General Google Mapping Tips & Fun

Bananarama

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I thought I had read through all 83 pages of this thread and didn't see any old satellite photos. I was excited to find this feature in Google Earth Pro and posted it. The only threads I follow is CX and the Cambria hotel. Yes, at best, public imagery seems to be a year out of date. Do you know anything more current? I'm new to this.

While I'm here, what I'd love to see is an updated model of CX. When I visit, it looks different than what I find online.

Also, is there an assessment of how long people will wait to get out of CX with the existing streets connecting to Route 28?

Google Earth is no longer necessary for this feature! The 3D data has been integrated into Google Maps. So if you just open it up in your browser, switch on satellite mode, and click 3D, you get the same functionality. Holding Ctrl or Shift and left mouse button while dragging around functions the same as the mouse wheel in Earth for positioning the view.
 
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I wanna say the aerial view on google is from May of 2018 or 2019 (fun fact, you can tell at least a portion was taken around Memorial Day with the field of flags visible in the Common).
Bing Maps is a little more up to date, but not by much. Parcel W is further along in construction.

Also, Google Earth is no longer necessary for this feature! The 3D data has been integrated into Google Maps. So if you just open it up in your browser, switch on satellite mode, and click 3D, you get the same functionality. Holding Ctrl or Shift and left mouse button while dragging around functions the same as the mouse wheel in Earth for positioning the view.
My experience has been different. I find Google Maps very frustrating. I can move around the satellite view in Google Maps but I can't rotate! CX is best understood South-North, not East-West IMO. Maybe I'm on the wrong Google Maps? If so, please post a link!

Also, what I can do in Google Earth (web) and desktop Pro is way, way beyond what I can do in Google Maps. Really amazing stuff, like being able to change the "camera" angle and use 3d modelling. That was really the point of my post, just how incredible it is. It also gives the date of each satellite image. Again, I'm new to this, so sorry if this is old news to anyone!

While I'm here, I've also found MapTiler to have some interesting features. https://www.maptiler.com/maps/#hybrid//vector/14.55/-71.07415/42.37188/35.77/3.0
 
My experience has been different. I find Google Maps very frustrating. I can move around the satellite view in Google Maps but I can't rotate! CX is best understood South-North, not East-West IMO. Maybe I'm on the wrong Google Maps? If so, please post a link!

Also, what I can do in Google Earth (web) and desktop Pro is way, way beyond what I can do in Google Maps. Really amazing stuff, like being able to change the "camera" angle and use 3d modelling. That was really the point of my post, just how incredible it is. It also gives the date of each satellite image. Again, I'm new to this, so sorry if this is old news to anyone!

While I'm here, I've also found MapTiler to have some interesting features. https://www.maptiler.com/maps/#hybrid//vector/14.55/-71.07415/42.37188/35.77/3.0
Here's just a link from a quick view I set in maps. Just holding Ctrl or Shift, clicking and holding the left mouse, then moving it around. Same as Earth. You can do all the same 3D views, plus all the street views right there. You don't get "ground level view" which is just the grainy 3D model at grade so not really a loss imo.

I used to be an Earth Pro user, but since Maps baked it all in I've dropped it. The zoom/pan speeds are also much snappier over Earth which favors more gradual arcing camera movements.
 
Here's an image from Google Earth to illustrate what I want (and my problem with Google Maps). I want to orient the image to tell the story I want in my silly YouTube videos. Can you get the image positioned this way in Google Maps?

cx_north_south.jpg
 
Here's an image from Google Earth to illustrate what I want (and my problem with Google Maps). I want to orient the image to tell the story I want in my silly YouTube videos. Can you get the image positioned this way in Google Maps?

View attachment 11127

Yes. Just moving around the camera like in Earth. Ctrl + left mouse.
sdsdsd.JPG
 
FYI, Google Earth Pro now has imagery for Boston from 10/17/20, but you have to use the historic view and pull it all the way forward.
 
Interesting to see the new imagery showing elevated construction progress post-Lechemere.
I wonder when they will update the 3D imagery. Right now it still shows Sudbury + Verizon building under construction.
 

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