Universal Maps Downloader is a tool that allows you to download images from Google Maps, Yahoo Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth of any location on Earth.
To use this tool, first you have to specify two sets of latitudes and longitudes – the latitude and longitude of the top corner of the map and that of the diagonal bottom corner of the map. To get the latitudes and longitudes for Google Maps, use this tool. Select the type of map you want to download. You can choose satellite image, terrain view or the colored maps from either Google Maps, Yahoo Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth. Then specify the zoom level and click Start.
When I used this program, I had trouble downloading images from Google maps – I kept on receiving Forbidden 403 Errors. Their FAQ says:
This is some maps servers’ protection mechanism, if you ask too many requests at one time, your IP will be banned about 24 hours. You can wait for some time or change an IP.
They do support connections through proxy servers, so we could work around the IP ban if indeed what their FAQ says is true.
Universal Maps Downloader also comes with a map viewer that enables you to view the downloaded images. It also has an image combining tool that stitches the individual tiled images to create a large single image of the map.
The software is a shareware where the maximum zoom level is limited to 12, so you can not download highly detailed satellite images. The full version costs a hefty $59.95.
Download Universal Maps Downloader
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