Google started integrating 3D wireframes by default into Maps for a few major cities. There’s no better place than New York City to take a test drive - check out some screenshots of these landmark buildings…
Madison Square Garden shows its characteristic outline:
The Empire State Building looks good in wireframe…
And also looks spectacular in the matching satellite photo:
Office buildings at 40th and Lexington show-off elaborate geometry:
In contrast the Flatiron Building stands out for its simplicity:
Columbus Circle and Central Park mark the border between 3D New York and, uh, Flatland:
While many buildings are recognizable, some projections are confusing - this building on 25th and Madison appears to be both extruded into, and out of, its base:
2 Comments
What’ll be cool is when you can do a “virtual drive” down the mapped streets - like say on your mobile - and see street level turn by turn. Like TRON.
When Apple releases iGlasses, I bet they’ll include “virtual drive.”