There are numerous SO questions on how to build a URL with a custom GPS location in a google maps URL.
But I can't find something where I can add a custom label to my point.
E.g. I can show a marker by building a URL like this:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=24.197611,120.780512
But it's just an unnamed point. Can I add a custom label? Like "MyHouse"?
I actually want to add multiple points each with it's own label.
Something like:
http://maps.google.com/maps/dir/24.197611,120.780512//24.297611,121.780512//24.117611,120.180512
and then call the 3 points: House1, House2 and House3
Although you can pass map parameters thought the URL it appears as though changing the marker icon is not an option.
Google Maps URL Docs
You can change the marker icons with the Maps JS API.
Android Intents support label parameters, but the Maps URL currently does not support them. Check out this Stack Overflow post about it
Hope this helps.
I would suggest filing a Feature Request in our Issue Tracker will be a good idea.
Issue Tracker is a tool used internally at Google to track bugs and feature requests during product development. It is available outside of Google for use by external public and partner users who need to collaborate with Google teams on specific projects. You can learn more here.
Bing map does allow add a pin with label with url parameter:
https://www.bing.com/maps?cp=${mapCenterLat}~${mapCenterLon}&lvl=${zoomLevel}&sp=point.${pinLat}_${pinLon}_${name}_${description}_${linkUrl}_${photoUrl}
The name and the following parameters are optional.
However, allow add label could be a dangerous decision,
frauds may add misleading label to the map or on the wrong position.
Bing map docs
Related
Is it possible to use with google api v3 something similar to this: https://earthbuilder.google.com/10446176163891957399-13737975182519107424-4/mapview/
Should I use google map engine to apply the night view overlay?
Please advice
The link no longer works, but assuming you want something like Google Maps' "night mode" (that automatically activates when navigating during night), yes, it's possible!
You need to use map styling, as described in this official documentation.
With style options you can customize the presentation of the standard Google map styles, changing the visual display of features like roads, parks, businesses, and other points of interest. This means that you can emphasize particular components of the map or make the map complement the style of your app.
(...)
To style your map, call GoogleMap.setMapStyle() passing a MapStyleOptions object that contains your style declarations in JSON format.
You can use the Maps Platform Styling Wizard as a quick way to generate a JSON styling object.
I am developing JavaME LWUIT application which needs to display some data on map.
And I'd like to use Google Maps for this.
I thought about the requirements to the maps and their user interface. They are
listed below:
Pannable map. It should be possible to scroll the map using the touch interface or navigation arrow buttions which are displayed on the map.
Zoomable map. At the best, there should be appropriate +/- buttons displayed on the map.
Search location by address and move to it (menu command).
Remember the last visited location.
Marker for the current location.
Markers with customable icon and text which is displayed when select the marker (click on it or select somehow).
I spent some time searching for appropriate Map Library for JavaME/LWUIT.
I expected to find a free library and map service (ha-ha).
See my results below:
MIDMaps library. URL: http://www.jappit.com/blog/midmaps-google-maps-java-me-library/
That library uses the Google Static Map Service. Not bad... but it needs a lot further improvements...
I found the follwoing issues with that library:
Markers: impossible to customize marker's icon and text. Displaying the marker's text on click/selection is not supported.
Map Panning: no UI controls for this (arrow buttons). Doing panning with menu commands is not a user-friendly.
Map Zooming: no UI controls for this (+/- buttons). Not so important...
License: not permitted to use in a mobile app if not a Google Premier User. Not a problem...
Nokia Maps API for JavaME. URL: http://www.developer.nokia.com/Develop/Maps/Maps_API_for_Java_ME/
Did not try. But looks like that lib fulfills all my requirements.
I am not sure about the following things:
Quality of the maps.
How much does it cost? I mean the cost of using the map service.
Nutiteq lib which uses OpenStreetMap service. URL: http://www.nutiteq.com/map-api
Not free the lib, but the map service.
Guidebee Map API. URL: http://www.guidebee.biz/
It's not free.
Now it's a time for me to ask questions. What should I do? Are there any advices?
Maybe I missed some possibilities or lib/services?
Thank you for your help!
See the Makeover demo in SVN (I updated it to use Google maps instead of Yahoo maps API which was killed off). The GoogleService API should be available in the SVN history it was (deleted because of licensing nonsense) within the IO services directory and it includes local search etc.
Terrence has a a demo that includes allot of interesting features including a browseable map.
You can also look at Waze although I haven't checked it myself, I saw people using open street map and AFAIK there is an open source mapping application based on that (although the license might not be appropriate for you but it might still be useful as a learning aid).
After some additional investigations I decided to use Nokia Maps. And now I have a working application which displays interactive map with my data markers on it and also my current location.
I chose Nokia Maps API because it provided real dynamic maps (panning, zooming, tiling) and fulfilled all my requirements, except "Remember the last visited location" (can be implemented on my own).
I met the following problems:
Using the maps from LWUIT, not from an ordinary MIDP application. I used the approach shown here Nutiteq SDK with LWUIT and also implemented my own MapWidget class for LWUIT.
Displaying additional info on marker click. There is no support for this in the lib. I had to implement it on my own. Details are here JavaME Nokia Maps API: how to display additional info on marker click
Additional info related to the choosing proper map library can be found here Discussion on Nokia Forum
I am working on a location-based service platform, that will be coordinate based. In ideal situations, I can have the GPS grab the coordinates. However, I would like to have a fallback where I would have an autocompleting text field in which a user can input the address/name of the place. The autocomplete dialog would try to make a smart guess what the place is, just like how it would work in Google Maps when you try to search for a location.
Is there an API for this?
You can use the Google Places API.
There is also a handy jQuery plugin called geo-autocomplete that can help you with this.
See also the Google example, and documentation.
I'm using the Google Maps generator to create a few maps for a client. The maps embeded on the site are a bit small (255x176), so map real state is crucial. I've already removed the balloon, but can't find a way to remove the "Earth" view button from it (all newly generated maps come with it now, 4 views in total).
The annoying part is that the "Earth" view requires a Google Earth plugin to be used anyway, something the client could live without - me too.
Any advices there? Feedback will be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Wallace
You may customize the map controls using the MAPS API.
Visit http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/javascript/controls.html#DefaultUI
Look for MapTypeControlOptions and pass appropriate map type you want to show.
Refer http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/javascript/reference.html#MapTypeControlOptions
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/javascript/reference.html#MapTypeId
If using the default UI, you would get only the map types in G_DEFAULT_MAP_TYPES, which does not include the Earth map type (G_SATELLITE_3D_MAP).
This means your generator is adding this map type explicitly. So you should be able to simply look for G_SATELLITE_3D_MAP in the javascript you get from the generator, and remove references to it.
If you are still having troubles, can you provide a link to the map generator you are using?
Well i want to upgrade contact page with dynamic map showing location and give oportunity to calculate route for comapny headquatters. Id it necessery for such simple task use Google api? i mean here generating akey etc? Fo i have any other alternatives to google maps?
There's really no reason to mess with the API at all unless you need to customize the appearance or behavior of gmaps. Why not just use an iframe with a url of:
http://maps.google.com/?q=[you-url-encoded-address-here]
or better yet, set up a textbox and a 'get directions' button to redirect that frame to:
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=[their-address]&daddr=[your-address]
edit: this works well in modal dialog if you don't want the google logo sticking out like a sore thumb in your pageflow
You could probably embed directly with a specific URL that will configure it to have the destination you want.
By the way, well written answers are much more likely to receive useful responses here.
You could consider http://www.openlayers.org/ as an alternative to google maps.
In fact open layers can be used to add a Google map, or an OpenStreetMap map or a Bing map, etc.