News on the 3D Warehouse

I picked up this news earlier today via the Google Earth blog.
I've made good use of the 3D Warehouse and SketchUp for some years now... It's at least 6 years since I first started playing with SketchUp and this blog also features some awesome work by Noel Jenkins who has used it with his GCSE groups.

Here's the announcement:

“Hi folks,

With the goal to have every building in the world accurately displayed in 3D, we’ve explored different methods for modeling large areas of our planet in 3D, including technologies like SketchUp, Building Maker and lately 3D Imagery. We’ve decided that in order to pursue the most consistent user experience, we’ll be focusing our resources on the technology that will scale to the entire world and will be discontinuing support of the user generated 3D program.

We’d like to thank all of you who helped form the landscape of Google Earth and helped cities around the globe grow out of the 2D realm, and into the imaginations of virtual 3D explorers everywhere.

Models can still be uploaded to the Trimble 3D Warehouse, where they can continue to be shared with the modeling community, but they will no longer be published to Google Earth starting October 1st, 2013. Existing models will remain visible in Google Earth, until a time when they’re replaced by new models generated for that region. Google Takeout lets you download an archive containing all of your models.

On a personal note: I’ve had the good fortune of being involved in the 3D modeling effort for Google Earth from the beginning, and I’ve watched many of you create collections of amazingly detailed architectural wonders from every corner of the Earth. I’m very thankful to have been along for that ride and to have gotten to know many of you over the years.

With respect and appreciation,

- CraigD and the 3D Modeling Team”

Now it seems that there are changes to the way that 3D models created by people will be accessed.
It may be worth downloading some of the models that you think you will make use of now before they potentially disappear, or get harder to find and access.

Stourbridge models...

Just had occasion to visit Stourbridge in the West Midlands on Google Earth... it's a long story... and someone has been busy creating lots of models in the area....
Enable 3D buildings to see them...

Google Earth 6

A new version of Google Earth was released recently: GOOGLE EARTH 6...
It includes millions of 3D trees, and other improvements, including better integration with Google Street View



Go to the AMAZON for example, and you can wander the jungle and explore some of the tree species in the rainforest... I'm sure we can come up with some ideas for using this in the geography classroom :)

Cambridge in 3D & Icelandic Posters

The first part of post comes via DIRECTIONS MAGAZINE and the Keyhole BULLETIN BOARD and OGLE EARTH. Thanks to all for the link.

Below is a general view looking down on Cambridge. Great work by Lattico, to add 3D Modelling - be warned though that this is a large file, and could take some time to load !
This will come in useful for us, as we take our 6th formers to Cambridge for a Human field day, and this will make our Virtual walk through even more lifelike. We use Google Earth for fieldtrip briefings.

Another find via Ogle Earth today was an interesting merging of two technologies I've used separately, but hadn't thought about putting together before. This is the work of Mr. Fjalar from Breidholt in Iceland, who has called his project ARTWORK EARTH. This is a rather nice idea which I may well borrow for an end of term project, or link in at the end of a unit of physical work such as COASTS, RIVERS, GLACIATION, VOLCANOES & EARTHQUAKES or NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS/BIOMES.Students are asked to find an image which looks particularly impressive artistically, perhaps like the one above, and save it - by screenshotting, or otherwise..

The images are then put into John Watson's superb BIG HUGE LABS' FLICKR TOYS site, which is one of my Top 5 sites of all time as those who are regular visitors to the website will know. (incidentally, having visited this today there's a new Warholizer which will make Warhol screenprint images out of your photos...)

The images are put into the MOTIVATOR tool, and then uploaded to the FLICKR POOL which this links to: ARTWORK EARTH.

Already this has been picked up and developed by others. This TAGZANIA post for example suggests using this idea to produce CHRISTMAS CARDS. I've already sent mine, or I might have used this idea myself...

And finally for this post, because I really have to get on to my marking...

Don't forget that if you're using Google Earth for a research project, you can use TOOLS and WEB to open a web browser window below the Google Earth view (or press CTRL and 8)
Might be a useful tip for some of you...