India rival to Google Earth

Nick-H · Dec 6th, 2008, 13:51

My area in India is changing much faster than Google Earth can catch up --- and, of course, I would like to see it in much higher resolution.

Maybe there is another reason for this, and that is that it would put some of the commercial aerial-photography services out of business if it was too up-todate!

avinashzalake · Mar 27th, 2009, 20:19

Whatever All You Say

It Is PRIDE

OUR ISRO

alouise · Mar 27th, 2009, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashank.aggarwal

Anurag, you will be glad to know that you are not the first one to raise this here. Thread after thread has gone into such discussion, and finally everyone ends up agreeing that these things are necessary. And then again after few months a new member comes and raises the question, and then thread after thread of discussion, but the same conclusion

Since when? More like people agreeing to disagree, and those "for" assuming "politeness" means universal acceptance. Consensus truth can lose touch with the rational and the real, depending on the consensus being sampled.

Meander · Aug 15th, 2009, 12:08

Project Bhuvan has started, the link is:

http://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/

Check it out and post your feedback here.

jituyadav · Aug 15th, 2009, 12:45

I tried it sometimes back. It took the whole day to get the site open. Then there is a need for registration..why?? In registration, the initials part has Dr. As first option that shows the clear bias toward their community. Then there are some software to be downloaded with it for which I had no patience. I fail to understand that when they have created such a good product which can help show India’s capability in particular area, why make it so complicated? Let it be as user friendly as possible. Typical babu culture still prevalent and hope that they come out of this cocoon.

Nick-H · Aug 15th, 2009, 14:54

My understanding so far...

1. It has been written to work in Internet Explorer, using an IE plugin. Microsoft have put the blinkers on these people. Who writes single-browser sites? Idiots.

2. It is supposed to be restricted to Indian citizens, hence the need to register.

3. I couldn't even get to the site about it after the first time. I guess it is running on some 386 PC under MS Win ME

Meander · Aug 15th, 2009, 19:48

My observations so far:

1. Registration is fast, so don't be hassled by it. You can login immediately after registration.

2. 'the initials part has Dr.' - I don't mind a temporary honorary doctorate - Dr. Meander sounds good - quite distinguished.

3. I logged in after 2-3 attempts and the site is working ok, though the resolution at city / street level is not at all good.

more later after few more trials.

Nick-H · Aug 15th, 2009, 20:41

Is it true that it only works in IE? Have you tried any other browser?

How do find it compares with the resolution of Google Earth --- which is actually pretty good for the city areas I have tried. I planned my trip to a house in a town outside Chennai easily this week.

I'm a great fan of Google Earth.

Hey... I don't suppose Street View will ever come here. Can you imagine the official response to a "foreign power" photographing India's streets at that level of detail?

Not that I'm saying they'd be wrong, exactly...

trooooon · Aug 15th, 2009, 21:18

Yeah it would be great to have street view here! I guess it'll make it in a decade or so!! Google Earth is like the answer to all my prayers! As an architect its an invaluable tool, and though i have a huge selection of trekking maps, Google earth just makes it so much more interactive . . . I always tile the images and carry them on treks makes route finding easier and more entertaining!

About why and whether we should be doing it, my stand is quite clear . . . Contrary to popular belief, the traffic problem is not an easy one to sort out, neither is the infrastructure . . . having up to date and reliable information is a major step, but linking all this information up is where the key lies . . . GIS does exactly this. The information is not gathered from satellite but from surveys and execution drawings (of sewers, electricity lines, roads, what have you . . ) this is then layered onto the satellite map which puts the information at the fingertips of everyone(at least the authorised people will get it to start with!!). This eliminates the confusion between departments and institutions and puts the decision makers on top in a much stronger position of know how. You should check out some of the records in any public department, take even the patwari . . . to have a comprehensive land ownership document collected from all these Patwaris and available to all that's where we are headed hopefully. So to sum it up, this is not astray from sorting out your traffic and cities, on the contrary it is an essential step.

Though I must say that I think we are better off just buying Google Earth super professional package!!! It'll take out Babu's forever to get the Bhuvan thing to work, and hopefully someone will tell them about Linux and Mozzila!!

abracax · Aug 15th, 2009, 21:32

Google is safe for a while yet - pretty clunky and not very good resolution.

Nick-H · Aug 15th, 2009, 21:44

Quote:

It'll take out Babu's forever to get the Bhuvan thing to work, and hopefully someone will tell them about Linux and Mozzila!!

You mean it is IE-dependent? Madness!

Whilst all this may be babu-lead, some of the biggest Indian software houses were involved, it seems. Maybe one problem is that more than one company was involved?

A quick note to Indian developers: write for the web; do not write for Internet Explorer

Haylo · Aug 15th, 2009, 21:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

do not write for Internet Explorer

But surely everyone uses Internet Explorer don't they? I think it comes as standard when you buy a computer.

(

heehee couldn't resist)

trooooon · Aug 15th, 2009, 22:10

That's because you're a slave to Bill Gates without even realising it!! No lots of us (1 billion firefox downloads and counting) use open source freeware software . . . This way you are not paying some huge cooperation which just keeps getting richer and wiping out all competition. And the stuff is cutting edge as any one with programming skills can change it (that's open source!)

About Bhuvan . . . I think its not 64 bit compatible . . damn!!! I'm dying to see it for myself!

trooooon · Aug 15th, 2009, 22:14

Just sae the Naughty . . .

Well its a relief at any rate . . . blind Microsoft worship gives me the heebie jeebies!!

Haylo · Aug 15th, 2009, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by trooooon

Just sae the Naughty . . .

I'm so sorry to have scared you like that!

Then again, I'm feeling evil....

<-- That is me worshipping at the shrine of the Gates - is your spine crawling yet?

As for Project Bhuvan, nice idea in theory but it doesn't sound as if the implementation is fantastic. I'm running Firefox for Linux, so I'm not going to even bother to try to judge this "rival" to google earth for myself.

Aug 15th, 2009, 12:45	#35
jituyadav Humble servant of the self Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 613	I tried it sometimes back. It took the whole day to get the site open. Then there is a need for registration..why?? In registration, the initials part has Dr. As first option that shows the clear bias toward their community. Then there are some software to be downloaded with it for which I had no patience. I fail to understand that when they have created such a good product which can help show India’s capability in particular area, why make it so complicated? Let it be as user friendly as possible. Typical babu culture still prevalent and hope that they come out of this cocoon. __________________ I started with nothing and I still have most of it!

Aug 15th, 2009, 21:18	#39
trooooon tj Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Vasant Kunj, New Delhi Posts: 850	Yeah it would be great to have street view here! I guess it'll make it in a decade or so!! Google Earth is like the answer to all my prayers! As an architect its an invaluable tool, and though i have a huge selection of trekking maps, Google earth just makes it so much more interactive . . . I always tile the images and carry them on treks makes route finding easier and more entertaining! About why and whether we should be doing it, my stand is quite clear . . . Contrary to popular belief, the traffic problem is not an easy one to sort out, neither is the infrastructure . . . having up to date and reliable information is a major step, but linking all this information up is where the key lies . . . GIS does exactly this. The information is not gathered from satellite but from surveys and execution drawings (of sewers, electricity lines, roads, what have you . . ) this is then layered onto the satellite map which puts the information at the fingertips of everyone(at least the authorised people will get it to start with!!). This eliminates the confusion between departments and institutions and puts the decision makers on top in a much stronger position of know how. You should check out some of the records in any public department, take even the patwari . . . to have a comprehensive land ownership document collected from all these Patwaris and available to all that's where we are headed hopefully. So to sum it up, this is not astray from sorting out your traffic and cities, on the contrary it is an essential step. Though I must say that I think we are better off just buying Google Earth super professional package!!! It'll take out Babu's forever to get the Bhuvan thing to work, and hopefully someone will tell them about Linux and Mozzila!! __________________ what if . . . maybe . . . say . . . suppose!

Aug 15th, 2009, 21:32	#40
abracax Mahaguru Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Canada Posts: 709	Google is safe for a while yet - pretty clunky and not very good resolution. __________________ tbontbtitq (Shakespeare's password)

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Dec 6th, 2008, 13:51	#31
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,209	My area in India is changing much faster than Google Earth can catch up --- and, of course, I would like to see it in much higher resolution. Maybe there is another reason for this, and that is that it would put some of the commercial aerial-photography services out of business if it was too up-todate!

Mar 27th, 2009, 20:19	#32
avinashzalake Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: KOLHAPUR Posts: 270	Whatever All You Say It Is PRIDE OUR ISRO

Aug 15th, 2009, 12:08	#34
Meander Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Vadodara Posts: 308	Project Bhuvan has started, the link is: http://bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/ Check it out and post your feedback here.

Aug 15th, 2009, 14:54	#36
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,209	My understanding so far... 1. It has been written to work in Internet Explorer, using an IE plugin. Microsoft have put the blinkers on these people. Who writes single-browser sites? Idiots. 2. It is supposed to be restricted to Indian citizens, hence the need to register. 3. I couldn't even get to the site about it after the first time. I guess it is running on some 386 PC under MS Win ME

Aug 15th, 2009, 19:48	#37
Meander Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Vadodara Posts: 308	My observations so far: 1. Registration is fast, so don't be hassled by it. You can login immediately after registration. 2. 'the initials part has Dr.' - I don't mind a temporary honorary doctorate - Dr. Meander sounds good - quite distinguished. 3. I logged in after 2-3 attempts and the site is working ok, though the resolution at city / street level is not at all good. more later after few more trials.

Aug 15th, 2009, 20:41	#38
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,209	Is it true that it only works in IE? Have you tried any other browser? How do find it compares with the resolution of Google Earth --- which is actually pretty good for the city areas I have tried. I planned my trip to a house in a town outside Chennai easily this week. I'm a great fan of Google Earth. Hey... I don't suppose Street View will ever come here. Can you imagine the official response to a "foreign power" photographing India's streets at that level of detail? Not that I'm saying they'd be wrong, exactly...

Aug 15th, 2009, 22:10	#43
trooooon tj Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Vasant Kunj, New Delhi Posts: 850	That's because you're a slave to Bill Gates without even realising it!! No lots of us (1 billion firefox downloads and counting) use open source freeware software . . . This way you are not paying some huge cooperation which just keeps getting richer and wiping out all competition. And the stuff is cutting edge as any one with programming skills can change it (that's open source!) About Bhuvan . . . I think its not 64 bit compatible . . damn!!! I'm dying to see it for myself!

Aug 15th, 2009, 22:14	#44
trooooon tj Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Vasant Kunj, New Delhi Posts: 850	Just sae the Naughty . . . Well its a relief at any rate . . . blind Microsoft worship gives me the heebie jeebies!!