Google Earth™ Integration Tools Help

The GeoFUSE Google Earth™ Integration Tools leverage the popular Google Earth™ software platform to provide an engaging and simple-to-use interface to locate GeoEye imagery anywhere in the world. Users familiar with Google Earth™ will find the interface to be simple and intuitive.

If you are new to Google Earth™, we encourage you to explore Google™-provided help resources to provide you with a basic understanding of the interface. A link to download the Google Earth™ software is also provided.

› Google Earth Help Resources
› Google Earth™ Download

How to Use Google Earth™ to Locate GeoEye Imagery

To assist you in familiarizing yourself with the process of using Google Earth to locate GeoEye Imagery, we have provided two resources:

› Getting Started
› Screen Layout

If this help documentation does not answer your questions, additional assistance can be obtained by sending an e-mail to GeoFUSE Support.

Getting Started

Following is a step-by-step tutorial on how to use Google Earth™ to locate GeoEye imagery.

IMPORTANT: The satellite imagery shown in default views within Google Earth™ is delivered by Google Earth™ and is not necessarily reflective of GeoEye archive image availability, quality or conditions. Preview-quality images of GeoEye archive images are available and can be overlaid on the map surface upon completion of an Image Catalog search as detailed below.

  1. Open the GeoEye Google Earth™ Services KML File
    To load the GeoEye Image Catalog Search services into Google Earth, you must open the GeoEye Google Earth™ Services KML file. (KML is a Google Earth™ file format.)

    For best results, we recommend that you launch the Google Earth™ application prior to downloading/opening the GeoEye Image Catalog KML file. To open the GeoEye Image Catalog Search Services, simply click the Google Earth™ Integration Tools link on the left side of this page. If Google Earth™ is properly installed, it should load automatically. As an alternative, the KML file can be saved to your local computer and opened from within Google Earth™ using the "File" menu and the "open" option.

    You may return to the GeoFUSE Google Earth™ Integration Tools site at any time to access the most recent version of the KML file.

    TIP: If you have not used Google Earth™ before, be sure that you download and install it or you will be unable to open the KML file.

  2. Find a Place on the Globe
    Using any combination of the tools provided by Google Earth™ (e.g., "fly to" geocoding, zoom, pan, etc.), find a place on the globe where you wish to search for GeoEye archive imagery.

    NOTE: Before an Image Catalog search can be initiated, please make sure you have zoomed-in to the globe sufficiently. Searches cannot be performed when this message is visible:




  3. Perform an Image Catalog Search
    Once you have zoomed-in to your area of interest, you will see the following message:



    Click the red box icon. An information bubble will appear, displaying options for cloud cover preferences. Click the link located to the right of the desired cloud cover preference to initiate an Image Catalog Search.




  4. Browse the Image Catalog Search Results
    After selecting a cloud cover preference, Google Earth™ will transparently query the GeoEye Image Catalog for available archive imagery. Within a few moments, footprints will be displayed (if available) showing available archive imagery.

    NOTE: Depending on the speed of your Internet connection and/or other factors, it may take a few moments for the search results to appear. Thank you for your patience during any brief delays.

    Image Catalog Search results are identified by cloud cover as follows:

    1. A green border box with a green sun icon in its center indicates an image footprint with 20% cloud cover or less.

    2. If applicable to your search, a blue border box with a blue cloud and sun icon in its center indicates an image footprint with 20% to 50% cloud cover.

    3. If applicable to your search, a white border box with a light blue cloud icon in its center indicates an image footprint with 50% to 100% cloud cover.

    4. A red border box shows the area of interest upon which the Image Catalog search was based(the original extent of your Google Maps view, which may be auto-zoomed outward when available footprints are displayed).

    To reduce or increase the number of footprints displayed by date range, adjust the date slider bar at the top of the screen. Footprints will be dynamically displayed or suppressed as you make changes.



    Click the icon at the center of a footprint to display an information bubble with additional options, such as viewing a preview-quality version of the image or to view full image metadata as shown here:



Screen Layout

The following is a screen layout diagram of the Google Earth™ application to include callouts defining the screen elements.

  1. GeoEye Integration References
    The grouping under Places is the integration point between Google Earth™ and the GeoEye Image Catalog. This can be saved or removed following your Google Earth™ session (you will be asked whether you wish to keep this and/or other Temporary Places when you exit Google Earth.)

  2. Image Catalog Search Results Integration References
    For each Image Catalog search initiated within Google Earth™ a folder hierarchy will be displayed in the Places list. The structure defines the area of interest and corresponding image footprints grouped by year. When use of a specific search result dataset is complete, right-clicking the highest folder in the hierarchy (labeled "GeoEye Image Catalog Search Results"), and selecting Delete from the context menu  will delete the directory and keep your Google Earth™ Temporary Places list from becoming cluttered.

  3. Footprint Legend
    When footprints are displayed, a legend will indicate the meaning of cloud cover symbology and coloring (the outline color of the footprints displayed depend upon the cloud cover preference selected at the beginning of the search).

  4. Date Slider
    Use the date slider bar to expand, contract, or move the date range within which corresponding image footprints are displayed.

  5. Area of Interest
    A red border symbolizes the area of interest used for your search. Because the view may be automatically zoomed-out to display matching footprints, the red box clearly displays the search extent used.

  6. Search Initiation Icon (Red Box)
    Clicking the small red box allows you to initiate a new Image Catalog Search at any time.

    TIP: Remove old searches prior to initiating new ones to keep your places list from becoming cluttered (as described in #2, above).

  7. Footprints
    Green, blue and white boxes represent the footprints of images corresponding to your Image Catalog search.

  8. Footprint Center Icon
    Click the icon in the center of any footprint to display an information bubble with the options to view a preview-quality image or to see the full image metadata.

  9. Standard Google Earth™ View Controls
    Standard Google Earth™ controls for manipulating the current view. To learn about these controls, consult Google Earth™ help.