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Blocky Earth turns Google Maps terrain into Minecraft-like blocks

Blocky Earth turns Google Maps terrain into Minecraft-like blocks

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Blocky Earth experiment uses JavaScript, canvas, and WebGL to render Google Maps into cubic blocks.

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Blocky Earth
Blocky Earth

If you have ever wondered what Google Maps would look like in Minecraft, then wonder no more. Blocky Earth, an experiment by Jaume Sánchez, uses JavaScript, Google APIs and WebGL to turn Google Maps terrain into cubic blocks. You'll need Chrome 15+ or Firefox 9+ to view Blocky Earth thanks to the canvas and WebGL rendering, but the fun is endless in this cubic world. Sánchez says he is "thinking of changing some things" to help fetch the elevation data faster and to allow exporting. For now you can zoom and pan around Planet Earth with the belief that it is flat and cubic, much like ancient cultures.