6 ms·

Google deploying planes over cities for 3D maps (2012)

39 points by andima 5y ago

throwaway29303 5y ago
(2012)
bellyfullofbac 5y ago
The 3d Tokyo website linked here the other day (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21188767 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21188767) also shows you buildings when you zoom in, I'm guessing the guy didn't gather this data himself for such a hobby project, but got it from some governmental survey source. Capable governments should already have that sort of data, e.g. the Swiss one: https://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/en/maps-data-online/maps-geodata-online/3d-viewer.html https://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/en/maps-data-online/maps-geod...
- executive 5y ago
  is using Mapbox for this feature. > https://docs.mapbox.com/mapbox-gl-js/example/3d-buildings/ https://docs.mapbox.com/mapbox-gl-js/example/3d-buildings/
bitlax 5y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suo_aUTUpps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suo_aUTUpps
agloeregrets 5y ago
The article and the rest of the comments here act like Apple didn't do this 5 years ago. This is how Apple creates their 3D flyover feature. Microsoft also tried their hand at this as well.
- mrspeaker 5y ago
  Which comments here?
- Jyaif 5y ago
  The article was written 10 years ago.
  - agloeregrets 5y ago
    Which was not originally in the title....
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- lkxijlewlf 5y ago
  No, they're simply talking about Google doing it. Why can't that be without people such as yourself bring up Apple, etc?
- doovd 5y ago
  The article date is 2012 mate, relax
- sorenjan 5y ago
  Apple bought C3 Technologies in 2011, that's where they got their 3D aerial imagery processing from.
bla3 5y ago
2012 Google seemed hungrier and more ambitious than 2022 Google.
- vvatermelone 5y ago
  This is done at a satellite level nowadays rather than fixed-wing aircraft. Microsoft/Bing did this as well and ended up spinning off their aerial collection division for that same reason, not too long after this article was published. There's just not a huge demand for higher quality imagery by the general public, and those industries who do need higher quality/georeferenced imagery are willing to pay for it.
  - deelowe 5y ago
    I thought the biggest issue with higher quality imagery had more to do with governments than interest (privacy legislation, national security, etc).
  - bradly 5y ago
    The screensavers for Apple TV and very manual and really cool how they are made. Everything was planned. The location, exact time/day, sun placement and buildings for lens flares. One of my favorite talks at Apple was on the process to create the ones from space. An incredible amount of work went into pulling those off just for a screen saver.
    - infecto 5y ago
      Do you by chance have a link to that talk?
      - bradly 5y ago
        Unfortunately it was an internal only presentation. Really I had no idea you can basically rent the ISS and the crew in it. They all had to be trained on how to use the special camera system. If I remember correctly it was a custom made RED that has to be sent up in a payload. It was incredible.
Tempest1981 5y ago
Wasn't Bing Maps the first big player to offer 45-degree angle aerial imagery? The article doesn't mention their "Bird’s Eye view" (airplane pics from 4 angles, not satellite), but I think I remember using it for some cities, before Google had it. Although I think it was short-lived. Google was focused on StreetView, iirc. After Keyhole. Around 2009? https://www.computerworld.com/article/2468196/bing-maps--microsoft-finally-beats-google-at-its-own-game.html https://www.computerworld.com/article/2468196/bing-maps--mic... Edit: I would love to read about the history of this space, if anyone knows of a good article/blog/book.
- hoppyhoppy2 5y ago
  I remember using the Microsoft aerial imagery in 2004 (that year corresponds to a certain year in high school when I used it for a class project). It wasn't "Bing" back then, but I remember it predating -- or at least having better-quality photos than -- Google Maps' aerial imagery.
  - codeulike 5y ago
    Might have been Terraserver? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraserver.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraserver.com For a while, Terraserver was the biggest database on the web With 5 terabytes of uncompressed image data, Microsoft TerraServer is bigger than all the HTML pages combined already on the Internet. [1998] https://news.microsoft.com/1998/06/24/microsoft-partners-announce-microsoft-terraserver-global-atlas-is-worlds-largest-database-on-the-web/ https://news.microsoft.com/1998/06/24/microsoft-partners-ann...
    - kingcharles 5y ago
      God, I remember when it launched and how big a Terabyte seemed. Now the Google home page is about a Terabyte of Javascript.
- mandeepj 5y ago
  > I would love to read about the history of this space, if anyone knows of a good article/blog/book. somewhat related - https://decider.com/2021/10/07/the-billion-dollar-code-netflix-review/ https://decider.com/2021/10/07/the-billion-dollar-code-netfl...
calltrak 5y ago
hardly_a_mirage 5y ago
Do any of these platforms provide SDKs for integration / other access to their 3D maps? I needed it for a project and couldn't find any.
- DanAtC 5y ago
  https://www.nearmap.com/ https://www.nearmap.com/ though they seem to have moved away from flat pricing to "contact us" which is a shame.
calltrak 5y ago

39 points by andima 5y ago

(2012)

The 3d Tokyo website linked here the other day (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21188767 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21188767) also shows you buildings when you zoom in, I'm guessing the guy didn't gather this data himself for such a hobby project, but got it from some governmental survey source. Capable governments should already have that sort of data, e.g. the Swiss one: https://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/en/maps-data-online/maps-geodata-online/3d-viewer.html https://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/en/maps-data-online/maps-geod...

executive 5y ago
is using Mapbox for this feature. > https://docs.mapbox.com/mapbox-gl-js/example/3d-buildings/ https://docs.mapbox.com/mapbox-gl-js/example/3d-buildings/

bitlax 5y ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suo_aUTUpps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suo_aUTUpps

agloeregrets 5y ago

The article and the rest of the comments here act like Apple didn't do this 5 years ago. This is how Apple creates their 3D flyover feature. Microsoft also tried their hand at this as well.

mrspeaker 5y ago
Which comments here?
Jyaif 5y ago
The article was written 10 years ago.
- agloeregrets 5y ago
  Which was not originally in the title....
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
lkxijlewlf 5y ago
No, they're simply talking about Google doing it. Why can't that be without people such as yourself bring up Apple, etc?
doovd 5y ago
The article date is 2012 mate, relax
sorenjan 5y ago
Apple bought C3 Technologies in 2011, that's where they got their 3D aerial imagery processing from.

bla3 5y ago

2012 Google seemed hungrier and more ambitious than 2022 Google.

vvatermelone 5y ago
This is done at a satellite level nowadays rather than fixed-wing aircraft. Microsoft/Bing did this as well and ended up spinning off their aerial collection division for that same reason, not too long after this article was published. There's just not a huge demand for higher quality imagery by the general public, and those industries who do need higher quality/georeferenced imagery are willing to pay for it.
- deelowe 5y ago
  I thought the biggest issue with higher quality imagery had more to do with governments than interest (privacy legislation, national security, etc).
- bradly 5y ago
  The screensavers for Apple TV and very manual and really cool how they are made. Everything was planned. The location, exact time/day, sun placement and buildings for lens flares. One of my favorite talks at Apple was on the process to create the ones from space. An incredible amount of work went into pulling those off just for a screen saver.
  - infecto 5y ago
    Do you by chance have a link to that talk?
    - bradly 5y ago
      Unfortunately it was an internal only presentation. Really I had no idea you can basically rent the ISS and the crew in it. They all had to be trained on how to use the special camera system. If I remember correctly it was a custom made RED that has to be sent up in a payload. It was incredible.

Tempest1981 5y ago

Wasn't Bing Maps the first big player to offer 45-degree angle aerial imagery? The article doesn't mention their "Bird’s Eye view" (airplane pics from 4 angles, not satellite), but I think I remember using it for some cities, before Google had it. Although I think it was short-lived. Google was focused on StreetView, iirc. After Keyhole. Around 2009? https://www.computerworld.com/article/2468196/bing-maps--microsoft-finally-beats-google-at-its-own-game.html https://www.computerworld.com/article/2468196/bing-maps--mic... Edit: I would love to read about the history of this space, if anyone knows of a good article/blog/book.

hoppyhoppy2 5y ago
I remember using the Microsoft aerial imagery in 2004 (that year corresponds to a certain year in high school when I used it for a class project). It wasn't "Bing" back then, but I remember it predating -- or at least having better-quality photos than -- Google Maps' aerial imagery.
- codeulike 5y ago
  Might have been Terraserver? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraserver.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraserver.com For a while, Terraserver was the biggest database on the web With 5 terabytes of uncompressed image data, Microsoft TerraServer is bigger than all the HTML pages combined already on the Internet. [1998] https://news.microsoft.com/1998/06/24/microsoft-partners-announce-microsoft-terraserver-global-atlas-is-worlds-largest-database-on-the-web/ https://news.microsoft.com/1998/06/24/microsoft-partners-ann...
  - kingcharles 5y ago
    God, I remember when it launched and how big a Terabyte seemed. Now the Google home page is about a Terabyte of Javascript.
mandeepj 5y ago
> I would love to read about the history of this space, if anyone knows of a good article/blog/book. somewhat related - https://decider.com/2021/10/07/the-billion-dollar-code-netflix-review/ https://decider.com/2021/10/07/the-billion-dollar-code-netfl...

calltrak 5y ago

hardly_a_mirage 5y ago

Do any of these platforms provide SDKs for integration / other access to their 3D maps? I needed it for a project and couldn't find any.

DanAtC 5y ago
https://www.nearmap.com/ https://www.nearmap.com/ though they seem to have moved away from flat pricing to "contact us" which is a shame.

calltrak 5y ago