Google Earth
by Tom Anthony on Mar.20, 2007, under General Posts
Google Earth
I believe I was one of the first to create video clips for commercial web sites using the geospatial data visualization application Google Earth – in fact when I purchased the software Google had not even acquired it yet – at that time it was called Keyhole. I did pretty simplistic clips – mainly for real estate web sites like the one I did for The Sanctuary in Sandbridge Beach Virginia – see http://www.falsecape.com/phaseI/aerial_tour.asp which features a clip I produced with Paul Sanders. Well not long after that I took over the CEO seat at Pinnacle Wireless and had no available time to dabble in Video production. Things are different today – I am in the middle of a project producing virtual tours for a company that has 12 locations from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, and for part of that project I am using Google Earth. Holy Cow. Google has gone 3D.
Not only has Google made 3D models of many areas, now anyone can create a 3D model of any building and upload it for viewing in Google Earth. For example some guy in Virginia Beach made a model of his house and called it simply “ My House “. It is very simplistic – but that’s my point. On the other hand Someone made really impressive models of Nauticus (The National Maritime Center ) – also Kirn Memorial Library is very well done.
I guess the point here is that the same phenomena that made YouTube such a powerful force is creating some engaging content in Google Earth. Content is being created by the consumer. That is the evolution of the Internet in a nutshell.
BTW – The public version of Google Earth is free, and that’s what you use to view the same type presentation in real time on your computer. The Authoring tool necessary to create video clips costs $400 a year to license (Google Earth Pro)
