Aerial park views - Windows Live Local

Anyone check out Microsoft's answer to Google Earth yet? Go to http://local.live.com, look up Sandusky and enjoy the "bird's eye" view of Cedar Point. Terrific pictures!

Man, I'm getting nothing done at work this afternoon...

wow, thats a pretty sharp pic. Good stuff!

OK, I am clueless on this one. All I get is a map of Ohio showing the roads in and around Sandusky. No where on my screen is there an option for aerial or birdseye view. Where exactly do you click to get those?

edit: nevermind. I finally got it to work.
:) *** Edited 12/8/2005 8:01:09 PM UTC by swampfoxer***

I think Google Earth is easier to use, although that might be because I've been using it for a while now.

You can use it like you'd use Google Earth or Google Maps. There should be a navigation pane on the left of the screen. Center in on an area, zoom in, and you can choose among road view, aerial view, and if it's available for the area, bird's eye view (which is taken from a low-flying plane at a 45-degree angle from multiple directions). So far, I've been able to find amazing shots of CP, PKI, and SFMM. Notably, you can zoom in incredibly close, and you can see things from multiple angles in bird's eye view.

Here's X:http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&ss=gurnee%2c%20il&cp=34.420996~-118.592196&style=o&lvl=2&scene=2471459

I've also found Knott's and SFOG. Depending on which direction you view Knott's, you can see Windjammer in place or Xcelerator.

Here's a nice shot from SFOG:

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=33.76535~-84.550502&style=o&lvl=2&scene=1170040 *** Edited 12/8/2005 8:25:20 PM UTC by Olsor***

Click here

Wow that is pretty cool.

*drool*

Those are incredible shots. Wow.

-nesdude

THAT... is definately gorgous.

For once, it's not just an ugly top-down view of the park in drab colors taken at the end of February.

Very very sharp, and at first I actually thought it was a drawing until I took a 2nd look.

I'd be sweet if it showed a lot more as well as if Cedar Point would use something like that for a park map!

What is the deal? Does it show just selected photos, or can you zoom out of the bird's eye view and see a larger area of the park?

I checked the site out more, and it shows just about EVERYWHERE... the entire park of Cedar Po!nt, Darien Lake, or anywhere. I scouted for my house & found it in gorgous detail that was taken as recent as March of 2005!

This is by FAR & beyond the best map site that completely blows Google Maps out of the water. The 3D isometric view is great with the color showing up very sharply. All areas I checked out so far have maps in the "Birds Eye" view both close & far... and this says a lot more than Google which has only selected areas for the top-sattelite image view.

For once, Microsoft did something right! Bravo.

[EDIT] > My bad... after playing for awhile LONGER, found out that the areas I chose were magically ones with birds-eye views, including the Niagara Falls/Buffalo region & Darien Lake as well as Cedar Point... but found out there is none for Williamsburg, Toronto, or many other areas around the United States...
...but it's still in Beta, so they're probably still pending! *** Edited 12/8/2005 9:02:28 PM UTC by DawgByte II***

None for Holiday World Either. The imagery is pre-Legend!

The "bird's eye" imagery is what I find cool, and it's far more interesting than the usual map data we're used to seeing.

Agreed. Aerial views are one thing but the birds-eye views really put things into perspective and bring everything to life. Unfortunately, a lot of places I looked up (many not having anything to do with amusement parks) don't have aerial views available.

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&ss=cedar%20point~sandusky%20ohio&cp=39.345521~-84.263831&style=o&lvl=2&scene=2904024

A little SOB action, Count the bents :)

What a great satalite view. Thanks

Of course, The image over the park still includes the FLYERS at PKI!

Chuck, who can almost see the paint jobs on the tubs.

I was bored.... so I composited Vortex together.
http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/7881/vortexaerial6if.jpg

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Of course, The image over the park still includes the FLYERS at PKI!

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You can also see Boomerang Bay under contstruction. :)

I was bored as well...

Raptor

Millennium Force

Original (read: really high) res pics are avaliable if someone wants to host them.

How do you capture high res pics from it? the best way I could do is take a lot of screenshots and stitch them.

However, other places are far behind in their photographing...I searched for Sesame Place, and that photo is at least three years old...wish they would have a more up-to-date photo of the area...