Santa Claus and GEarth

Appletom · 12-14-2005, 02:59 AM

OK - Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of Christ. However, that fat jolly guy in the red suit is what attracts the attention of the little ones.

So - how can I make something so that GEarth will show the travels of Santa Claus? If you've never been to NoradSanta.org on Christmas eve, you are missing a really cool presentation. But it would be so much better in GEarth - especially for my granddaughter, Grace, who will be with us this Christmas. (Grace loves "the world" on my computer - so much that her parents had to uninstall GEarth on their own computer because Grace learned how to open it. Grace is five years old!)

How could something be built that will refresh every 15 or 20 minutes, moving to another area of the globe, with a photo of a local Santa (Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, et .al.) and a short story about the culture of the country that Santa is 'visiting' at that time?

I'm sure it would be more that a kmz file, so that takes a project like this out of my abilities. But when I see GEWar armies moving, and jewels being planted at random, all by some remote server, then I know that someone can incorporate Santa's travels on December 24/25 into a great GEarth presentation.

I've done a Google search for "Santa Claus"+"Google Earth" and nobody has done this yet - I think it would be extremely cool. And Grace would have yet another reason to think that her Grandpa is the best Grandfather on earth!

jammo · 12-14-2005, 03:26 AM

sounds like a great idea, and there are files in GEH that I have looked at that can track live plane movements, traffic flows etc, so i don't think that it would be too hard.

(although i have no idea how to do it.)

cowtreky · 12-14-2005, 11:03 AM

Apptom you are right about NORAD, the spent alot of money trying to track Santa Claus around the world.

A lot of fun.

WaywardTraveller · 12-14-2005, 01:24 PM

Wonderful Idea! I hope someone can help figure this out!
If you do, I'll be watching with my son christmas eve! (First christmas where he 'gets' it, 2 1/2 now)

phil-ray · 12-14-2005, 06:14 PM

have to say fantastic idea

i would say he would be moving ferly quickly and it would have to be in real time, more or less

even if its updated every minute or so it would do lol

BradG7 · 12-14-2005, 06:35 PM

Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only one problem, does anyone know 2 do such a thing?

Appletom · 12-14-2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradG7

Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only one problem, does anyone know 2 do such a thing?

Regretfully, I can only come up with grand programing ideas, not solutions

Surely one of the web geniuses here on GEH knows how. Rasqual, come back...

This would be such a natural tie in with GEarth, and it would be sooooooo much fun and would impress the everything out of any child age 2½ to 99.

Appletom · 12-21-2005, 01:34 PM

I did another search for "Google Earth Santa Claus" and lo and behold someone named GEROCS4EVR took my post that started this thread and copy/pasted it word for word on the keyhole bbs - http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthrea...?Number=233833

He/she didn't even have the courtesy to mention GEH.

I don't mind someone spreading my request to keyhole, but at least start the post with "Hey, I saw this on GEH. What a great idea - can anybody make a GEarth Santa Tracker?"

But I am glad he/she did take the post to keyhole bbs because Penguin Opus, a sysop there, said "For those thinking about attempting this... I will be doing something this year. Scale/volume is a big issue (as we discovered last year), but I think we have a plan."

Appletom · 12-24-2005, 03:21 AM

PenguinOpus from Keyhole BBS comes through!

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthrea.../page/0#244509

IOHBOY · 12-24-2005, 10:44 PM

Heh, NORAD says he is in Germany, Google Earth says he is in India!

KB7TBT · 12-25-2005, 12:28 AM

I have found live tracking by Google Earth, I have uploaded the KLM file but it has yet to be aproved..

http://www.googleearthhacks.com/user...php?user=30175

This file can also be found at www.googleearth.com on the front page.

Geospin · 12-22-2006, 08:54 PM

Check this out exactly what you were talking about.
www.geolistings.com/santa

olegas · 12-23-2006, 09:54 PM

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

olegas

12-14-2005, 02:59 AM	#1
Appletom Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 1,051	Santa Claus and GEarth OK - Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of Christ. However, that fat jolly guy in the red suit is what attracts the attention of the little ones. So - how can I make something so that GEarth will show the travels of Santa Claus? If you've never been to NoradSanta.org on Christmas eve, you are missing a really cool presentation. But it would be so much better in GEarth - especially for my granddaughter, Grace, who will be with us this Christmas. (Grace loves "the world" on my computer - so much that her parents had to uninstall GEarth on their own computer because Grace learned how to open it. Grace is five years old!) How could something be built that will refresh every 15 or 20 minutes, moving to another area of the globe, with a photo of a local Santa (Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, et .al.) and a short story about the culture of the country that Santa is 'visiting' at that time? I'm sure it would be more that a kmz file, so that takes a project like this out of my abilities. But when I see GEWar armies moving, and jewels being planted at random, all by some remote server, then I know that someone can incorporate Santa's travels on December 24/25 into a great GEarth presentation. I've done a Google search for "Santa Claus"+"Google Earth" and nobody has done this yet - I think it would be extremely cool. And Grace would have yet another reason to think that her Grandpa is the best Grandfather on earth!

12-14-2005, 11:03 AM	#3
cowtreky Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Brampton, Ontario Posts: 92	Apptom you are right about NORAD, the spent alot of money trying to track Santa Claus around the world. A lot of fun. __________________ One foot in the stirup, the other on the transporter pad. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

12-14-2005, 06:35 PM	#6
BradG7 WMU Aviator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Clay, Michigan Posts: 1,027	Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only one problem, does anyone know 2 do such a thing? __________________ Remember what movie these are from? I bet you don't! "You do well in school?"---"Yeah"---"Good, so did I, that's what they call a paradox" "How's your mother?"---"Oh... I'm afraid she's on her way out."---"We all are. Act accordingly."

12-21-2005, 01:34 PM	#8
Appletom Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 1,051	I did another search for "Google Earth Santa Claus" and lo and behold someone named GEROCS4EVR took my post that started this thread and copy/pasted it word for word on the keyhole bbs - http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthrea...?Number=233833 He/she didn't even have the courtesy to mention GEH. I don't mind someone spreading my request to keyhole, but at least start the post with "Hey, I saw this on GEH. What a great idea - can anybody make a GEarth Santa Tracker?" But I am glad he/she did take the post to keyhole bbs because Penguin Opus, a sysop there, said "For those thinking about attempting this... I will* be doing something this year. Scale/volume is a big issue (as we discovered last year), but I think we have a plan."* Last edited by Appletom; 12-21-2005 at 02:03 PM.

12-24-2005, 03:21 AM	#9
Appletom Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 1,051	PenguinOpus from Keyhole BBS comes through! http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthrea.../page/0#244509 Last edited by Appletom; 12-24-2005 at 03:32 AM.

12-14-2005, 03:26 AM	#2
jammo Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 38	sounds like a great idea, and there are files in GEH that I have looked at that can track live plane movements, traffic flows etc, so i don't think that it would be too hard. (although i have no idea how to do it.)

12-14-2005, 01:24 PM	#4
WaywardTraveller Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 108	Wonderful Idea! I hope someone can help figure this out! If you do, I'll be watching with my son christmas eve! (First christmas where he 'gets' it, 2 1/2 now)

12-14-2005, 06:14 PM	#5
phil-ray Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 28	have to say fantastic idea i would say he would be moving ferly quickly and it would have to be in real time, more or less even if its updated every minute or so it would do lol

12-24-2005, 10:44 PM	#10
IOHBOY Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5	Heh, NORAD says he is in Germany, Google Earth says he is in India!

12-25-2005, 12:28 AM	#11
KB7TBT Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 4	Santa Radar I have found live tracking by Google Earth, I have uploaded the KLM file but it has yet to be aproved.. http://www.googleearthhacks.com/user...php?user=30175 This file can also be found at www.googleearth.com on the front page.

12-22-2006, 08:54 PM	#12
Geospin Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Vancouver BC Posts: 1	Santa Tracker Check this out exactly what you were talking about. www.geolistings.com/santa

12-23-2006, 09:54 PM	#13
olegas Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 6	Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! olegas

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