Google Earth vs. Microsoft Virtual Earth 3D
November 6, 2006 31 Comments
I admit it, I’m baiting Frank, but eye candy is a big part of these digital globes. Sure you can download a model for Google Earth, but you have to visit another site. I’d love to see some sort of connection to the 3D Warehouse from inside Google Earth.
Google Earth – Las Vegas
Microsoft Virtual Earth – Las Vegas
Update – to be fair to Google Earth and Google’s 3D Warehouse, I’ve revisited this comparison in another post this morning.
Google Earth vs. Microsoft Virtual Earth 3D Revisited
More Microsoft Virtual Earth news in the Virtual Earth category
About James Fee
Look around and you’ll find more, un-listed, 3D “eye candy” for quite a few US cities (including topographic relief in the Rockies). There are 3D elements in a few international cities as well, including London, Paris, Munich, Rome, Sydney, and more. Didn’t see anything for India, China, or Russia. Zoom over Japan, and Roman alphabet is instantly replaced with Japanese characters. Pretty cool.
The downloads are fast, but I find that the maps in 3D mode are blurrier/lower-res when compared to 2D mode.
Ok…here’s to the 3DWarehouse.
Repost (fixing broken link)…
Here’s your connection to the 3DWarehouse.
Pingback: The Earth Is Square » Blog Archive » New Virtual Earth a ‘Google Earth “threat?”‘ and World Wind
VE4 is a bit clunky, after getting the plug-in to work. Works in IE6/7 only.
Skyline Globe is another 3D mapping app which likes FF.
So now we are waiting for Google Earth 5 Webversion…
but they are free… just.
mapperz
Thanks for the link Frank, but I don’t understand why they can’t add this into the default application. The 3D Warehouse is the killer feature in GE’s pocket and they make it so hard for average users to access it.
Why don’t you compare Microsoft’s Virtual Earth BETA version with Google Earth’s BETA version 4? Google Earth version 4 has high detail buildings too.
Brian, how do you enable the high detail buildings? Mine are just the grey blocks. I know you can download new ones from the 3D Warehouse, but I’m thinking they should be enabled by default when I turn on the buildings.
I revisited this and added a better comparison taking into consideration the 3D models available at the 3D Warehouse.
mapperz: Skyline does not “like” FF any better. It is just launching the Skyline ActiveX control as an application in Windows.
With a 3.2Ghz system, plenty of memory and a T3 connection, I’ve been waiting dozens of minutes waiting to see any building information other than blue blocks. How long does one have to wait to see something worthwhile? Is it always SOOOoo SLooooow?
A T3 connection does you no good if you are competing against millions of others with a T3.
Network performance needs to be addressed for sure.
Pingback: Microsoft rilascia Virtual Earth 3D « fascox.weblog
James, who is your host for this website? Considering that it is probably getting hammered by Slashdot, I’m impressed with it not going down or being slow.
Pair Networks is my host. I’ve used them since early 1997.
Come on James, get off the Kool-aid. Anything that requires IE is dead. Google Earth doesn’t require IE even on Windows.
While it is true that VE does require Internet Explorer, you don’t need IE to run the application. Just Microsoft runs it inside IE. Take a look here for an example that doesn’t require you to run IE. The whole Microsoft Live thing is what you are unhappy about and if a year from now there is still no FF support, maybe I’ll agree with you.
Google Earth, World Wind, ArcGIS Explorer and Virtual Earth 3D all require you to download an application and install it. Some of the above are Windows only for sure, but I don’t think there is a digital earth application that runs in a browser that doesn’t require some sort of installation.
Look, some of your need to get beyond this “M$ = BAD” mentality. One needs a much more open mind than some of you are showing.
Pingback: dailywireless.org » Microsoft’s Amazing Virtual Earth
Google Earth I found better photo quality
iwant download google earth
@ feras
Find it at Google Earth home page.
I need to understand how can I download the virtual google Earth 3D. Thanks
Choices:
for speed go with Google earth 4.2 (beta), its more faster and reliable
link: >>http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html
for quality go with Microsoft Virtual Earth 3d (beta)
link >> http://local.live.com/ >> then click and the 3d button and it’ll give another link to download from!
enjoi!!!
I like how Google has 3rd party sites create contest.
besides google is better with Poland for example. I could see vavel in cracow and warsaw way clearer than trough Virtual Earth. Although VE is clearer when viewing USA.
I NEED THE LAST VERSION OF GOOGLE EARTH
i like google earth. i can see my house from this. google earth pro free download please.
i like it most i like to download it.as it is familier to as it is very clear .i want that it would be very like to the people of the world.
this program very beautiful very good
thank you very much.
Malak
i need the latest version of google earth pleasae send me offers on this e-mail address shahgul32@yahoo.com as soonas possible
James,
You have great interaction on your blog with your readers … enviable, though it makes it a little difficult for me to follow this “VE3D versus Google 3D” discussion. But here is a consideration:
I am not sure what is available in the Google 3D Warehouse at this point. Frank provided a comment with a link and, at a glance, seems like there is quite a bit there to choose from. Nonetheless, in my view it is not the quantity of individual models that matter most–and I won’t even make the argument based around the count of COMPLETE 3D cities nor the speed consideration–but the quality and accuracy of those models. WHO is creating these models that go into the Google 3D Warehouse? And HOW? Using sketch-up? That is great for models that don’t require a high degree of accuracy … in other words, models that emergency first responders won’t count on in a post-Katrina type scenario to determine whether they can fit a rescue vehicle down an alley or whether a ladder can reach a specific window of a building.
Otherwise, I am happy to assure public sector customers that the models found in Virtual Earth are created by Microsoft through an automated photogrammetric process that results in models that inherit the same sub-meter accuracies of the aerial photography from which they are derived, i.e, as high as 15 cm in many places.
This, to me, is the biggest consideration between the two 3D worlds. – VJ
I need to understand how can I download the virtual google Earth 3D. Thanks