Comments on: Urban Planning Visualisation in Google Earth: Utrecht

By: ulf jansson

ulf jansson — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:11:00 +0000

GE has many problems but people are used to the interface so it is potentially a good tool for presenting planning infromation to the public.

By: Michiel Quist

Michiel Quist — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Floating buildings indeed is an creating error, or choice. In the above project it was a choice, because the elevation data that google provided in Utrecht was very inaccurate. And by inaccurate I mean between 4 and 10 metres difference.
Thats also why I posted a little manual that explains that the terrain option should be turned off, and the 3d buildings as well: http://www.3idee.nl/google/index_en.htm

By: Tomasz

Tomasz — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:56:00 +0000

floating buildings is an error generated by the creator- sketchup allows proper positioning of objects with respect to terrain configuration. unfortunately still we have no choice but to use googles elevation data, unlike world wind which allows users to include their own terrain model.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 07:45:00 +0000

This is indeed a nice example. However it also shows why GE is not a perfect platform for presenting urban designs: In several camera moves you see that the buildings are hovering over the terrain. This is not so much a problem in the Nehterlands which are to a large extent very flat but in other regions. Unless Google provides a way to include local elevation data I am not convinced of the technology.

By: Michiel Quist

Michiel Quist — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Excellent movie you captured from my project!!

one little thing though, you seem to have the begin date fixed in the time line, so all the "old" buildings stay in view.