Update to Virtual Earth Brings Bird's Eye Images to 3d Model
Hot on the heels of a new release of Microsoft's search engine, an update to the local search and mapping system has been pushed out. The updates available in the 3d version of the mapping system contain an amazing new feature. This feature takes advantage of the bird's eye view imagery. When viewing an area in the 3d model, one can turn on the bird's eye view data. This will reorient the view so that the image is aligned with the model. In addition, it marks on the map the outline of the image data allowing you to browse the location in 3d and then select a view to focus on.
In the first image, below, we see the regular 3d view of Bellevue.
Next, we see the outline of a bird's eye view image keyed onto the scene.
Finally, having selected the view, we can see the image registered on top of the 3d model.
The recent history of the online mapping and geographic imagery and data space has been all about amassing data - road data, 3d geometry for buildings, images, etc. Now the players are working out how to leverage that data for better user experience and a key part of that is bringing different types of data together in some way. This is a great example of this happening. Bird's eye images provide the user with plenty of context to help them make sense of locations.
More on the release can be found here.
Huh... the photo doesn't look very well registered...
Posted by: salsa | October 21, 2007 at 04:19 PM
Hi, can I install the view of microsoft virtual earth?
what the website?
Thank you.
Posted by: jorge | November 30, 2007 at 01:03 AM