Google have added a new set of 3D imagery, this time focused on central Sydney, Australia’s largest city. The new 3D elements to the city completes the full 3D scan of the city.
Like many cities around the world, as you visit Sydney on Google Earth, you’ll now see the buildings and famous landmarks like the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and popular tourist spots Darling Harbour and The Rocks.
Google say they’ve made many improvements to the modeling process that helps achieve an even more precise 3D landscape. (Check out this video to learn more about the process.)
Google even managed to capture details like a massive cruise liner docked in Sydney Harbour. The whole thing may look like something from the game Sim City, but it’s actually some amazing technology layered on serious geospacial imaging efforts from the Google Earth team.
Make sure you check out the guided tour, Explore Sydney which helps you plan your trip to Sydney by leveraging a combination of Google technologies. To begin, famous locations are mapped on Google Maps, an animation transitions you (using Google Earth), and finally at each location, you’re taken into street view to feel as if you’re walking around Sydney from anywhere in the world.
It really is a great experience that visually demonstrates how close these attractions are from each other. It’s one thing to see them plotted on a 2D map, but having the guided tour experience is something else entirely.
This is a fantastic demonstration of what’s possible when you have the scale of Google and the combination of talented engineers in different departments across the globe.
You can read more in the blog post here.
Google earth has failed to map all of Sydney… it’s only done about 5% .. even Melbourne has more 3D coverage . You go to London UK … the entire city is mapped in 3D not just Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace … Google Earth apparently doesn’t think Australia is worth mapping in 3D .. pity