GE Modelling is soon over
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The End of Google Earth Modelling with SketchUp | SketchUcation
Yesterday (August 6), Google announced that user generated 3D content for the official 3D Layer of Google Earth will soon (with October 1) be over. With this move, an era of over seven years will be over. Google acquired SketchUp in 2006 and immediately released a free version of the software in order to encourage modellers to populate Google Earth with 3D content.
(sketchucation.com)
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So now what? Are they going to offer some kind of alternative? And why can't they continue? 3D buildings on GE were the most brilliant thing I've seen in decades.
I certainly hope they or Trimble aren't going to also dismantle the Warehouse.
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@unknownuser said:
So now what?
3D Warehouse will continue to exist, and take whatever models you upload. If someone steps up to offer a platform to display the models on an earth globe model, then that's even better.
Google introduced this change in several (big) steps. Last year they discontinued Building Maker, an online photogrammetry tool programmed by a brilliant member of the SketchUp team. Except for Google Earth it had not as wide use cases than SketchUp.
As we know, SketchUp was sold (to be continued by Trimble) and around the same time Google started to introduce autogenerated "3d mesh" maps and replace region by region. Unfortunately this technology does not allow to "keep" holes for individual hand-modelled buildings. All hand-made models keep being live on Google Earth if they fall not into such a region.
This new change means just that the submission process ends, the so-called 3d pipeline. I assume this is because it cost a huge amount of technology, maintenance and man power to manually review models.
If we take a look back, over time Google has build a submission process that needed to scale to up to tens of thousands models per week.
I doubt I've heard anyone else doing this. It is indeed sad that it is discontinued, but due to the change of focus, such a huge effort is hardly justifiable in the longterm.
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Understandable, but very sad
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It is unclear what the policy will be for "3D-ing" the rest of the earth with Lidar. Anybody have a good link on whether they continue?
I assume Street View will continue. I have seen the GoogleMaps camera vehicle in my area within the last month or so, and apparently they upload the surveys pretty quick, because I am seeing updated imagery of streets in my community. The driver let me take pictures of his vehicle, so long as I didn't photo the interior, or him. -
It was always on the cards. Technology is changing so quickly these days. I learned on TV this evening that a current laptop costing $1000 has the 'brain power' of a lizard! By 2025 the same price machine will more than likely have the brainpower of a human!
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Wow, what a sad announcement.
As a hobbyist making GE models for my local city, I can only commiserate with those passionate folk who have spent what must be millions!! of hours working on this project.
Probably as great a loss is the wonderfully effective platform which educators had to engage our children in the topics of urban environment and building design, being able to re-create their own neighbourhoods as lasting, sharable models within google earth.
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Thanks to all those earth modellers, the 3D showcase has been awesome, fun to learn and play with, and get inspired by those with creative and fantasticly talented GE models. Whats next, will GE go trimble?
Cheers -
@jsl said:
as a hobbyist making GE models for my local city
Well, let's call it making 3d models for your city. That means: Why should the point of them be to appear solely in Google Earth? Does the end Google's 3d pipeline mean the ned of all modeling?
I'd be interested to know – from all who like geomodelling – whether they would like to continue geo modelling, if an alternative to Google Earth existed (…or exists).
Wouldn't it be cool if we – as a community – put our fate into our own hands?
Very curiously looking forward to replies and thoughts… -
@aerilius said:
I'd be interested to know – from all who like geomodelling – whether they would like to continue geo modelling, if an alternative to Google Earth existed (…or exists).
Just do it all in one model so there won't be so many piecemeal loading issues. Start with a sphere with radius 6,371,000m, mash in the top and bottom a bit...
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You can still model for Google Earth. You just turn off the auto generated layer and it reverts back to the buildings that were accepted for GE at the time of the switch. The only change is that Google aren't accepting any new buildings. But you can still upload to the 3DW to share your models.
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Come on, this was a serious question.
A 12000km sphere can't be sensible as long as SketchUp doesn't handle that. Modeling for one's own Google Earth (and loading files locally) is also not a joy.I would be interested to know – from those who like geomodeling – if they would contribute to a new project, to continue what Google abandonned? Geomodels, that are built by and shared by a community that has fun to interact with each other, and those models being visible to a wide public?
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I'm listening.
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Me too.
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