298 Part IV — Google Earth Hacks
At no time are areas of the map missing while Google Earth loads the satellite image data.
Instead Google Earth streams the necessary information from Google’s servers to gradually
load the image data as you zoom in through different levels.This sequence is automatic and much more visual than even the panning option provided
within the Google Maps interface. To manually move around the map, a number of options are
available:Click and drag:The same basic method as available within Google Maps. Click any-
where on the map, drag the map in the direction you want, and then release the mouse.
You will move to the new location.Cursor keys:The standard cursor keys on your keyboard move the map in the direction
you choose.
Joystick:There is a built in “joystick” in the center of the control panel on the map.
Clicking the different arrows on the joystick moves the map.
Click and move:If you click the mouse and move the map quickly and then release, the
map will begin to scroll in the direction you moved the mouse. To stop the scrolling,
click the red button in the middle of the joystick or click once on the map with the
mouse.By default, your map will always be oriented to face north. You can rotate the map using the
two buttons to the top left and right of the joystick, which rotate the map counterclockwise
and clockwise. You can always tell the current orientation by using the built-in compass shown
in the bottom left of the map panel. You can reset it using the “N” button on the bottom left.Finally, you can zoom in and out of the map using the slider on the left, or, if your mouse has a
scroll wheel, using the scroll wheel to zoom out (roll forward) and in (roll back).Simple Overlays
Numerous built-in overlays are provided with the application. To see them in action, move to
Seattle by typing Seattle into the search box and clicking the search button. You should get a
window like the one shown in Figure 15-5.From the Layers panel on the left, select “Crime Stats” and then zoom out slightly and you’ll
see the crime statistics for 2000 for a number of counties across the Seattle region, as shown in
Figure 15-6.