In Google Earth 5.0, we introduced Tours: cinematic, narrated flights around Google Earth. You can also select a window of time which will highlight the corresponding section of your trip. As you move through time, the icon will animate along your path. Google Earth will draw an icon so that it is properly positioned for the given time that you are viewing. With Google Earth 5.2, you can now import existing GPS data as a new kind of “track.” With a track, you can move the time-slider to animate time and retrace your journey. That has worked pretty well, but I’ve always had a nagging feeling that we could do much better, creating animations that show exactly how you move around the world.

In earlier versions of Google Earth you could see your GPS tracks as lines or points on the map. That’s why I’m excited to tell you about the new features in Google Earth 5.2 that make it easier than ever to relive your journey.

As a software engineer on Google Earth, I rarely go outside without bringing a GPS so that I can plot my adventures in Google Earth. I’m a big fan of traveling and being outdoors.

Relive 3d map