers backing a 3D Web technology called WebGL for built-in 3D that can tap into a computer's graphics chip for acclerated performance. The sparkling water surface looks very nice, though.Ĭhange is afoot with the computing technology required to deliver this experience, so don't expect a permanent requirement for the plug-in requirement-a requirement that will keep most people from using it, most likely. The Golden Gate Bridge, exists both with a nice 3D model above the Bay and as a spooky satellite-photo version that creeps across the underwater contour. For another, in areas with approximate contour data, Earth view can look like somebody stretched a rubber sheet with a satellite photo over a swoopy, curvaceous version of the world. For one thing, Earth view at present lacks the rich interaction of traditional Google Maps service, including street names and travel directions. How complete and up-to-date this virtual world will be remains to be seen, but the company is even photographing store interiors. Here's my forecast for where this is headed: Eventually Google will have constructed an immersive 3D reproduction of the entire world that you can explore.

#Google earth 3d viewer full
First of all, Earth view offers a true three-dimensional perspective, which lets you experience mountains in full detail, 3D buildings, and first-person dives beneath the ocean." Here's how Google Product Manager Peter Birch described Earth View on the Lat-Long blog: "Those of you who aren't as familiar with Google Earth might be wondering how Earth view differs from the satellite view that's currently available in Maps. The Grand Canyon, as viewed with Earth view in Google Maps. Google announced the Earth view on its corporate blog. You can try flicking the mouse to pan around, scrolling the mouse wheel to zoom in and out, and using Cntrl-drag to tilt the view from perpendicular to a more oblique angle. Places with 3D building models look more interesting from ground level, but if your suburb hasn't received that treatment, the perspective mismatch can be a bit awkward when viewing the scene from an oblique angle farther from perpendicular. With it, people can see the contours of world-canyons and mountains, most dramatically-using the Google Earth fly-through interface. Sharing Notifications should be available now, with users having to opt-in to activate the feature amongst those in the group sharing their locations.Google on Monday augmented Google Maps with a feature called Earth view that brings the Google Earth software's 3D perspective to the Web browser.Įarth view is available through the installation of a browser plug-in Google originally issued in 2008. The sharing is time sensitive and is email and app-driven, so once an event is completed, the sharing can be disabled with a simple tap, since it is no longer necessary to follow everyone else.ģD Immersive View and Cycling Navigation will be rolled out to various cities in the coming months, with more detailed 3D images and information being added over time.


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It’s much like Apple’s Find My Friends feature, where each person has to opt-in to be followed and share their location. Lastly, Google is adding a sharing notifications feature, so that users can advise others in their party when they arrive at a given place. Bikers will also be able to compare the routes and see where the bottlenecks are, in order to choose a faster route to the desired destination. But for many, the 3D Immersive View will offer a chance to do a little immersive digital sightseeing, where they don’t have the opportunity to travel, but would still like to learn about a destination that’s on their bucket list.Īnother feature being rolled out to Google Maps is a cycling navigation option, which provides detailed route information including traffic conditions, grades, road types, construction information, and stairs.
