Google Earth API

[Oscar]

I just attended an IT Conference and had the chance to discuss, 'off-hand', Google Earth with one of their Geospatial Engineers. The bottom line was that Google would love the opportunity to create an API for the DCS products. Gave them the links to DCS. The API could easily provide a web-based or client/server whiteboarding capability for mission planning in a cooperative environment as well as build a mission shell/template (*.miz) based on the collaborative planning session. That just floored me!! And if that wasn't enough, I was shown a fully integrated 3D Google Earth implementation of Nellis AFB that included all the FAA air routes, VFR/IFR, air field restricted areas, ILS, charting data, arrival and depature routes, MOA's, etc, etc, for that entire area!!! It was unbelievable!!! and they can do it for any segment of airspace. Think of it TacView on super-steriods!

 

Wags, you need to contact these folks.

[power5]

This is possible in FSX, but I remember reading about some difficulties, not sure what they were anymore as that was a few years ago when I had a copy of FSX.

[Slayer]

A guy made a freeware program that allowed you to use Google earth in FSX but google asked the guy to remove the functionality. I guess they didn't want thousands of FSX users bogging down their servers...

[Moa]

That "freeware program" was of course Tileproxy:

http://www.edtruthan.com/tileproxy/tutorial/

 

Google objected to Tileproxy obtaining texture tiles from the Google servers. Fortunately there are plenty of other mapping servers (Nasa, Microsoft) that did not object.

 

The (open-source!) equivalent of Tileproxy for X-Plane is called G2XPL, although that is much harder to get going.

 

Also, Joe Kerr experimented with integrating TacView data for display in Google Earth. This is fairly well documented by the Googlers - although the downside is their preferred integration route is using JavaScript (ugh!).

 

See Joe Kerr's post, which has some great visuals: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=53517

 

Of course Google would like to do this. They would then own the servers on which this runs, and the resulting collected data. They they have you trapped and can decide how to monitize this later.

 

It is bad for a single entity (commercial or otherwise) to hold access and control to *your* data. It may not be a problem now but it could be in the future. Don't exchange your freedom for convenience.

 

It is good you got the DCS name under the noses of Google Oscar but we (as a community) ought to be wary of allowing others to control over our experience. Especially when talented folk like Joe Kerr have shown they're perfectly able to create their own solutions without handing over the 'keys to the kingdom'.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Moa

[hassata]

Monitize--gotta love it.

 

Exchanging freedom for convenience, you just described my life in four words lol.

[Oscar]

Not withstanding data ownership issues and those that would 'monitize' the process (anything can be negotiated), I couldn't help but recognize the potential technology being presented and passing it along. To have the capability to do collaborative mission planning, with drawning tools, through a web-based interface prior to mission execution, even on a small scale, would be worth the price of admission. Just my humble opinion.