Apple improving 3D Flyover visuals in iOS 6 Maps
This week Apple began quietly enhancing the 3D Flyover feature of its new iOS 6 Maps application, giving users updated images with more accurate recreations.
Left, the old view of the Brooklyn Bridge in iOS 6 Maps. Right, an updated render.
In one example highlighted to AppleInsider by reader Sal, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is now accurately rendered in three dimensions. Previously, the bridge shown in a distorted fashion.
The Flyover improvements were not immediately available to all users, as some devices were still shown the older data. For example, one reader said updated images were appearing on their iPhone, but not their iPad.
The behind-the-scenes improvements being made by Apple come after its new mapping application in iOS 6 has received considerable criticism for being inferior to Google Maps, which previously provided mapping data for Apple's iOS devices.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook even publicly apologized to customers for the quality of the Maps application in iOS 6 in a statement issued last month. He also vowed that the company was "doing everything we can to make Maps better."
Top, the Brooklyn Bridge was previously distorted in iOS 6 Maps. Bottom, it has been updated.
3D Flyovers are one of the hallmark features of Apple's iOS 6 Maps, combining overhead images with three-dimensional geometry to allow users to view and interact with major cities in new and unique ways. But the 3D mapping data also has considerable flaws that led to distorted views of major landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Hoover Dam and other sites.
As Apple has caught flak for iOS 6 Maps, Google has not sat by idly. The company recently introduced new satellite imagery taken at a 45-degree angle to better compete with Flyover, while Google also made its popular Street View feature available in the Safari Web browser on iPhone and iPad.
Google is also said to be working on a standalone Google Maps application that would be made available for download in the iOS App Store. However, that software is not expected to arrive until later this year at the earliest.
Left, the old view of the Brooklyn Bridge in iOS 6 Maps. Right, an updated render.
In one example highlighted to AppleInsider by reader Sal, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is now accurately rendered in three dimensions. Previously, the bridge shown in a distorted fashion.
The Flyover improvements were not immediately available to all users, as some devices were still shown the older data. For example, one reader said updated images were appearing on their iPhone, but not their iPad.
The behind-the-scenes improvements being made by Apple come after its new mapping application in iOS 6 has received considerable criticism for being inferior to Google Maps, which previously provided mapping data for Apple's iOS devices.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook even publicly apologized to customers for the quality of the Maps application in iOS 6 in a statement issued last month. He also vowed that the company was "doing everything we can to make Maps better."
Top, the Brooklyn Bridge was previously distorted in iOS 6 Maps. Bottom, it has been updated.
3D Flyovers are one of the hallmark features of Apple's iOS 6 Maps, combining overhead images with three-dimensional geometry to allow users to view and interact with major cities in new and unique ways. But the 3D mapping data also has considerable flaws that led to distorted views of major landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Hoover Dam and other sites.
As Apple has caught flak for iOS 6 Maps, Google has not sat by idly. The company recently introduced new satellite imagery taken at a 45-degree angle to better compete with Flyover, while Google also made its popular Street View feature available in the Safari Web browser on iPhone and iPad.
Google is also said to be working on a standalone Google Maps application that would be made available for download in the iOS App Store. However, that software is not expected to arrive until later this year at the earliest.
Comments
BREAKING: What we knew was going to happen and that which has been happening since Beta 1 is continuing to happen.
BREAKERINGLY BREAKING: Google's shaking in their 360 degree boots.
My Brooklyn Bridge is still all screwed up. However changes like these were expected with time, no big surprise. Hopefully updates come frequently.
Yeah good, at least this confirms it. I noticed improvements yesterday and wondered why no one was posting on it. But seriously.. they should have looked this way at launch.
/s
How do I get the little buildings (Flyover) to show. All my i4S shows is the 3D. Is flyover only for i5?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Google has not sat by idly. The company recently introduced new satellite imagery taken at a 45-degree angle to better compete with Flyover...
I thought you guys got the message in the last article you posted about 45 degree.
IT'S NOT A NEW FEATURE!!!
YOU ARE SPINNING THIS TO MAKE FLYOVER LOOK LIKE IT'S SOME HUGE INNOVATION WHEN IT'S REALLY NOT.
45 DEGREE HAS BEEN OUT FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, IF NOT MORE
IT WAS SPECULATED TO COMPETE WITH BING'S "BIRD'S EYE VIEW". IT WAS IMPLEMENTED AT LEAST A YEAR AGO IF NOT MUCH LONGER.
Isn't this Dalì's famous melting bridge?
Quote:
Originally Posted by antkm1
I thought you guys got the message in the last article you posted about 45 degree.
IT'S NOT A NEW FEATURE!!!
YOU ARE SPINNING THIS TO MAKE FLYOVER LOOK LIKE IT'S SOME HUGE INNOVATION WHEN IT'S REALLY NOT.
45 DEGREE HAS BEEN OUT FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, IF NOT MORE
IT WAS SPECULATED TO COMPETE WITH BING'S "BIRD'S EYE VIEW". IT WAS IMPLEMENTED AT LEAST A YEAR AGO IF NOT MUCH LONGER.
Also, Google Earth had 3D Flyover technology many years ago...for about a year now, maps.google.com desktop version offers a similar feature and a tab called "Earth" that turned the maps browser into the full Google Earth 3D browser.
Hmm. This works for me.
AN OPEN LETTER TO TIM COOK
Dear Mr. Cook,
I am a long time user of Apple products and while I acknowledge there have been occasional missteps by Apple in the past, they have usually quickly been rectified. I assume the very same approach will be taken with Apple's Maps, however, I have an idea that you may freely use that I believe will both quickly help build out the capabilities of Apple's Maps service and engage the Apple community.
The idea is simply to leverage the vast army of Apple devotees who own iPhones and 3G/LTE iPads to "fill in" missing data in Apple's Maps database.
If Apple would provide to users who are willing to sign up for a special promotional program a "heat map" of the locations that are missing ground-level data that is needed, perhaps users would be willing to provide to Apple Panoramic imagery using their iOS devices. Our iPhones and iPads already have built-in some of the best location and positioning sensors available (short of an aircraft using LIDAR) in a consumer computing device, and for a small consideration---possibly credits for the App Store, or something not too unreasonable---WE could provide the "street level" data that is missing that could be used for expanding the capabilities of the Maps app and bring the fun aspects of geo-caching to the masses.
I'd recommend a short online training session on Apple.com and for all participants to sign off on all the usual legal agreements so pictures and ground-based mapping data acquired would properly belong to Apple.
Please consider using all of the brilliant tools at your disposal to make Maps better. Including a massive, loyal user base.
Thank you.
Originally Posted by antkm1
Also, Google Earth had 3D Flyover technology many years ago...for about a year now, maps.google.com desktop version offers a similar feature and a tab called "Earth" that turned the maps browser into the full Google Earth 3D browser.
Do you really want to compare that to Flyover?
Quote:
Originally Posted by markm929
How do I get the little buildings (Flyover) to show. All my i4S shows is the 3D. Is flyover only for i5?
Flip it into Satellite view while still in 3D view.
Wait I liked driving on the brooklyn bridge before they fixed it. The sudden drop in altitude and being so close to the water. WHY? Put it back!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phone-UI-Guy
Spamsandwich, I get a pin dropped on it when I do the same.
How weird... I just repeated the experiment and now it works.
I wonder if the data hadn't yet populated my area's data center...?