Google Maps just got better

Post by **Mark** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:59 pm

Google Maps (http://maps.google.com) now allows you to create a map that lets you:
* Mark your favourite places on the map
* Draw lines and shapes to highlight paths and areas
* Add your own text, photos and videos
* Share your map with friends and family

This will be VERY handy for people to create a map of an intended trip or for sharing trip report details of one they've been on.

Click here to see a very basic example of the Wellington Easter trip (trip thread).

You will need to register with Google to be able to create a new map, but anyone can view the map if you post the link to it in a thread.

Cool ay! Now when someone says "Where the hell is X??" you can show them with relative ease. Don't forget to switch to Satellite view to get a better perspective. Happy mapping!

Cloggy_NZ · Post by **Cloggy_NZ** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 4:59 pm

Cool

I just registered (a couple of weeks ago) for Google Plus. Allows me to overlay my GPS tracks on Google. I thought that was great enough, this just gets better.
Thanks Mark for letting us know. :thumright:

Bubba · Post by **Bubba** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:36 am

Talking of that, where are our Ralleywood maps Cloggy. Christ it's like your shoes, takes bloody ages to make and friggin painful to get anywhere.

Cloggy_NZ · Post by **Cloggy_NZ** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:11 pm

Haven't done anything about the Rallywoods maps. Was meant to go in there on Sunday but time wasn't on my side with Saturday wasted on a wedding which meant Sunday was a chores day.
However, I am a fair way advanced on a map of Terawhiti Station which will be of use if you have a mapping GPS of the Garmin kind.

Kiwi's must have soft feet. :lol:

Mattman · Post by **Mattman** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:33 pm

That's cool! Thanks Cloggy and Mark.

Matt.

hiriklux · Post by **hiriklux** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:35 pm

youve always been able to do that on google dude but it crashes mine after a whille :lol:

Post by **Mark** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:39 pm

hiriklux wrote:youve always been able to do that on google dude but it crashes mine after a whille

Not on Google Maps. You are probably thinking of Google Earth. Big difference :wink:

Just to clarify, Google is a company that buys up lots of smaller companies that offer exciting new services and technology and then rebrand them as their own. Google Earth was originally created by a company called Keyhole. I'm not sure about Google Maps... they may have developed that from scratch, but I doubt it!

Google Maps is a browser based mapping tool that allows a user to pan/zoom/search etc maps that are either vector maps, satellite images or a combination of the two that are embedded in a web page. You do not need to install any fancy plugins or applications to view maps.

Google Earth is a client application that you download and install on your PC that downloads satellite imagery in tiles and assembles them in the shape of a sphere to represent the curvature of the earth. It then overlays vector based data such as roads and place names that it loads from servers on the web, or from a KML file on your PC.

Google Earth has pretty much always allowed you to create new points and tracks if you subscribe to the Plus service for ~$20.

Google Maps (the one I was talking about) has only just released a new service that allows you to do the same thing from your web browser (without downloading anything). This is better for the masses because you can share the content that you have created by just sending a link to someone to open in their browser, whereas Google Earth saves the data to your local PC and you would have to upload it to a web server to share it (and the person viewing it would have to have Google Earth installed on their machine also).

Hopefully some of you will find that info enlightening, others will probably have hung themselves by now! :wink:

hiriklux · Post by **hiriklux** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:59 pm

i stand corrected :oops:

thanks for that mark :wink: