Google_Earth as a map designing powertool

[Achilles]

Gentlemen,

If you need to design a real topo map and you can't find any topo map, then you may depend on Google_earth for a nice representation of the map elevation.

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/410871-Google_earth_powertool.JPG

cheers,
Pyros

[Mustang19]

I'm going to download it tomorrow, I just want to know if what I heard was true. Is it only compatible with broadband? Or does it run on dialup but is just agonizingly slow?

[Gloo]

If you plan on downloading from Google Earth with a dial up connection, I'm pretty sure it will be cheaper (and faster :laugh: ) for you to buy a good old affordable 1:25000 paper map! ;)

For info here's the recommended configuration, excerpt from their website:

Operating System: Windows XP
CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz+ or AMD 2400xp+
System Memory (RAM): 512MB RAM
Hard Disk: 2GB free space
Network Speed: 768 Kbits/sec
Graphics Card: 3D-capable with 32MB of VRAM
Screen: 1280x1024, "32-bit True Color" screen

It's a fairly mid-market machine I would say!

[Achilles]

I'm going to download it tomorrow, I just want to know if what I heard was true. Is it only compatible with broadband? Or does it run on dialup but is just agonizingly slow?

The main Google_Earth program (FREE Edition) is 11,2 MB and you may DL it from there

http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html

Once, you install the program, from top-menu Tools go to Google_earth_option and select the minimum (High Color) Texture colors, (256x256) Detail area, Anisotropic filtering OFF, Atmosphere rendering OFF, etc...

You might work it with a decent speed....:nervous:

cheers,
Pyros

[Achilles]

Thermopylae region

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/410956-thermopylaeA.JPG

[Mustang19]

I did what you said and it works great. This will really help in finding topography for places where they just don't make topo maps. Thanks!

[Achilles]

There is trick for the elevation issue,

go to the tools/option and put next to elevation exaggeration the value of 3 !!

cheers,

[Mustang19]

It really dosen't make a difference. Google Earth is meant for showing only high elevations, not tall hills or things like that. I turned it up to 3 and didn't see anything shorter than a mountain. Are small terrain features there but I just can't see them?

[Achilles]

Here is another free online tool

http://www.fallingrain.com/world/

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/413227-Platamon.JPG

cheers,
Pyros

[Artur]

Nice catch!

Artur.

[Achilles]

This one provides acceptable topo maps (1:100) for any place on earth!!:laugh:

cheers,
Pyros

[hoplitis]

Extremely interesting, but where's the god damn scale? :eek:

[Achilles]

Extremely interesting, but where's the god damn scale? :eek:

This is the hard part of this map....:laugh: :laugh:
Anyway, if you printout a map containing 2 cities or earth-marks; then if you measure manually their distance and then you compare that distance with the appropriate distance from Google_Earth measurement tool....:nuts: you may estimate the scale... :laugh:

p.s perhaps there is a scale index somewhere in the map's utilities...

[Artur]

I have recently red about the rearguard fights of the remnants of the second Hungarian Army in Russian January 43'. The Officer who wrote the book led a company and defended a village called Podvisloye, and I found quite usable map for the surroundings of it!

Artur.

[Achilles]

Certainly, it gives a general feeling of the map relief!! :)

If you manage to add the grids in a correct scale (1 km x 1 km) then you could combine this with the Goggle 3D, some B/W historical pictures and some aerial colored phtos, and all the above will give you enough data to model an accurate WinSPWW2 topo map.

cheers,

p.s I think this is a tool for farmers...:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Achilles]

Check this out... AERIAL PHOTOS :thumup:

http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/aerials