Have been fiddling with Earthbridge and find the interface to be intriguing!

Is there a method of saving relative map portions from Google Earth onto a memory storage device, USB stick or even the hard drive. I know that Google Earth maps are HUGE, and measured in the terabyte realm, but I'm wondering only of a radius from a given point? A city, perhaps?

Would this allow the interface to function if no internet connection was present? Has anyone tried this?

I have not spent much time with Earthbridge so I do not know what the possibilities are.

I have spent some time messing with Google Earth and in the free version you can load the disk cache with map data by simply browsing the area(s) of interest. Google Earth's disk cache will store the most recent 2GB of data.

To put that into perspective, I recently made a 3,000km loop across Southern Alberta into SE British Columbia and back home through Banff and Calgary. Before I left I browsed the entire loop in Google Earth, in many areas zooming in for maximum detail.

Before I started to load the cache I cleared it. When I had messed around to my satisfaction and felt I had way more than I needed I had way less than 2GB in the cache. I can't recall exactly but it seems to me it was around 700MB.

I hope that helps.

...ken...

Ken,
Where are the files cached to? I can't find them in the Google folder or in my Temp folder. I did check in the Windows directory where Google Earth files are stored, but I had no luck.

Sorry Ben, I don't remember where they are. I don't have Earthbridge on this computer the one with Earthbridge on it is down for the count so I can't go looking. GadgetGirl had a description of where to find them in another thread. NevadaGary described something that should work for you in response to your post in the thread next to this one. If not, see if you can track down GadgetGirl's post with the folder paths in it.

...ken...

Windows 7:
C:\Users\"username"\AppData\LocalLow\Google\GoogleEarth

Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\"username"\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\GoogleEarth

dbCache.dat and dbCache.dat.index

I keep folders in my documents with the areas I frequent so that I can swap them out.

Here's a pretty good tutorial on GE caches:
Using The Google Earth Cache ? Basics

I don't have those files in those locations on my hard drive.

In TOOLS > OPTIONS ... on the CACHE tab, what are your settings for the sizes?

...ken...

I knew you wouldn't believe me, so I had to post it. I have reset it a few times to 500/2000, but it resets it to 1000/6000. I have the free version of GE.

Check your Folder Options in the Control Panel and make sure you have "Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives" selected under the Hidden Files and Folders option.

6000 mb! I thought Google's limit was 2000. Here's what happens when I try to set my cache to 6000:

Attached Images

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I get the same behaviour, Karen. No way I can set mine to the numbers that Ben is getting. Wierd!!

...ken...

Maybe an error during the install of GE?

GadgetGirl, I am check out what you suggested and will look again for the files. I think I have that box checked to show hidden files. I check again.

On my computer (XP SP3) they are not "hidden" and they are not "system".

...ken...

Here is what I found. I think disc clean up is erasing the cached files. I run it on shut down to keep my start up times short.

Yes, the files are definitely there in that view. Your guess about disk cleanup is probably right and easy to test. I've never done that ... I'm a total control freak. I really hate software that messes with my system behind the scenes. "Smart" software that pretends to understand what I need and don't need has typically been a disaster for me so I steer clear of it. I never put any of that stuff on autopilot. I run it manually to see what it thinks it's going to do. And I won't ever use anything that doesn't give me a preview of what it's planning to do and the ability to override it before it does it.

Can you set up "Excludes" in it? E.g. tell it to keep its paws off files of a certain name or type or in a certain folder?

...ken...

I had a registry cleaner app that kept deleting my product key for Nat'l Geo's TOPO. Took me a while to figure that out! The registry cleaner got swept out with the trash - I, too don't like things taking control. Usually by the time my registry gets bloated, it's time for a reformat anyway.
That makes sense that a disk cleanup would clean out offline cached files. I hadn't thought of that. I usually run the Windows cleanup occasionally, but I haven't since I started using GE.

There's no settings for disc clean up, it's a windows system tool. I manually run it before shut down. I believe I can move the files to a folder and change the pathway so that it points to the new location of the files.

I think my next puter is going to be sporting Linux. At least with Linux, I'll have complete control of my OS.

That is assuming you are a Linux expert. And the software you want to use is available for the flavour of Linux you choose.

Deciding not to do a manual clean up seems pretty simple to me. However, your suggestion to take control of where the files are placed would be my first choice. Hardly a complicated procedure.

Terry