Marble virtual globe

Keeping Your Distance

The map scale at the bottom left corner of the map provides a first estimation of distances. To get a more exact distance between two spots, right-click the first location and select Add Measure Point , then right-click the second location and again select Add Measure Point . Marble draws a red line between the two points and labels it with a distance.

More of the same will add further measure points, and Marble will show the total distance in an inset map in the upper left. You can remove the last measure point by right-clicking anywhere in the map and selecting Remove Last Measure Point from the context menu. Remove all the measure points by selecting Remove Measure Points from the context menu.

Using the File | Export Map menu item, you can save the current image as a PNG or JPEG file. Alternatively, use Edit | Copy Map to copy a screenshot of the map to the clipboard and use it as you please.

If you simply want to apply only the geographic coordinates in another application, right-click the map location and select Copy Coordinates , which copies the coordinates to the global clipboard.

Viewpoint

Marble provides still more functions. For example, it can tap into additional information sources from various online services. If, in View | Online Services , you select Wikipedia , Marble adds the W symbol at certain locations. Clicking the symbol opens the corresponding Wikipedia article.

If your system has a GPS receiver or you're racing the FlightGear flight simulator across the globe, Marble can show your current location on the map. The Location tab includes all the necessary functions. You can also actively participate in creating maps by clicking Edit | Edit Map to open the map in an external editor.

More details for these functions are available online in the (somewhat outdated) Marble documentation [4]. The webpage also provides access to a users forum and FAQ.