Home



Go to HH maps to get Google Earth resources for //The Kite Runner// and Iditarod projects.

Getting Started
Download and install Google Earth (click on the icon).

Google Earth Toolbars

 * Check out each menu to see what is available in Google Earth. Tools > Play Tour is a real attention-getter. || [[image:toolbar1.JPG]] ||
 * Place your cursor over each icon to see what tasks may be performed. Viewing the Sun is pretty cool! || [[image:toolbar.JPG]] ||

Google Earth Interface
When you first open Google Earth, you will see three task panes in the left hand panel (**Search**, **Places**, **Layers**) and a view of the globe in the main window. On the "Fly To" tab, you may type specific addresses (such as your home address) and Google Earth will "fly" to that location. Or you may type a city or a country. Try different types of sites and see where you go! If you have the GPS coordinates of a specific location, you may type them in the "Fly To" box to go to that exact spot.
 * [[image:Search.jpg align="left"]] || ===Search Task Pane===

When you find a location that you want to save, simply drag it from the **Search** results box and drop it in the My Places Folder in the **Places** task pane. You may prefer to create your own Placemarker for a given location. Instructions on how to do this are found on the 2 - Adding Markers page. || By default, Google Earth provides you with My Places and Temporary Places folders. When you drag and drop a location into My Places, you may save it for later use by going to File > Save... > Save Place As and giving it a meaningful filename.
 * ===Places Task Pane===

If you plan to create a group of related locations, you may find it beneficial to create a folder to store them in by right clicking My Places > Add > Folder. You may drag and drop individual locations into any folder you create. Then you may save the entire folder with multiple locations within.

Any boxes with checkmarks in them (see picture to the right) indicate that all of the contents of that folder or the individual location itself will be displayed in the Google Earth viewer. The " + " indicates there is additional information that is not shown - simply click the " + " to expand the folder and its contents.

If you do not want a particular location or group of locations to be displayed in the Google Earth viewer, simply uncheck the relevant boxes in the list of Places**.** || || Google Earth provides a wealth of content in addition to satellite imagery of the world. However, the more content you choose to display as you tour the world, the slower your experience will be. For the least cluttered view and most responsive tour, expand the entire Primary Database folder by clicking the "+" sign and UNCHECK all the features except those shown on the left. You may always go back later to the Layers Task Pane and turn on features you would like to use or display.
 * [[image:KRLayers.jpg align="left"]] || ===Layers Task Pane===

Click [|here] to learn more about Layers and all the information contained in them. ||