Exploring the Internet Google Earth – a tutorial Instructor: Michael Krolak Instructor: Patrick Krolak See also Authors: P. D. & M. S. Krolak Copyright 2006

Google Earth (GE) Exploring the earth with a 3-D geospatial information system Cartoon Source:

Google Earth Google Earth allows the user to combine geospatial data, with a 3-d view of the world, and the overlay of GIS and other data including real time transportation data.

Google’s new earth product Google is now offering a new product that will allow the user to display satellite and government and private GIS data source. The basic system is free but to create a useful application requires a license fee of several hundred dollars per seat. Their enterprise server for private application development is in the hundred thousand dollar range not including data.

Getting started: Downloading Click here to get the download and a video to assist you in getting started: O_2tova6ocCFQtwVAod-3nL1A O_2tova6ocCFQtwVAod-3nL1A Select Google Earth and any other tools from the Google Pack. YOU DON’T NEED TO DOWNLOAD ANYTHING ELSE.

A Video Tutorial on How to Use Google Earth (Click to Start)

GE First Step -- Finding your Home The first thing almost anyone does with GE is to see where they live, this includes even President Bush (MSNBC Oct 24, 2006 interview) Click the Google Earth icon and then fill in the text Fly To box. Click the magnifying glass. You can use lat, long or your street address.

GE Controls The controls are fairly simple to use. If you have a three button mouse, the thumb wheel moves you in closer or further away (higher altitude). Click on the Compass. The controls will appear as in the image. The compass indicated the direction that you are looking. The inner arrows will move you in that direction indicated. Note the vertical slider takes you higher or lower in altitude. The horizontal slider tilts the image and allows you to look at 3 D objects.

The Fly Controls There are three “fly” modes. A point & click mode allows immediate positioning without any transition motion in the display. See “options Menu” below. A “trackball” mode (Ctrl T) moves the scene in direct response to mouse moves & clicks. –Hold left down and move causes the scene to pan. –Roll middle wheel causes zoom. Hold middle down and roll causes rotate. –Hold right and move causes zoom. –Hold shift and move causes tilt (up and down) or roll (side to side) –Release hold while in motion causes scene to “drift” the way it was going An “aircraft” mode (Ctrl G) causes the mouse left button to act like a joystick and the right button to act like a throttle. This is a cool way to “fly” through scenery but requires some practice. Mode also accessed with Google Earth menu Tools>Options>Navigate Tab.

GE 5.0 New Flight Simulator A video tutorial – Its Fun!! Click Arrow to start

Advanced Filght Simulator Training Source:

3-D Example The terrain layer allows GE to model the terrain in 3-D. Under Places find Grand Canyon (Click) use the vertical slider controls to get close (about 3500 ft.) see upper image. Now use the horizontal slider to tilt the view, see lower image.

GE -- Taking a tour Places is where you can save places of interest. Want to take a tour Click Sightseeing in Places and Then click [Tools]/Play Tour GE should start flying from one place to another listed under Sightseeing. Note to get the 3D view -- Check 3d Buildings and Terrain in the Layers Window of the right side bar menu. Downtown Chicago looking toward the Chicago River, with 3D Buildings

Creating a path Click the Path tool button 1.A path dialog box appears 1.Create a name for the path 2.select a color 1.Click on the white box 3.Set a line width eg. 3 2.Move the cursor to the start of the path. 3.Drag the cursor to next point. 4.After the last point Close the Path Dialog Box.

Creating a path (more) Here we use the map we created with Quikmaps to mark points of interest. Using the Path Tool to create a walking path around the south campus Before After

Google’s new earth product Here we see one of the more interesting 3-D applications showing a basic 3-D architecture of 33 US and major international cities (Sanborn Corp data). GE has a global digital elevation model (DEM) that allows the viewer to explore the terrain in 3-D. The application features an easy to use dashboard of controls and easy to use GIS databases including the 3-d buildings. Note: The left pane can be toggled on and off using The “View>Full Screen” menu, or Clicking the icon at the top that shows a Representation of the screen with a left side pane.

Using GE Places Users can mark their own places with a “place mark,” depicted as a push pin. [Edit>Place Mark>Create] You can zoom to a place mark by double click on its name in the left pane. GE will remember your place marks from session to session. In the left pane, group a series of place marks under a single folder name and select the folder. Select the “View>Tour” menu and GE will visit each place mark in your list. Control Tour parameters from the Tools>Options menu. The active view at the time you record the place mark is part of the place mark. Place marks can have text with them that appears in a bubble when the mark is clicked. All this can be edited. [Edit>Place Mark>Edit] Try it – it’s quite intuitive!

Using Driving Directions -- to create a tour GE will produce driving directions between points. Often GE offers to do this with a selected point: “Directions: From To” This feature represents an advanced use of the place mark functionality. Directions appear in left pane with way points grouped as places under a trip folder. Double click the folder and GE Zooms to the “From” point. Click each way point in order & GE will “fly” the route. Select the trip folder (one click) and then select the “View>Tour” menu and GE will fly the entire route with pauses at the way points. A good way to preview a planned trip!

Sample of Drive Directions and Tour This a video please give it awhile to download – it’s a large file.

Saving or Printing GE images To save the GE window image Click [File]/Save Image To print the GE window click [File]/Print. Some artifacts (such as on screen distance markers) will print with the image. Pop-up menus and other clutter will not print.

Saving GE objects as KML files GE Objects like placemarks, paths, directions, etc. can be saved as KML files. Highlight the object to be saved and place Right Mouse button on it select SaveAs…

Useful GE Tools

The Ruler Note the ruler above the GE window click it, or [Tools]/ruler A dialog box will appear. Select the units, e.g. feet, inches. etc. Move the icon - square site to start, click left mouse, move to end click the line length will appear in the dialog box. “Path” mode allows you to measure a distance through any number of intermediate points.

Using GE Layers The layers display various geospatial databases. Each database is a separate display layer. Each database can be turned on (displayed) or turned off by checking the box next to the data (left pane, bottom section), For example, when checked “3D Buildings” will cause the buildings to appear (when the view is close enough).

Finding information and data for GE The site cks.com/ offers files of various applications, tours, blogs to answer questions and videos for training. cks.com/ You need to register to get to be able to download files, etc. Example add weather to GE

Google’s new earth site Google’s new earth product allows users to add satellite and other imagery on a real time basis. Here we see NASA infrared satellite data superimposed on the earth.google.com globe tracking the same hurricane (Emily on July 19, 2005) Image is updated every 3 hours.

Adding Weather to Google Earth After registering for Google Earth Hacks click: Go down to either: –Weather forecast –Weather: Real time conditions Conditions.htm Conditions.htm Select USA Lightning USA.htm USA.htm Click Download File (near bottom of page) Select open with Google Earth Application Make sure the layer is checked (selected)

Example of Florida lightning strikes Oct 19,06

Google Earth’s tracking Google Earth allows viewers to add data to its 3-d world including air traffic, marine, and land based vehicles.

Google Earth as a geographic information rich infrastructure Google makes easy to display GIS and other data that allows the creation of situational displays. Users can add custom static data, web cam locations, weather, and dynamic data with Earth’s supplied tools and KML scripts (XML). The 3-D buildings and terrain provide a tactical and strategic planning and operational tool.

Fboweb.com Fboweb has integrated real aircraft tracking data into the Google Earth (GE) and has created high useful displays of air traffic. This first application will surely lead to a next generation of multi modal supply chain tools. In order to use Floweb data with GE it is necessary to download KML scripts for each regional airport (click ) Fboweb supplies for a fee other useful applications for the pilot and aviation industry.

Google Earth with live 3-d air traffic

In the Google Earth merging Traffic Management Data The current model allows for aircraft arrivals for five pacing airports in the US (Boston, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angles, Miami, Seattle). Click on the gray airplanes to get flight id and other data. The white poles (allow estimate height), purple lines are the aircraft’s recent track in 3-d space.

Aircraft approaching O’Hare March 26, 2006 at 7 CST

Different view same time note 3-d downtown Chicago, Il

GE showing all flights Nov. 16, 06 10PM (1 hour update)

Tools for the air traveler

Arrivals Departures Delays Schedule Changes Airport Status –Includes the airport weather radar Can be used with GE –Once a flight has be found a track can be viewed on GE.

How to track a flight in GE First use –Use what you know about the flight or pick a departure airport. It will give you a list of flights about to take off; note airline and flight number. Go to /intro.aspx?old=1 /intro.aspx?old=1 –Fill in the airline and flight num. in the “Track a specific flight” dialog box –Click Google Earth button

What information can you get from the flight you are tracking? (Note: click on plane to get information) UAL (United Airline) 152 SFO->ORD (San Francisco – OHare Chicago) for other airport codesairport codes Alt: 39,000 Altitude in ft. and Speed in knots/hr. A319 Aircraft typeAircraft type Route gives the flt. path (directions for the pilot like driving directions for a car)

Volpe’s approach to port and marine situational displays Volpe Center has developed and deployed vessel situation displays. The Panama and the Wellington (St. Lawrence Seaway) canals, and projects for USCG and Navy are examples of Volpe Vessel Tracking and Navigational technology.. It will take awhile for the video file to download – it’s a large file.

Useful Maritime Data USCG search tool to find ship information sp sp Tide and navigation data for GE

GE public version with cruise ships In fashion similar to those created by Volpe Center for USCG and Navy The KML include information about the cruise ship and the data about ports of call, etc Beside 3d models, the infowindows (bubble that appears when icon clicked) include images of the ship and in some cases the ship’s web cam. Source:

GE a new tool to display scientific geospatial phenomena

Using GE in avian flu studies Nature used GE to display the global spread of the avian flu virus, H5N1. This a virus that could be human pandemic. The data tracks the bird outbreaks and the human cases. Data comes with a poultry density layer. Source :

GE Bird Flu with incident data Here we see incident (Click for detail) superimposed on poultry data. Time and size icon for number of birds. The table on the right gives the colors versus poultry density

Google Earth and GIS

A Political Science Application A2E is a tool to convert ESRI ARCGIS map data into GE KLM format. Here we see an example of the nation voted in the 2004 election. The counties that voted Republican in the majority are in red and the Democratic ones in blue. Source:

Google Earth Games, Learning, and Training Google has made it possible to create games and simulation for entertainment and training.

Google Earth Driving Simulator

Driving Simulator is easy Download the Google Earth Plugin Go to samples.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/demos/drive- simulator/index.htmlhttp://earth-api- samples.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/demos/drive- simulator/index.html Select a location and a destination in major US City and [Go] and [Start] Use the usual GE controls to adjust view point and watch the Milk Truck go. You can also use te 2 D Google map view during the tour.

Sail a Ship in GE

Ships – A Google Earth Plugin To use the Ships plugin first download the Google Earth Plugin. Go to Follow the simple directions and enjoy Note to change locations in the world delete the location Rotterdam and replace with Boston Harbor or any port in the world.

Sail the QMary2 out of Boston

Drive a Race Car in GE