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Is there some setting I need to adjust to get the most up to date background map?

  • 1.  Is there some setting I need to adjust to get the most up to date background map?

    Posted 12-19-2018 05:40

    The screenshot below shows a construction site that has been completed for at least 2 years. In one of the sessions taken at Dimensions I specifically recall the instructor mentioning the background map in TBC is more up to date than google earth.

     

     

    Thanks,

    Pablo



  • 2.  Re: Is there some setting I need to adjust to get the most up to date background map?

    Posted 12-19-2018 17:42

    Pablo

     

    Not necessarily always the case - I have done a number of comparisons on known jobsites and I have seen that the Digital Globe Imagery that we are using to be more recent than Google Earth imagery. I am also sure that in certain parts of the world Google Earth imagery may be more recent than Digital Globe Imagery. 

     

    One of my colleagues this week actually answered one of our sales people as follows

     

    Digital Globe are a little vague in their marketing materials as to how recent their imagery really is. They attempt to refly the entire earth and update imagery at least every 36 months - and in many cases it is less than 24 months. Google have many crews flying the earth also and they are on a similar timetable, and they use Digital Globe imagery to fill in gaps in the Google Earth imagery.

     

    What we do know is that in rapidly developing areas, they will get prioritized to be flown and updated more often than in fairly static areas of development where little changes from year to year. I guess commercially, that both Google and Digital Globe go more frequently to areas where there imagery is being purchased (and generating revenue and profit) more than other areas (where consumption is lower). Also where "Something Cool" is going on they will for sure fly that and get more up to date imagery than in others where less cool stuff is happening.

     

    So it is not possible to answer this question fully or accurately, the world is a big place and a large amount of ground to cover. Construction changes the landscape daily. These companies are doing their best to update Image Databases, but at any given time in any given place one will no doubt be ahead of the other. If you need up to date imagery, it is available from many sources for a price and you can also fly the site with a Drone and create your own imagery these days.

     

    Sorry I cannot be more precise than that - I was the person that likely said at Dimensions that I have seen that Digital Globe is often more recent than Google Earth imagery, but for sure that is not guaranteed everywhere all the time.

     

    Alan