Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with googlemaps

Interesting GPS applications?

vizsla — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:16:37 -0800

What are useful/fun/collaborative things that can be done with a PDA, computer and a small GPS device these days?

Looking for songs describing mappable journeys

rongorongo — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:13:25 -0800

I am looking for songs that describe a mappable journey (ideally together with the map). For example here is a map of the destinations mentioned in "Route 66" and here is the wild journey described at the end of Tom Waits' "Don't Go into that Barn!".

Please evaluate my route from Italy to Spain by car

zaebiz — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:07:07 -0800

I plan to drive from Venice, Italy to Valenica, Spain in April or May 2009 using the following route. I will stay for a few days or weeks in little spots along the way. I should have about six weeks in total. I mostly want to see a little of Spain and Italy, the French Riviera, Montpellier, Marseilles and finish at Valencia. Apart from that anything else I should try to see? Any parts of the chosen route I should avoid? What's driving like along that route? Any rental car companies which will let me pick up in Italy and drop off in Spain?

What's the name of this widget?

rodii — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:47:25 -0800

You know the little draggable overview map in Google Maps? What's that kind of UI control called? They're pretty common: the Navigation Palette in Photoshop is the first one I remember encountering. It's a small window with a thumbnail view of a larger chunk of a document (maybe the whole document), with a little rectangle representing the area displayed in the larger window. In Google Maps it's at the lower right (honest, it's there, just click on the arrow); in Photoshop it's a separate palette.

What am looking for is (a) what that kind of widget is called in general (so I can google for more info) and (b) any discussions in the UI or HCI literature with guidelines, best practices, that sort of thing. Thanks!

Well, I Was Walking Down the Street One Day

netbros — Wed, 21 May 2008 05:07:44 -0800

I find this to be fascinating and uncanny. Are there other documented cases of people finding themselves on Google Maps Street View? Heather was out walking in San Francisco a few months ago and noticed the Google Maps Street View vehicle. Fast forward to now, and the films from that day are online. Doing a search, she found herself on the street view map. Have you, or do you know anyone, or have you happened across anyone who has also be captured by Google Street View?

I want to project the Ordinance Survey Grid (UK) on Google Maps.

munchbunch — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:11:46 -0800

I want to project the Ordinance Survey Grid (UK) on Google Maps. This site which to have a KML file that might do that (it's 9 on the list), but I have no idea how to get it to work. I downloaded the file, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I say I down oaded it, I've also clicked on it a few times mindlessly too - and this has not worked either. Any ideas? Would welcome alternate solutions to my main problem, not just the minor KML issue.

I don't live there, give me my package!

Phyltre — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:52:47 -0800

The post office, Google Earth, and all other mapping systems are wrong about my address. Help! I've tried to have a few packages delivered to an admittedly rurally situated house, but they always end up at a house closer to the main highway. I checked a few online mapping services, and indeed, the house is listed well up the street from where it actually is (in fact, the road is shown to dead-end before you reach my house.) Apparently everyone follows this system, delivers to a house up the street, and goes along their merry way.

I'd considered talking to my local post office, but there's no way I can contact all the different services that will be delivering to my house. I shop online a lot and really need to fix the situation, so neighbors (who aren't particularly trustworthy) don't keep getting my packages. What can I do?

How to track climber's progress with Google Maps

klinefelter — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:13:01 -0800

Using Google Maps to track Himalayan climber's progress: an easy way? I'm helping a friend, who's preparing to climb several difficult peaks in the Himalaya, redesign his web site. I'm using Wordpress for the framework, and we'd really like to have the ability for him to track his progress with Google Maps (and possibly Google Earth). He carries a GPS and camera, and has Sat web access and a laptop at basecamp. We'd like something similar to Simone Moro's blog (the 'Follow Simone' box in the right column). The links in the map correspond to a blog entry.

Is there an easy solution for this?

A question on using Google's "My Maps" feature

patricio — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:59:33 -0800

If someone has set up a public custom map in Google Maps, is it possible to grab the set of points from that map and incorporate them in a new one? TimeOut recently published its top 50 London restaurants and I wanted to map them all using Google's "My Maps" feature. I quickly realised that someone has done the job already - the map is here. However, I want to be able to take the marked locations on this map and use them in my own "My Map" with various tweaks (change the description/add extra links etc). Is this possible?

Making a Custom Google Maps Sidebar

ArcAm — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:00:08 -0800

When embedding a map using Google's MyMaps, it is not possible to display a sidebar listing locations on the map. No problem, because this can be done using the Google Maps API. The names of the locations marked are generated by javascript. However, I'd like the marker names on the side to display a regular link (to another page) instead of loading the infowindow on the map. I could do this simply embedding a map using Google MyMaps and coding links next to it, *but* I'd also like to display a small map icon next to the marker name and have *that* load the infowindow on the map. [mockup]. Is this possible and would you show me how?

Big Brother me, please.

nitsuj — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:14:07 -0800

Using the BlackBerry 8830 on Sprint, what software is available to upload my exact, current location (via internal GPS) to a custom Google Map every X number of seconds? Similar to what this guy did.

What is this location I spotted from Google maps?

soulbarn — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:17:37 -0800

Does anyone know what this facility is (google satellite image, Action, California.) It looks like a nursery, or something similar, but I'm trying to get more specifics for a hiking guide I'm working on (without taking the long, long drive out there.)

Why is Google's "My Maps" acting stupid?

nitsuj — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:42:08 -0800

Google's "My Maps" feature is doing very string things when I try to embed. Why? I'm creating a custom map in Google Maps. Creating it works great; I can add markers, lines, and make it look perfect when in editing mode. But when I save the Map and embed it into a website, this happens:

-- All of the lines I've created do not show up when viewing the embedded version. Markers show up, but lines do not.
-- My Maps does not "remember" the zoom or focal point -- it always reverts back to the exact same point and zoom as when I created the map. This may not be a bug, but it's annoying nonetheless. So as my trip progresses across a continent, the embedded map always reverts back to the original view, even though I've moved the focal point or zoom to make up for the overlap. Grr!

I'm going on a month-long trip and I'd like to plot my course as I go and embed the map into a website so it's always up-to-date, but these bugs are really preventing me from doing that. Is there something I'm missing?

leave Wayfaring for what?

intermod — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 22:00:56 -0800

Help me find a Google Maps mashup to replace Wayfaring (for personal use). I set up a Wayfaring account about a year ago and started entering in all the places I'd been in the world.

Today I realized that one of my places had been marked (by me) in the wrong place on the map. But when I tried to move it I couldn't figure out how. Then I couldn't find any help docs whatsoever in Wayfaring. Then some Googling led me to find out that Wayfaring seems to have been somewhat abandoned, both by the developers and the public.

I have no clue what's out there to do this now. I've heard of Platial and Google's own My Maps, and I have no idea what the differences are. Can you provide some guidance on the pros and cons of these? I just want to mark the places I've been, and perhaps create a timeline showing WHEN I've been there, where I've lived and how long, etc.

Most importantly, I want the joint to still be around in 2 years ...

FYI, I'm a little leery of any Google service that requires that I get a GMail account.

Google Maps info window too big! MUST CONTROL!

potsmokinghippieoverlord — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:55:58 -0800

How do I control the size of the info window on my Google Maps? I'm using the "My Maps" function on Google Maps, but (at least in IE6) the info windows are at least 535 pixels wide, no matter how much (or how little) content goes inside.

That means when I imbed my map on a page and click on an icon, the info window overwhelms the map. Grrr.

In Firefox, it looks fine.

I've tried futzing with the HTML of the windows, but that doesn't control the size of the window itself.

Here's my test map.

I tried searching the google maps group and couldn't find a direct answer.

Help? Halp? Hope?

A theme for wordpress and google maps mashup?

sethwoodworth — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:18:00 -0800

I'm starting a new tourism website for my local area. It's a mash of google maps, with photos and information of a given area featuring some of the neat stuff happening, or that has happened. And now I need some help with the wordpress theme. I'm using Wordpress to manage my stories and some of the photo linking, and I have most of the google-maps configuration for the pop-up photo galleries done. What I need is a nice two or three column layout for the google map on one side, a narrower column on the right for the wordpress content, and possibly a third on the far right (or far left) for a text ad column.

I am pretty new to css and wordpress, but I can do html, and I worked my way through the javascript for the google map. What should I look for in a wordpress theme, where do I look or should I customize one from somewhere else.

I'm sorry this is sort of broad, but I'm looking for someone to point me in a direction, not necessarily solve the problem for me. I've googled and found many resources for google map plugins and google map tools in general, but no themes that can display a big block of google map and my blog.

Help please hive-mind!

Google Maps Mashup for Dummies

OverlappingElvis — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:20:31 -0800

I'm working for a political campaign who wants to produce a Google Maps application for their website showing the impact of the issue in various neighborhoods. I've played around with the Maps API just a little bit, but not enough to really pull this off on my own. My question isn't so much how to do this from scratch, but rather if there exist any kind of pre-made framework to quickly build Google Maps apps/mashups. Ideally, this would allow a voter to enter their address and see relevant locations within 10 miles of their home. Any advice on where to get started with this? And if the best answer is "hire a professional," that makes sense (though we're trying to keep this in-house as much as possible).

Why won’t my basic KML file show a map of Japan?

jimdanger — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 00:14:29 -0800

I recently bought “Google Maps Applications with PHP and AJAX” and am already having a problem with the first chapter. Going over KML files and how they can be used to mark certain areas on a Google Map, the book gives an example of multiple points in Toronto. I followed the same example to try and mark a point in Yokosuka, Japan. When I view the Toronto example, it works fine. When I try my Yokosuka example, it just displays a point marker on a blank grey background; the map never loads. I’ve tried both the Toronto KML file and my Yokosuka KML file on my server, and only Toronto works. I've checked the coordinates by manually searching for them in GMaps and Yokosuka comes up fine.

Here’s my KML file (also found here):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://www.google.com/earth/kml/2">
<Document>
<name>yokosuka.kml</name>
<Placemark>
<name>Yokosuka Japan</name>
<description>
This is my first KML file. Insert some random crap about Yokosuka.
</description>
<Point>
<coordinates>35.277647,139.665585</coordinates>
</Point>
</Placemark>
</Document>
</kml>

As you can see, it doesn’t show anything but a point with no map. You can see the Toronto example works though. here.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there something wrong with GMaps in foreign countries? I really don’t want to give up this book after the first chapter, so please help me out here.

Thanks!

Burning Map

skryche — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:20:52 -0800

What's the easiest way to turn the Google Maps for a certain area (at the highest resolution) into a big JPEG? I mean, I could screencap and stitch 'em all together, but that would be a real pain. (I know watermarking will be an issue, but I'll survive.)

What I'm after is a huge map of Black Rock City.

What are these hoofprints?

fish tick — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:03:37 -0800

What are these hoofprints in Turkmenistan? Found via Pruned.

Did I get the trig right?

The Confessor — Sun, 13 May 2007 18:49:13 -0800

Does my documentation accompanying this JavaScript function as implemented on this page of my site demonstrate an adequate understanding of the use of trigonometric functions therein? I cribbed the code from an unofficial Google Maps API example site and modified it heavily for my own purposes, but it's been so long since I've studied or used trigonometric functions that actually figuring out how the damned thing works has been a hellish struggle.

My normal social circle was not equipped to help me; even my elder sister's college education in mathematics, having been dulled by teaching basic algebra to seventh-graders for years on end, was able to provide only a modicum of assistance.

So, did I get it right?

MyMaps on MyWebsite?

spitbull — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 13:12:46 -0800

How to integrate a Google MyMaps map with a Drupal website so my map displays in a node? Inspired by this post, I've gotten into Google's MyMaps. Now I've made a nifty little map I'd like to display as a node on my Drupal-powered (4.7, moving to 5 soon) website. I know how to do this with a simple map using the gMap and location modile, and I have a GoogleMaps API permission code and I can make maps fine on my website. But I cannot figure out how to use the link generated by MyMaps instead of the macro in the Map Editor. Has anyone started rolling a solution to this problem for Drupal or any other PHP -powered CMS? Or is there an easy answer I'm missing here?

Maps vs. GPS - Choosing High Tech or Low Tech Travel

Dreama — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:02:02 -0800

Roadtrip technology. Which would you prefer, high-tech solutions (web-enabled phone/Palm, laptop, GPS) or low-tech solutions (maps, AAA Triptiks, GoogleMaps printouts) or some combination? I'm embarking on a bit of a road trip soon, and I'm trying to come to a conclusion about technology and what I want to schlep along and whether or not it's worthwhile to pay the premium for in-car GPS to the rental agency and so forth. I'm a map nerd, and the more detail the better, and I love having a paper map that I can take into a diner and pour over as I drink some coffee. On the other hand, I'm also a tech nerd, and the idea of a GPS that can say "Turn right in 50 yards" gives peace of mind, but I fear a situation in which a GPS put a friend in the parking lot of a KMart when they were aiming for the (easy to find) Pittsburgh airport.

If you were driving across four states through major metropolitan areas and making a variety of stops in unfamiliar places, what directional technology would you use? How would you combine options to have the best coverage and least opportunity for hair-rending moments of "where in blue blazes am I?!?!?!"

Where can I find business address list/databases for free

dripdripdrop — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 12:12:14 -0800

I need to populate a database of a Google Maps mashup with the names and addresses of restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Where can I find this info in digital form? I need just the basics: name, full address and phone. Bonuses would include restaurant type.

I am willing to pay for a commercial database, but many are for direct mail type campaigns and I'm not sure if their user licenses allow you to republish. I'd also be willing to purchase a list of all businesses that includes an industry field.

Ideally I would love to find something free and up-to-date. I don't mind doing a little work to format the data. I am willing to pay for the information, but want quality information if I'm going to drop the money.

I have contacted the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) who has this info for Canada, but they haven't replied.

Help with Google Maps and Polylines

bofe — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:41:32 -0800

I do web work with a local government. We are wanting to put a lot of GIS related data on the web, and I'd like to use Google Maps before we lobby for a larger solution like ArcServer. I'm specifically having a problem with drawing polygons/polylines and the ordering of points. Here's how I usually get the Lat/Lng:

- Ask guy in GIS department. He fires up Arc Software, and exports.

- I take .DBF file that Arc generated, and manipulate it to generate the javascript needed to be used by Google Maps API.

- I draw a polyline, but it looks very jumbled, like this

I think it is related to the order that the points are being driven. Does anyone have ideas about getting the data returned to me so the points get drawn correctly?

note: the URL in this post is supposed to be a bike path in the city. I'm using GPolyline. If anyone wants to see code, I'm more than happy to share...