Harnessing the Power of Google’s Latest AerialView API
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Recently, Google introduced an exciting new feature to their Maps platform — the AerialView API. This innovative tool generates footage that resembles drone-captured video for a specified location.
In my capacity as CTO, I’ve explored the potential of this API, contemplating its potential applications within our products at TenantCloud and Rentler. I’m happy to report that the outcomes have been quite promising!
Get started
To begin utilizing this cutting-edge tool, you first need to enable the AerialView API within the Google Console. The API interface is user-friendly, allowing you to pull already processed footage for a specific address or generate new footage. However, be aware that currently, this functionality is limited to US addresses, with additional locations on the horizon.
Generating a new video is a simple process:
curl -X POST -d '{
"address": "POSTAL_ADDRESS"
}' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
"https://aerialview.googleapis.com/v1beta/videos:renderVideo?key=YOUR_API_KEY"If you wish to retrieve an existing video, there are two methods to do so. The first approach involves using the address:
curl -X GET "https://aerialview.googleapis.com/v1beta/videos?key=YOUR_API_KEY&address=POSTAL_ADDRESS"Alternatively, you can use the videoID:
curl -X GET "https://aerialview.googleapis.com/v1beta/videos?key=YOUR_API_KEY&videoId=VIDEO_ID"Please be aware that video generation can take a few hours. Once the video is ready, you will receive a GET response akin to the following:
This service provides video output in both landscape and portrait formats, making it adaptable for both mobile and desktop applications. It also offers different quality levels: high, medium, and low. The videos can be streamed using either the Dash or HLS format.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Google has adopted a fair model. You will not be charged for video…
