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3d maps
Thanks to the courage of many passionate cartography enthusiasts, we can enjoy a interactive map that is advancing day after day on the Internet implementing new features.
A new way of understanding topographic programs data - open source (free) that outside the context of Google Maps, can offer us 3d maps to be able to use them in our daily work or consultation.
From the article surveying with OpenStreetMap and Osmbuildings we have been up to date with the latest developments highlighted in the virtual planes in 3d that define the urbanism and architecture of the city in a different way than satelital map or to the everyday Street map, but at the same time attractive and practical.
The image above is from F4map. Which provides a fresh new vision of the interactive maps Free and open source OpenStreetMap. Only buildings that are vectorized will appear but create some relief maps of the surface of the terrain, elements in movement … etc great!
We start with the list of 3D maps online…
Interactive 3d maps
As we have commented previously, they are tools that can bring us a palpable benefit in our work when it comes to create a map, or to make a query or to present a work.
1.- Maps with F4map and Osm Buildings
Some examples of what we can find on the interactive map of Europe It would be from Paris, unlike the interactive google maps 3D or theflash maps, It seems much more real to us, with more realistic planes.
An example of an urban map:
Or from Spain, in the Plaza de España, where we can already recognize that there is an urban relief and a curved topography on the horizontal plane in the following concept map example that improves the vision of virtual maps.
We can access from HERE to see the map of Madrid in a more global way.
East 3d world map created by F4Map takes data from the famous Osm Buildings that also has that perspective in three dimensions but with fewer finishes.
The free tool for maps gives us different contributions and actions to be able to navigate, from the logic of search and locate addresses geographically over the urban space of the city, Street map or even the mountain, even with possibilities from activating objects, shadows of buildings according to sunlight, rain and snow or being able to navigate around a building among others.
We show in the following panel image some of the characteristics of the world atlas in its section of Graphic options.
As we can see in the image, the «Ground elevations», the elevations on ground represents a new characteristic that provides important improvements in the visualization with respect to the typicalsatellite maps that provide flat information about the world atlas.
We can access it from HERE to see the reference image.
We remember that we also have an article of interest about the best virtual reality apps in architecture… Crazy! That teaches us how far we can go with the mobile before the relief of the objects.
The present interactive world map It represents a useful application for any work that we can do, although it should be noted that the contribution of information about the map by the conventional user is a bit more difficult as it is a free and open source community based on the OpenStreetMap that is the base of the tool that we have explained and a world map, created by people like you and free to use under an open license, where users contribute their knowledge and experience.
If you want to know more from HERE there is a guide for beginners and a new APP from HERE on the web that simplifies our work a lot to be able to add information …
Access to the interactive map we are talking about from the city of New York… HERE.
2.- 3d maps with Google Earth
Possibly the best known tool. Google Earth has amazing details in its 3d map. The architecture of urban landscapes, especially in large cities, is quite detailed; bridges, buildings, monuments, trees, mountains, etc.
There is little we can talk about this tool protected by Google and of which, in addition, we can download a very useful desktop version to play with the 3D cities.
We can go to Google Earth from HERE. Just comment, that exploration routes can be made as we explained in this article on how to make a presentation with Google Earth, a great idea!
3.- Apple Maps
For lovers of the broad Apple ecosystem, it also has its geographic perspectives in three dimensions. It is the Apple Maps, only for those who use iOS, it is the only way to see it.
You have to enter from Apple Maps on iOS and you will see a platform in constant improvement.
One of the best features of Apple Maps It is the "flyover" mode. It is the way to obtain a virtual visit from the air of a certain city or place, as if it were a virtual visit.
4.- Maps from NASA World Wind
This one, like the next one, is more for professionals of digital geography and to create their own maps on the pc.
The NASA World Wind that we can access from HERE. It is a development kit with software (SDK) that has all the necessary tools so that you can create and build your own custom-style 3d map applications.
It's free, open source, and cross-platform. The "3D virtual globe" has a large collection of built-in terrain and satellite images.
5.- ArcGIS Earth
An old acquaintance to create virtual 3D maps, Esri's ArcGIS Earth that you can view HERE.
Like the previous one, you need to download an application for your computer or mobile. Here, the terrain is in 3D view, but the buildings are not.
A program for 3d maps more complex, you need other applications to see the buildings in 3D model. On the web and YouTube there is abundant information
Tools for interactive maps
As a complement to the information we want to provide some used and Applications Web so that we can work and create with more data and online tools, but from an easy perspective and that they have a free section.
Is mapping tools, mostly have access to a interactive 3D world map where our works and projects will enhance its beauty providing quite valuable effects.
Free tool for maps
First to highlight would be the Mapme, free tool for maps that works in a very intuitive and easy way of simple customization, classified in different categories: entertainment, education, health, technology, non-profit organizations, activism and art. They have been specially designed looking for an attractive aesthetic and a perfect display on any device. So it is a good choice forcreate interactive map comfortably.
In the customization process, it is possible to summarize, organize and show the information you want by importing it through Excel documents or other open data sources.
Labels and layers can be created to organize content on the map. Once it's ready, it can be embedded - embedded on any website.
Applications for maps
All these applications have a section for creating free 3d maps.
- It can often be really useful for you What create a map where to find a route or path, the places of interest in your area, a business guide, an interesting holiday tour or anything else you can think of. For these cases, MapHub (Here) is a free web utility with which we can create a interactive map that we can share with a URL or insert it into a web.
- Another powerful virtual application is CartoDB. Tool - Cloud-based software with a lot of power (It has a free plan - No longer according to the last update - and other PROs with more capabilities), it allows to produce interactive maps of great difficulty. A jewel, especially for corporate or institutional employment.
- The one that is on everyone's lips and actively participates in OpenStreetMap is the topographic and mapping utilityMapBox (Here), easy to use and less complex than the previous 2. Focused on creating maps with a layout attractive to the world on-line and online. Intuitive application, good for mobile phones, which also has the free and paid option to perform interactive maps.
- Another interesting application is an open source beta version called Odyssey.js that gives the ability to select between 3 editing templates: slides, scrolling - moving or intimeline. Elements can be designated to highlight places, tell stories, add text, images … etc
- The application Team Maps (Here) it is a bit unique, it lets you show 4 separate Google Maps images at the same location at 45 degrees, which will show the same location from 4 different angles of view, images linked between them, so that if you move a point of view, the others will shift.
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