Custom spreadsheet auto populates Google map with names and icons?

October 5, 2017 8:36 AM

Is there a way to enter a bit of verbiage (say a character's name), along with an icon, and then have that name and icon auto appear in pre-determined spots on a Google Map?

Yes, I'm aware of the Silph Road road, looking for something different.

I help fun a local Pokemon Go Group in Savannah. Every two weeks local "nests" change. WE go out and try to figure out what's in the nests. Ideally, there would just be a spread sheet or something where specific fields where linked to specific locations on custom Google Map. Then all people would have to do is type in the name of the Pokemon, maybe select an icon for it and boom, it would auto appear at the specific location on the map.

Is that possible and relatively easy to setup? Tell me how to do it, speaking slowly.

Yes, I'm aware of the Silph Road road, looking for something different.

posted by Brandon Blatcher to Computers & Internet (1 answer total)

I can tell you one way to do it, though it's not super simple.

Google provides Javascript APIs for working with Google Maps. You would create your own web page, and add to it some Javascript that uses the Google Maps API to display a map and add your nests to it.

One pre-requisite for this is to create a Google account that allows you to use the Maps API. If your usage is very small there won't be a charge for it, but you still need to have the account.

As far as I know there is no simpler way to do it using what Google directly provides, though maybe someone has created a website or service that automates some of this for you.
posted by duoshao at 9:49 AM on October 5, 2017 [2 favorites]