About a month or so ago, Google Earth Pro was converted as a Free Service by Google. Google Earth Pro for free should be a godsend to architects and real estate agents, especially in the US. So what does it do for ordinary users, hobbyists and the like? [Download guide in the last paragraph]
One thing that it does for normal people is we get to enjoy a product or service which even in 2014 used to cost $ 399 per year. Now all those corporates and gungho types who used to flaunt their GE Pro subscription can look sheepish, grin and curse Google. Apart from that satisfaction, is there anything really useful for normal users in Google Earth Pro, which could not be done in the original Google Earth?
For the record, here are things you can do with Google Earth Pro:
Not so much for normal user-
Though SHP files can be viewed in Google Earth Pro, you cannot edit them. For that you still need the free QGIS or other GIS tools – not that editing a shapefile is easy even in QGIS.
If you are willing go get your hands dirty, an alternate is to save the SHP file as KML, then edit it in either a Text editor like Notepad++ or in Google Maps, or in combination.
:-P
Download Google Earth Pro from [https://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html]
Till last week you had to fill up a form to get a licence. It has been superseded with the universal licence key ‘GEPFREE’. Use your Gmail ID with ‘GEPFREE’ (without quotes) to sign in.
In case your download fails (it did for me twice), use this direct link instead [http://dl.google.com/dl/earth/client/advanced/current/googleearthprowin.exe]
Update June 2015: Use direct links for Google Earth Free/Pro from this page instead
[https://support.google.com/earth/answer/168344?hl=en]
Enjoy!
One thing that it does for normal people is we get to enjoy a product or service which even in 2014 used to cost $ 399 per year. Now all those corporates and gungho types who used to flaunt their GE Pro subscription can look sheepish, grin and curse Google. Apart from that satisfaction, is there anything really useful for normal users in Google Earth Pro, which could not be done in the original Google Earth?
For the record, here are things you can do with Google Earth Pro:
Not so much for normal user-
- Print high resolution images (a normal user is not going to print at such high resolution)
- Import 2500 addresses at once (does any normal person have 2500 addresses?)
- Capture HD Video of screen (yeah, we do HD videos every day)
- 3D Measurements (good if you are planning some construction, or additions)
- Demographics & Traffic Counts – only US (as I said great for users in USA)
- Parcel Boundaries – only US (zoom to a property and view assessed value, zoning, construction date, area, lot size, etc.)
- Drag & Drop GIS data – (while not a full fledged GIS tool, GE Pro should be good enough for most)
Though SHP files can be viewed in Google Earth Pro, you cannot edit them. For that you still need the free QGIS or other GIS tools – not that editing a shapefile is easy even in QGIS.
If you are willing go get your hands dirty, an alternate is to save the SHP file as KML, then edit it in either a Text editor like Notepad++ or in Google Maps, or in combination.
:-P
Download Google Earth Pro from [https://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html]
Till last week you had to fill up a form to get a licence. It has been superseded with the universal licence key ‘GEPFREE’. Use your Gmail ID with ‘GEPFREE’ (without quotes) to sign in.
In case your download fails (it did for me twice), use this direct link instead [
Update June 2015: Use direct links for Google Earth Free/Pro from this page instead
[https://support.google.com/earth/answer/168344?hl=en]
Enjoy!
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