I help develop a desktop app that displays map information with various layers on top. Now we want to add the Google Maps traffic layer. We do have a developer API key.
How can I use the Google API without a website, to generate just the data layer I need and download it in KML or GeoRSS or any other format so I can use it in the desktop app on top of my own map?
We already use the distance matrix, geocode, and directions API. Is there a traffic API as well, or are traffic data only available for embedding on a website?
Traffic data is not available as separate API. You can only use TrafficLayer of Maps JavaScript API or Android SDK.
There is a feature request in Google issue tracker to expose these data as an API:
https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/36537583
However, it looks like Google didn't set high priority on this task. Feel free to star the feature request to add your vote and subscribe to notifications from Google.
I hope my answer clarifies your doubt.
Related
Can we get the 3D maps from the Google Maps API ?
i need to get the 3d model of any particular place just like the NYC 3d modedl.
Currently, the 3D Maps feature is not yet available from the Google Maps Platform - Maps JavaScript API.
But, we do have an existing feature request for this in our Google Issue Tracker. To express your interest and to subscribe you to its latest updates, I suggest that you star this entry: https://issuetracker.google.com/35821626
In the mean time, you may want to consider checking out the 45° Imagery and see if this will fit your use case. You could also find a code sample of this service here.
I am using predix map components to render map. And I want to add local traffic information on the map, which need the traffic data to render the traffic layer. But it looks like google maps has no such web api for developers to get JSON or XML type traffic data.
So, I really want to know if Google can provide this web api?
I am getting different building shadows when calling https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=40.1150139,-88.2273797&zoom=17&size=600x400&maptype=satellite
vs what I get from visiting
https://www.google.com/maps/#40.1150139,-88.2273797,319m/data=!3m1!1e3
I assume these are taken at different times of the day. How can I get the same image I am getting from Google Maps by calling the API?
There is no way to get satellite imagery for different timestamps via Google Maps Static Maps API at the moment.
The Google issue tracker contains a feature request to make it possible. You can have a look at the feature request:
https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/35826354
Feel free to star it to add your vote and subscribe to notifications.
Regardless of the platform I would like to launch Google Maps and optionally perform some actions like showing location, route etc
Google provides Google Maps URLs which allows you to do just that. You can build a universal, cross-platform URL to launch Google Maps and perform searches, get directions and navigation, and display map views and panoramic images. The URL syntax is the same regardless of the platform in use.
You don't need a Google API key to use Google Maps URLs.
Google Map URLs
Recently, in May 2017, Google launched the new Google Maps URLs API. You can read about this API in the official documentation
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/urls/guide
This API is intended to provide universal, cross-platform Google Maps URLs. So you can use it with websites, mobile apps, etc.
Search, directions, display map and display street view panorama modes are available in this API.
I hope this helps!
I was browsing Foursquare recently and they have this neat feature where you can click "Bigger Map" on their map, and it plugs your location in to Google Maps directions to the venue. I was wondering how I could replicate the functionality. (A high level overview is sufficient, I just can't seem to find it in the docs.)
It's not in the docs because it's not a Maps function. If you're talking about the Google Maps API, which is what Foursquare uses, they're detecting position using your device. I'm guessing for browser operations, they're using HTML5 geolocation. Here's a demo of just plain geolocation: http://html5demos.com/geo. That will ask the user to share their location with the app. Once you have that, you plug it into the Google Maps API Directions Service.