Notes on using Google earth with the BSBI Tetrad Mapping website (Alan Hale):

• You need to have the Google Earth software installed on your computer before you can use this facility. Download it from here ;
• You need to have a reasonably highly-specified computer for Google Earth to perform adequately;
• Even with a high-spec computer, sending large datasets (i.e. maps of common species) to Google Earth may take some time, and zooming may be slow. Try an uncommon species first!
• You can send several tetrad maps to Google Earth and they will appear as separate layers. Note however that, at present, the tetrads will always have the same colour. You can change the colours yourself: right-click on the layer name, select "Properties", then the "Style, Color" tab, and click on the "Color" boxes to change colour;
• Each tetrad map will appear as a sub-item in the "Temporary Places" tree in the Google Earth "Places" panel (see below). Each sub-item will have the name of the species mapped. You can expand the sub-items further (click on the "+" to the left) in order to show the individual tetrad labels. Double-click on a tetrad label and you will be taken directly to the location of that tetrad in Google Earth;
• You can make individual layers (tetrad maps) visible or invisible by checking or un-checking the tick-box next to each species name;
• You can change the transparency of tetrads in a layer by selecting the layer (a species name in the Places panel) and using the "slider" control below the panel;
• To see which tetrad a particular square is, hold down the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard and click on the square. A "balloon" will pop up showing the tetrad name;
• If you want to permanently save any tetrads maps in Google Earth you can do so by right-clicking and selecting "Save to My Places";
• The screenshot below shows the "context menu" obtained by right-clicking on a tetrad map layer name. This shows various operations you can carry out, including those described above.