Under Google Earth above you mentioned legacy 3D models and the newer photogrammetry models. You did not point out that all of the legacy models still exist in Google Earth and can be displayed. Some display by default as they have not yet been superceded by photogrammetry versions. Examples include Machu Picchu in Peru and Martin Luther King memorial near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The rest can be displayed by changing a settings option in Google Earth as follows:
– Click Tools at top left
– Click Options
– Select the 3D View tab at the top left if not already selected
– In the Terrain group 3/4 of the way down untick the “Use 3D imagery” box
– Click OK
– You naturally also have to tick the box next to 3D Buildings on the left under Layers after you exit from Tools.
Just be aware that you will sometimes have to wait for a while for the model to be displayed in full detail, especially on a slower PC. (The same is true with photogrammetry models). Sometimes the legacy models will also float above the terrain, if the Google terrain has been changed since they were created.
The legacy models are usually far more detailed and accurate than what is created via photogrammetry.
A good example is Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, which you show a picture of above. Viewed from a distance the photogrammetry version looks reasonable. Zoom in and it is basically a featureless blob. Compare that with the original manually created version (modelled by yours truly). The entire mountain is modelled in excrutiatingly accurate detail. You can even go inside the chapel in the base of the statue, where all of the furniture, light fittings etc. are modelled. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn5w40Ln9wg
A similar level of detail can be found in many other legacy models around the world, eg. Pompeii. Many of them can be downloaded from the Sketchup 3D Warehouse.
Another significant capability of Google Earth that none of the other platforms have is true 3D animation. To see what is possible check out the following YouTube videos of 3D Google Earth animations created with Sketchup and the KML markup language. You can run them yourself (or get ideas for creating your own). Just download the KMZ file from the 3D Warehouse via the second links given and double click on them to run them in Google Earth. Usually after you open them in Google Earth you will have to double click on a link at the left where indicated to start the animation and click on the little play triangle on the time slider that pops up. For the technically minded a KMZ file is simply a zip file. Just make a copy and rename it to end with .zip instead of .kmz. You can then open it and see its contents. There will usually be a file inside called doc.kml which contains the main animation code. Open it with Notepad.
Disneyland Monorail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmAZTp0SlJA
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/4fdeb016355f491948846c67671d9660/Disneyland-Monorail-Animated-Short
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/878c7c0d00936a6848846c67671d9660/Disneyland-Monorail-Animated
Disneyworld Monorail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-Kz6Vojbx0
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/be132bf12b47244048846c67671d9660/Disney-World-Monorail-Animated
Costa Concordia Shipwreck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhwW6FlL9ow
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/57e14f9b30152cb51f2b60986ab4327c/Costa-Concordia-Disaster-Animation
Tenerife Airline Disaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glZIggnP47Y
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/b95cbcb2a669fa2fa1ed68d685caf3ad/Tenerife-Airport-Disaster
Spanish Train Crash (short version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SzOneaSMF4
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/449581d889e325c4dfd89dd71a555b12/Spain-Train-Crash-Animation
Spanish Train Crash (full version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM1oBDw08x4
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/cf8544f0c3074395dfd89dd71a555b12/Spain-Train-Crash-Animation-Detailed
Ferris Wheel at Luna Park in Sydney, complete with animated shadows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnSTxGONuiE
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/e444bb6f2114aae448846c67671d9660/Luna-Park-Ferris-Wheel-Animated
Enjoy.
