Slashgeo

A slashgeo user wrote to me sharing this article (in French) introducing IGN's Geoportail, which provides a France-centric Google Earth experience (the 10 screenshots can be understood even if you don't read French ;-). In short, the Institut Géographique National (IGN) will provide a Google Earth-like tool with 400,000 photographs at a 50 cm spatial resolution to be launched in Summer 2006. They target full 3D views for 2007. Cadastral information will be included along with the large IGN information database.

Anything Geospatial links to the very short CNN announcement of GeoPortail.fr (geoportail.fr is very slow right now). See our previous coverage with screenshots. From CNN: "But President Jacques Chirac stressed the need for France to have such a site, which will allow Internet users to view aerial photos and maps, saying the state had to be at the cutting edge of modern technology." Unless I'm mistaken, the title is misleading: unlike Google Earth, you don't have to download any application, so it's closer to Windows Live Local or Google Maps in 3D.

I recently discussed geographic exploration systems and Skyline's offer, but better, Directions Mag shares a full article about SkylineGlobe's Virtual Globe. From the article: "Developers need to be aware of two important characteristics that distinguish Skyline's product from the offerings of other 3D globe products: Skyline offers a free API to build globe applications based on the technology and the ability to overlay imagery (still or video) in real time over the terrain. [...] Skyline is "closer" to the GIS marketplace than Google Earth at this point, due to its support for an extensive list of GIS data/database formats (Oracle Spatial, ArcSDE, .kml, shp, dxf, geotiff, ECW, MrSID, GPS) and OGC specifications (WMS, WFS). It's also got a leg up with professionally created 3D buildings and the ability to create and add your own."

VerySpatial links to a video interview with Patrick LeBoeuf, of the French National Geographic Institute. From the blog: "The video is about 11 minutes long and the conversation is in French [...], but it does show the current 3D functionality, including imagery overlaid on terrain, and also topographic maps overlaid as well."

After some time inaccessible, we can now navigate on geoportail.fr. The Ogle Earth blog links to a UK Times review and provides corrections to the article. From the article: "The site, www.geoportail.fr, has been a runaway success, with its base of 400,000 aerial photographs covering the non-sensitive parts of the country, showing everything down to the size of a manhole cover. France’s overseas territories in the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific are also included."

World Wind Central let us know a plugin has been developped to view the French GeoPortail data in NASA World Wind. From the post: "It imports the data of the IGN Géoportail into WorldWind, so one can make use of the high resolution imagery on the whole French territory. It is the first version so there are still quite a few problems."

64North writes "The Virtual Globes Directory Blog reports that Skyline Software Systems Inc. has launched SkylineGlobe.com today. This event marks Skyline's belated entry into the web-based virtual globes arena for the masses, and it will remain to be seen whether consumers are willing to embrace this new service." Update: 10/10 13:43 GMT by S :Here's two early reviews, one from The Earth is Square and the second from the Virtual Globes Directory (via Ogle Earth).

Ogle Earth reports "Last summer, amid much fanfare and little server capacity, the France's National Geographic Institute (IGN) released Géoportail, a 2D web mapping application that was (inaccurately) self-described as France's answer to Google Earth. A 3D version was promised for 2007. It has now arrived." Update: 08/01 13:24 GMT by S : We also got an anonymous user submission on the subject: "Géoportail is an initiative of the French National Geographical Institute (IGN). In spite of it's difficult beginnings, Géoportail is now the reference portal for access to all French state and private sector geographical data. The only thing which it missed compared to its competitors such as Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth was the absence of 3D. This lack is now filled. The visualization of the 3D maps charts is done through a TerraExplorer plugin developed by Skyline Software. Actualy TerraExplorer is only available on Windows, although a version Mac OS and Linux are underway. Official announcement in French." See also previous related stories.

Ogle Earth is reporting about this development. From their page, here is snippet of the summary : "And while Géoportail is indeed the first portal made by Europeans for 3D mapping (albeit by licensing American technology), it is not the first portal to show Europe in 3D. In fact, it still doesn’t. (Google Earth, NASA World Wind and Microsoft Virtual Earth came before and do all of Europe. Géoportail shows nothing beyond France’s borders.)

Géoportail certainly is much more impressive that the UK Ordnance Survey’s “outreach” effort, but both are just as closed in a time when everything online is moving towards open, interoperable, mashable standards. KML is now an OGC standard, most recently embraced by Microsoft. Where is the support By IGN and OS? Why can’t I export anything to mash up? Where are the APIs? The USGS, on the other hand, gets it." Head on over there to get full details an links to the real story. See also previous stories about GeoPortail below.