Google Inc.

Scott Edward Dillard

Brett Allen

Evan Hardesty Parker

Michael Cameron Jones

Aleksey Golovinskiy

Su Chuin Leong

John Payyappillil John

Christopher Gray

Humberto Castaneda

Sorin Gherman

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to providing a user with an image navigation experience. For instance, a first image of a multidimensional space is provided with an overlay line indicating a direction in which the space extends into the first image such that a second image is connected to the first image along a direction of the overlay line. User input indicating a swipe across a portion of the display is received. When swipe occurred at least partially within an interaction zone defining an area around the overlay line at which the user can interact with the space, the swipe indicates a request to display an image different from the first image. The second image is selected and provided for display based on the swipe and a connection graph connecting the first image and the second image along the direction of the overlay line.

Navigation through multidimensional images spaces

In one aspect, computing device(s) may determine a plurality of fragments for a three-dimensional (3D) model of a geographical location. Each fragment of the plurality of fragments may correspond to a pixel of a blended image and each fragment has a fragment color from the 3D model. The one or more computing devices may determine geospatial location data for each fragment based at least in part on latitude information, longitude information, and altitude information associated with the 3D model. For each fragment of the plurality of fragments, the one or more computing devices may identify a pixel color and an image based at least in part on the geospatial location data, determine a blending ratio based on at least one of a position and an orientation of a virtual camera, and generate the blended image based on at least the blending ratio, the pixel color, and the fragment color.

Blending between street view and earth view

Systems and methods for rendering a view-dependent texture in conjunction with a three-dimensional model of a geographic area are provided. A view-dependent texture can be rendered in conjunction with at least portions of the three-dimensional model. A base texture can be rendered for portions of the three-dimensional model in the same field of view that are viewed from a slightly different perspective than a reference direction associated with the view-dependent texture. For instance, a stretching factor can be determined for each portion of the three-dimensional model based on the reference direction and a viewpoint direction associated with the portion of the three-dimensional model. A base texture, a view-dependent texture, or a blended texture can be selected for rendering at the portion of the three-dimensional model based on the stretching factor.

Texture blending between view-dependent texture and base texture in a geographic information system

Systems and methods for rendering a view-dependent texture in conjunction with a polygon mesh to provide a textured three-dimensional model of a geographic area are provided. The view-dependent texture can be optimized for viewing the three-dimensional model from a single reference direction. When a user navigates to a camera viewpoint of the three-dimensional model associated with the single reference direction, the view-dependent texture can be rendered in conjunction with the three-dimensional model to provide a more realistic representation of the geographic area to the user. When a user navigates to a camera viewpoint of the three-dimensional model that is not associated with the single reference direction, a base texture can be rendered in conjunction with the three-dimensional model. The base texture can be optimized based on viewing the three-dimensional model from a plurality of differing viewpoints.

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Shoreline, WA, United States of America

Scott Edward Dillard