Difference between revisions of "Google Earth"

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(→‎Automatically Load Cache Waypoints from the Internet with the Geocaching Australia Network Link)
 
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[http://earth.google.com Google Earth]  
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Google Earth is a free desktop application that allows you to view a 3D model of the Earth overlayed with satellite imagery.  You can zoom to any place on the earth and, in densely-populated areas, usually identify individual houses. Google Earth allows you to overlay waypoints and tracks onto the satellite imagery, making it particularly useful for [[geocaching]].
  
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[http://www.googleearthhacks.com/ Google Earth Hacks]
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The initial program download is a bit over 10Mb (not ''too'' painful on dial-up!) and as you zoom in to look at particular areas the higher detailed maps are downloaded. If you have Broadband the maps download quite fast, on dial-up it will take a bit longer but from feedback on the Forum it is still quite useable. The maps are cached on your harddrive for later and off-line use.  
  
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[http://earth.google.com Google Earth] Homepage. Follow this link to download the program.
  
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Add your tips and tricks for [[Google Earth]] here.
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[http://www.googleearthhacks.com/ Google Earth Hacks] Places of interest, downloads and more.
  
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[http://www.gearthblog.com/ Google Earth BLog] Amazing things about Google Earth. News, tips, and more.
  
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== Disk Cache ==
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== How To's ==
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To make the maps stay cached and not needing to be constantly need to be reloaded:
 
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* Under Tools -> Options  :  Click the 'cache' tab, change the disk cache setting to 512 MB (the max you can have).
 
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[[Category:Software]]
 
  
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=== Change the default view on startup ===
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# Open Google Earth
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# Under Places, right-click on default > Edit
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# Tick Advanced checkbox
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# Click Location tab
 +
# Tick Center Placemark in View
 +
# Click View tab
 +
# Whilst Edit Placemark window is open, navigate as usual to the default view you want
 +
# Click Snapshot current view when satisfied with view
 +
# Click Advanced checkbox
 +
# Click OK
 +
# Under the Tools menu, Click Options
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# Click Control tab
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# Move the Fly-To/Tour speed setting to Fast.
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# Click OK
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# Close Google Earth and restart
  
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== Travel Bug Tracking ==
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If you don't want the word "Default" displayed on the screen, simply deselect the tick-box. If you rename the Placemark it will no longer display as the Default view.
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This interesting GreaseMonkey script to track [[Travel bugs]] on Google Earth. The thread is [http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=103162 here].
 
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If you can't read for any reason here is an [http://files.dixo.net/geocachingtbtracker.jpg image] and a link to the [http://files.dixo.net/geocachingtbtracker.user.js script.]
 
  
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== Network Link ==
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=== Store More Maps On Your Hard Drive ===
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[[User: Ideology]] have developed a google earth network link on the beta site
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To make more of the maps stay cached on your computer, and not downloaded in the future you need to modify the Cache settings: -
 +
# Click Tools -> Options > Cache tab
 +
# Change Disk Cache size to the maximum allowed value.
  
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It allows you to scroll around google earth and have caches automatically displayed on your screen. no gpx files to download or convert. just scroll around and it talks to our server and downloads the nearby caches.
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=== Track Travel Bugs ===
 +
This interesting GreaseMonkey script tracks [[Travel bugs]] on Google Earth. The thread is available [http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=103162 here]. There is a direct link to the [http://files.dixo.net/geocachingtbtracker.user.js script here], and a [http://files.dixo.net/geocachingtbtracker.jpg sample image] is also available.  
  
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To try it out, click on [http://beta.geocaching.com.au/xml/googleearth/geocaches.kml http://beta.geocaching.com.au/xml/googleearth/geocaches.kml] and zoom to your favourite location and you should see caches pop up like magic!
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=== Automatically Load Cache Waypoints from the Internet with the Geocaching Australia Network Link===
 +
Google Earth can load waypoints from websites on the Internet. The network link allows Google Earth to display caches in real-time - no gpx files to download or convert, just scroll around and it talks to our server and downloads the nearby caches.
  
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To try it out, click [http://geocaching.com.au/caches/available.kml here] and zoom to your favourite location and you should see caches pop up like magic!  Many [[Australian Waypoints | Australian]] and worldwide waypoint sets are available.
  
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== GSAK Macro ==
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You should save the link in "my places" and it will be there next time you run the program. Just click in the tick box to turn it on or off.
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Here is a macro [[User: Riblit]] wrote to plot caches in Google Earth.
 
  
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'''start___________
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=== View GSAK Caches in Google Earth ===
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Here is a macro [[User:Riblit|Riblit]] wrote to plot caches in [[Google Earth]], using [[GSAK]] and [[GPSBabel]].
 +
<pre>
 +
----
 +
start___________
 
SET $Bable = "C:\Program Files\GSAK\GPSBabel.exe"
 
SET $Bable = "C:\Program Files\GSAK\GPSBabel.exe"
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SET $Gearth = "C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth Plus\googleearth.exe"
 
SET $Gearth = "C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth Plus\googleearth.exe"
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SET $temp = "C:\Program Files\GSAK\temp\"
 
SET $temp = "C:\Program Files\GSAK\temp\"
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SET $tfile = $temp + "test.kml"
 
SET $tfile = $temp + "test.kml"
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SET $ifile = $temp + "babel.gpx"
 
SET $ifile = $temp + "babel.gpx"
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FILTER name="userset"
 
FILTER name="userset"
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EXPORT type=GPX File="$ifile"
 
EXPORT type=GPX File="$ifile"
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RUNPGM PGM="$Bable" parms= -i gpx -f "$ifile" -o kml -F "$tfile" Wait=Yes
 
RUNPGM PGM="$Bable" parms= -i gpx -f "$ifile" -o kml -F "$tfile" Wait=Yes
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RUNPGM PGM="$Gearth" parms="$tfile"
 
RUNPGM PGM="$Gearth" parms="$tfile"
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end_____________
 
end_____________
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----
 +
</pre>
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[[User: Riblit]] runs a filter to get the caches down to a manageable level, mine just filters caches he has checked. If you don't want a filter, delete the FILTER name ="userset" line
  
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'''
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The variables will be ok for a default [[GSAK]] and [[Google Earth]] install. Copy and paste the code into [[GSAK]]'s macro editor and save, add a button if you like.
  
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[[User: Riblit]] runs a filter to get the caches down to a manageable level, mine justs filters caches he has checked. If you don't want a filter, delete the FILTER name ="userset" line
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[[Category:Software]]
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The variables will be ok for a default GSAK and Google Earth install.
 
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Copy and paste the code into GSAK's macro editor and save, add a button if you like.
 

Latest revision as of 22:38, 1 July 2007

Google Earth is a free desktop application that allows you to view a 3D model of the Earth overlayed with satellite imagery. You can zoom to any place on the earth and, in densely-populated areas, usually identify individual houses. Google Earth allows you to overlay waypoints and tracks onto the satellite imagery, making it particularly useful for geocaching.

The initial program download is a bit over 10Mb (not too painful on dial-up!) and as you zoom in to look at particular areas the higher detailed maps are downloaded. If you have Broadband the maps download quite fast, on dial-up it will take a bit longer but from feedback on the Forum it is still quite useable. The maps are cached on your harddrive for later and off-line use.

Google Earth Homepage. Follow this link to download the program.

Google Earth Hacks Places of interest, downloads and more.

Google Earth BLog Amazing things about Google Earth. News, tips, and more.

How To's

Change the default view on startup

  1. Open Google Earth
  2. Under Places, right-click on default > Edit
  3. Tick Advanced checkbox
  4. Click Location tab
  5. Tick Center Placemark in View
  6. Click View tab
  7. Whilst Edit Placemark window is open, navigate as usual to the default view you want
  8. Click Snapshot current view when satisfied with view
  9. Click Advanced checkbox
  10. Click OK
  11. Under the Tools menu, Click Options
  12. Click Control tab
  13. Move the Fly-To/Tour speed setting to Fast.
  14. Click OK
  15. Close Google Earth and restart

If you don't want the word "Default" displayed on the screen, simply deselect the tick-box. If you rename the Placemark it will no longer display as the Default view.

Store More Maps On Your Hard Drive

To make more of the maps stay cached on your computer, and not downloaded in the future you need to modify the Cache settings: -

  1. Click Tools -> Options > Cache tab
  2. Change Disk Cache size to the maximum allowed value.

Track Travel Bugs

This interesting GreaseMonkey script tracks Travel bugs on Google Earth. The thread is available here. There is a direct link to the script here, and a sample image is also available.

Automatically Load Cache Waypoints from the Internet with the Geocaching Australia Network Link

Google Earth can load waypoints from websites on the Internet. The network link allows Google Earth to display caches in real-time - no gpx files to download or convert, just scroll around and it talks to our server and downloads the nearby caches.

To try it out, click here and zoom to your favourite location and you should see caches pop up like magic! Many Australian and worldwide waypoint sets are available.

You should save the link in "my places" and it will be there next time you run the program. Just click in the tick box to turn it on or off.

View GSAK Caches in Google Earth

Here is a macro Riblit wrote to plot caches in Google Earth, using GSAK and GPSBabel. 

----
start___________
SET $Bable = "C:\Program Files\GSAK\GPSBabel.exe"
SET $Gearth = "C:\Program Files\Google\Google Earth Plus\googleearth.exe"
SET $temp = "C:\Program Files\GSAK\temp\"
SET $tfile = $temp + "test.kml"
SET $ifile = $temp + "babel.gpx"
FILTER name="userset"
EXPORT type=GPX File="$ifile"
RUNPGM PGM="$Bable" parms= -i gpx -f "$ifile" -o kml -F "$tfile" Wait=Yes
RUNPGM PGM="$Gearth" parms="$tfile"
end_____________
----

User: Riblit runs a filter to get the caches down to a manageable level, mine just filters caches he has checked. If you don't want a filter, delete the FILTER name ="userset" line

The variables will be ok for a default GSAK and Google Earth install. Copy and paste the code into GSAK's macro editor and save, add a button if you like.

Retrieved from ‘http://wiki.geocaching.com.au/index.php?title=Google_Earth&oldid=5257’