# Google Maps question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942 "2020-05-16T21:37:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/1 "2020-05-16T21:37:29Z")
Below are links to two different screen shots of the exact same area. They are both Google Maps. The first one is from the Geocaching website. The second one is taken from the Google Maps site directly. I live in the area so I can assure you the first link is the more current version. How (or why) would [Geocaching.com](http://Geocaching.com) have access to an updated version and the updated version not be the Google Maps site by default? [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/04b8274a-df74-4525-a49c-8fda48d98a65.png) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/04b8274a-df74-4525-a49c-8fda48d98a65.png) [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/88f7f923-7426-4959-a9e1-7e8a90103c3d.png) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/88f7f923-7426-4959-a9e1-7e8a90103c3d.png) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/2 "2020-05-16T21:43:57Z")
(edit: nm, my bad) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/3 "2020-05-16T21:50:27Z")
For that particular area, it looks like Google is defaulting to their 3D “globe” view with trees and buildings (or lack thereof, in this case) in 3D. On the right hand side, if you click the globe icon to switch to 2D, then you see what [Geocaching.com](http://Geocaching.com) sees: [Google Maps](https://goo.gl/maps/Ah2tK3RR9KmiNCDy8) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/4 "2020-05-16T21:53:27Z")
I just noticed something else peculiar, If you look at the satellite preview it shows the current configuration. But clicking on it takes me back to ‘before Costco’ configuration. Strange. [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/ba5a97c7-1746-4257-b40a-8ceaede34cf5.png) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/ba5a97c7-1746-4257-b40a-8ceaede34cf5.png) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/5 "2020-05-16T21:56:24Z")
They don’t do their 3D flyovers (which take multiple passes over the same area, so the cameras can take pictures from different angles and then recombobulate it into 3D) as often as their orthogonal (2D) flyovers, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/6 "2020-05-16T21:59:11Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > For that particular area, it looks like Google is defaulting to their 3D “globe” view with trees and buildings (or lack thereof, in this case) in 3D. > > On the right hand side, if you click the globe icon to switch to 2D, then you see what [Geocaching.com](http://Geocaching.com) sees: [Google Maps](https://goo.gl/maps/Ah2tK3RR9KmiNCDy8) Hmm, I’m not able to make that work. When I click your link it \*\*doesn’t \*\*take me to what Geocaching sees. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/7 "2020-05-16T22:01:31Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > They don’t do their 3D flyovers (which take multiple passes over the same area, so the cameras can take pictures from different angles and then recombobulate it into 3D) as often as their orthogonal (2D) flyovers, it seems. If that was meant for me, I don’t think you understood the question. This isn’t about 2D vs 3D, It’s two different 2D shots showing different images. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/8 "2020-05-16T22:01:35Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Hmm, I’m not able to make that work. When I click your link it \*\*doesn’t \*\*take me to what Geocaching sees. Hmm, sorry. Just click the globe icon on the right. Or try opening that link in an incognito window. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/9 "2020-05-16T22:05:37Z")
OK, clicking the globe fixed it. Thank you! I’ve been using Google Maps almost daily for over ten years and this is the first time this has happened to me. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/10 "2020-05-16T22:05:48Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > If that was meant for me, I don’t think you understood the question. This isn’t about 2D vs 3D, It’s two different 2D shots showing different images. I gotcha, I’m saying that Google has many sets of imagery for any given location. Google Maps defaults to an older set of imagery because it is in 3D. If you hold down CTRL and left-click to drag the map, you can see the house and tree in 3D. But this imagery is slightly older, without the newer construction. [Geocaching.com](http://Geocaching.com) uses newer 2D imagery, still from Google, but without the 3D functionality, probably because they do 2D flyovers more often than 3D flyovers (which are probably more expensive). But you can also see this 2D imagery by disabling the 3D mode in Google Maps, clicking the Globe icon or opening that link in incognito. Then Google Maps will show you what Geocaching shows you. And if you download Google Earth Pro for the desktop, you can see their whole collection of historical images for that area, going back to 1994, with that area in various states of construction. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2020, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-maps-question/853942/11 "2020-05-16T22:07:06Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > OK, clicking the globe fixed it. Thank you! > > I’ve been using Google Maps almost daily for over ten years and this is the first time this has happened to me. Me too. One would think the 3D stuff would be newer, but apparently not in this case!