Open the NY Landscape Regions page. Double click the Environment link under the Hudson Highlands section on that page. One of two things will happen: · The file will automatically open in Google Earth (you may be prompted to approve that action…). · The file will be downloaded to your hard drive, and will have to be opened with a double click from there. Take a look at the Temporary Places folder that is displayed in Google Earth (Figure 1). Notice that a file called hhenv.kmz is displayed, and within that file is a folder called hhenv.kmz. Within that folder are an image overlay called breakneckmap, and 3 placemarks (identified by a small camera, indicating that these placemarks contain photos) called, “Panorama of Storm King”, “Five Lined Skink” and “Eastern Fence Lizard”

Playing the Tour Click on the hhenv.kmz folder to select it (it will be highlighted in gray), and make sure that the image overlay and placemark boxes below it are checked. (Figure 2) Click the play button, and Google Earth will fly you through the image overlay and placemarks.

Monkeying Around With the Map Click the image overlay breakneckmap to select it (it will be highlighted in gray) and make sure its box is checked. Use the image opacity control to vary the opacity of the map overlay. (Figure 3) This feature is particularly useful while teaching topographic maps, or to reveal details in particularly low res coverage areas.

Viewing the Placemarks Placemarks can be accessed by clicking on the placemark in the Temporary Places, or by clicking on the placemark icon directly on the image (Figure 4). Clicking the placemark on the image opens a dialog box that will contain information, a picture, or a link to an external web page. In the example in Figure 4, a click on Five Lined Skink will open an image and provide a link to the photographer's email. Other placemarks may open a link or a document in a new browser window.

Options You will probably want to make sure that web links in placemarks open in an external browser, rather than taking up space on the Google Earth display. Select Tools, and then Options from the Google Earth toolbar. In the preferences tab, check “Show web results in external browser” (Figure 5). Now when you click a link in a placemark, a new browser for that link will be launched. Other options you might want to adjust are in the view folder, especially vertical exaggeration. Use 3 where the local relief is small, 1 where the local relief is large.

Created on ... July 16, 2006