Do you use Google Earth to visualize your data or tell your stories? Do you need to create more professional and informative maps for printing, or want to know if that new construction site will be visible from your hilltop park? Now you can do all of these things quickly and easily using Google Earth Pro 7.1.

 A few weeks ago on Earth Day, we announced the latest update to Google Earth Pro. The update includes new tools that will help with the incredible work you do. To get started using the new features, check out the information and examples below.

 Advanced Map Making & Printing
Add cartographic features to the maps you make in Google Earth Pro, including legends, titles, scale bars, north-arrows and text boxes. You can use these features when saving your map as an image or PDF for sharing with your colleagues and supporters, or when printing your map for use in the field. They will help make your maps more professional looking and informative. See this video for details.

Viewshed Analysis
Need to find out whether your field camp is within line-of-sight of the cell phone tower? Just use the viewshed tool in Google Earth Pro. All you need to do is create a placemark, give it an appropriate altitude relative to the ground, and select “Show Viewshed” to see what’s visible from that spot. Find out more here.


I made the map above in less than 5 minutes, and it’s ready to send to my colleagues. Try it out for yourself. If you don’t already have Google Earth Pro, you can find out more here, or if you’re a nonprofit, you can get it for free.

Happy mapping!

Posted by Christiaan Adams, Developer Advocate, Google Earth Outreach