Posted by Scott Bacon on April 15, 2008 at 8:50 PM
New Day/Night Effect in Google Earth 4.3
You can compare the above image from GE to one of my images...
Well, maybe not just for photographers. But GE 4.3 was released today and it has one new feature that I'm pretty excited about... Day/night lighting effects of the sun. Ever want to know what the light will look like across the landscape from a particular vantage point? Of course you have!! Now there is a button in GE that will add sunlight effects to the 3D scene. You can even change the time slider to see how the light changes, or play the entire day! I don't know, yet if you can change the date (that would be even cooler).
Also added were street view, improved loading of 3D buildings and new navigations widgets.
Happy GEing!!
Posted by Jack Garrett on April 15, 2008 at 9:01 PM
Hmmm, It's a little soft, a little dark and doesn't look a whole lot like your image...lol. This looks like a good release from GE. Your image is great by the way. Where is mirror lake?
Never been there myself, but you should be able to pull the Lat/Long off the bottom corner of Scott's screen shot above. I'd do it, but I left my glasses upstairs. Dang - getting old is the pits, but I guess it beats the alternative. :-)
Happy?...well i have been playing with GE recently, some really impressive technology (though the photos people submit are horrid) but i must confess, all this really makes me wish i had been born in the 1800s, when every nook and cranny of the earth wasn't available at a mouseclick. I must be getting old... (play grumpy old man sequence)
Posted by Scott Bacon on April 15, 2008 at 10:36 PM
John wrote:
Where is mirror lake?
This Mirror Lake (there's quite a few in CO) is on the West side of the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The Trailhead is at Monarch Lake. Here's a Trip Report from last summer.
Posted by Guy Schmickle on April 16, 2008 at 12:59 AM
Well I definitely prefer your image Scott! That lighting effect feature does sound pretty cool. I do hope that they've fixed some of the issues that I (and others) are experiencing with 4.2 in that it tends to lock up somewhat randomly when viewing things in tilted mode for too long.
Posted by Paul Martin on April 16, 2008 at 1:00 AM
Excellent, I love playing with GE. I'll have to check it out to scout out locations for my trip to Glacier NP.
GREAT NEWS!!!! I've been waiting for this feature since its first release! I'm thrilled that they have finally implemented it. Thank you Scott!!!!
Posted by Paul Beiser on April 16, 2008 at 8:25 AM
Here is a video of the what Scott is talking about: Lighting and Sunrise/Sunset. Just look at the first minute or 2 of the video. Killer!
Posted by Scott Bacon on April 16, 2008 at 9:53 AM
That's a great overview video, Paul. Thanks for posting the link. And the GE Blog is where I saw the news of the new release. I should have linked there in my original post.
Posted by Jack Brauer on April 16, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Wow that's (kinda) cool. Thanks for the news.
Unfortunately it appears that the sunrise/sunset feature is a bit of a novelty item... not really truly useful for us photographers. For instance, check out sunrise in Ouray. Amazingly, the entire east side of the valley gets alpenglow light!
It seems that they are just coloring the slopes based on the direction, and not doing any real calculations of regional terrain, except on the small scale.
Also the mac version seems a bit buggy, with blinking blocks, choppy motion, and I can't seem to find any tilt controls either. I think I'll use the 4.2 version for a while until they iron some of that stuff out.
Posted by Jack Brauer on April 16, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Oh, btw, Scott... that's an awesome shot from Mirror Lake. I wonder though how you could possibly point your camera in that direction and not include Lone Eagle!!! That's like going to a Victoria's Secret fashion show and taking photos of the audience. Hahahaha... (still a great shot regardless)
Posted by Kalin Wilson on April 16, 2008 at 3:24 PM
I just downloaded the update on the software and I noticed that your same photo is on the program for Mirror Lake. I thinks that is one place that I will be going to here this summer, looks spectacular, is it a popular place?
awesome photo by the way
Posted by Scott Bacon on April 17, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Jack wrote:
Unfortunately it appears that the sunrise/sunset feature is a bit of a novelty item... not really truly useful for us photographers. For instance, check out sunrise in Ouray. Amazingly, the entire east side of the valley gets alpenglow light!
It seems that they are just coloring the slopes based on the direction, and not doing any real calculations of regional terrain, except on the small scale.
Ya, I've noticed that in some areas too. But other areas seem to be fairly accurate. Maybe these "good" areas don't have complex terrain? I haven't seen any details as to how GE is making the sunlight calculations. So, as with most other apps, it's just another tool, not an end-all-be-all.
And...
I wonder though how you could possibly point your camera in that direction and not include Lone Eagle!!! That's like going to a Victoria's Secret fashion show and taking photos of the audience.
Ha! Well to continue the analogy... On this particular evening, it was the audience (that ridgeline) which was scantily clad (bathed in alpenglow) and the runway model (Lone Eagle Peak) was one of those waif-like, malnourished, seemingly fragile and breakable, so-called super-models which was hiding in shadow and not particular to my liking.
Paul wrote;
I just downloaded the update on the software and I noticed that your same photo is on the program for Mirror Lake. I thinks that is one place that I will be going to here this summer, looks spectacular, is it a popular place?
Ya, you can get your images into Google Earth by uploading them to Panoramio. I've only done this with a number of my images. I only upload images that cover locations not already over-done and definitely avoid areas that are "sensitive." The Mirror/Crater Lake area is a popular overnight destination, for sure. Overnight permits are required from the Indian Peaks Wilderness backcountry office and campsites are designated. But dayhiking traffic is usually light due to the 14.5 mi round-trip distance.
Discussion
15 repliesYou can compare the above image from GE to one of my images...
Well, maybe not just for photographers. But GE 4.3 was released today and it has one new feature that I'm pretty excited about... Day/night lighting effects of the sun. Ever want to know what the light will look like across the landscape from a particular vantage point? Of course you have!!
Also added were street view, improved loading of 3D buildings and new navigations widgets.
Happy GEing!!
Jack
John Garrett wrote:
>Where is mirror lake?
Never been there myself, but you should be able to pull the Lat/Long off the bottom corner of Scott's screen shot above. I'd do it, but I left my glasses upstairs. Dang - getting old is the pits, but I guess it beats the alternative. :-)
Unfortunately it appears that the sunrise/sunset feature is a bit of a novelty item... not really truly useful for us photographers. For instance, check out sunrise in Ouray. Amazingly, the entire east side of the valley gets alpenglow light!
It seems that they are just coloring the slopes based on the direction, and not doing any real calculations of regional terrain, except on the small scale.
Also the mac version seems a bit buggy, with blinking blocks, choppy motion, and I can't seem to find any tilt controls either. I think I'll use the 4.2 version for a while until they iron some of that stuff out.
awesome photo by the way
Ha! Well to continue the analogy... On this particular evening, it was the audience (that ridgeline) which was scantily clad (bathed in alpenglow) and the runway model (Lone Eagle Peak) was one of those waif-like, malnourished, seemingly fragile and breakable, so-called super-models which was hiding in shadow and not particular to my liking.
Ya, you can get your images into Google Earth by uploading them to Panoramio. I've only done this with a number of my images. I only upload images that cover locations not already over-done and definitely avoid areas that are "sensitive." The Mirror/Crater Lake area is a popular overnight destination, for sure. Overnight permits are required from the Indian Peaks Wilderness backcountry office and campsites are designated. But dayhiking traffic is usually light due to the 14.5 mi round-trip distance.