Apr 26 2010
Marin dsm40cm Terrain in Google Maps
As I learned here, it is even easier than ever for Windows users to browse the Marin dsm40cm terrain.
All those keyboard shortcuts one may have learned to use Google Earth now work in Google Maps with the “Earth” button.
It’s a gas, and all the 40-cm detail is there.
I’ve tested it using Chrome browser on Ubuntu, and the Earth button does not show up.
But using Chrome on Windows XP, it’s there and it works pretty well. No need for composing a web site with the Earth plug-in. It’s just there in the default Google Maps on systems where the plug in would work.
For many of the world’s users of browser-based interactive mapping, integrated 3D viewing has arrived.
Check it out. Link provides an initial point near Civic Center, viewed in Google Earth through Google Maps.
Users who access Google Maps using Windows or Mac should be able to seamlessly launch the Google Earth plugin within Maps.
Just click the Earth button (should be up where the different views are in the upper-right part of the map) if it exists.
If it doesn’t exist, then you are using Linux or a smartphone or are in some other environment that doesn’t support the Earth browser plug-in.
My favorite Google Earth navigation shortcuts:
(Mouse control)
- Drag Mouse regular button to push globe around.
- Release while moving to let globe continue to move with intertia.
Mouse scroll one way or PageUp = pan forward fast
‘+’ = pan forward slowly
Mouse scroll other way or PageDown = pan reverse fast
‘-’ = pan reverse slowly
‘r’ (lowercase R) = return to vertical view, North upward: “get me out of this mess and back to Map view”
(keys used by themselves)
‘w’ or up-arrow-key = spin globe forward
‘a’ or left-arrow-key = spin globe left
‘d’ or right-arrow-key = spin globe right
‘s’ or down-arrow-key = spin globe back
(Ctrl- variants)
(two non-opposing directions at once are allowed)
Ctrl – ‘w’ or up-arrow-key = tilt view upward toward the zenith
Ctrl – ‘a’ or left-arrow-key = pan view left
Ctrl – ‘d’ or right-arrow-key = pan view right
Ctrl – ‘s’ or down-arrow-key = tilt view downward toward nadir
(Shift- variants)
(two non-opposing directions at once are allowed)
Ctrl – ‘w’ or up-arrow-key = orbit point-of-view downward around center view
Ctrl – ‘a’ or left-arrow-key = orbit point-of-view rightward around point in center view
Ctrl – ‘d’ or right-arrow-key = orbit point-of-view leftward around point in center view
Ctrl – ‘s’ or down-arrow-key = orbit point-of-view upward around center view
WILD and FAST
Use Mouse alternate button to free-form navigate
- where you “right” click on the map, a target appears for as long as you keep the alternate button down.
relative to the target:
- drag the cursor up to zoom out
- drag the cursor down to zoom in
- drag the cursor right to rotate view counter-clockwise
- drag the cursor left to rotate view clockwise.
And if everything is just too much, there’s always ‘r’ (lowercase-R) to set everything straight.
Enjoy!