Use at your own risk. It crashes GE Plus repeatedly, even when used according to instructions. Needs work.

The topo maps are loading for me quite well, no problems here in GE beta 4 (I do get an error message, but just OK out of it and the maps load).

This crashed GE Free for me, but I found another link that works quite well: http://ge.gbif.net/gbifwmslinks.php

Has topos for Canada, US, and New Zealand. Give it a shot if this method doesn't work for you.

I don't understand why the GE team doesn't take this uncopyrighted "free" data and make it a Layer? Now in ArcGIS software...
http://www.spatiallyadjusted.com/2007/04/25/seamless-usgs-topo-in-arcgis/

I agree that it would be HUGE if GE would just make the USGS topo maps (7.5 minute series) a layer. What's the difference between that and a photo image? This is all open-source/public data... someone just has to scan it all in. In fact, if Google would just buy somebody like topozone.com, they'd have it done already.

I wish to propose the Google disegners to introduce a new layer set, that I call The History/Ecology Layer.
The Idea is to add some features that show Earth political borders and other features over the years. Besides the possibility to see how the political borders changed, I am looking for Historical features linked to human life in general: some topics I am proposing: the spread if Black Death in Europe (1347-1351), the Great discoveries, and so on.
And the ecological changes too, wich might be more important for educational purposes of the young generations: How the rain forest extention changed over the years, the spread of deserts, etc.
I foresee also a Time-Google Earth showing the future extrapolation of the polar cap melting and so on.

The idea is skeched in the following chapter, I wrote (in bad English) in my ignored webpage, even before Google Earth was on the web. TIME (Tridimensional Interactive Model of Earth), in fact, may be the next release of Google Earth.

see: "A letter to grand-grand-pa" at URL:

http://www.geocities.com/tgcp2084/5understand.html#letter_to_grandpa

I use the 3D Solar topo link all the time. In fact, I've got 3 of them so that I can get 3 maps displayed at once. There's a trick to it:
1. Save off the placemark from 3D Solar, giving each a different name on disk.
2. edit each one to change the internal name to something unique for each
3. Bring the edited placemarks back into GE. With different names, they won't try to replace the existing placemark.
4. In the properties for each, change the View-Based Refresh, under the Refresh tab, from "after camera stops" to "on request.

Now, when I want to get a topo map, I position myself in GE, check one of my topo placemarks, right-click/Refresh, and I get a map. I get as close to the ground as I can, around 2000ft up, and I'll get a failed load 'cause I'm too close to the ground. I then back out until I get a successful load. That gives me the most detail possible. I can now pan and zoom without losing the topo map.

Is there a way to transfer the excellent terrain maps and associated topography found in Google Maps to Google Earth?

this is amazing, I have a Mac and it integrates flawlessly. No complaints from me. It puts the topo map right where you are looking and it is perfectly aligned. BRILLIANT

I'm no GPS geek but I'm having a helluva time trying to view topo maps in Goggle Earth. USCG Topomaps pops up in the "Places" section of GE, but the area I want topo on turns black with white border. What's the problem?!?

It works perfectly for me on XP. I turn it on, plot some points, turn it off, save the points as a KML, covert to GPX with GPSBabel and then upload to my Garmin.

I'm guessing google doesn't have a standard topo layer like this b/c GE is rarely used for serious spatial analysis, but usually presentation or fun.

I'm in the process of importing over 50,000 USGS 7.5-minute topos into Google Earth.

http://www.gelib.com/usgs-topographic-maps.htm

Matt

I've been using the free USGS topo maps from Digital Data Services for years. They work well.

I can get to the topo of my trail for a short while but then I get a big red X over the area I want to look at. How do I just print a topo with my trail on it?

I can get to my trail and see the topo but then a big red X comes up over the area. How do I print a topo with my trail on it?

I get a big red X in the middle of the area of interest.
What to do?

I'm getting the red X as well. I haven't been on in a while. Did 3D Solar discontinue this product? I can't find information on it on their web site

Digital Data Services offers a great utility called MapFinder that is very user friendly.

http://www.usgsquads.com/index.php/map-indexes/mapfinder

Also, as a GIS Firm they offer related services including having the capability to print and scan large formats.

This is an exciting news! It's great to know that there is a new Google Map interface. This Topo Map Interface could make map exploring easier.

I Used to love these topos.....however, I dont anymore.

I used to be able to show boundary lines I had drawn up overtop of the topo layer. It really helped me with looking at property.

However, I am no longer able to see the boundary lines over top of this topo layer. And that makes me sad.