Bird's-eye view

Bird's-eye view
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A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans and maps.

It can be an aerial photograph, but also a drawing. Before manned flight was common, the term "bird's eye" was used to distinguish views drawn from direct observation at high locations (for example a mountain or tower), from those constructed from an imagined (bird's) perspectives. Bird's eye views as a genre have existed since classical times. The last great flourishing of them was in the mid-to-late 19th century, when bird's eye view prints were popular in the United States and Europe.

The terms aerial view and aerial viewpoint are also sometimes used synonymously with bird's-eye view. The term aerial view can refer to any view from a great height, even at a wide angle, as for example when looking sideways from an airplane window or from a mountain top. Overhead view is fairly synonymous with bird's-eye view but tends to imply a less lofty vantage point than the latter term. For example, in computer and video games, an "overhead view" of a character or situation often places the vantage point only a few feet above human height. See top-down perspective.

Recent technological and networking developments have made satellite images more accessible. Microsoft Bing Maps offers direct overhead satellite photos of the entire planet but also offers a feature named Bird's eye view in some locations. The Bird's Eye photos are angled at 40 degrees rather than being straight down. Satellite imaging programs and photos have been described as offering a viewer the opportunity to "fly over" and observe the world from this specific angle.

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  • bird's-eye view — noun 1. A general view from above 2. A general view of a subject • • • Main Entry: ↑bird * * * bird’s eye view UK US noun [singular] a good view of something from a high position We had a bird’s eye view of the action from the roof …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bird' s Eye View B&B — (Шарлоттаун,Канада) Категория отеля: 4 звездочный отель Адрес: 3755 Route 19, C0A 1H2 …   Каталог отелей

  • bird's-eye view — n [singular] 1.) a view of something from high above it ▪ Visitors can enjoy a bird s eye view of the area from the castle turrets. 2.) a general report or account of something, without many details ▪ a bird s eye view of recent research …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • bird's-eye view — noun singular a good view of something from a high position: We had a bird s eye view of the action from the roof …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • bird's eye view — If you have a bird s eye view of something, you can see it perfectly clearly …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • bird's eye view — bird s eye views N COUNT: usu sing You say that you have a bird s eye view of a place when you are looking down at it from a great height, so that you can see a long way but everything looks very small …   English dictionary

  • bird's-eye view — n. 1. a view or perspective from above or at a distance 2. an overall, but cursory, view * * * …   Universalium

  • bird's-eye view — n. 1. a view or perspective from above or at a distance 2. an overall, but cursory, view …   English World dictionary

  • bird's-eye view — ► NOUN ▪ a general view from above …   English terms dictionary

  • Bird's Eye View — Infobox Single Name = Bird s Eye View Artist = Zion I from Album = True Livin B side = Luv Released = 2005 Format = 12 Vinyl Recorded = Genre = Hip Hop Length = 2:34 Label = Live Up Records Writer = S. Gaines A. Anderson Producer = AmpLive… …   Wikipedia

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