GE Plugin

Monster Milktruck ported to Cesium

February 17, 2015

The Monster Milktruck is a demo of a driving simulator using the Google Earth plugin. It was created by Google in 2008 as part of the Google Earth API sample code to help developers get started with creating applications for the Google Earth plugin.

We recently had a look at it as part of our Google Earth plugin showcase and we pointed out that the original version is broken due to a change in the URL to the Sketchup Warehouse model it uses. However, we were able to fix the bugs and you can try it out here.

Now the developers of Cesium, a JavaScript library for creating 3D globes and 2D maps in a web browser without a plugin, have ported the application to Cesium in order to help promote it as an alternative to the Google Earth plugin, which was recently deprecated by Google.

You can try it out here.

Exploring San Francisco in the Monster Milktruck Cesium edition.

We found the performance to be quite impressive. It has global satellite imagery and terrain data based on Bing maps. It does lack the 3D mesh that we are used to seeing in Google Earth, but even Google Earth is far from achieving global 3D coverage. We did encounter a bug when teleporting to New York. It placed our milk truck under the surface of the globe and we could not get out without teleporting somewhere else. But we believe that is a bug in the Monster Milktruck code and not a problem with Cesium itself. Cesium uses WebGl and we found that it did not work on a 6 year old laptop. This could possibly be resolved by updating the graphics card drivers, but keep in mind that Cesium may not work with older hardware.

Google Earth plugin showcase: Thematic Mapping Api

February 12, 2015

This is the ninth in our series on the Google earth plugin. Today we are looking at the Thematic Mapping Api and an example product based on it called Earth Atlas 3D.

The Thematic Mapping Api was released in 2008, less than a month after the release of the Google Earth plugin and Earth Atlas 3D was released soon after. The Thematic Mapping Api was designed to make it much easier to get started with using the Google Earth plugin for displaying statistics. Earth Atlas 3D demonstrates its use, and has some interesting maps, albeit rather out dated. It is clearly a brilliant toolkit, but don’t rush out and build your apps on it, as the Google Earth plugin has been deprecated and is set to stop working in December this year.

So go ahead and try it out. You will need a browser that supports the Google Earth plugin, and you will need to give it permission to run on the site. Also, avoid the ‘latest ice coverage’ map, as the URL to the KML has changed and it causes the Google Earth plugin to crash.

We liked the use of a cell phone model for displaying mobile phone subscriber stats.

Google Earth plugin showcase: Gaiagi Driver

February 2, 2015

This is the eighth in our series on the Google Earth plugin. Today, we are looking at Gaiagi Driver that we first looked at back in 2008. Six years on and it still works well, although a reasonably fast internet connection is recommended.

Gaiagi Driver should not be seen as a driving simulator, but rather a route planner. You select the route you plan to drive, and it will get the directions and then show you your route on Google Maps, in the Google Earth plugin, in Street View and with Microsoft’s 45 degree imagery from Bing Maps.

So go ahead and try it out. You will need the Google Earth plugin installed, a browser that supports the Google Earth plugin, and for most browsers you must now give permission for the plugin to run on the site.

The University of Phoenix Stadium where Super Bowl XLIX took place yesterday.

Mountain Visions Google Earth tours

January 20, 2015

Prompted by our series showcasing uses of the Google Earth plugin, Gary Grimm of Mountain Visions has shared with us some Google Earth tours that they have created. You can find a complete gallery of their tours here which includes a mixture of tours to download and view in Google Earth, tours to watch using the Google Earth plugin, and tours that have been recorded and can be viewed as an online video.

Although we generally prefer to download tours and view them in Google Earth, using the plugin to display tours can have a number of advantages:

You can place descriptive information in the web page around it, including links to further content – although most of this can be done within the tour.
To some degree it protects your content from copying.
It is easier for the user as they do not have to download the tour and open Google Earth.

Below are some of the best tours from the Mountain Visions collection presented using the Google Earth plugin. To view them using the plugin, you will need the plugin installed and a compatible browser. It may take some time to load the tours, so be patient and wait for the ‘play’ button to appear in the bottom left hand corner of the plugin.

Tour of Potential CuMO Mine – May 2012
(or download the KMZ to view it in Google Earth.)

Prince of Wales Island Watershed Restoration Projects, 2006-2011
(or download the KMZ to view it in Google Earth.)

Tour of Mores Creek Watershed Tour, October 2013
(or download the KMZ to view it in Google Earth.)

Boise River at High Water June 3, 2011
(or download the KMZ to view it in Google Earth.)

A screenshot from the CuMo mine tour.

Google Earth plugin showcase: Monster Milktruck

January 19, 2015

This is the seventh in our series showcasing the Google Earth plugin.

Today we are looking at probably the best known app built with the Google Earth plugin: The Monster Milktruck. It was developed in 2008 by Google to showcase the use of the Google Earth plugin. It even has its own Wikipedia page. We looked at it when it first came out. The original version published by Google is broken, because it uses a model from the Sketchup 3D Warehouse, which has since been sold by Google and the URLs have changed. However, we have fixed that bug and resurrected it for your enjoyment. If you have the Google Earth plugin installed and a browser that supports it, you should see the Monster Milktruck game below and be able to play.

MONSTER MILKTRUCK!

To drive: use the buttons, or keyboard arrows (with focus on page).

Presets: