Step 5: Using Windows Live Local

Windows live local is a great tool to get a birds eye view of a specific area or building without any obstructions. It is a great way to compare proportions of buildings to compares things like height and width. At some point we will try and provide the students with exact measurements for all the buildings.

- In your web browser type in http://maps.live.com/
- Type in: Bank of America, Kingston, NY and press enter
- This will give you a list of Bank of America buildings at different locations on the left side of your screen
- Click on the number next to the Bank of America located on Broadway
- You can zoom into your map by double clicking on the corresponding number next to the address of the bank
- Keep double clicking until you can see broadway and Bank of America
- Click on the birds eye view button on the top of your screen to get a street view of the Bank of America building.
- The Birds Eye View allows you to move around and look at a building from the other side of the street. This is a great tool to use when creating buildings as it gives you the ability to compare proportions of buildings to other next to them. It also allows you to get a sense of the architectural details which is very important in making a building identifiable when its being recreated.

Watch the video below to learn how to navigate through the interface and follow the steps mentioned above.



Next : watch the demo on how to import and export a terrain from Google Earth into Google SketchUp