Got an e-mail from Jan-Philipp of Technical University of Kaiserlautern. He and five other students built models of their campus which they felt would have qualified for the contest Google recently ran to build 3D campuses. But, Google limited the contest to participants from the US and Canada. They wanted to share the model they built and suggest that maybe Google should do a European campus contest. So, here is Technical University of Kaiserslautern in Google Earth
(4.8 MBytes). More information on their web site (German) about the models, where they also have a map overlay with placemarks on locations. One thing they could do is go ahead and submit their collection of models to the Google 3DWarehouse. I’m sure Google would select them to be included in the built-in 3D Buildings layer of Google Earth.
About Frank Taylor
Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.
i agree with jan-philipp. why was the contest limited to north america? and there only to the USA and Canada???
google should be more open to international input….
I downloaded the kmz file from your post but the models come without textures (not like your screenshot shows). I have no trouble viewing any other 3D models with textures in Google Earth (using version 4.1.7076.4458 (beta))
Speaking of European campuses…
there is a very nice model of Warsaw University of Technology (already in 3D Warehouse http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/search?uq=05070550244669346702)
Well, in fact there are two versions: the one in 3D Warehouse (simple textured buildings) and another one in a single kml file http://www.igeomap.pl/DataKMZ/PW/pw.kmz (with more detailed models, but without textures)
The Warsaw University of Technology models are actually already included in the “3D Buildings” layer in Google Earth. That’s the advantage to uploading your models to the 3DWarehouse. If they are of acceptable quality, Google may select them to be in the default layer. You get the blue ribbon (seen at the 3DWarehouse) if they are included.