Free geospatial desktop application

Google Earth Pro is a free geospatial desktop application that allows you to see the world and create highly detailed maps. Aimed at users with advanced feature needs, Earth Pro’s 3D mapping system allows you to import and export GIS data, go back in time with historical imagery, and analyze and capture geographical data.

Does Google Earth Pro still exist?

Google Earth Pro does still exist and is part of Google’s suite of Earth mapping systems. The suite includes Google Earth for Chrome, Google Earth for Android mobile, and Google Earth Pro on desktop. Earth software is updated periodically by Google to fix issues and bugs, although some users might find that data is out of date.

Users might wonder what the difference is between Google Earth Pro and Google Earth. Simply, Google Earth is a more basic, in-browser version of Google’s 3D mapping software. It is fast and accessible.

Google Earth Pro, on the other hand, is a more versatile and comprehensive option that’s designed to be downloaded to your desktop. Google Earth Pro is available on PC, Mac OS X 10.8 or later, and Linux.

The software has all the easy-to-use features and detailed imagery of Google Earth, along with advanced tools that help you measure 3D buildings, print high-resolution images for presentations or reports, and record HD movies of your virtual flights around the world, among other things.

Those wanting to use Google Earth Pro as a professional Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tool can import and export a variety of GIS data from common software like ArcGis, QGis, ESRI Shapefile, and others. You can also import Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data. Google has extensive step-by-step guides to help users get the most out of the Earth products.

Users looking for an alternative to Google Earth Pro‘s GIS software can try Quantum GIS, which allows you to create and edit your own geospatial information. MapWindow GIS, meanwhile, is a free program that gives you more than one visualizing option to aid your analyses and reporting.

Google Earth differs from Google Maps in that it has complete 3D satellite data and just a small subset of information on places, without any point-to-point navigation. Google Maps, however, contains navigation, lightweight mapping power, and points of interest with just a small hint of satellite imagery.

How do I download Google Earth Pro?

It is easy to download Google Earth Pro for free. Simply download and run the .exe file – installation is quick and simple. The program will open automatically, displaying a Start-up Tips box, which is useful for first-time users. Topics covered here include how to navigate in Google Earth, view layers and locations from the past, and search for places such as cities or your own home.

What can I do with Google Earth Pro?

Once you have close the Start-Up tips, you will be greeted by an image of the earth floating in space that you can turn and tilt according to your chosen angle or until you find the area you want to visit. Simply click, hold and drag your mouse to rotate the 3D globe. To zoom in or out, scroll upwards or downwards on your mouse.

When you first open Google Earth Pro, you will need to spend some time getting acquainted with the program and experimenting with what it can do. There are picture icons at the top of the interface that you use to add shapes, paths, and other features onto the map. Tooltips will guide you through the uses of each icon. Down the left-hand side, you will see menus for searching, saving specific places, and choosing information layers, such as 3D buildings, roads, and borders, depending on what you want to the map to display.

Some of the things you can do in Google Earth Pro include adding placemarks, paths, polygons, photos, and YouTube videos, overlaying scanned maps, adding legends and other images, and creating a narrated tour of your mapping project. You can also look at historical views of places and examine past traffic and development in an area, add or remove geographical features, survey the distance and size of specific areas, and adjust the time of day.

High-quality imagery as standard

One of the principal highlights of Google Earth Pro is its amazingly high-quality satellite images and aerial photography. Imagery resolution ranges from 15 meters of resolution to 15 centimeters.

For much of the earth, Google Earth uses digital elevation model data collected by NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. This creates the impression of three-dimensional terrain, even where the imagery is only two-dimensional.

When using the program, the high-resolution images never become distorted or unrecognizable after zooming in for a closer look; they are consistently clear even at the very closest zoom.

What’s even more impressive is that you can navigate around an area as if traveling there on foot, allowing you to explore some of the world’s most exciting locations from the street-level. To do this, you will need to click on the ‘View in Google Earth on the web’ icon and choose Street View on the web version. For a truly immersive experience, Google Earth VR even allows you to interact with Earth maps using Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets.

Even though it’s estimated that Google Earth now covers more than 98 percent of the world, there are, of course, a few select areas that are not available in street view. These areas include restricted facilities, countries, and cities where Google imaging is prohibited and other remote locations.

If you’re looking for an alternative to Google Earth Pro, however, the open-source NASA World Wind stands out for the quality of its satellite imagery.

Some users report that they run into issues with their graphics driver when using Earth Pro and that the program sometimes fails on PCs with different specs. We ran the software on Windows 10 and encountered no difficulties in using it. If you have problems, however, you can try clearing or reinstalling your graphics driver to see if that fixes the issue.

Powerful mapping software

Google Earth Pro is a powerful mapping software designed to be used on a desktop computer. Utilizing the Google Earth technology, Earth Pro renders a 3D representation of earth, based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the earth by superimposing satellite images, aerial photography and GIS data onto a 3D globe.

Pro is an excellent program for advanced map users as it has a multitude of tools and features. While there are alternatives, few systems come close to Google Earth Pro’s level of detail.

It’s a globe that sits inside your PC. You point and zoom to anyplace on the planet that you want to explore. Satellite images and local facts zoom into view.

Tap into Google search to show local points of interest and facts. Zoom to a specific address to check out an apartment or hotel. View driving directions and even fly along your route.