3D Flyover Video Generation Using Google Earth.

Published in

JackOnTheRoad

5 min readDec 13, 2023

In this blog post, I will talk about how to create 3D flyover videos of routes using Google Earth. In my next tutorial, I will share with you how to replicate the video generation process on Relive App using Google Earth. So, this tutorial is the prerequisite for the next one.

This blog post is the script for my YouTube video, so it can be a little casual and less concise.

Most of the 3D route animation video-creating tutorials on YouTube are based on Adobe After Effects, GEO Layer 3, and a 3D terrain plugin. I’m not an Adobe guy. So many fine adjustments would make me crazy. The process of creating a 3D route animation video in Adobe AE is tedious for me. Creating a basic 2D route animation is OK.

This tutorial is way more easy than using Adobe After Effects.

First, I’d like to show you the result of this tutorial. So you can know if the route animation is okay for you.

Demo Video generated by Google Earth.

In this article, the following will be covered.

How to use or configure Google Earth.
How to remove the time bar on the video using Adobe Premiere Pro.
How to merge several segments or several GPX files.
If the GPX file is not complete. How to complete it.

The software we need in this tutorial.

Google Earth
Notepad++
gpx.studio
Viking (optional)

The Key Steps.

Configure the touring function in Google Earth.

There are three parameters that control the animation of the GPX track.
Camera Tilt Angle: most of the time, no need to change.
Camera Range: you can try any number from 2000m to 6000m. At this range, we can have an appropriate viewport. You can certainly try any number.
The parameter in the lower red box, Speed (multiples of real-time), is to control the animation playback speed. Be cautious. It is the lower speed parameter, not the upper one.
The maximum speed of animation is 20 times of real-time speed. If we have a 10-hour GPX track file, the length of the animation will be 30 minutes, it’s still too long.
So, we need to change the speed of the GPX file faster.

Next, edit the speed of the GPX file.

Edit the speed of the GPX file in gpx.studio

After changing the speed, the duration of the trip is 24 minutes.

Remove speed and time tags using Notepad ++.

First, open the GPX file in Notepad ++.
Ctrl + F, open the search window and click the replace tab.
Remove the time and speed tags by replacing them with empty using regular expressions.
Keep the regular expression option selected.
<speed>(.+?)<\/speed> <time>(.+?)<\/time>
Ctrl + S, save the file.
Upload or drag the GPX file to the webpage of gpx.studio.
I changed the speed of a hiking trip to 100 KM/H. The duration was shortened to 24 minutes.
If I change the speed (multiples of real-time) to 10, the duration of the animation will be 2.4 minutes. That’s ok.

Why do we need to remove the speed and time tags ahead?

If we don’t remove the speed and time tags ahead, the modified speed is not steady.
If we don’t remove them, we will get a fluctuating animation speed.

Create animation videos using Google Earth.

Keep the red box selected for the ground route. (No selected for plane route)

Tour-play button in the red circle. Tour-save button in the red box.

Drag the GPX file to the Temporary Places or My Places.
Click the title bar of the Google Earth, you will see an alert window.
Keep the red box selected for the ground route. (No selected for plane route)
Click the tour-play button, then you will see the tour-save button and click it. Save the tour as any name you want.
Open Movie Maker (Tools > Movie Maker), and select the tour you just saved.
Create Movie.

Movie Maker Window (Tools > Movie Maker)

How to remove the time bar.

I didn’t find a way to remove it in Google Earth.
We can remove it in a video editor.
First, when we generate the video, set the resolution to 1920x1160.
Then, in the video editor with a 1920x1080 canvas, move the video up a bit.
In Adobe Premiere Pro, change the Y value in position from 540 to 510.

The time bar of the video was removed in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Notes.

If you are using a computer with low performance, editing the M4V file may experience lag. You may need to export it as an MP4 file first.
You may notice that the arrow and the line are not connected; there is a slight gap between them. You may need to change the “gx:x ,gx:y” attributes of the icon tag in the KML file.
You can save the folder that contains the track and the tour as a KML file.
Google Earth Desktop is a really good renderer that can be controlled by a KML file.
A KML file can be way more complex. It can be used to control and animate all the layers on the map. I listed two links to KML documents below. One is on Webarchive.
I’m gonna use the saved KML file containing the track and tour to generate a Relive-style 3D route animation video in my next tutorial.
If your GPX file is not complete, some parts are missing. You may need to export the route on a map navigation page to a GPX file. Then, merge the route with your tracks. Gpx.studio can do the merge job as well. Check the links below.
You can hide the label beside the arrow by setting the label opacity to 0.
You can change the arrow icon to a 3D model. If this is a cycling trip you can set the icon to a bike model. If this is a flight trip, you can set the icon to a 3D plane model.

Next Tutorial.

In my next tutorial, I’ll show you how to create 3D route animation videos like Relive App.

Show you the Relive-style demo video. It’s more dynamic and lively.