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November 03, 2005
Setting Up Google Earth Options
[NOTE: These notes were written for GE 3, the new GE 4 has slightly different options.]
If you click on the "Google Earth Tips" category you'll find a collection of stories I've written which contain tips on improving your experience with Google Earth. This entry provides some tips on optimizing Google Earth options to improve your experience.
To get to the options, select the menu "Tools" -> "Options". This opens a window of options with the following panes: View, Cache, Control, Navigation, Preferences.
Here are my recommendations...
Here are my recommendations for each pane:
- View
- Set Detail Area->Large if you have a decent graphics card - this will greatly improve visual detail if you run at higher screen resolutions as more of your window will be in full detail. Better for taking screenshots as well.
- Try adjusting your fonts so the labels are readable, but not distracting while browsing in GE.
- If you use Google Earth to look at mountains, try setting Elevation Exaggeration to 1.5 or higher. This makes the 3D terrain have exaggerrated heights. A setting of 2.0 would be twice as high. NOTE: the "terrain" layer must be selected to see 3D terrain.
- Cache
- Set your memory cache as large as you can (depends on your system) - if you have 1GB of memory, you may be able to set this to 350. More memory means it will be able to load more overlays, placemarks, etc. without slowing down.
- If you can afford the disk space, set your disk space cache to 2000 MB (2GB) - this will mean less downloading when viewing the same locations. Also, you can use GE offline better.
- Control
- Set the speed of Fly-to/Tour to a faster speed if you use GE a lot
- The advanced setting gives you more control over speeds and camera angle
- Navigation
- I suggest you adjust the Overview Map size to what works for your screen size (tip: use Control-M to bring up Overview Map in GE)
- Preferences
- Click "Show web results in external broswer" if you want to use an external browser
I hope this information helps. If you have other tips, please leave a comment here.
Posted by FrankTaylor at November 3, 2005 08:31 AM
Comments
Posted by: barts at November 3, 2005 01:18 PM
You can adjust the color of fonts for your own placemarks. But, I don't think there is currently a way to adjust the color for labels in the built-in layers.
Posted by: Frank Taylor at November 8, 2005 10:25 PM
Can you tell me how to get a clearer image at lower elevations. Is it my graphics card or monitor which is causing everything to be greatly out of focus? Thanks, Bob
Posted by: Bob at December 6, 2005 10:43 AM
Hi,
Thanks for the guide, but there are quite a few settings you don't include! Or are you saying that all others are best left at their defaults in your opinion?
To take just one example from just one tab:
View > Anisotropic Filtering ?
--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Posted by: Terry Pinnell at February 17, 2006 08:10 AM
Terry, these are just tips on most common changes to the Options. It is not a tutorial on all the Options, and it was not intended to be comprehensive on optimization.
Yes, changing your anisotropic filtering seeting may improve your performance or the quality of the imagery. If you have a newer graphics card you can turn on anistropic filtering with minimal performance impact.
Posted by: Frank Taylor at February 17, 2006 09:46 AM
Even if the tips are from february, they are still up to date. Thanks!
Posted by: Celebrilla at August 5, 2006 09:25 AM
I'd like to re-ask Bob's question: How can we get a more clear picture when we move to lower elevations? Is the anisotropic setting the only thing we can adjust? Thanks, Janet
Posted by: Janet at August 16, 2006 06:41 PM
Is it possible to ask Google Earth to improve the resolution of a certain area / coordinates that I would like to see. Obviously there are big differences in image quality and resolution depending on the area and the importance of the area. E.g. Manhattan vs. Uganda
Cheers, Charly
Posted by: charly at March 18, 2007 08:28 AM
I like to measure the distance of walks I've enjoyed or I want to take.
Is it possible to mark the different steps of a walk so that Google Earth will show me, as if it was a video recorded by helicopter, that walk from start to end?
How can one contact Google Earth to suggest this option? (in case it's not available)
Posted by: Kobain at June 12, 2007 07:46 AM
Recently, in past two days, whenever I am logging into the Google Earth, after a minute or so, the program stops responding ("Not Responding"). I use WIN XP, SVPK 2. Why it started freezing on the screen - can't figure out. Did not have any such problem a week ago! Several times, to exit - I am doing End Task (Cntl+Alt+DEl). Would appreciate any suggested solution or comment.
Posted by: DaveM at June 25, 2007 03:30 PM
would like to take a course on GIS and interaction with GOOGLE EARTH, any recommendation?
thanks
Posted by: Esteban at August 25, 2007 04:18 AM
When I click on a link and then when I'am finished and click on Close on the link and resume looking at Google Earth the program freezes up. The streaming goes down to 5-10% and basically stays there. I then have to close Google Earth and then start it up again. What is wrong?? HELP!!!!
Posted by: T. Morrison at October 16, 2007 10:15 PM
Hi Google
How to improve the good image quality of a specific area? I would greatly appreciate if it is possible
Regards
Thejaswi
Posted by: Thejaswi at January 20, 2008 10:19 AM
How can I turn off the photo icons. Some places have so many that the image is ruined. See Rome for example.
Posted by: Joe at February 14, 2008 08:57 PM
Hi Google
How to make CLEAN or CLEAR map after importing Images Overlay maps. I'm importing County APN: maps. After importing and adjusting the APN map over the terrain of the Google Earth aerial that I'm viewing. After sliding the Transparency bar to clear, I lose the black lines that borders the parcels that I'm viewing or wanting to print. If the transparency bar is not slide 100% to clear a light cloud or fog is visual or when printed! t
I would greatly appreciate HELP HELP!!!
Posted by: tom at November 15, 2008 11:30 PM
Post a comment:
NOTE: Please use English. Comments are moderated.
I would like to know how you change the COLOUR of the fonts used in GE.
I have a problem reading the RED fonts on older monitors.
BTW thank you for the finetuning tips.
Barts http://gabrielse.blogspot.com/