Google Maps

[+Jamie Z]

parkrrrr has found a way to convert a mapped route to a GPSr-readable format. Neat!

Some days I wish I were a little more technically inclined.

 

It seems that the routing within google maps may be a low-cost answer to finding caches along a route. From what I understood of the linked topic in slashdot, it's possible to extract the waypoints from a google-maps created route.

 

Could that data then not be inserted into GSAK (or GPSBabel)'s filters to find caches along that route?

 

Jamie

[robertlipe]

If you happen to know the name of the dude that wrote many of the filters in GPSBabel, one might develop a Warm Fuzzy feeling that it wasn't entirely coincidence that GPSBabel is called out on that very page, Jamie.

 

In all the fussing about the caches along a route "problem" the recurring theme for most users isn't identifying the route to be taken; it's in getting the data to hand to the arc filter. But yes, the suitably determined could apply this technique to generate an arc file from a google map and hand that (perhaps via GSAK) to GPSBabel.

 

Perhaps someone will apply some programmer mojo to parkrrr's solution and put it within reach of the masses.

[Dale_Lynn]

Unfortunately, your solution does not seem to be very accurate...

Worked perfectly for me. I suspect your conversion to decimal degrees is faulty.

 

Jamie

I suspect you are correct...

 

Error was in my conversions....... Duh!

 

Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield!

 

Dale

[+RuffRidr]

Perhaps someone will apply some programmer mojo to parkrrr's solution and put it within reach of the masses.

If someone techinically inclined were to do that, he/she would make a lot of people happy, I would suspect.

 

--RuffRidr

[+reepicheep]

Interesting entry over at Hack A Day about geocaching and using google maps and terraserver.

Geocaching with Google and Terraserver

 

They even have a cool form that opens a window with both google and terraserver of given coords.

 

Is Jason Striegel active in the forums??? or anybody know him?

 

Kenneth

[+bhound89]

Google Maps Beta (http://maps.google.com)

actually has lattitude/longitude functions

 

You just need to enter a URL like this:

 

http://maps.google.com/?sll=34.616%2C-117.816

 

Google Maps is great because you can pan and zoom very smoothly.

Now we just need geocaching.com to add Google as an option for maps on caches.

Edited February 21, 2005 by bhound89

[+TeamK-9]

I've been playing with Google maps for a while now, and I'm really liking it. Maybe when they officially release it, Groundspeak will add it as an option from cache page. But I don't think they'll do anything while it is still in beta...

[+Hemlock]

Cool

[+mtn-man]

Google Maps Beta (http://maps.google.com)

actually has lattitude/longitude functions

 

You just need to enter a URL like this:

 

http://maps.google.com/?sll=34.616%2C-117.816

 

Google Maps is great because you can pan and zoom very smoothly.

Now we just need geocaching.com to add Google as an option for maps on caches.

Merged the new topic into the old one. Thanks for the link Hemlock.

[+New England n00b]

Want to see something funny/cool?  Type in your city, and then after the map comes up, type in geocaching.com

 

--Marky

Woah..... cool! I gots Jeremy on my first try...

 

http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/data2/wilma/m...7/msg00329.html

[+Latitude 26]

This article appears in today's tech news.

 

Of interest to Safari & Opera browser users:

 

JB

 

Google Maps adds Safari, Opera support

 

By Peter Cohen pcohen@maccentral.com

 

In early February Web search engine company Google Inc. took the wraps of Google Maps, a still-in-beta service created as an alternative to MapQuest.com and other mapping services. When Google Maps first debuted in February, Mac users had to use Firefox or another browser to get the service to work, since Google Maps didn't support Safari. Now it does.

 

In a posting to Google Blog, Google Maps product manager Bret Taylor recently announced that Apple's Safari Web browser and Opera Software's browsers are now supported.

[+Poindexter]

Google Maps Beta (http://maps.google.com)

actually has lattitude/longitude functions

 

You just need to enter a URL like this:

 

http://maps.google.com/?sll=34.616%2C-117.816

 

And you can specify the zoom level with the spn operator.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?&ll=34.616%2C-...spn=0.025,0.025

 

The only problem is that they don't give a cross-hair or some other icon to actually show the exact location when using coordinates as input. I have e-mailed them suggesting to add this.

[+reepicheep]

Any word on getting a pushpin when entering coords?

 

Kenneth

[+Pasha]

There's a way to do it, but only through a wrapper web page. See this thread where I posted more info about it.

 

Speaking of which, these two threads should be combined.

[koz]

What am I not doing right? All I see is a big pink box, no matter what I do.

Must....hold...dirty...thoughts...

 

 

In the meantime, I *really* like the pan ability (click-drag to move the map).

 

When it's not being slammed by slashdot, it'll be nice to see if the load times on the pans will be higher.

more whisky thru the nose!!!

[+The Cheeseheads]

Google has added satellite imagery to their maps. Looks like they might be including the hi-res imagery where it's available as well!

 

Now to figure out how to get our own pushpins in there...

[+reepicheep]

Google has added satellite imagery to their maps. Looks like they might be including the hi-res imagery where it's available as well!

 

Now to figure out how to get our own pushpins in there...

I haven't had the time to explore it, but if your using Firefox, you can plot waypoints to Google maps from an XML file using GreaseMonkey scripts.

 

If someone wants to figure it out, check out this (look for Google Maps: Plot Points):

Google and Gmail Scripts

 

Post back if you find a way to use GPX files or such....or anything.

 

Kenneth

[Dale_Lynn]

UPDATE..... Now GOOGLE MAPS has a SATELLITE button in title bar that supplies a SATELLITE PHOTO image (in color) of address/coordinates.....

 

http://maps.google.com/

http://local.google.com/

 

Dale

[+reepicheep]

UPDATE..... Now GOOGLE MAPS has a SATELLITE button in title bar that supplies a SATELLITE PHOTO image (in color) of address/coordinates.....

 

http://maps.google.com/

http://local.google.com/

 

Dale

Cheeseheads beat you to it...two posts back.

But you get points for including links again to make it fast for people to find it. ;-)

 

Kenneth

[+Kealia]

UPDATE..... Now GOOGLE MAPS has a SATELLITE button in title bar that supplies a SATELLITE PHOTO image (in color) of address/coordinates.....

 

http://maps.google.com/

http://local.google.com/

 

Dale

Strange...I went outside and then had my wife look up our address but I couldn;t see myself in the picture .

 

Actaully very nice, my area usually doesn;t show well on satelitte photos.

[+TeamK-9]

Took a look at the sat photos of my area.

 

While we are fairly rural, the maps around almost brand new.

 

Most of the stuff terraserve has is low resolution, black and white.

 

These pictures were really good, in color and very accurate.

 

Like I said, they're pretty new too. I can't put an exact date on them, but there are definate features that show that the pictures had to have been taken at most in the last year and a half...

[+Pasha]

As an aside, if you're enjoying Google Maps' satellite photos, you might try downloading USAPhotoMaps, which uses the exact same satellite images right on your desktop. The big advantage is that it'll read GPX files directly from GC.com or GSAK or whatever, and place markers on the photos for you.

[+Camo-crazed]

Well I checked up on my old tree fort, and, aside from the clearing growing over, it's fine

[+Gretch_Mess]

As an aside, if you're enjoying Google Maps' satellite photos, you might try downloading USAPhotoMaps, which uses the exact same satellite images right on your desktop.

I love USAPhotoMaps, but I dont' get color satellite images. Are the Google images true color or are they "colorized"?

[+BigWhiteTruck]

Well I checked up on my old tree fort, and, aside from the clearing growing over, it's fine

 

i did the same thing!

 

[+Pasha]

As an aside, if you're enjoying Google Maps' satellite photos, you might try downloading USAPhotoMaps, which uses the exact same satellite images right on your desktop.

I love USAPhotoMaps, but I dont' get color satellite images. Are the Google images true color or are they "colorized"?

You can get color images with USAPhotoMaps, you just have to know how to do it. Open the program and pan to whatever you want to look at. Zoom in as far as you can. Then press "U" or choose "Map Type/Urban" from the View menu. The caveat is that the high-res color images have to exist for the area you're looking at; it's mainly just urban areas. Even if the Urban photos don't exist for your area, you've still got the 1-meter-per-pixel black & white photos for just about everything.

[+RuffRidr]

You can get color images with USAPhotoMaps, you just have to know how to do it. Open the program and pan to whatever you want to look at. Zoom in as far as you can. Then press "U" or choose "Map Type/Urban" from the View menu. The caveat is that the high-res color images have to exist for the area you're looking at; it's mainly just urban areas. Even if the Urban photos don't exist for your area, you've still got the 1-meter-per-pixel black & white photos for just about everything.

I believe Google's maps are provided by Keyhole, who they recently acquired. Can USAPhotoMaps really access these maps too? I thought that they just accessed the Terraserver images. The maps on Google appear to be only a year or two old, whereas the USAPhotoMap ones appear to be nearly 10 years old in some cases. Also, the Google maps are color at all resoulutions, where the USAPhotoMap ones are not.

 

--RuffRidr

[+Pasha]

By "same maps," I mean, "taken by the same satellites at the same resolutions." Satellite image databases are updated constantly. The fact that the Google maps view of my local neighborhood is identical to the one I get in USAPM leads me to believe they're using the same database(s).

 

At any rate, why quibble? The advantage of USAPM is obvious.

[dsandbro]

LOL!!!!!

 

I don't know who set this up for google but it has some major flaws. I typed in my home address and it went to another city about 100 miles away!

[+vespax]

If you zoom out all the way will in Satellite mode you get the whole world! What a way to kill some time at work. Currently looking at Havanna, Cuba.

 

Previously looked at GITMO!!!! Freakin' awesome.

[+Dagg]

If you zoom out all the way will in Satellite mode you get the whole world! 

I only see North America...

 

doh! gotta pan over!

Edited April 6, 2005 by Dagg

[Jeremy]

I believe Google's maps are provided by Keyhole, who they recently acquired. Can USAPhotoMaps really access these maps too? I thought that they just accessed the Terraserver images. The maps on Google appear to be only a year or two old, whereas the USAPhotoMap ones appear to be nearly 10 years old in some cases. Also, the Google maps are color at all resoulutions, where the USAPhotoMap ones are not.

Not entirely correct. The actual data is owned by DigitalGlobe. Their Quickbird satellite currently takes the highest resolution imagery to date. Keyhole and Google maps relies on their archival imagery. It can be 2 years or two days old, depending on the days and times they task the satellite and the condition of the imagery (based on cloud cover mostly).

 

Tasking the satellite is expensive but the archived imagery can be affordable (but not necessarily for you or me).

 

If you saw before and after images of the tsunami, those were DigitalGlobe images. Actually most imagery you see on CNN and other news agencies is from them.

 

(I know this as my father works for DigitalGlobe)

[ShadoeCache]

Fun with Google Maps

 

I’ve been playing around with Google Maps in the satellite view. I’ve notice some interesting things:

 

1) Go to a close-up of the Capital Building in Washington, DC. Notice anything unusual about it (compared to the surrounding area)?

2) Check out “ground zero” at the World Trade Center site. You can see what appear to be construction trailers on the site.

3) Meteor Crater in northern Arizona. Can you see what look like smaller craters in the immediate vicinity? If the meteor/asteroid started disintegrating just before impact it would make sense that other, smaller impact craters would be created.

4) Cloud cover obliterates Mount Rushmore while you can clearly see all the roads and parking areas next to it.

5) It seems that many of the satellite photos were taken either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. You can tell by the shadows cast by the Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument.

6) How close can you zero in on “Area 51” in Nevada?

 

Tools like this one can bring out the voyeur in us. Kind of like a “Where’s Waldo” for the masses. Who can be the first to find a satellite view of a car accident or building fire in progress?

[+Pasha]

That's really interesting about the Capitol Building, considering that the Pentagon and White House are unobscured. "'Curiouser and curiouser,' said Alice."

[+reepicheep]

That's really interesting about the Capitol Building, considering that the Pentagon and White House are unobscured. "'Curiouser and curiouser,' said Alice."

Maybe recheck the White House.

The roof of it and buildings on each side look odd to me.

Like maybe they did a little editing???

 

Strange the Pentagon appears clear.

Maybe it isn't the real one but a model superimposed over....or the Pentagon isn't really where we think it is.

 

Kenneth

[+Pasha]

It looks to me like it's obscured by simply zooming in to the lower-resolution image, instead of loading a new, higher-resolution image tile. The curious thing is that it's obscured at all.

 

I agree about the White House, too; on further observation it looks edited to remove roof features, at least. Both of these are probably to keep the SAM site locations from being pinpointed.

[+Gretch_Mess]

You can get color images with USAPhotoMaps, you just have to know how to do it. Open the program and pan to whatever you want to look at. Zoom in as far as you can. Then press "U" or choose "Map Type/Urban" from the View menu. The caveat is that the high-res color images have to exist for the area you're looking at; it's mainly just urban areas. Even if the Urban photos don't exist for your area, you've still got the 1-meter-per-pixel black & white photos for just about everything.

I tried, but no luck for downtown Cincinnati (45202) Interestingly, the color images were available from Google.

[+Camo-crazed]

Aside from a good cache location, I've got a ready to go puzzle based on these maps

 

On a side note, has anyone had the map tiles start flashing and not loading in sattellite mode?

[+dani_carriere]

Want to see something freaky? Just look to the left of the push pin on this map:

 

Winnipeg

 

[+sbell111]

There are probably a bunch of planes caught on these pics.

[+reepicheep]

There are probably a bunch of planes caught on these pics.

Yep.

 

Get alot of them here: Google Siteseeing - Planes in Flight Mega-post

 

Kenneth

[Paulcet]

I punched in "1600 Pensylvania Ave, Washington, DC" and two guys with bad gray suits knocked on my door. And no sense of humor, whatsoever!

[+Sliverboy]

Does anybody know what this is?

 

Triangle and circles in satellite view

[+reepicheep]

Does anybody know what this is?

 

Triangle and circles in satellite view

Weird!!!

I searched on Google and found 1 other person with a link to it also, but no answers.

 

They also had a link to a farmer with time to kill:

Oprah...or is that okra

 

Kenneth

[Jake - Team A.I.]

I'm not sure about the triangles and circles, but I found this just south of that.

 

if you're looking for fun stuff to find, here's a nice link.

Edited May 4, 2005 by Jake - Team A.I.

[+reepicheep]

Does anybody know what this is?

 

Triangle and circles in satellite view

Not sure if the link will work, but Terraserver USGS Data shows it as a target site.

TerraServer USGS Data

If the link doesn't work, just enter the same coords in their site and you'll get the triangle and circles.

 

Kenneth

 

P.s. Of course the USGS would never help in a cover up of what it really is....an intergalactic sign so aliens know where they are.

I think it means "Do Not Enter"

[+reepicheep]

I'm not sure about the triangles and circles, but I found this just south of that.

 

if you're looking for fun stuff to find, here's a nice link.

Again...a target....target for whom? Hmmmm....

Terraserver USGS

 

Kenneth

[+Camo-crazed]

Does anybody know what this is?

 

Triangle and circles in satellite view

 

That, my friend is a crop triangle!

 

Can anyone find the nazca drawings on google?

[ShadoeCache]

Can anyone find the nazca drawings on google?

I've been looking everywhere for an interactive map to view the Nazca lines. Google cant' do it because it doesn't map South America. The best mapping utility I've found that comes the closest is World Wind from NASA. If anyone can find a good map, the coordinates in the vicinity of the Nazca lines are:

• -14.763583 lat
  
• -75.095516 long
  

There also appears to be some very long lines that intersect at:

• -14.71204 lat
  
• -75.17581 long
  

[+reepicheep]

Can anyone find the nazca drawings on google?

I've been looking everywhere for an interactive map to view the Nazca lines. Google cant' do it because it doesn't map South America. The best mapping utility I've found that comes the closest is World Wind from NASA. If anyone can find a good map, the coordinates in the vicinity of the Nazca lines are:

• -14.763583 lat
  
• -75.095516 long
  

There also appears to be some very long lines that intersect at:

• -14.71204 lat
  
• -75.17581 long
  

Didn't they just add other countries to do this now?

 

Kenneth