Flying Archives

February 5, 2010

Google Earth in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Google I/O 2010 is coming in May, but we're already starting to hear about some of the neat projects that will be unveiled there.

The first one is called GEVision, from the guys at PlanetInAction, which is trying to evolve into a 3D scenery engine. Their initial goal is to use Google Earth as the scenery in Microsoft Flight Simulator: "In the past various attempts had been made to use Google Earth scenery instead of the one included in Microsoft Flight Simulator FSX. Yet due to limitations in the interface technology this has never been fully achieved. GEVision is a new project that will enable the use of Google Earth as a full blown 3D scenery engine."

There have been some integrations of MS Flight Sim and Google Earth in the past, but nothing to this extent. Previous integrations include a version that used Google Earth as an overhead map and an idea to take Flight Sim Scenery and use it in Google Earth.

Over the past few years Google Earth imagery, combined with improved terrain quality and more 3D buildings, has blown past the quality found in Microsoft Flight Sim. The only real downside would be less realistic airports (MS Flight Sim does a great job with those), but that is improving with each new imagery update as well. On the flip side, Google Earth has a built-in flight simulator, but it's not nearly as full-featured as the one made by Microsoft. Combining the best of both could create something pretty neat.

The video below shows the vast quality difference between Google Earth and MS Flight Simulator X:

If you'd like more information about how to use the Google Earth Plug-in in a desktop application, this page should help. GEVision is expected to unveil some type of public release at Google I/O, so we're looking forward to seeing what comes out of it.

If you know of other neat projects coming at I/O, send me an email and let me know about it.

Posted by mickmel at 8:59 AM | Comments (5)

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January 13, 2010

Revisiting the SpaceNavigator

It's been more than three years since Frank introduced the SpaceNavigator to all of us, and I thought it was time to give it another look. I mentioned a few days ago (in the comments) that the iPhone version of Google Earth (with multi-touch control) was similar to using a SpaceNavigator when compared to the single-touch version on Google Android devices. After posting that, I thought I should explain what a SpaceNavigator actually is for those that don't yet know.

In a nutshell, the SpaceNavigator is a 3D mouse. Rather than having to pan, then zoom, then pan a little more, then tilt, etc, you can do it all in one motion. You can zoom in, while panning, while tilting a little more, to really feel like you're flying around the world. I've told many people that using the SpaceNavigator made Google Earth feel brand new again.

You can get a pretty good idea of what it can do by watching this video that Frank made a while ago that showed off some of the basic features of it:

You can also check out his review of Disney World 3D, which was done using the SpaceNavigator:

To be honest, I expected that we'd see some competition to the SpaceNavigator by now. A year after it came out, Sandio released their "3D O2 mouse", which was supposed to be even better -- you could use it as a mouse, but it also had various 3D control sticks on it. However, it was a piece of junk and the SpaceNavigator remained king.

Here we are three years later and I still use mine every day. It's a wonderful tool, and Google Earth simply wouldn't be the same without it. It works for Windows and Mac, and you can pick one up at the 3DConnexion online store, or at a handful of specialty retailers.

Posted by mickmel at 8:48 AM | Comments (8)

December 14, 2009

Take a virtual helicopter tour with the Google Earth Plug-in

This is a very creative and polished use of the Google Earth Plug-in. Visit this site and take a helicopter tour over Charmonix and Mont Blanc. (via Google Maps Mania)

They run everything through the Google Earth Plug-in, and they've done a great job with it. They have some controls in the lower-left corner to change your view, there's some instruments to help simulate the inside of a helicopter, and there's an embedded Google Map in the lower-right corner to show where you are (with a track of where you've been).

Check out the video below for a brief sample, then go try it yourself!

Posted by mickmel at 2:59 PM | Comments (2)

December 10, 2009

Links: Audi A8 with Google Earth, Liquid Galaxy, Deer Hunting, StreetView in the snow

Audi A8 with Google Earth: The new Audi A8 comes with a lot of neat toys, including integrated Google Earth! The car connects to the internet via 3G, which it uses for a variety of purposes. It pushes the 3G out via wifi for anyone in the car that needs it (similar to the Verizon MiFi), and it also streams Google Earth imagery to the navigation system.

Detailed information about the Google Earth integration is lacking, but you can see it in action for a just a few seconds in the video below (skip ahead to the 7:24 mark). It shows 3D buildings (some photorealistic, some gray), just like you'd see in Google Earth.

Liquid Galaxy: At Google I/O earlier this year, they showed off a cool thing they called the "Holodeck" -- a 360 degree booth that surrounds you with StreetView imagery. They've now renamed it "Liquid Galaxy" and integrated a special version of Google Earth to work with it. They've brought it to the COP15 conference in Copenhagen, and they'll be bringing it to other conferences in the future. I hope to maybe try it out at Where 2.0 this spring.

Deer Hunting with Google Earth: A man in Illinois shot a 25-point buck after studying Google Earth to determine probable routes that the deer would take. He staked out his position based on that information and was able to get his shot just before dusk. It turned out to be a lucky shot (deflected off a tree branch, pierced the deer's ear, which then fell down a bank into the creek and drowned), but it's interesting that he used Google Earth to find the best location.

StreetView in the snow: A few days ago, in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Google hit the slopes in Vancouver and captured some StreetView imagery using a snowmobile outfitted with their cameras.

I would have to guess that the development of the StreetView trikes helped make this possible, as it was likely a similar system.

No word on a release date for this imagery, but the Olympics begin on February 12, so I'm sure we'll see it sometime before then.

Posted by mickmel at 8:43 AM | Comments (3)

November 25, 2009

My Kite Photos in Google Earth/Maps

Back in October I conducted my first test runs with a kite aerial photography rig I purchased for our five-year sailing trip (see TahinaExpedition.com). Thanks to a partnership with Google, some of the imagery should find its way into Google Earth and Maps aerial imagery.

Today, I'm proud to announce that the first set of images are now available! You can see the marina where we kept Tahina in the months preceding our recent departure (Joyner Marina in Carolina Beach, NC) with photos taken in early October by me with a camera hanging from a kite string:

View Larger Map

The catamaran in the lower left is our boat Tahina. You can zoom in pretty far on this imagery since it was taken from about 300 feet altitude.

In order to get it stitched together, I had some fantastic help from Stewart Long of GonzoEarth who did a fantastic job of processing my jumble of kite images into one cohesive geo-corrected image. Then Google processed it further for inclusion in their database. If you look closely, at the bottom it says "Tahina Expedition" for the image credit! A big "thank you" to both Stewart and Google for helping out!

This isn't the first time I've had aerial imagery included in Google Earth. Read this story of how I arranged to take a same-day aerial photo that got put in Google Earth. And, if you search for "TTA" in Google Earth (or the Sanford Airport in North Carolina), you'll see the imagery there was taken by Gearthblog. That was my airport where I used to keep my airplane.

Also, check out the cool 360 panorama I did of Tahina in the same marina (which can also be viewed in Google Earth).

Posted by FrankTaylor at 8:29 AM | Comments (1)

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More entries for this category:

6. A closer look at Africa - October 28, 2009
7. 3D plane in flight in 3D Buildings layer - October 26, 2009
8. Links: Race My Race, Random Hacks of Kindness, WorldView-2 - October 13, 2009
9. Google Earth 5.1 Really Improved - September 11, 2009
10. Links: Picasa Street View, Cool Screen, ArcExplorer Earth, SketchUp Podium Prize - August 17, 2009
11. Planes For Google Earth Flight Simulator - August 11, 2009
12. Amazing Find Returns to Google Earth: Lancaster Bomber - July 28, 2009
13. Memorial to UTA Flight 772 Visible from Space - June 16, 2009
14. Air France Flight 447 - Google Earth Map - June 9, 2009
15. 3D Flight Tracking in Netherlands with Google Earth - May 28, 2009
16. Fantastic Free Google Earth Game: Ships - May 18, 2009
17. The U-2 Incident in Google Earth - May 5, 2009
18. Swiss Fighter Video Synched - GE 5 Style - April 26, 2009
19. Heli-Ski Tour in Google Earth - March 12, 2009
20. Google Earth 5 Tour Roundup - February 26, 2009
21. Google Earth 5 Cool Tip: Flight Simulator in Ocean or Mars - February 25, 2009
22. This Google Earth File Could Make you Sick - February 20, 2009
23. Jimmy Buffet Helps Announce Google Earth 5 - February 5, 2009
24. Links: New GE Help Forums, DC-3 Weather Vane, NYC GE Visitor Center, Virtual Alabama Video, 360Cities Embed - January 22, 2009
25. Fly Flight 1549 Yourself in Google Earth - January 21, 2009
26. U-2 Spyplane Caught in Flight in Google Earth - January 5, 2009
27. Watch Santa Claus Make his Deliveries - December 24, 2008
28. Planes on Poles in Google Earth (plus an extra feature) - December 12, 2008
29. Location of Steve Fossett Remains Reportedly Found - October 31, 2008
30. WikiSailing - Flying/Sailing Sightseeing Tours in Google Earth - October 29, 2008
31. Paragliding Simulator with Google Earth Plugin - October 23, 2008
32. Links: Planet Search, Interactive KML, FlightSim, iPhone GPS - October 21, 2008
33. Links: Panoramio Heat Maps, See Russia?, 1m LiDAR, Airship - October 13, 2008
34. Location of Plane Wreck of Steve Fossett - October 2, 2008
35. Steve Fossett Items Found Near Mammoth Lakes - October 1, 2008
36. New Virtual Earth with 3D Clouds - September 25, 2008
37. Links: Hurricane Ike, GeoEye Launched, Aviation Maps, McClendon in Kansas - September 8, 2008
38. Follow a Book, Check Aeronautical Charts in Google Earth Plugin - July 31, 2008
39. More Add-ons for Google Earth Flight Simulator - July 28, 2008
40. Notes from the Bahamas: GE in Education, AGE More KML, Disney 3D - June 26, 2008
41. Links: Big Dog, Plugins, Smoke, Stonehenge, SketchUp Camp, Kenya - June 13, 2008
42. PictEarth Flies UAV with N95 Over WhereCamp - May 20, 2008
43. Mike's Flying Bike for Google Earth - May 16, 2008
44. Google Earth for Pilots - April 29, 2008
45. How to Get 3D Buildings in Google Earth - April 24, 2008
46. Links: SR22 Cockpit, Jane Austen, Magnetic Pole, Taiwan GE Bonanza, Tutorial, VE3D on Mac - March 17, 2008
47. YouTube API on Swiss Fighter Video - March 14, 2008
48. F-16 Cockpit Add-on For Google Earth Flight Sim - February 8, 2008
49. Cool US Flights Visualization in Google Earth - February 7, 2008
50. Guys Fly Balloon to 30 km Altitude - See it in Google Earth - January 25, 2008
51. Major Geek Cred - January 17, 2008
52. Tracking Flights in Google Earth - January 11, 2008
53. Missed Opportunity - It's a Sign - January 9, 2008
54. Top 25 Stories of Google Earth 2007 - December 27, 2007
55. Astronaut Mode For Google Earth - December 18, 2007
56. Two Old Planes Caught Close Up in Google Earth - December 9, 2007
57. Google Earth and Santa Claus - December 7, 2007
58. Links: Tracking Santa, Netherland Statistics, Boat Parades, OpenAerialMap - December 3, 2007
59. News and Links - Out of Beta, Crysis, Our Dumb World, Visual ILS - November 30, 2007
60. X PRIZE Cup Photos Mapped - November 1, 2007
61. Trip Status, Links: PhotoOverlay tool, CIA World Factbook, Another BMNG - October 29, 2007
62. Links: Glider Towing, 3D Bonanza, John Hanke Presentation, Google Maps Profiles, Virtual Earth 3D Modeling - October 19, 2007
63. 2007 Wirefly X PRIZE Cup - October 8, 2007
64. 3D Red Bull Flights in Google Earth - September 21, 2007
65. Burning Man 2007 in Google Earth - September 18, 2007
66. New DigitalGlobe Imagery for Steve Fossett Search - September 13, 2007
67. Back to School - Educational Uses with Google Earth - September 11, 2007
68. News Roundup: Flight Sim Tips, Clouds and Weather, KML 2.2, Google Solar Panels, Pollution - September 10, 2007
69. Help Find Steve Fossett with Google Earth - September 9, 2007
70. Flight Simulator HUD Display Guide, and an Advanced Tip - September 6, 2007
71. Get Inside a Helicopter in Google Earth - September 5, 2007
72. News Roundup: Flight Simulator Goodies, PhotoViewer Stuff, Video tourism - September 4, 2007
73. Video for Flying with Google Earth Flight Simulator - September 3, 2007
74. Flight Simulator Mode in Google Earth 4.2 - August 31, 2007
75. Google Earth 4.2 Roundup - August 27, 2007
76. R/C Planes and Camera Fun with Google Earth - August 12, 2007
77. Biography of Neil Armstrong in Google Earth - August 6, 2007
78. News Roundup: Panoramio 2 Million, Geographic Web, Loop the Loop, Starbucks, Bug in GE - June 28, 2007
79. Pict'Earth - UAV Aerial Photography Solutions - June 19, 2007
80. ChartGeek - Sectional Maps for Pilots in Google Earth - May 28, 2007
81. Plane-shaped Pools in Google Earth - April 28, 2007
82. Stephen Hawking Flies in Zero G - April 27, 2007
83. News Roundup - Fixes for Windows Vista, Airshows, FBOWeb update, Photos with Search - March 19, 2007
84. Meigs Field - Preserved in Google Earth - March 15, 2007
85. Nine Planes in Formation - Faked in the Google Earth Database! - March 13, 2007
86. NOT a Cruise Missile in Flight Over Utah - March 4, 2007
87. Swiss Alps "Fighter" Tour in Google Earth - March 1, 2007
88. SpaceNavigator News: Fly Inside Demo, Security Checkpoints - February 22, 2007
89. Planes in Flight Hobby - February 13, 2007
90. Sydney Aerial Photo Shoot - January 26, 2007
91. Play Tour Mode in Google Earth - January 10, 2007
92. New Imagery Update for the Holidays - Awesome! - December 17, 2006
93. Santa's Toy Hunt and Santa Tracker in Google Earth - December 13, 2006
94. News Roundup - Animated 3D, EmerGeo, Altered Oceans, Virtual Airlines - October 29, 2006
95. Geotagged Photos from X PRIZE Cup, GPS Track too - October 25, 2006
96. Flight Back from Las Cruces in Google Earth - October 23, 2006
97. Same Day Aerial Photo in Google Earth - October 21, 2006
98. Trip Report and News Roundup: Flight to Las Cruces, Sensors, BBC on Maps, New blog - October 18, 2006
99. Flight of Space Ship One Depicted in Google Earth - October 12, 2006
100. Plane Crashed into Building in New York - See Location in Google Earth - October 11, 2006
101. Burning Man 2006 in Google Earth - October 3, 2006
102. Take Flight Sim Scenery and Port it to Google Earth - September 28, 2006
103. Google Earth as a "Flight Simulator" - September 15, 2006
104. 3D 747 Airliner on Approach at Maho Beach in Google Earth - August 25, 2006
105. Salute to the An-2 in Google Earth - August 10, 2006
106. Goggles - Google Maps Flight Simulator, Also: Google Earth Flying - August 8, 2006
107. FSEarth 3.0 - MS Flight Simulator and Google Earth - July 8, 2006
108. Aeronautical Information System - June 26, 2006
109. KC-135 Caught Refueling C-5 Galaxy in Mid-Air in Google Earth! - June 25, 2006
110. Sightseeing Roundup for Google Earth - May 2, 2006
111. Go Flying - Flight Tracklogs for Google Earth - April 30, 2006
112. Tribute to 'Connie' in Google Earth - April 9, 2006
113. FSEarth - MS Flight Simulator 2004 and Google Earth - April 6, 2006
114. Maldives Island Group in High Res - March 24, 2006
115. Flyagogo - A Pilot Google Maps Mashup (with GE tie-in) - March 23, 2006
116. GlobalFlyer Attempting Third World Record - March 15, 2006
117. Identifying Planes in Google Earth - March 1, 2006
118. FSPilot Connects FS2004 to Google Earth - February 26, 2006
119. Touch and Gos - February 22, 2006
120. Follow Steve Fossett/Global Flyer in Google Earth - February 9, 2006
121. Pilot World-wide Weather in Google Earth - February 8, 2006
122. Gliders "Crashing" in Google Earth - February 3, 2006
123. Flying Car? Not Really - January 23, 2006
124. 3D Planes for Flight Tracking in Google Earth - January 19, 2006
125. FBOWeb Flight Tracking Revisited - January 11, 2006
126. Lancaster Bomber Caught Flying in Google Earth - January 10, 2006
127. Slick Airfare Tool for Google Earth - December 16, 2005
128. Planes in Flight in Google Earth (revisited) - December 6, 2005
129. Near Real-time Flight Tracking in Google Earth - December 2, 2005
130. The Ubiquitous DC-3 Found in Google Earth - November 23, 2005
131. UFO Sighting Locations in Google Earth - November 4, 2005
132. Magnalox - GPS Story Telling for Google Earth - October 19, 2005
133. Huge Resource of 3D Glider Tracks for Google Earth - October 12, 2005
134. Categorized African Animals in Google Earth - October 11, 2005
135. Documenting a Recent Flying Trip - October 9, 2005
136. Garmin Buys MotionBased - October 4, 2005
137. Update to Planes in Flight Story - September 23, 2005
138. Planes in Flight Captured in Google Earth - September 21, 2005
139. MS Flight Simulator Interface - September 1, 2005
140. Flying - Keeping a Flight Log - August 5, 2005

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