Making Animated Maps? Google Earth? at DVinfo.net

Dave Allen · March 9th, 2010, 01:28 PM

I notice that many docu's that show location or the destination will show an earth image that zooms in to the location. I know Google Earth will do that, but not as a movie.

What suggestions and workflow do you all suggest to show location as a moving image system?

Shaughan Flynn · March 9th, 2010, 03:26 PM

Earth Zoom Tutorial

Rouan van der Ende · March 10th, 2010, 11:10 AM

Thats one way, recently I had to do several of these and found a quicker way.

Get Google Earth and fraps

Fraps lets you capture the viewport of google earth to uncompressed .avi :)

Dave Allen · March 10th, 2010, 05:52 PM

Fraps is Windows only, not Mac....I'd boot my Mac in a Windows environment, but I don't have Windows yet...but I am going to research all the links offered up....thanks

Dave Allen · March 10th, 2010, 05:54 PM

Earth Zoom seems to require on have Adobe Elements....I only have Final Cut Pro

crap! lol

Simon Zimmer · March 16th, 2010, 02:32 PM

With the pro version, you can create movies. HD quality looks great.

I use it often.

Expensive though.

Simon

Dave Allen · March 17th, 2010, 08:34 AM

If you create movies with it, how do you deal with zooming in from afar with the time it takes to download or it will be blurred?

Simon Zimmer · March 23rd, 2010, 12:01 PM

Hello,

There is a trial for google earth pro:

Google Earth

Try it out.

You create a tour first and then record the tour which records each frame after the frame has been downloaded. The quality is excellent.

Then you can take the video in your NLE and do what you want with it.

Simon

Dave Allen · March 25th, 2010, 11:51 PM

What I am finding with Google Earth, whether it be the pro version or otherwise, is that when you zoom in all the way to whatever your end zoompoint is, then let it download, then zoom out, and repeat while recording it, that is looks great on screen. BUT, whether recording it using Snapz Pro X or Snow Leopards screen movie capture protocol, the video loses all its smoothness and becomes real steppy.

Does make any difference whether you import it into Final Cut pro and render it, it is still really jerky, whereas animating it onscreen it looks great.

So I am still stuck..

Andrew Smith · March 30th, 2010, 11:36 PM

That jerkiness / stuttering on the screen recorded video is likely to be a CPU / resources issue with the computer that you are working on.

Got a faster computer by any chance? Or maybe screen capture a smaller area?

Andrew

Simon Zimmer · April 6th, 2010, 11:11 AM

You have to use Google Earth Pro (movie maker) option to record not another program.

Andrew also might be right. Is your computer powerful?

The movie maker option works in Google Earth Pro (trial version).

Simon

Dave Allen · April 7th, 2010, 05:58 PM

The computer was a Mac dual core 27" iMac. I find it odd it looked good on screen, the zoom was slow, the buffer was downloaded....

I hate to buy Google Earth Pro for $400 and have it not work smoothly.

Simon Zimmer · April 8th, 2010, 09:17 PM

Hello,

It is not clear from your post if you tried the trial and if you used the movie maker INSIDE google earth?

It does work and the quality is excellent. Not sure what else I can say to help you out.

Sorry.

Simon

Andrew Smith · April 9th, 2010, 07:20 PM

Dave,

Download the pro version of Google Earth and use the option for a free 7 day trial.

Let us know how you go.

Andrew

Simon Wyndham · April 12th, 2010, 10:13 AM

Google Earth Pro isn't just expensive, it is absolutely mind blowingly astoundingly expensive.

Even if you pay for it and record a video, Google still have to give you written approval for using the resulting video in your production.

It is such a shame that NASA's own equivalent to Google Earth isn't going anywhere, because that was free, and from what I have been told the video recording could be better than Google Earth. But I haven't used it because I'm also on a Mac.

March 9th, 2010, 01:28 PM	#1
Dave Allen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 497	Making Animated Maps? Google Earth? I notice that many docu's that show location or the destination will show an earth image that zooms in to the location. I know Google Earth will do that, but not as a movie. What suggestions and workflow do you all suggest to show location as a moving image system? __________________ Dave -

March 9th, 2010, 03:26 PM	#2
Shaughan Flynn Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 272	Earth Zoom Tutorial __________________ B-Scene Films

March 10th, 2010, 05:52 PM	#4
Dave Allen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 497	Fraps is Windows only, not Mac....I'd boot my Mac in a Windows environment, but I don't have Windows yet...but I am going to research all the links offered up....thanks __________________ Dave -

March 10th, 2010, 05:54 PM	#5
Dave Allen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 497	Earth Zoom seems to require on have Adobe Elements....I only have Final Cut Pro crap! lol __________________ Dave -

March 16th, 2010, 02:32 PM	#6
Simon Zimmer Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Easton, Maryland Posts: 497	Google Earth Pro: With the pro version, you can create movies. HD quality looks great. I use it often. Expensive though. Simon

March 10th, 2010, 11:10 AM	#3
Rouan van der Ende Tourist Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Johannesburg, South Africa Posts: 1	Thats one way, recently I had to do several of these and found a quicker way. Get Google Earth and fraps Fraps lets you capture the viewport of google earth to uncompressed .avi :)

March 17th, 2010, 08:34 AM	#7
Dave Allen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 497	If you create movies with it, how do you deal with zooming in from afar with the time it takes to download or it will be blurred? __________________ Dave -

March 23rd, 2010, 12:01 PM	#8
Simon Zimmer Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Easton, Maryland Posts: 497	Google Earth Pro: Hello, There is a trial for google earth pro: Google Earth Try it out. You create a tour first and then record the tour which records each frame after the frame has been downloaded. The quality is excellent. Then you can take the video in your NLE and do what you want with it. Simon

March 25th, 2010, 11:51 PM	#9
Dave Allen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 497	What I am finding with Google Earth, whether it be the pro version or otherwise, is that when you zoom in all the way to whatever your end zoompoint is, then let it download, then zoom out, and repeat while recording it, that is looks great on screen. BUT, whether recording it using Snapz Pro X or Snow Leopards screen movie capture protocol, the video loses all its smoothness and becomes real steppy. Does make any difference whether you import it into Final Cut pro and render it, it is still really jerky, whereas animating it onscreen it looks great. So I am still stuck.. __________________ Dave -

March 30th, 2010, 11:36 PM	#10
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,018	That jerkiness / stuttering on the screen recorded video is likely to be a CPU / resources issue with the computer that you are working on. Got a faster computer by any chance? Or maybe screen capture a smaller area? Andrew

April 6th, 2010, 11:11 AM	#11
Simon Zimmer Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Easton, Maryland Posts: 497	You have to use Google Earth Pro (movie maker) option to record not another program. Andrew also might be right. Is your computer powerful? The movie maker option works in Google Earth Pro (trial version). Simon

April 7th, 2010, 05:58 PM	#12
Dave Allen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 497	The computer was a Mac dual core 27" iMac. I find it odd it looked good on screen, the zoom was slow, the buffer was downloaded.... I hate to buy Google Earth Pro for $400 and have it not work smoothly. __________________ Dave -

April 8th, 2010, 09:17 PM	#13
Simon Zimmer Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Easton, Maryland Posts: 497	Hello, It is not clear from your post if you tried the trial and if you used the movie maker INSIDE google earth? It does work and the quality is excellent. Not sure what else I can say to help you out. Sorry. Simon

April 9th, 2010, 07:20 PM	#14
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,018	Dave, Download the pro version of Google Earth and use the option for a free 7 day trial. Let us know how you go. Andrew

April 12th, 2010, 10:13 AM	#15
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Google Earth Pro isn't just expensive, it is absolutely mind blowingly astoundingly expensive. Even if you pay for it and record a video, Google still have to give you written approval for using the resulting video in your production. It is such a shame that NASA's own equivalent to Google Earth isn't going anywhere, because that was free, and from what I have been told the video recording could be better than Google Earth. But I haven't used it because I'm also on a Mac.