3D Graphics In Google Earth

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What is Google Earth?


Google Earth is a wonderful GIS application for rendering 3D models on the fly. Google earth can export GIS data from Arc Pro as KMZ files straight into google earth, such as the map example you see above .The benefit of Google Earth, is that you get a ton of layers such as cities, populated places, water and land features, grid coordinates, and updated imagery of your current area. We can overlay more recent thematic data content from other software such as Arc Pro and display it into Google Earth. From there we can do analysis such as measurements, historical imagery comparison, azimuth shading and lighting, and look at landmasses / infrastructure in 3D. Google earth can "go back in time" and look at transportation, land features, and it provides imagery across the entire world. 

Google Earth can allow a GIS user to export graphics, create tour guide videos, and relay thematic data across a landscape in 3D extremely fast. See the images below for some examples.  



Downtown Tampa



Fort Lauderdale


Downtown Miami

In this exercise, I created a guided map tour in google earth after exporting my data from Arc Pro to google earth using the layer to kml geoprocessing tool. I added place makers of the cities I wanted to show on my tour and saved them as I went. I then pushed the record button on the processing tab in Google earth and created a video of the dot density map of Florida in relation to the water and land features in South Florida. This guided recorded tour contains 3D visuals of downtown areas, including buildings, power lines, vegetation, and city infrastructure. 


Check out the water features I exported from Arc Pro!


These links below are the google drive locations for both the map kmz and the kmz with the guided tour. Please check them out and let me know what you think. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15TyFLfnybJg0112I8C4iNHaZA3AOs7DZ/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1603awFS5EIHnvSWLfiig_hViX4-W3JYi/view?usp=sharing



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