[justify]Some time back, I was writing about GMS, a tool that can help you download big maps on your PC. Today I'm writing about a similar tool, that has acces to an even larger map database, and has many other useful capabilities. It was actually mentioned by @liquido in this post, but we didn't yet have a separate discussion about it. The tool is called, SAS.Planet (or SASPlanet or SOSPlaneta). It is designed for viewing and downloading satellite maps of high resolution provided by services such as Google Maps, "Kosmosnimki.ru", Yandex, Yahoo !, VirtualEarth, Gurtam, OpenStreetMap, eAtlas, DigitalGlobe, etc., but unlike those services, all downloaded maps will remain on your computer, and you can view them without an Internet connection. Maps are frequently updated - the program will allow you to download only the latest. It's an open-sourced project, and you can find it there or there (homepage) or there or there. Most of the pages talking about it are in Russian (I recommend using Chrome or a browser plugin for automatic translation) but don't worry, because the software itself is in plain English - and quite intuitive to use. I was very impressed by the speed and stability. For a quick test, I was able to get this map, in a huge 15000 x 7700 px, in under a minute and just a few clicks. View attachment zand_test.jpg Here is an overview of the software (by google translate, but you'll get the idea) : Code: >> Description Program SAS.Planeta designed for viewing and downloading of satellite maps of high resolution provided by services such as Google Maps, "Kosmosnimki.ru", Yandex, Yahoo !, VirtualEarth, Gurtam, OpenStreetMap, eAtlas, DigitalGlobe, etc., but unlike those services, all downloaded your card will remain on your computer, and you can view them even without an Internet connection. In addition to satellite maps can work with the political landscape, the combined maps, and also with maps of the moon and Mars. Downloading maps is implemented as the allocation of a certain region (possibly non-rectangular) and in the process move on the map. Maps are frequently updated - the program will allow you to download only the latest. In addition to viewing and downloading the program implemented the following useful functions: 1) Measuring distances; 2) Formation of cards fill layer - this feature allows to see the area on the map that you have already downloaded into the cache, or vice versa - that you do not exist; 3) Preservation of the map in one image, you can view and handle in a graphics program, and also used in other GIS applications, such as OziExplorer (for which the program will create a reference file) 4) You You can save you interesting places, and then easily retrieve them, and make sure that they always appear on the map; 5) Overview Map - helps you easily find the location of the place that you are viewing, and quickly move to any to another place on the map; 6) View map in full screen - which is especially convenient when a low screen resolution; 7) Conversion of a single layer of all the previous ones - will significantly reduce your internet traffic, for example, you can download your city only in the 18 scale, and all previous formed on its basis; 6) Display files KML (limited); 7) Loading and displaying objects Wikimapia; 8) Places means Google and Yandex; 9) Adding custom maps. 10) Ability to export maps in a format supported by maps iPhone. >> Adding a new card program allows you to add custom cards. The cards can be of two types - primary displays a map and a map superimposed over the main (layer). Format Description user maps zmp For each map service program needs information about the parameters of the service. Description of these options is presented in a zip-archive with the extension .zmp a separate folder with postfix .zmp, which are stored in the maps. Archive / folder with the extension / postfix .zmp contains the following files: * 18.bmp - file icons displayed in menu (required bmp, 18 * 18 pix, background color 255,0,255); * 24.bmp - file icons displayed on the toolbar (required bmp, 24 * 24 pix, background color 255,0,255); * GetUrlScript.txt - script file which is responsible for the formation of links to tile maps; * params.txt - card parameters; * info.txt (optional) - information on the map. File Options params.txt: Section [PARAMS] * asLayer - if equal to 1, the card is used as a layer superimposed on top of the main card. * pnum - serial number of the card in the menu. * GUID - a unique identification number of the card (generators GUID can be found on the internet, for example here). * ParentSubMenu - title of the parent menu for the card in Russian . * ParentSubMenu_en - title of the parent menu for the card in English. * ParentSubMenu_uk - title of the parent menu for the card in the Ukrainian language. * name - the name of the map in Russian. * name_en - the name of the card in English. * name_uk - name card in the Ukrainian language. * CacheType - type of cache that will store the tiles of the map. 0 - default, 1 - GMV, 2 - SAS, 3 - ES. * DefURLBase - unchanging part of the address links to maps tiles. * Projection - a projection map. 1 - Mercator to spheroid 2 - Mercator on an ellipsoid, 3 - latitude / longitude. * Sradiusa - the radius of the semi-major axis of the ellipsoid. * Sradiusb - range at the half-axis of the ellipsoid. * EPSG - code for map projection. * NameInCache - the folder name in the cache in which will be recorded tiles card. * separator - a separator in the form of horizontal lines displayed in the menu when the card (1 - display, 0 - do not display). * Ext - expansion of the tile (.jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif) * UseDwn - if equal to 1, download map tiles are allowed. * Usestick - if equal to 1, to glue tiles cards in a single image is allowed. * UseGenPrevious - if equal to 1, to generate the previous scale of the subsequent allowed. * Usedel - if equal to 1, tiles cards can be removed. * Usesave - when is 1, map tiles can be saved. * Sleep - the value of a pause between loads of individual tiles in milliseconds. * DefHotKey - hotkeys for this card. * ContentType - the type of data to be downloaded (for example, image / jpeg, image / png). * MimeTypeSubst - substitution type of downloaded data (for example, «image / png8bit = image / png»). * TILERLEFT, TILERRIGHT, TILERTOP, TILERBOTTOM - options for trimming downloaded tiles to the left, right, top and bottom. * UsePreloadPage - if equal to 1, use a pre-loads the page (be sure to specify its address). * PreloadPage - address pre-loaded pages. Section [ViewInfo] * EPSG - code for map projection for output to the screen. The projection can uniquely specify its EPSG code to the SAS .Planete until allowed to use only certain codes: * = EPSG 3785 Mercator projection on a spheroid. Maps used in Google. * = EPSG 3395 Mercator on the ellipsoid. Used Yandex maps. * = 4326 EPSG projection-type latitude-longitude. Used in Google Earth. Setting projection EPSG code replaces Specifying projection, sradiusa and sradiusb file params.txt. To ask for a specific map projection at the maps on the screen code EPSG, should be in the file params.txt add a section [ViewInfo] and it wrote EPSG = 3785, or the value that you need. Code EPSG, specified in Section [PARAMS], may differ from the code EPSG, specified in Section [ViewInfo], which allows you to store the tiles unchanged, and is displayed in the desired projection . Some of the parameters of the cards can be changed within the program without having to edit the file params.txt. To do this, go to Settings> card or press Ctrl + Alt + P. Custom change the settings stored in the card file maps / maps.ini. The file contains the script GetURLScript.txt forming full addresses of links to the files of the map. Scripts are written in the usual Pascal. Variables GetX, GetY, GetZ contain, respectively, the number of the tile horizontally (left), vertical (top), scale (1 to 24). GetLLon, GetRLon, GetTLat, GetBLat - respectively the longitude of the left border of the tile, the right boundary, the upper limit of the latitude, the lower limit. GetLMetr, GetRMetr, GetTMetr, GetBMetr - the same in meters. The return value (a reference to the tile) write variable ResultURL. Info.txt file contains text information about the card. Paragraphs are separated by tag <BR> also can output image files (for example, map legend), using the following form: <img src = "Full path \ image file" />. Trimming is used for tiles larger than 256? 256 for driving to the standard form . The complete line of inquiry should be built so that after cutting the resulting file corresponding to the coordinates of the selected projection. Now a set of cards is presented as a repository Mercurial, which allows easy enough to update them. To do this, you need to install Mercurial [http: // bitbucket. org / tortoisehg / thg-winbuild / downloads /], and then to update the card, you need the folder Maps \ sas.maps execute the command: hg pull -u -f Custom change the settings stored in the card file maps / maps.ini >> On concerning the storage and transport of many small tiles: Bigbambr Regarding cache of many small files. I want to share the experience. Using the free program TrueCrypt (e http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads.php) to create a file on the disk image is 7.5 GB (saspln.tc) with the simplest type of code 123. Then, mount it as a separate drive (assuming V: ) previously existing folder SASPlanet with the program and threw cache to disk V :. (a lengthy process, but it is performed only once). Then, each time you wish to work with the program mount the image saspln.tc using TrueCrypt, I go to drive V: work and there is high-grade. When you restart the drive V: dismantled automatically. But when there is a need to share, simply shift my saspln.tc file on any USB stick the size of more than 8 GB. In addition to the same I shift my folder C: \ Program Files \ TrueCrypt ( TrueCrypt is able to work without installation). So get a flash drive starts at TrueCrypt, mounts the image with a password, which I tell him and enjoy life. ))) [In terms of functionality, this method can be compared with Nero ImageDrive, with the difference that Nero opens the images read-only, and this method allows you to add and modify files.] >> As for the download speed maps Google: if you map Google loaded much slower than Google Earth or online maps.google.ru it is because that file maps.ini setting sleep to the satellite maps (Google) is the default 1000 (the delay between the loading of individual tiles). This is done because of the need to get around a ban Google. This option can reduce or even put 0. >> Concerning ban Google (if you suddenly can not boot the card): After about 200 tiles downloaded Google bans usually ip. the program has some protection from the ban but the 100% guarantee. The main tool by which the user can control ban - pause option in the ini-file. Thus, if after 10 minutes of operation, the program does not load anything else - you banned, then the only way to wait for hours (sometimes less). >> About the KML file : Work with KML is limited, so comments like "why is not it in Google Earth" will not be accepted. And the video posted by @liquido , on Mario Morais' channel (check it out, useful info there).[/justify] Good luck and have fun building those tracks .
been using this today, managed to capture a 30000 pixel image of 350x350m area very nice indeed. obviously that not the resolution of the source images, but how its output and formatted is incredibly smooth. I should be able to integrate any art into the google images.