Google Earth Studio

Google Earth Studio is a browser based animation tool that produces motion graphics from Google Earth satellite and 3D imagery. Rather than exporting a static map, a user moves the globe, sets keyframes and builds a camera move, the same way an editor would work in a standard animation package. The output is a rendered image sequence suitable for broadcast, documentary and news production. It suits motion designers, journalists and video producers who need geographic establishing shots without modeling terrain by hand. Up to five quick start templates cover common moves such as an orbit around a point or a flight between two locations, so no animation experience is required to get a usable result. Attributes beyond camera position can be animated, including the position of the sun and the camera field of view. Camera data exports to Adobe After Effects, which lets map labels, pins and other graphics be tracked onto the footage in post production. Earth Studio is free to use and Google publishes no plans or amounts for it. Access is granted on request: a user signs in with a Google account, submits a short form that includes country and intended use, and waits for approval. Two limitations are worth knowing before committing to it. The tool runs only in the desktop version of Google Chrome, and Google still presents it as a preview rather than a generally available product.