GIS 5007 - Google Earth Virtual Tour

The final week of GIS 5007 here and the course has ended by exploring Neo Cartography. Simply put Neo Cartography refers to the new wave of cartography and cartographic practices, and the direction it is headed in. Highlighted in this week's lecture was Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and 3D mapping. VGI refers to an app/site/initiative that allows volunteers to contribute locational information regarding a specific topic. In most instances persons volunteering have limited training, however the data produced is publicly available. VGI, while it does have some disadvantages and limitations, can be extremely helpful in areas where data is limited and, also, cost effective. 

To explore 3D mapping, this week's lab introduced students to utilizing KML files in conjunction with Google Earth Pro to create a virtual tour. While only some of the images in Google Earth Pro appear in 3D, such as urban centers, the virtual tour function gives cartographers the option of displaying data in a dynamic way. To complete the virtual tour students initially had to convert data to KML format, which is the accepted format in Google Earth Pro. Once the data was opened in Google Earth Pro, students could then create placemarks and record movement to various places. Below is a still image of Population Density in South Florida, and overview of the area virtually toured. 

Still image of South Florida Population Density (Overview Area)

This assignment was a great one to end with. However, I did come across a challenge when recording my virtual tour. Movement and navigation sometimes seemed a little choppy and I would have preferred it to be a bit smoother. This could be due to the processing speeds of my computer. 


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