If you like this Google Maps Overlay, you'll love Globe Glider.

Try it here!

Here's a network link for Google Earth which will use Google Maps to give you a transparent map overlay for the area you are viewing in Google Earth.

When I was entering placemarks for my recent holiday in Japan I noticed that Google Earth resolution (outside Tokyo) is fairly limited but Google Maps shows all of Japan with excellent detail. So here's my attempt at integrating those two services by putting a transparent Google Map over the Google Earth view. Generating the links to Google Maps was fairly straightforward, but getting the alignment right was quite a challenge.

Click here to open the Google Maps overlay in your Google Earth software. In the "Temporary Places" section you will find the Google Maps Overlay network link and you can move it to "My Places" to keep it.

When you change your Google Earth view a new map overlay should appear after 4 seconds. The map overlay sits in the Google Map folder within the network link.

You can edit the Google Maps Overlay network link and modify the parameters in the Location url:

ZMIN=... The minimum zoom factor (0: most detailed, 17: least detailed)

ZMAX=... The maximum zoom factor

TRANS=.. The transparency of the layer (00: invisible, ff: opaque)

TERR=Y Use the terrain map instead of the street map

HYB=Y Use the hybrid map instead of the street map

Example:

...mapover.php?ZMIN=0&ZMAX=17&TRANS=80

This service is a private experiment which can be terminated at any time. Enjoy it while it's there...

Lots of error dialogs will pop up if an area is not available from Google Maps at the requested zoom level. Just click them all away and change your view to continue.

The map data shown is copyrighted by Google and their data suppliers.