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The Future of 3D In Google Earth - A Five Minute Chat With Bruce Polderman

Ash: Bruce, you recently moved to Sydney, Australia, what do you think of the place?

Bruce: Sydney is a beautiful city. I've never considered myself a city type, but I've enjoyed what it has to offer thus far. The Google office is really special. In addition to all the smart, fun people, the office has fantastic views of the city, harbor bridge, etc. I've shied away from the Vegemite and "grilled roo" served in our cafe, but am working up the courage to try both.

Ash: What is your role at Google and how long have you been doing it?

Bruce: I'm a Product Manager on Google's "Geo" team. The Geo team is responsible for Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google Places. My primary area of focus is supporting both users and developers involved in developing 3D buildings for Google Earth - an activity we refer to as geo-modeling.

Ash: What does that involve on an average day?

Bruce: As the point-person for 3D buildings, I respond to lots of questions ranging from the use our modeling tools (SketchUp & Building Maker), to the review process, to people seeking direction on the best methods to get their city on the virtual map.

Ash: May I ask what you were doing before you worked at Google?

Bruce: 3D design has been a consistent theme throughout my career. Prior to Google I worked as a Product Manager at Autodesk, Inc., and Cadkey, Inc.

Ash: What do you envisage Google Earth looking like in 5 years; what features will it have, which of these do you think will have the most useage?

Bruce: I can't really comment on that as our development activities are confidential, however from a personal perspective I would say that I share many of the same views that Google Earth users have.

Google Earth is one of the most exciting technologies that I've been involved with in my career. Seeing and hearing how the tool is helping consumers, businesses, cities and others is extremely rewarding.

When I first joined Google, 3D buildings in Google Earth were comprised of extruded building footprints in a couple dozen places around the world. Today you can explore the Moon, Mars, and the ocean. You can virtually visit places around the world in Street View. You can see millions of photos shared by people around the globe, and of course, near to my heart, you can explore cities in 3D on every continent.

Ash: Google has put a lot of work into different facets of the "3D buildings layer" of Google Earth is there a particular reason for this?

Bruce: Our vision is to build a digital atlas of the world. Achieving that is a massive undertaking. It's very exciting to be part of a community of geo-modelers, developers, and others who share that vision. It's also very motivating to work with people around the world on this project. If we succeed, and I think we can, then it's a legacy that everyone involved can leave behind for future generations to use and enjoy.

Ash: Do you think 3D buildings are an efficient way to communicate the attributes/features of a "real world" building?

Bruce: We live in a 3D world so it stands to reason that we'd feel comfortable searching in that environment. 3D buildings are interesting, but what most people are looking for is information about a place. A 3D building is really just a container for place data. When you click a building it should be the starting point for more information.

Ash: Do you think it is a valuable thing for individual building owners to get their buildings in the 3D buildings layer of Google Earth?

Bruce: Consumers are using Google Maps and Google Earth to find information about places. Having a 3D model for your business is a great way to get discovered. Many businesses hire someone to develop a web site and assume that they're done. Phone - check. Internet marketing - check. Savvy businesses know better. As they know, the web site is just the starting point. Driving traffic there is the goal. Making it easy for your business to get discovered is an important way to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Whenever I speak to a business owner, the two bits of advice I offer are: 1) Visit Google Places to manage the information Internet users will see about your business, and 2) develop, or pay someone to develop a 3D model of your business so that it's visually represented in Google Maps and Google Earth.

Ash: Awesome stuff, before you go, who is the better team? All Blacks or Wallabies?

Bruce: All Blacks. Hands-down!

Ash: Good answer, thanks for your time Bruce

About the Author

Ash Scott is part owner of estate3d.com, the online service for business and building owners to get their premises created in 3D and placed in Google Earth.

This service allows you to show your 3D buildings on any webpage. The return on investment is great with a simple initial outlay of just $99.

Check out estate3d.com and get into the 3D realm.

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