[tps5]

I never see anyone talking about google's elevation data for buildings and the process they've used to drape imagery over that elevation data. I wonder why that is? Maybe this isn't a hard problem and it's just a question of getting high quality data. Still, I've never seen any other company come close to this.

I do wonder what exactly is new here in terms of a casual user browsing the landscape. Google maps 3D offers, more or less, the same experience. And that's been around for a while.

Still, it's hard to be negative about this. The result is quite clearly better than every other comparable technology I've seen.

[nxc18]

Apple Maps does the same thing and was doing it before Google. Interestingly, Apple seems to have better imagery, at least where I am; trees are sharper and more realistic, the ground imagery is more detailed and the colors truer to life. In the forests, trees are rendered clearly enough that I can recognize the landmarks, which just isn't possible in Google's rendering. The only downside is that Google's colors are prettier than Apple's, at the expense of accuracy.

Bing (via the Maps app) is also doing this type of thing, but with a less robust set of data.

Google's implementation appears to be based on oblique (angle, taken from plane) imagery similar to Bing's "Bird's Eye View" feature; if you open up old Google Earth you can see oblique shots from various angles that match the exaggerated coloring of the final 3D maps.

Seriously though, check out Apple Maps. I didn't think I'd be recommending it, as I nerd out about Google Earth a lot, but it's actually got great imagery & models.

[greenpizza13]

I never thought to look but you're totally right. The quality of the 3D renderings is way better than Google's.

[macNchz]

I can easily get absorbed browsing 3D cities with Apple Maps on a large-screened iPad. The touch interface plus the beautiful imagery makes it a really great experience overall.

[tps5]

Can I check out Apple Maps in a browser? I'd like to take a look, but I don't have easy access to ios or macos.

The screenshots do look fantastic.

(Not a criticism of Apple if this isn't possible)

[CameronBanga]

It's possible, although Apple doesn't advertise it or make it real easy to get to. Sharing locations using Apple apps can present a web page, with an embedded map that works fine in a browser:

https://maps.apple.com/place?address=10365%20Gorenflo%20Rd%0...

There have been a couple small indie projects which basically load Apple maps in an iFrame, but I think they've been mostly C&Ded.

[euyyn]

I only see the vectorial map in that link. Is there a way to see satellite, or even better, 3D?

[tantalor]

Not vector; those are jpg tiles.

[euyyn]

I couldn't find a word for non-satellite map :)

[nicwolff]

Apple must have deals with some vendors of very detailed 3D imagery for specific areas – in the Virgin Islands e.g. you can zoom in to see that individual vehicles and boats are bump-mapped and draped.

[pinwale]

Apple bought C3 Technologies, a Swedish 3D mapping company back in 2011. It was originally spun out of SAAB (the mapping solution was originally used for missile targeting systems, iirc.)

more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3apAXzf3JTg

[sorenjan]

And Saab kept the same technology in a different company that they now own together with Digital Globe: http://www.vricon.com

[psyc]

The technique is called photogrammetry. It takes photos from multiple angles and does image analysis to determine where solid objects and surfaces are in 3D. Then it projects that same imagery onto the generated 3D models. Google, Microsoft, and Apple all do this extremely well now, but I agree. It's absolutely amazing.

You can wander around in this rendered copy of Earth, today, in VR. And folks are so above it that they still say "eh, no killer app tho" without irony.

[callumprentice]

It's possible to query the Maps API for some 3D Lidar data - I use it here: http://callumprentice.github.io/apps/street_cloud/index.html - but this seems different from the other 3D data that is a mesh and has things like trees and building outlines.

[remus]

Pure speculation, but I wonder whether they're doing something clever with their image data to generate the elevation data?

Id guess the details of the process are tricky, but it's possible then you only need to concentrate on getting high quality images vs. getting high quality images and high quality elevation data at the same time.