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To use Google Earth’s 3D view, find a place and zoom in, then tilt or rotate the camera with the controls for your device. The camera’s 3D perspective is separate from 3D buildings: you can tilt the view even where building models are unavailable.
Use 3D view on a computer
Google Earth’s computer controls let you look around, zoom, and tilt. The tilt gesture differs between Windows/Linux and Mac. Google’s computer navigation guide covers these controls and desktop-only terrain settings.
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- Open Google Earth and search for or navigate to a location.
- Zoom in with the mouse scroll wheel or a touchpad.
- Left-click and drag to look in a direction.
- To tilt, use the gesture for your operating system: on Windows or Linux, hold Shift, left-click, and drag; on Mac, hold the scroll button and move forward or backward, or hold Shift while scrolling.
- Press
rto return to the default view.
A mouse is optional; Google also documents touchpad zoom. These controls change the camera perspective, not the selected location.
Adjust terrain elevation in the desktop app
Google Earth’s desktop app has a terrain elevation exaggeration setting. On Windows, open Tools > Options > 3D View. On Mac, open Google Earth > Preferences > 3D View. Enter a value under Terrain and click Apply. Google documents a range of 0.01 to 3 and says 1.5 shows a natural elevation. This setting is for the desktop app, not the web or Android interface.
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Use 3D view on Android
In the Android app, navigate to a place and zoom in. Tap the 3D control on the right to switch from the top-down view to orbiting 3D view. Google’s Android navigation instructions also describe these gestures:
- Zoom: Pinch the map, or double-tap and hold with one finger, then slide up or down.
- Tilt: Hold two fingers on the map and move them up or down.
- Rotate: Hold two fingers on the map and move them around each other.
- Face north: Tap the compass.
To show or hide building models and trees, open Map Style and change the 3D buildings and trees option. This is a map-style setting; it is distinct from tapping the 3D control to change the camera view.
Show 3D buildings in Google Earth Pro
On Google Earth Pro for desktop, 3D buildings are controlled through a layer rather than Android’s Map Style menu. Expand Layers > Primary Database > 3D Buildings, then navigate to a place and zoom in. Google’s Google Earth Pro building guide explains the layer workflow and how to save a 3D building view as an image.
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Why 3D buildings may not appear
Google cautions that “Not all Google Earth locations can be seen in 3D.” If you have tilted the camera but see no building models, the location may not have 3D building coverage; changing the camera angle does not create building imagery. On Android, disabling 3D buildings may improve performance or show newer imagery, according to Google’s Android guide.
Save a viewpoint for later in desktop Earth
If you need to return to a particular angle for a presentation or tour, Google Earth desktop supports Snapshot Views. Orient a placemark or folder to the perspective you want, save the view, and later open that placemark or folder to fly back to it. See Google Earth Outreach’s Views and Perspectives tutorial for the workflow.
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