Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot - ecto Script plug-in (Mac OS X)
About Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot:
Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot is a plug-in script for ecto that works with Google Earth 4
and Blojsom. Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot allows you to take a geo data plus screen snapshot with in Google Earth 4 or above and instantly add it to an entry with in ecto.
Also there is now Technorati Geo-tag support.
Download:
To download the Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot Script plug-in for ecto on Mac OS X + source files click here
v.1.0.3
To download ecto click here It's only $17.95 or about £11! Go on, splash the cash and buy it!
Over view:
- Installation
- Stage 1 - Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot set-up
- Stage 2 - Find your location in Google Earth to Geo-Blog about
- Stage 3 - Running the Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot
- Stage 4 - Writing about your Geo-Blog entry in ecto
- Stage 5 - The end result after posting Geo-Blog entry
- Technorati Geo-tag support
Installation:
The fastest way of installing script plug-in is to launch ecto, then go to 'Script' > 'Open folder' menu and drop the plug-in in. To see how click here.
Ok so where has the script been saved to script?
The script lives inside a folder call scripts, inside your home directory, Library, Application Support, ecto, then scripts.
A quick way to open this location if you have the Terminal open is:
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/ecto/scripts/
Stage 1 - Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot set-up
If you dubbed click on the script file you will find at the top of the script some settings you can edit.
 | Just look out for this text with in the script: — Preference settings for this script. You can fiddle with these settings. — Adds helpful prompts to your blog post. To turn them off, set this to false below (set true for on, and false for off). — This is an advanced setting! To get rid of the info dialog box at the start change true to false below (set true for on, and false for off). — To turn off the screenshot in your Geo-Blog entry within ecto change true to false below (set true for on, and false for off). — To resize your screenshot image from 160 pixels to say 240, just change 160 to 240 below. — To use Blojsom Geo meta data to true. — To use Blojsom metadata for Technorati tags set blojsomTags to true. |
Examples:
Helpful prompt for your blog post is turned on:
set postPromptsOn to true
Dialog box at the start is turned off:
set infoDialogOn to false
Screenshot with in your Geo-Blog entry turned on:
set screenshotOn to true
Your screenshot is resize to 320 pixels:
set screenshotSize to 320
In this case if your blog is not on a Blojsom server then you are best having this set to false:
set BlojsomGeoMetadata to false
Once again if your blog is not on a Blojsom server then you are best having this set to false:
set BlojsomTags to false
Stage 2 - Find your location in Google Earth to Geo-Blog about
Fire up Google Earth then zoom into the area that your wish to Geo-Blog about.
Click on image below to enlarge:
Stage 3 - Running the Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot
Fire up ecto on your Mac then go to the menu bar > Scripts > Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot.
Stage 4 - Writing about your Geo-Blog entry in ecto
Now you should see with in ecto your Geo-Blog entry appear, or you may be asked to create a new Geo-Blog entry if you don't have an entry open.
Don't worry about meta data below the image, that will be hidden on your blog and only your Google Earth, Google Maps pluss GeoRSS Blojsom templates will make use of that meta data.
Click on image below to enlarge:
why is my Google Earth image in ecto Black and Wight? This is because at the moment Google Earth' AppleScript dictionary only supports Black and Wight screen shots.
Stage 5 - The end result after posting Geo-Blog entry
Here below you can see the the end result after posting Geo-Blog entry with in Google Earth.
Click on image below to enlarge:
Technorati Geo-tag support
So what's all this Technorati Geo-tag support?
Well the Google Earth Geo-Blog Snapshot script for ecto will add tree tag to you blog entry by default. The code will appear at the end of your entry, for example:
| meta-technorati-tags=geotagged, geo:lat=51.503135616221, geo:lon=0.055352366881 |
You can add more tag to the end of the tree geo tags, for example:
| meta-technorati-tags=geotagged, geo:lat=51.503135616221, geo:lon=0.055352366881, Apple, Mac, shopping, London, UK |
Ok so I've added the tags what now?
Well after publishing you entry to your blog, if you click on any of the Technorati tags it will take you to Technorati' web site and show you all the other blogs with the same tags.
So what else can I do on top of that?
After http://www.technorati.com have scanned your blog, other web sites like http://www.blockrocker.com can pull on the technorati geo tag data and can display your blog geographically.
note: If your blog is not on a Blojsom server then you are best having this set to false, click here to read more on settings. Also you this will allow you to use what every Technorati tag setting you have with etco:
set BlojsomTags to false
Click on image below to enlarge:
