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For example, let’s say you wanted to create a map marking the restaurants in your neighborhood. First, you walk around your neighborhood and find the coordinates (longitude and latitude) of each restaurant. Mostly likely using a hand held GPS unit (you may also use a GPS smart phone). Then the coordinates would be entered into a database. Using GIS software you can create a layer containing a small icon Figure 2 Google Earth Overview Google Earth is a friendly 3D, Internet-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application. This application was originally developed by the Keyhole Inc. located in Silicon Valley.
In 2004, Keyhole Inc. was acquired by Google. Google re-packaged Keyhole’s 3D Virtual globe software and released a new version called “Google Earth” in June, 2005. The concept of the Digital Earth was unveiled to the general public by Google Earth; many researchers or governments agencies started to utilize Google Earth for their GIS works. A list of some of the basic controls and their functions: The “Look Joystick” control Figure 3: use the Look joystick to 100k around as if you were turning your head. Click an arrow to look in that direction or continue to press down on the mouse button to change your view.
After clicking an arrow, move the mouse around on the joystick to change the direction of motion. Figure 3 The “Move Joystick’ control Figure 4: Use the Move joystick to move your position from one place to another. Click an arrow to look in that direction or Figure 4 The Zoom Slider Figure 5: To get closer to the ground to see more detail but in a smaller geographic area. Try to clicking and dragging the slider toward the plus/minus sign; try double-clicking on any part of the image. Figure 5 The Hider/Show Sidebar Figure 6: To conceal or the display the side bar (Search, Places and Layers panels) Figure 6
The “Add Placemark” control Figure 7: To add a placemark for a location Figure 7 The “Measure” control The “Add Overlay’ controls Figure 9: To create and add your own overlay features onto Google Earth. You can draw a polygon, a path or line, add a graphic image, or record a tour to the map which Google Earth will “drape” over the terrain. : To measure a distance or area size Figure 8 The “Add Overlay’ controls Figure 9: To create and add your own overlay features onto Google Earth. You can draw a polygon, a path or line, add a graphic image, or record a tour to the map which Google Earth will “drape” ver the terrain.
Figure 9 Figure 10 enables you to view historical imagery. Drag the time slider to change the imagery to other acquisition dates. Figure 10 Figure 1 1 allows you to set sunlight across the landscape. Just slide the time slider to the time of day you wish to display the desired amount of daylight upon your landscape. Figure 11 Email Figure 12: To send the current view to a user with Google Earth or send an image of the current view to an email recipient Figure 12 Print Figure 13: To print the current view of Earth Figure 13 Figure 14 is used to show the current view in Google Maps in your web rowser.
Figure 14 Figure 15 is a switch press between sky and earth. Click it to view stars, constellations, galaxies, planets and the Earth’s moon. Figure 15 Out West Project Open Google Earth If the Tips dialog box open, click the close button Figure 16 Figure 16 If the primary database is not expanded, do so by clicking on the small plus sign Figure 17 Figure 17 Uncheck any checked boxes Figure 18. You are looking at the Layers panel. Google Earth comes with various layers that can be superimposed on the digital globe such as real-time weather, roads, boundaries, and user submitted place-marks. Figure 18
You are going to map a cross-country road trip. You will add Placemarks at various locations on the route; your Placemarks will contain digital photographs and a YouTube video. Once you have finished mapping you will save your Placemarks as a . kmz file. This file can be distributed using email or added to a Website. The file can be downloaded and opened in Google Earth, which will add the Placemarks you have created to any Google Earth users map. In the Places panel right Out Westclick on My Places and from the Add menu select Folder Figure 19. Figure 19 Name the folder Out West and click 0K. Figure 20
You have just created a folder to store your Placemarks Figure 21 . Figure 21 In the Search box type Camden, NJ and press the Search button Figure 22. Google Earth will locate Camden and zoom in on the center of the city. Figure 22 Click the Add Placemark button Figure 23. After the Placemark is created it is represented by a yellow pushpin. When the mouse is hovered over the pushpin icon a screen tip will open, displaying the Placer-nark’s name and two links, one link to get directions to your Placemark or from your Placemark. Figure 23 Name the Placemark Camden, NJ Figure 24. Figure 24 Placemarks may be customized.
There are several icons available besides the default yellow pushpin figure 10. Audio, video, photographs, and hypertext markup language may be added to a Placemark. You are going to use Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) to add an image tag so the Placemark displays a photograph. You can only use images that are already ‘on’ the Internet. You must have the address (URL) of the image you would like to use e. g. http://venus. atIantic. edu/shared/cism125/camden. jpg For more information about HTML you can use the following site: http:// wwuw3schools. com/html/default. asp and to search pictures you can use
Google images, photobucket, snapfish, or flicker. Figure 25 In the description area, type the following: Figure 26 Click on your Placemark to check that you can see the image Figure 162, if you cannot see the image check your typing. Right click the pushpin and select Properties. Figure 27 Adding a second Placemark For the second Placemark you are going to add a YouTube video. Open a Web browser and navigate to http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=BW06mYIObhN Figure 28 Click On the embed button Figure 29. This will reveal the html code necessary for adding/linking this video to your Google Earth Placemark When the code displays it will already be selected so, right click on the code and from the hortcut menu select Copy.
Figure 29 Go back to Google Earth Type Indianapolis, IN in the Fly To box and press the enter key on your keyboard. Add a Placemark named Indianapolis, IN Right click in the description box and from the shortcut menu select Paste to paste the code to embed the video in the Placemark. Next, manually add “http:” into the embed code in front of “/Pwww. ” Your video will not display without it. Use the Search box to find the following locations. Once you find each location, add a Placemark using the same name that you used to search. Here is a list of locations and addresses for the photos.