Desktop Imagery : Google,MS,Yahoo,etc

Has there been a thread that has already discussed the use of desktop / internet imagery for use in your daily inspection workflow? (like Google Earth, Microsoft VE, Yahoo Maps)? :arrow: </IMG>

If not, what is your opinion about using these sources? a custom developed support application for you the inspector?

Not sure how you mean using desktop imagery.

I routinely use Google Earth to add a couple of photos to the report. One centered on the client’s house (circled in red) with a wide view that shows the area around the neighboorhood and a closer one that just shows the block they live on with the client house in the middle.

Was something like that what you were talking about or something else?

What would improve the quality of what you provide, or significantly aid the efficiency by which you go about doing it?

What do you beleive will be the impact to you as announded in the following?: http://www.nachi.org/google.htm

The relevancy is a disproportionate aggregate of the t-modal algorithm that can be applied when considering heuristic applications like this. There…that answer makes as much sense as the question…right?

I agree…that makes me feel more like I do now than before I clicked on this thread, for sure!..way to keep it concise, Michael.:stuck_out_tongue:

John,

If you have something speciic in mind please elucidate. We’re just poor ole home inspectors and have trouble reading between the lines.

I’ll return with a significantly appropriate response in a moment.

Hey Guys he is a programmer or he is in the satellite business and he is looking for direct use on satellite imagery. I’d bet on it, only a beer of course.

These questions sound familar…have product or are developing one…find market or perceive a market…get a feel for possible use.

He is information mining from a industry that might have a use for imagery.

Bottom line: How could you use goggle earth or a product like that in our industry.

Curt

Curt, Yes, that is a fair summation of my intent. I do appreciate what you have to share, and hope in turn you will have a better solution to make your job and business more efficient.

Ron, I was not able to see what you were describing in your post. Can you send direct? or try again?

John,

I did not include any specific images in my post. As I said, I use Google Earth to generate a couple of images of my client’s property, one fairly close with a radius about a block centered on the client house and another one with a radius of a mile or so. I include those in the client report. It just jazzes up the report a bit.

So the circle is useful for proximity to something “significant”, right? What are those close to’s that are important?

Not really. I don’t do it for any important reason. Just to make the report a tiny bit more useful. See the attachments. I don’t try and show specific schools, shopping, or anything else. I don’t have time to mess with those types of details. Perhaps a Realtor would be interested in showing those things to prosepective clients.

cover1.jpg

cover2.jpg

I like that.

I had a couple times where I forgot the cover photo and that would be an alternitive.
Lucky me they were big enough buildings that there was a photo on the internet under an address search.

www.local.live.com works well too. Images seem to be more up to date.

Ron,

Have you also tried Microsoft’s Local Live? (www.local.live.com) If so, your feedback would be good. In general these portals are hit or miss as to who has the best available image. When does checking them both, or even a third source, make the effort of use too much and you would want it as an integrated application solution?

John

Ronald, I believe you mean “*elucidatifisticate *us” or in the sigular present past plural tense… uh… uh… I forget what I was going to say.

Google Earth suggestion’s a good one.