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GoogleMapToEarth_README.md

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GoogleMapToEarth - View Google Maps Location in Google Earth

This bookmarklet takes the current Google Maps view (location, search result, or coordinates) and opens it in Google Earth in a new browser tab.

Purpose

For users who want to explore a location with the rich, 3D satellite imagery and terrain data of Google Earth, this bookmarklet provides a seamless transition from a Google Maps page. It simplifies the process of transferring your current map view to the Google Earth web application.

Features

  • Extracts Location Data: Parses the Google Maps URL to extract coordinates (latitude, longitude), zoom level, and potentially other view parameters.
  • Handles Different URL Formats: Works with common Google Maps URL structures, including those for specific places, search results, and coordinate-based views.
  • Constructs Google Earth URL: Creates a valid Google Earth URL that attempts to replicate the view from Google Maps.
  • Opens in New Tab: Launches Google Earth in a new tab, keeping your Google Maps page open.

Installation

Easy Install

  1. Visit the GoogleMapToEarth Bookmarklet Installer
  2. Drag the created bookmarklet link to your bookmarks bar.

Manual Install

  1. Create a new bookmark in your browser.
  2. Set the name to "GoogleMapToEarth" or "Open in Google Earth".
  3. Set the URL to the JavaScript code found in GoogleMapToEarth.js.
  4. Save the bookmark.

Usage

  1. Navigate to Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps or your local version).
  2. Find a location, perform a search, or adjust the map view to your desired perspective.
  3. Click the "GoogleMapToEarth" bookmarklet in your bookmarks bar.
  4. A new tab will open, loading Google Earth centered on the location from your Google Maps view.

How It Works

The bookmarklet primarily functions by manipulating URLs:

  1. Get Current URL: It reads the current window.location.href.
  2. URL Parsing:
    • It looks for patterns in the Google Maps URL that typically contain location data. Common patterns include /maps/place/, /maps/search/, or coordinates directly in the path like /@lat,lng,zoomZ.
    • It uses regular expressions to extract latitude, longitude, and zoom level from the URL.
  3. Construct Google Earth URL:
    • The standard Google Earth URL format is https://earth.google.com/web/@lat,lng,altitudeA,distanceD,tiltT,headingH.
    • It uses the extracted latitude and longitude.
    • The zoom level from Google Maps is converted into an approximate distance or altitude parameter for Google Earth. This conversion might be an estimation as the zoom paradigms differ.
    • Other parameters like tilt and heading might be set to defaults or estimated if possible.
  4. Open New Tab: It uses window.open() to launch the constructed Google Earth URL in a new tab.
  5. Error Handling: If the current URL doesn't look like a recognizable Google Maps URL, it might alert the user or do nothing.

(Note: The exact parsing logic can be complex due to the variety of Google Maps URL formats. The description above is a general approach.)

Technical Notes

  • The accuracy of the view replication in Google Earth (especially zoom/altitude) depends on how well the Google Maps URL parameters can be translated to Google Earth URL parameters.
  • Google frequently updates its URL structures, which might require the bookmarklet's parsing logic to be updated periodically.

License

MIT License - See LICENSE

Author

Created by Oskar Austegard