BMC's Data Directions
Directions for using Google Earth™ to view Baltimore Metropolitan Council data
1. Open Google Earth™ by double clicking the Google Earth™ icon on your desktop or locating the program through the Start button.
2. Within Google Earth™ click on File in the top left corner, and then click on Open.
3. Navigate to the location where you saved the BMC files (which will have a .kmz extension) and double click. This will add the files to the bottom of the list in the Places pane on the left side of the screen.
2. Within Google Earth™ click on File in the top left corner, and then click on Open.
3. Navigate to the location where you saved the BMC files (which will have a .kmz extension) and double click. This will add the files to the bottom of the list in the Places pane on the left side of the screen.
4. Scroll down to the new files and follow the directions under each file to activate it. Generally, you will double-click on the name of the file and be zoomed to that location. You may click in the boxes to the left of the file name to activate more information, or click on boxes underneath it to display a photo. There are also a number of tours that will zoom you along a roadway.
Now you have spatially accurate BMC data that you can view in the Google Earth™ setting!
Tips and Tricks
How to Play Selected Tours on Interstate 83:
In Google Earth™:
1. Go to Tools -> Options
2. Click on Control
3. Check the box next to Advanced; more options should appear
4. Type in 80 for the Camera Tilt Angle
5. Type in 270 for the Camera Range
6. Slide the Toggle Bar for Speed under the lower left hand corner of the Camera Range Dialog Box.
7. Click Apply Settings and return to Google Earth™
8. Scroll down in the Places pane on the left side and select a tour on I-83 Into City or Out of City
How to Play Selected tours other than Interstate 83:
8. Scroll down in the Places pane on the left side and select a tour on I-83 Into City or Out of City
How to Play Selected tours other than Interstate 83:
In Google Earth™:
1. Go to Tools -> Options
2. Click on Control
3. Check the box next to Advanced; more options should appear
4. Click Reset to Default in the lower left hand corner
5. Slide the Toggle Bar for Speed under the S in Meters.
6. Click Apply Settings and return to Google Earth™
7. Scroll down in the Places pane on the left side and select a tour other than IS83
How to view the entire extent of a layer or feature (line segment or point):
7. Scroll down in the Places pane on the left side and select a tour other than IS83
How to view the entire extent of a layer or feature (line segment or point):
1. Double click on the text of that layer/folder that contains the feature
2. Google Earth™ will zoom you to the full extent of that feature
Tutorials and Support
- Google Earth™ Support Center
- Tutorials (Right click, choose "Save Target As" and save to your computer; change extension back from .zip to .kmz, then open within Google Earth™)
- How Do I Post My Placemark? (Right click, choose "Save Target As" and save to your computer; change extension back from .zip to .kmz, then open within Google Earth™)
Links within this web site:
Visit BMC's Data Download Center
Travel speeds (using GPS)
Aerial surveys
Links to other web sites:
Download Google Earth™
Last Updated on Monday, 12 January 2009 06:05