This video tutorial will walk you through the steps of installing your HuntingGPSmaps Google Earth overlay map and also show you how to view and access key features of your map in Google Earth.
Just hit play to watch a video tutorial walking your through the process or scroll below to read the written instructions.
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- Be sure to have Google Earth installed on your computer to use the map. You can download Google Earth for free online just do a search and download the program. The map will only work when opened in Google Earth.
- After purchasing your Google Earth Overlay map you will be sent to the checkout window. You can start the download directly here using the “click here to download the file!” link. Or log in to your MyMaps account using your email and password and select “Download Product” This will take you to the Google Earth page for that map-product with the installation instructions. Simply scroll below the instructions and select download file. The file is in a zipped folder and will have to be extracted after the download is complete. You should save the file to a permanent location on your computer such as in you’re my documents area. The file will take several minutes to download depending on your internet speed. When the download is done go to the location on your computer that you saved it and extract the files to unzip the folder.
- Once you have your files unzipped and saved on your computer we can go ahead and open Google Earth and start viewing the map. With Google Earth open go to file and open. Browse to the location that you saved the map and then open the KML file called “!OPEN THIS FILE IN GOOGLE EARTH” in all caps lock. In your “Places” area you will now see a folder with several layers that have opened in your “Temporary Places” folder.
- Start out by zooming in slowly (use the zoom tool on the right side of the screen) You may also use the roller on your mouse to zoom in and out. The first thing that will load is the hunting unit boundaries as colored lines. In WY for example the antelope, deer, and elk units are all different so three sets of layers will show up. In MT however the elk and deer units are the same so those are combined in the same layer in that state. Each states layers will be different depending on how the state organizes the hunting units.
- Continue to zoom in and you will then be able to view the public and private landownership. To see the public or private owner of a section of property simple click on the parcel of interest and a window will open with the name. Such as USFS, State, BLM or the landowners name if you have the PLAT version. If Google Earth is running slow on your computer be sure to close any of the layers that you might not need such as the zoom in, logo, trails, and the hunting districts. You can customize the view in Google Earth by using a combination of zooming in and out and choosing the layers you want to view.
- You can also change the transparency of layers by playing with the slide bar at the bottom of the places window. Slide the bar to the left to make the layers more transparent. Only layers that are checked on will be affected by the change. This will allow you to keep features such as roads or hunting districts visible but make the ownership colors more transparent to view the terrain or landscape underneath it.
- Another neat tool in Google Earth is the 3-D tool. Usually when Google Earth is opened it will be in 3-D but to double check go to Tools-Options and make sure Show Terrain is checked. While we are here I will mention that you can also change the Elevation Exaggeration. To get a realistic feeling for actual elevation changes set this to 1.5. To exaggerate elevation changes and make mountains look taller you can turn this up. Once you have the settings you want go ahead and hit OK. Now back on your map zoom in to an area of interest. To tilt the map to see 3-D hold the shift key down and then left-click on the map and hold. To tilt the map pull down with your mouse and you can see the map tilting. You can then drag right or left to change the orientation of the map relative to North. You can also change the orientation by grabbing the North symbol on the rotate map tool and moving it around the circle. This will allow you to view the map from different directions such as from the east or south. If you wish to view the map in 2-D simply go back to tools-options and uncheck Show Terrain.
- When you are ready to exit Google Earth it will ask you: You have unsaved items in your “Temporary Places” folder. Would you like to save them to your “My Places” folder? Please choose discard as all this will do is make another copy of your HuntingGPSmaps Google Earth overlay each time you choose save.
- If you wish to make waypoints or tracks in Google Earth and then send them to your GPS. Please visit HuntingGPSmaps.com and visit our video tutorial section under tutorials. Watch the video on Making Waypoints and tracks in Google Earth.
- We hope this HuntingGPSmaps tutorial on installing and using our Google Earth Overlays has helped you. Using a combination of our Google Earth and GPS mapping products will give you that extra edge to hit the field and “Hunt with complete Confidence”.