GE Plugin Archives

February 1, 2012

Monster Milktruck is a great way to play in Google Earth

We first showed you the Monster Milktruck API demo nearly four years ago, but thanks to a reminder from the Google Earth page on Google+, I went back and played it a bit more. What a fun little game!

If you're not familiar with it, it's difficult to call it a "game" because it's actually just a tech demo; there is no objective, no scoring, and no way to lose a life. That said, it's remarkably fun to drive around various places in the world with just a few presses of your keypad. As long as you have the Google Earth Plug-in installed (which you most likely do), you can play the game here.

milktruck.jpg

If you enjoy driving around in the milktruck, you'll really enjoy Paul van Dinther's Drive the A-Team van" game from a few years ago. It's the same basic idea, but with 3D trees, collision detection on the buildings, and missions to accomplish.

This is one of the great things about Google Earth; old games/files will automatically improve over time as better imagery and new 3D buildings are released!


Posted by mickmel at 7:45 AM | Comments (0)

Sponsored Ads:

January 23, 2012

Many improvements to Breadcrumbs

We first told you about Breadcrumbs in late 2010. They're a GPS track management site that offers a lot of great features through a nice interface. They've just gone through a major redesign and are now an even more compelling option to consider using.

breadcrumbs.jpg

In addition to the redesign, there are a handful of other great things that Breadcrumbs has done since we last mentioned them:

50,000 Tracks: Over 50,000 tracks are now in their database, including quite a few from GEB readers.

Integration with mobile apps: Breadcrumbs now can integrate with mobile apps on Garmin devices, Android, iPhone, Nokia and others.

WordPress plugin: They now have an official WordPress plugin to easily embed your tracks onto your WordPress-powered site.

Other new features: The redesign includes a handful of other features that you can read about on their blog.

All in all, it's quite a nice update. If you gather GPS tracks from anything (exercise, travel, etc), what product do you prefer to use to store and view them?


Posted by mickmel at 8:10 AM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2012

Traffic congestion visualization in Google Earth

We all know that Google Earth is great for visualizing an amazing array of information. However, sometimes it won't support a need that you have and a creative solution must be found. Such is the case today with Skycomp and their "traffic flow visualization" tool. It's no surprise to us that Paul van Dinther from PlanetInAction.com is the guy that made it happen -- he's built some amazing applications over the years, including the focus of yesterday's post on the cruise ship Costa Concordia. His solution to help Skycomp is quite innovative.

traffic.jpg

There are two main components that come together to make this happen.

First you have Skycomp, who have found a cost effective way to collect aerial footage of the same location over a sustained period. This involves maintaining an accurate position of the helicopter and complex image alignment and correction.

Secondly you have the Google Earth component. The imagery produced by Skycomp typically is taken at a 1 or 2 second interval and turned into a video. Unfortunately, Google Earth is not equipped to render video on the ground. So instead, Paul uses a sequence of ground overlays and individually turns them on and off using javascript and the Google Earth API. The application is designed to play back several minutes of footage of a busy intersection so a traffic flow analysis can be done. In order to produce a smooth looking playback the application actually fades the next image on top of the previous image. The amount of cross-fade can be reduced for more detailed frame by frame analysis. It's quite an impressive result.

You can try it for yourself by visiting www.planetinaction.com/skycomp/.

If you'd prefer, here's a video that shows off how the system works:

For more info, check out the latest edition of the Skycomp newsletter.

The next stage of the application will introduce the capability to export the animation as a KMZ file for playback on Google Earth Desktop using the tour mechanism, which would be quite impressive and very useful for people in this field.


Posted by mickmel at 8:56 AM | Comments (1)

January 5, 2012

Great new 3D San Francisco site

After launching 3DHawaii and 3DLasVegas in the past few years, 3DTravel.com has just launched their ,3DSanFrancisco site and it's great!

3dsf.jpg

I'm heading to San Francisco in a few months for Where 2.0, and I'm not familiar with the city, so it's been fun to use it to cruise around and check things out. While the San Francisco site isn't that much different from the Hawaii and Vegas sites, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's clear that they've spent a lot of time plotting destinations, adding content, creating tours, and building all of the other items that make the sites so useful.

You can read more about the new site here and visit it for yourself at sanfrancisco.3dtravel.com.


Posted by mickmel at 9:46 AM | Comments (1)

December 23, 2011

Tracking Santa's journey in Google Earth

Starting around 2am EST tonight, Santa's journey will begin and NORAD will once again be tracking his every move!

His journey will be tracked using a variety of methods including satellites, radar and fighter jets.

norad santa

You can view the main Santa tracker here. Unfortunately, it only runs in the Google Earth plugin in your browser (not in the desktop version of Google Earth), and you can't make it full screen so you are stuck with a smaller image. It would also be nice if you could view it on your tablet version of Google Earth. But, read on for other ways to follow his journey throughout the day.

Here's a "behind the scenes" video from Google's Bruno Bowden on the origins of the NORAD Santa Tracker:

There are a lot of great ways to follow him on his journey, thanks to the folks at NORAD and some help from Google:

• Watch his progress on Google Maps. Visit noradsanta.org to see a map of his location and his next scheduled stop.

• Watch him fly by using the Google Earth Plug-in. Visit the "Track in Google Earth" page to watch Santa fly by using the Google Earth Plug-in. The past few years I fired up this page on my netbook, placed it up on the mantle, and we kept a close eye on Santa all day long.

• New this year; follow Santa with OnStar. If you have a GM car with OnStar, you'll be able to push the OnStar button and get an update on Santa's location (more info).

• Follow his progress on your phone. Search for [santa] in Google Maps for Mobile, or visit m.noradsanta.org from your phone to track his progress while you're on the go.

• Follow him on other services, such as his YouTube channel, Twitter account and Facebook Page.

Having NORAD track Santa has been a tradition for decades, and using Google Earth/Maps to track him has quickly become a popular tradition of its own. Millions of people track Santa using these fun new methods, with more joining in every year. Have fun!


Posted by mickmel at 7:28 AM | Comments (4)

More entries for this category:

  1. Using Google Earth in the classroom - December 21, 2011
  2. Duke University unveils an excellent 3D Campus Map - November 16, 2011
  3. Build your own Liquid Galaxy with the Fluid Nebula - November 15, 2011
  4. The Google Earth Clock - November 1, 2011
  5. Ovi Maps moving to WebGL - October 27, 2011
  6. The "GE Flight Simulator" gets some solid improvements - October 26, 2011
  7. YoubeQ, a 3D social network in Google Earth - October 21, 2011
  8. A tribute to Steve Jobs in Google Earth - October 13, 2011
  9. Find fun places to visit with Attraction Seeker - August 30, 2011
  10. "Drive the A-Team Van" lives on, plus some new features - August 11, 2011
  11. StrataLogica: Google Earth in the Classroom - July 25, 2011
  12. Explosions in Google Earth - July 19, 2011
  13. Exploring Virtual Kenya - July 6, 2011
  14. Tracking #nuclear tweets with Google Earth - June 29, 2011
  15. Tracking the Hurtigruten along the coast of Norway - June 20, 2011
  16. Play Touristo and Skydiver; very impressive games using the Google Earth Plug-in - June 15, 2011
  17. An amazing tour of the new U.S. Green Building Council headquarters - June 10, 2011
  18. Disney's Worldwide Conservation Fund - June 9, 2011
  19. Don't miss Sony's Project Shiphunt, a fun game using Google Ocean - May 27, 2011
  20. A panorama from the top of Mount Everest - May 18, 2011
  21. 3DHawaii expands with private label product and a great trip giveaway - May 16, 2011
  22. Powerful drag-and-drop capabilities with HTML5 and the Google Earth Plug-in - May 10, 2011
  23. Quickly share locations using the Google Earth Plug-in - May 9, 2011
  24. Earth Knowledge Portal launched - April 27, 2011
  25. Ships version 1.5 is released, making a great game even better - April 26, 2011
  26. The Home Greenover Project - April 15, 2011
  27. Google Earth Plug-in running slow? Here's a few tips - April 12, 2011
  28. Photo overlays of Japan from the New York Times; new views for Sendai - April 5, 2011
  29. The World's Nuclear Reactors in Google Earth - April 1, 2011
  30. Gigapixel panoramas - March 24, 2011
  31. Visualizing the vast problem of marine debris - March 23, 2011
  32. The Global Heritage Network - March 22, 2011
  33. Skiing with OpenStreetMap - March 21, 2011
  34. Preview your hotel room with Google Earth - March 16, 2011
  35. Share your ski trips with Google Earth - March 7, 2011
  36. Follow the Mission Blue expedition to Salas y Gomez - February 24, 2011
  37. Learn more about the US Presidents by using Google Earth - February 21, 2011
  38. A great guide to Turkey in Google Earth - February 4, 2011
  39. Cycling the Alps adds games, tours and much more - February 2, 2011
  40. Satellites around the earth - February 1, 2011
  41. Enjoy some 3D fireworks in Google Earth - January 5, 2011
  42. Playing GeoGames in Google Earth - January 4, 2011
  43. Where has Google shipped their Chrome notebooks? - December 29, 2010
  44. Track Santa's journey in Google Earth - December 24, 2010
  45. Simulate forest fires with ForeFire - December 23, 2010
  46. Simulating the upcoming lunar eclipse - December 20, 2010
  47. CyberCity 3D Teams with Vixen's L.A. Happy Hours - December 13, 2010
  48. 3D Travel launches 3DLasVegas.com - December 7, 2010
  49. An excellent flight simulator for Google Earth - November 10, 2010
  50. Visualize your GPS tracks with Breadcrumbs - November 3, 2010
  51. Nice updates to the Tuvalu Visualization Project - October 11, 2010
  52. A new gaming platform for Google Earth - September 24, 2010
  53. Excellent flight-tracking layer from FlightWise - September 17, 2010
  54. AnotherEarth.org -- Two globes in one - September 3, 2010
  55. Gulf Oil Spill: Defenders of Wildlife - August 20, 2010
  56. Google Earth Enterprise 4.0 released - August 17, 2010
  57. Read Ayn Rand - August 16, 2010
  58. The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Archive - August 4, 2010
  59. EPA data now featured in Google Earth Outreach - August 2, 2010
  60. Interactive multi-layered Google Earth map of 4 degree temp rise - July 23, 2010
  61. Team Vision Virtual launches 3dHawaii.com - July 16, 2010
  62. Watch this weekend's solar eclipse in Google Earth - July 9, 2010
  63. CyberCity 3D unveils the Sanborn Emergency Response Map - July 6, 2010
  64. Were Carolina bays created by the Saginaw Impact Manifold? - June 29, 2010
  65. Google Earth 5.2 Released - June 14, 2010
  66. Golfing with Google Earth - June 7, 2010
  67. Firxt Train View; it's like StreetView for Trains - May 21, 2010
  68. Helicopers has been released! - May 19, 2010
  69. Drive the A-Team van in Google Earth - May 17, 2010
  70. Updated Google Maps on Android and Installing the Google Earth Plug-in without administrative rights - May 12, 2010
  71. Lisbon in 3D and a great oil spill visualization tool - May 7, 2010
  72. Google Earth plug-in now tied directly into Google Maps - April 27, 2010
  73. Explore Civil War Trails in Google Earth - April 7, 2010
  74. 3dBizMap launches first city - El Segundo, CA - March 25, 2010
  75. Playing games in Google Earth - March 9, 2010
  76. The year 2009 in Google Earth - December 30, 2009
  77. Happy Holidays from Google Earth Blog - December 23, 2009
  78. Vancouver Olympic venues in Google Earth - December 22, 2009
  79. Top 10 Google Earth Blog stories in 2009 - December 21, 2009
  80. Take a virtual helicopter tour with the Google Earth Plug-in - December 14, 2009
  81. New imagery in Google Earth - December 3, 2009
  82. NORAD will track Santa once again - December 2, 2009
  83. Tracking the migration of Osprey - November 30, 2009
  84. Disney in Google Earth - November 23, 2009
  85. Links: Full list of StreetView updates, TeachMideast.org, CyberCity 3D partners with HomeGain - November 11, 2009
  86. The best finds in the new imagery - November 4, 2009
  87. A closer look at Africa - October 28, 2009
  88. Links: Load KMZ files on handheld Garmin devices, video of NASA rocket crashing into the moon - October 9, 2009
  89. Links: Improve Map Data, Urban Planning Webinars, Students building 3D models - October 8, 2009
  90. Use the Google Earth Plug-in with Google Wave - October 1, 2009
  91. Loop Links, Biodiversity and the Law of the Sea - September 30, 2009
  92. Links: Building Design Competition, Google Wave - September 29, 2009
  93. Update for Google Earth 5.1 released - September 23, 2009
  94. Climate change tools for Google Earth - September 22, 2009
  95. New World's Largest Optical Telescope - August 26, 2009
  96. Afghanistan News Overview in Google Earth - August 21, 2009
  97. Google Earth Lesson Presentation - August 12, 2009
  98. Links/Tweets: Google Mistake, Shadow Animation, Locating Missile Strike, - August 10, 2009
  99. Kaisei Project - Researching the Plastic Vortex - August 5, 2009
  100. Links: Timelapse 3D, Star Tweeting, New Imagery, GeoWeb Glimpse - August 4, 2009
  101. New 3D Perspective in Maps API for Flash - July 31, 2009
  102. GE Tweets: 3D Cities, 53 Stations, New Earth API Docs - July 29, 2009
  103. Amazing Lunar Lander Game Using Google Earth - July 27, 2009
  104. Links: Multiple Searches, More Moon Stuff, New Sightseer, 3D Cities - July 23, 2009
  105. Best Google Earth Tour To Date: Apollo 11 - July 22, 2009
  106. Favorite Places of Famous People in Google Earth - July 18, 2009
  107. View Details on July 22 Total Solar Eclipse in Google Earth - July 13, 2009
  108. Beastie Boys Create Google Earth Driving Game - July 9, 2009
  109. Snoovel - Google Earth Tour Creation and Hosting Site - July 7, 2009
  110. EarthURL Released - July 6, 2009
  111. New Places Site - Record Movie Postcards in Google Earth - June 22, 2009
  112. Gimme Shelter Campaign via Google Earth - June 18, 2009
  113. Using Google Earth to Review Urban Development Project - June 15, 2009
  114. Making 3D for Google Earth, Google Seeking Help, KML Regions, OpenStreetMap in Google Earth - June 4, 2009
  115. Links: New 3D Tours Gallery, Earth API Update - May 29, 2009
  116. Where 2.0 - Day 1 - Workshops and Ignite - May 20, 2009
  117. Fantastic Free Google Earth Game: Ships - May 18, 2009
  118. Earthtwit - Combining Twitter with Google Earth Plugin - May 13, 2009
  119. KMLFactBook - A Data Visualization Tool with Google Earth - May 6, 2009
  120. Henry Hudson 400th Anniversary in Google Earth/Maps - May 4, 2009
  121. Swiss Fighter Video Synched - GE 5 Style - April 26, 2009
  122. Links: Ocean Now, Michigan Earth Day, Goldman Prize, Convention Center, Queen Mary - April 21, 2009
  123. 3D Tour of Tahina Expedition Catamaran - April 20, 2009
  124. USS New Jersey Battleship in 3D - April 16, 2009
  125. Synchronized YouTube with Google Earth Plugin - April 15, 2009
  126. Submarine Sim for Google Ocean - April 14, 2009
  127. Visualizing GPS Tracks for Trips with GE Plugin - April 13, 2009
  128. Simple Embedding of a Google Earth 5 Tour - April 10, 2009
  129. Why Google Earth 5 Tours in a Plugin Rock - April 9, 2009
  130. Introduction to Mars Tour with GE Plugin - April 7, 2009
  131. Touring with Google Earth Plugin - April 6, 2009
  132. New Google Earth 5 Plugin Released - April 1, 2009
  133. Home Made Street View for Google Earth - March 25, 2009
  134. Stereo 3D Views for Google Earth - March 23, 2009
  135. US Solar Jobs Map - March 11, 2009
  136. Links: Missing Atlantis, In the Navy, Predators Not Censored, Utrecht Building Plans, English Lake District - February 24, 2009
  137. CO2 Emissions Data Visualization in Google Earth - February 23, 2009
  138. Links: New Geo Developer Stuff, Embeddable GE Plugin Gadget, Google Earth Cache Basics, Mac Stuff - January 15, 2009
  139. Google Earth Surfing with Wii - January 9, 2009
  140. Happy Holidays from Google Earth Blog - December 23, 2008
  141. Google Earth Plugin Roundup - December 5, 2008
  142. Google Earth Plugin Available Now For Mac OS X - December 3, 2008
  143. Famous Tourist Sites in 3D - November 14, 2008
  144. Links: Location OS, GeoEye, Super Tour Mashup - November 10, 2008
  145. Google 3D Warehouse Adds Google Earth Plugin - November 7, 2008
  146. Frank Gehry Buildings in Google Earth - November 3, 2008
  147. WikiSailing - Flying/Sailing Sightseeing Tours in Google Earth - October 29, 2008
  148. Paragliding Simulator with Google Earth Plugin - October 23, 2008
  149. Terrain of Google Earth - Awesome Tour - October 22, 2008
  150. Enhancing Presentations with Google Earth - October 20, 2008
  151. Interior 3D Building Tour With Google Earth Plugin - October 13, 2008
  152. Budapest 3D Tour in Google Earth - October 11, 2008
  153. Worldwide Marine Protected Areas in Google Earth - October 7, 2008
  154. Earth Atlas - Google Earth Plugin Application - October 6, 2008
  155. Singapore Grand Prix Track in 3D - September 25, 2008
  156. Top 10 Games With Google Earth - September 24, 2008
  157. Real-time Satellites in Google Earth - September 8, 2008
  158. EarthGamz Using Google Earth Plugin - August 19, 2008
  159. 3D Driving Directions and Driving Simulator - August 12, 2008
  160. Google Earth Plugin Now Runs in Firefox 3 - June 22, 2008
  161. Easy Embedding of the Google Earth Plugin - June 20, 2008
  162. Roundup: Firefox 3 and Earth plugin, Google I/O, Spam Alert, Google Analytics - June 18, 2008
  163. Thematic Mapping Engine, Plugin - June 6, 2008
  164. Sweet! Bouncing Google Earth Plugin Animation with Controls - June 2, 2008
  165. Plugin Links: Singapore Tour, Tagzania, PhotoFlyr, EveryTrail, - June 1, 2008
  166. Google Earth Plugin Adopted Quickly - May 29, 2008
  167. Monster Milk Truck Game for Google Earth Plugin - May 28, 2008
  • Google Earth Blog Copyright © 2005-2012 Frank Taylor. All Rights Reserved.
  • All image screenshots from Google Earth are Copyright Google