Hi, I’m Evan Parker, a software engineer for Google Maps.
We’re excited to bring you to Google Maps with WebGL,
a new web technology which brings 3D graphics to your browser
without the need to install additional software.
With this technology, we’re able to bring vector maps, like those you can currently
use on Google Maps for Android,
and other visual enhancements to Google Maps on desktops. If you’re using a
browser that supports WebGL, such as the latest versions of Chrome or
Firefox, and have a supported graphics card,
you’ll see the option to try Maps with WebGL in the panel.
As you zoom in and out,
the map is drawn dynamically with vector graphics instead of loading individual
map tiles.
You’ll see that 3D buildings are now even richer representations of their
‘real world’ counterparts.
Satellite view also benefits from this technology.
You can view 45-degree perspectives of places such as Rome
and smoothly rotate to get a full perspective of the world. 0:01:02.900,0:01:04.450 Finally, you can now take Pegman,
drag him onto the street, and see the world with Street View without needing to download
a plug-in.
Transitioning between the map and Street View is now much faster and more seamless than before.
By using WebGL we hope to harness new graphics capabilities within your
browser to give you a much richer experience when using Google Maps.
Visit maps.google.com in your web browser to get started.
Have fun exploring!
