## Getting started

You can generate building and solar designs, view
them on the map, and evaluate basic metrics using a site study in Google Earth.

## Projects and design studies

Design studies can be managed along with your other projects on the Google Earth
home screen. Collaboration, sharing, and access management are all controlled
within the project and a design will inherit the existing project settings.
[Learn more about managing projects](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/earth/manage-projects-homescreen.md.txt).

## Create a design study within a map project

You can generate building and solar designs in Google Earth using a design
study. Design studies are saved automatically within a map project in Google
Drive.

To create a site study, do one of the following:

- From the home screen, select **+ New
  New map project Tools
  Explore building \& solar designs**.
- Open a project and select **Tools Explore building \& solar designs**.

## Site selection

After creating a site study, you can select a design type, pick an initial site
by either drawing parcels or selecting tax lots, and optionally add more
parcels. Sites can be as small as 0.5 acres and as large as 10 acres.

1. In the **Tools** menu, select **Explore building \& solar designs**.
2. Select either **Generate building designs** or **Explore solar
   feasibility**.
3. Search for a location or manually zoom into your chosen location on the map.

### Draw a site

1. Click **Draw site** in the panel on the right.
2. Click the map to set points that outline your parcel.
3. To remove a point, click undo **Undo** on the right.
4. To complete your parcel, double-click on your last point.

### Select a tax lot

1. Click **Select tax lots** in the panel on the right.
2. Click the map to select a tax lot.
3. To add another tax lot to your parcel, click the map.
4. To complete your parcel, click **Save** on the right.

### Add more parcels and finish site selection

1. Add additional parcels by drawing them on the map or selecting tax lots.
2. After you are done, click **Finish site selection**.

## Create designs

After completing site selection, you can provide inputs to change how designs
are generated. Inputs are saved automatically inside of a site study --- you can
always return to complete them later.

### Generate building designs

To generate building designs, Google Earth takes several inputs into account,
including zoning, green space requirements, building types, and sustainability
strategies.

1. Enter zoning constraints for each parcel in the **Site** step.
2. Enter information about the development program, like the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) or target area for each use type in the **Program** step.
3. Enter information about green space requirements in the **Program** step.
4. Enter parking demand ratios in the **Parking** step.
5. Select building types in the **Building types** step.

   > [!NOTE]
   > **Note:** Your building types must contain only the use types that you selected in the **Program** step.

6. Select sustainability strategies in the **Sustainability** step.

7. After entering or adjusting the inputs, click **Generate** to create your
   designs.

### Explore solar feasibility

To determine solar feasibility for a given site, Google Earth takes financial
assumptions and expected energy usage into account.

1. Enter key assumptions in the **Financials** step.
2. Enter energy use in the **Energy use** step.
3. After entering or adjusting the inputs, click **Generate** to create your designs.

## View designs

After design generation begins, a design section appears inside the associated
map project. Clicking on this section lets you navigate into a view to see the
holistic results of the generation. Designs will appear in 5 to 10 minutes
inside the design section within the left-hand panel. Key information is shown
for each design. Clicking on a design will render it on the map and position the
camera to display the design in the viewport.

### Explore all generated designs in a list

1. Click **By Date** to view designs grouped based on the date the generation occurred.
2. Click **All** to view every design created within the current project.
3. Change **Sort** to modify how designs are ranked.
4. Click **Starred** to filter down the designs to only those that have been **favorited** within the project.

### Explore a single design on a map

1. Select a design from the left hand panel to display it on the map.
2. Click **View details**.
3. Click **Legend** on the map to see the definition for each color rendered in a design on the map.
4. Change the style of the map by clicking the **Basemap** settings icon in the bottom-left corner and selecting an option under **Details** (or use **View \> Basemap Settings**).

## Download designs

You can download files for any design using the **Download** icon. Files contain
information about the selected design only.

## Known issues

- Adding a building type without adding all the corresponding use types will lead to no designs being generated.
- Metrics don't appear if enabled when generating building designs.
- Sites can't be changed after choosing a design type and starting a draft of inputs.
- Thumbnails and downloaded images will have mesh tearing and other visual artifacts.
- There is noticeable Z-fighting between 2D geometry and the basemap, particularly in "map" mode.
- Listed designs may change sort order if they have the same score, and sometimes overlap on the map.