Getting static image snapshot of embedded google earth

[ajithsowkoor]

Hi,

I have embedded google earth in my web page using google's javascript
API. Here user can zoom in and zoom out. I want to add a feature where
in user can save the static image snapshot of the google earth by
clicking on any of the button I provide on the web page. I want to
save image somewhere in the server that will be used to display on the
website.

I want to know is there any way to get the static image snapshot of
google earth embedded in web page with help of Google's javascript API
or by any any other means.

Thanks

-Ajit

[Rossko]

> I want to know is there any way to get the static image snapshot of
> google earth embedded in web page with help of Google's javascript API
> or by any any other means.

Be worth checking terms of use to see if what you propose is permitted
- I don't think it is.
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html

[ajithsowkoor]

Apologies for any wrong term that is used. I just wanted to know, if
is there a way to get the static image snapshot of
google earth embedded in web page.

Thanks
-Ajit

[landowner]

This must be available somewhere as it existed in the COM API...

[StarTraX]

In Windows, as you know, you can get a snapshot at the OS level by Alt
+ PrtScn.
At the programming level, you can emulate this with a call to
keybd_event(VK_SNAPSHOT,...).
I don't think you can access this from your javascript inside a
browser, and there's your problem.
Anybody have a solution?

[Rossko]

I still think it would be against the terms of use.
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html
10.1 , 10.2 , 10.3

[StarTraX]

Not a lawyer. Don't think so. Relates to API not the Plugin. Hope not.
Everyone does it!

On Sep 16, 5:43 am, Rossko wrote:
> I still think it would be against the terms of use.http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html

[Rossko]

> Not a lawyer. Don't think so. Relates to API not the Plugin. Hope not.
> Everyone does it!

Not a lawyer either :)
The original poster is using one or other API, he said so ; Google
Earth API homepage
http://code.google.com/apis/earth/
points to terms
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html
which are entitled
Google Maps/Google Earth APIs Terms of Service

So far as I can see terms 10.2 and 10.3 act together to clearly
prohibit scraping and storing Google imagery, and 10.1 stops you doing
anything like using server-side script to scrape it either.

While we ain't going to get a Google lawyers view (they would just
point to published terms unless you were ready to challenge them in
court) it might be nice to get a Google developers informal
interpretation ... ?

----

I would say what the OP ought to be looking at is getting the
_parameters_ of the users "snapshot", like the viewport location and
zoom, so that those could be stored and then used later to reconstruct
the same view using the API in the usual way. Instead of trying to
store an image.

[iscollar]

The discussion of Issue 169 on the Plugin Issues list seems relevant
here for those who haven't been following that thread:

http://code.google.com/p/earth-api-samples/issues/

After my contribution to that thread yesterday, topic 169 was changed
to "Acknowledged" by JLI...@google.com after having only the rating
"New" since February 2009. What does this signify?

Is this an indication that the GE Plugin hierarchy are about to
respond to the problem raised by rules 10.2 and 10.3 even though the
hook in the COM API cited yesterday has been around since the Keyhole
Markup Language was developed well before the rules dated May 27, 2009
appeared.

Some additional points:

If I permit a user to "drape" data from a third party over that of the
GEPlugin visible within my program on the user's screen, is this
allowed?

If yes, are users of my program permitteded to save this result to an
external file with a third party screen shot tool? If not, who is
responsible if they do so?

It would be far better to settle these matters now by consensus
instead of leaving things in their currently ambiguous state.