Google Earth 4.3 implications for SketchUp

fbartels

Take a look at this video showcasing the new features in Google Earth 4.3. Two minutes into the video the narrator says "... We are flying around and looking at all these buildings in Baltimore which apparently are automatically generated somehow, but Google isn't telling us how..."

http://tinyurl.com/4f5a4q

So it would seem that Google is not at all depending on SketchUp to populate Google Earth with 3D building models.

CraigD

Hi Fred, no implications to glean from that. SketchUp is heavily used for Google Earth model creation. We've totally beefed up the 3D capabilities and speed of Google Earth to make SketchUp models much better looking and faster loading...THAT is the implication of 4.3.

Google Earth 4.3 is a HUGE opportunity for the SketchUp community to continue creating incredibly cool 3D buildings! So let's get to it! The future of SketchUp and Google Earth together is very bright! ...especially if you have Photorealistic 3D models turned on and the new Sunlight feature turned up! It's way cool.

Cheers,

 - CraigD

pmiller

4.3 is very nice indeed and seems much quicker.

Baker518

I was really looking forward to using version 4.3. When I downloaded it, I kept having a problem with it loading up. Dont know what happened, but I would like to try it again sometime.

lewiswadsworth

@fbartels said:

Take a look at this video showcasing the new features in Google Earth 4.3. Two minutes into the video the narrator says "... We are flying around and looking at all these buildings in Baltimore which apparently are automatically generated somehow, but Google isn't telling us how..."

http://tinyurl.com/4f5a4q

So it would seem that Google is not at all depending on SketchUp to populate Google Earth with 3D building models.

I'd be a little more concerned with the implications for...wait for it...home improvement. (Ha! I bet you thought I was going to write privacyor something.) There's a street view directly in front of my house. Damn, the portico needs painting badly! Oh the shame of it all! The horror!

Frederik

@craigd said:

...especially if you have Photorealistic 3D models turned on...

This sounds as if SU7 will have a build-in rendere...!?!
Or will the user be able to use whatever render application they prefer and use it together with Google Earth..??

juju

It sounds more like a type of rendering app having being built into GE 4.3 Frederik.

Mike Lucey

Wow, that's impressive.

Mike

kwistenbiebel

Very nice technology.
I can imagine planning a city trip to lets say Fargo and have a virtual visit before hand, looking at some streets, which shops they have, which musea to see etcetera.

Google has a great commercial potential here as it can sell advertising space in form of 'street views'.
When it would be also linked to a GPS system, this will be great.

On the other hand,
I am a little afraid that Sketchup is going to be the tool for GE only..

tbd

@kwistenbiebel said:

When it would be also linked to a GPS system, this will be great.

already possible in Plus

another nice feature in 4.3 is the ability to show up the date when the image was taken (now I know that my town was scanned in 2003 )

pmiller

And 4.3 snapshots into SU with the sun settings as well. This, combined with 3D buildings (where available) and the date of the photo might permit you set the time and date function in SU to match shadows of created buildings with existing.

Alan Fraser

Very nice upgrade indeed. I still keep trying to pan with Shift, though.

Julius

@frederik said:

@craigd said:

...especially if you have Photorealistic 3D models turned on...

This sounds as if SU7 will have a build-in rendere...!?!
Or will the user be able to use whatever render application they prefer and use it together with Google Earth..??

i think "photorealistic models" are all the models with textures and which are made with sketchup and can be found in the 3d warehouse. the non-photorealistic models are the "grey models". there's the possibility to turn on and off photorealistic and grey models.

JuanV.Soler

...
and in any case,

kim
frederick, I dont think Google will prefer to include a better rendering in SketchUp not before had been stabilisized the core potential and suchs things.

So dont worry ))

and the Earth vision is getting marvelous .