CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Computers, GPS, 'Smart' 'Phones

'Apple expands Maps Flyover support to 9 new locations including Edinburgh'

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    "

    The latest Flyover updates are being pushed out to Apple Maps servers now, meaning 3D assets may not be immediately available to all users.

    "

    http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/02/24/apple-expands-maps-flyover-support-to-9-new-locations-including-venice-italy

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

    Now live!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. cb
    Member

    Really impressive and a huge amount of 3D building data on there.
    Works really well on the iPad, but can I access from a PC? I can sign into Apple Maps (why do I need to sign in?) but then it insists on asking if I'm a small business with no option to say 'no' and I can;t get any further.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. drnoble
    Member

    Looks like the images were from about August last year, as lots of fringe venues up, plus trams running. Just lost half an hour browsing round Edinburgh!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    " of fringe venues up, plus trams running. Just lost half an hour browsing round Edinburgh!"

    Only half an hour!!!

    Yes must have been August, yes trams running - but did you spot any?

    One remarkable thing about the rendering is that they have mostly removed the traffic.

    I first thought they must have photographed Edinburgh very early on a Sunday morning, but it's not that simple.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. drnoble
    Member

    There is a tram at Edinburgh Park stop.

    The images will be a composite of many shots, and so moving objects would be blurred, so their algorithm must remove it somehow. There are a few places it's not worked well though

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. cb
    Member

    There are quite a few vehicles about, many of them have been rendered in 3D. Check out the train (and gantries) at Waverley.

    It is very well implemented, way ahead of Google Earth. I always assumed with GE that buildings had to be added by some manual or semi-manual process, but it feels like here they (and trees and sheds and cars) have been automatically added by some clever algorithm. Or have Apple thrown money (and people at it)?

    Today I am a little amazed. No doubt in a year or two I will take this kind of thing for granted.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. crowriver
    Member

    Aye, quite impressive. Runs beautifully on a MacBook Pro. You need Apple's Maps app so I daresay it won't run on a PC not running Apple's Mac OS X.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. slowcoach
    Member

    Thanks for pointing this out. Some of it is really good. Objects made up of flat shapes seem to have worked best, but the amount of detail is quite amazing for now, as cb said. Some anomalies such as the bus on Princes near Debenhams - the shape is there but the lower half has been covered with pictures of the road/kerb/markings, so from some angles it is hard to see but change position and it becomes quite noticeable. Pylons are a bit weird eg near the bypass (near Loanhead Gilmerton cyclepath) and trees aren't so good. Near Granton the gasometer is surprisingly well done, although it looks as if it has solid sides the colours of the background.
    Some info on how it was done(?): http://gadgetguy.info/How-Apple-Creates-3D-map-flyover/

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. PS
    Member

    I'd agree that this looks superb. I've only used it on my iPhone while it's plugged in and charging (and judging by the heat it generates, I suspect it uses an awful lot of processing power and energy) but it looks great. Works really well when accompanied by whooshing noises to simulate flying :-)

    I suspect it would crash my 8 year old MacBook, which I'm lining up for replacement with a MacBook Pro once Apple pulls it finger out with an updated version...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. cb
    Member

    Thanks for the Gadgetguy link slowcoach.

    That does seem to confirm that it's done automagically (stereoscope and lots and lots of photos) and that Google Earth seems to rely on a manaul process.

    Works very well on an iPad2.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Scott Monument by Dali?

    Posted 9 years ago #

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