On the Trail with Google Maps

Trail Charts is a new Google Maps creation tool that allows anyone to create their own Google Map of trails, runs or routes.

To get an idea of what you can create with Trail Charts take a look at this map of the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Route created with the API. The map shows the complete torch relay route, starting in May in Land's End and ending in the Olympic Stadium, London in July.

To create a map with Trails Chart all you need is a comma-separated or tab-separated text file containing your trail data. Trails Chart comes with a full API and allows for lots of customisation.

You can see an implementation of the Trail Charts API in action on MrHollister.com, which has used TrailCharts to map 99 hikes and trails in the USA.

Create and Share a Google Map in Seconds

Sketchmap.co.uk, from mapping technology company FIND, is a new Google Maps based application that allows users to draw on a map and easily share the results with friends. It is a great tool for quickly sketching out a location or a route that you wish to show to other people.

Simon Lewis, Managing Director of FIND, says, "The key feature of sketchmap is that it's designed to be very quick and easy to use - so there’s no logging-in. From arranging a meeting place to sharing your favourite picnic location, it's incredibly simple to use - just sketch a map and share it in seconds."

As well as the handy drawing tools the map includes a number of layers, including administrative boundaries, listed buildings, scenic interests and geology.

Introducing the WorldMap

WorldMap is a new open source mapping platform from Harvard’s Center for Geographic Analysis.

Users of WorldMap can quickly create a map from their own data layers or from data layers already added to the WorldMap. Viewers of created maps can control the data layers seen on the map from a sidebar and can choose to view the data on top of Google Maps or OpenStreetMap map tiles.

WorldMap has already created over 700 mapping layers and users have created more than 500 maps. Therefore, as well as creating their own maps, users can search and view maps from the hundreds of maps already created.

The World-Wide Starbucks Map

Loxcel Web Services are an online map creation team who specialise in helping to create scalable maps.

Loxcel have two great demo maps featuring their own marker clustering system. The World-Wide Starbucks Map shows the location of 19,000 Starbucks cafes across the world. The Canadian Cell Tower map uses the same marker clustering solution to display the location of 16,000 cell towers.

Both maps use two backend services: Loxcel Web Services to manage and cluster the map markers and Google Fusion Tables to populate the information windows. The marker clustering system allows both maps to effortlessly handle and display a huge amount of data, providing a seamless experience for the end-user.

Google Maps Created in Your Own Image

Mashupforge is a new Google Maps creation tool that allows anyone to easily create a Google Map without having to use the Google Maps API.

The tool allows users to create a Google Map with markers or to create a map from an uploaded image. Adding markers to a Mashupforge map is a simple process of dropping the marker on the correct location and entering the information you wish to appear in the information window.

To create a map from an image simply involves uploading an image. The screenshot above shows a map created from one of NASA's Blue Marble monthly images uploaded to Mashupforge.

Custom maps created with Mashupforge can be embedded in any website by cutting and pasting the provided iframe code. Alternatively users can just share the link of their created map's URL.

Have You Met Gemma?

Gemma (short for Geospatial Engine for Mass Mapping Applications) allows you to create Google Maps with data from a number of different sources.

It is possible to create maps with gemma with layers from MapTube, SurveyMapper, OpenStreetMap and from your own data. Gemma even has an accompanying iPhone app that lets you record observations on the go and then upload them to a gemma map.

Gemma was created by the University College London - Centre for Spatial Analysis. It is not surprising then that it works very well with CASA's own SurveyMapper (a geographic survey and polling tool) and with MapTube.

Create Custom Google Maps for Android

Custom Maps is an essential app for Android phones for any serious off-trail hikers, sailors or anyone else who needs detailed off-line maps.

The app lets you quickly create a custom map for your Android phone from any map image or photo file. The image can be a photo or scan of a paper map. It could even just be the photo of a map posted at the beginning of a trailhead or at the entrance to an amusement park, which you can capture with your smartphone camera.

To create a custom map all you have to do is choose two (or more) points in your map image and plot them on a Google Map. That's all it takes. Your finished map can then show your GPS location and will work even when a data signal is not available like in a state park or when abroad.

I have a boat that is moored on a river with lots of tributaries and creeks, some of which are navigable and some of which aren't. When you start exploring these backwaters it is very easy to quickly lose a sense of where you are.

Using Custom Maps I made an off-line map for my phone in less than five minutes using a scan of a river chart. Now I should never get lost on my boat again.

The source code for Custom Maps is also available on Google Code. Several new features are also planned for the app including distance measurement, marking map locations with icons and making it possible to geolocate map images without Google Maps or a data connection.

Via: Open Source at Google

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The Map Channels Google Maps Creator

Map Channels, the popular Google Map creation tool, has been updated to includes a new 'Edit' tool.

One of the most powerful features of Map Channels is that it allows users to create a map with data held in a KML file, a Google Spreadsheet, a GeoRSS feed, tab delimited text or a Google Fusion Table. Map Channels now also allows users to add data manually with the new 'Edit' feature.

The Edit option allows map creators to add locations to a map and store the data on the Map Channels site instead of loading locations from an external data feed. Maps created with the Edit tool can be shared or embedded in a website in the same way as any other Map Channels created map.

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Tracking Google Maps with Google Analytics

Ubilabs has written up a very cool explanation of how you can track users' interactions with Google Maps using Google Analytics.

The trick involves using Google Analytics event tracking on your map. For example you can add a tracking event to map markers to see how many times users click on different markers.

Ubilabs say that they regularly use Google Analytics on their created maps to track map types used ('map', 'satellite', 'hybrid' etc), location search (geocoding requests) and map marker and drag events.

This is a really inspired idea. I can't wait to try this on some of my own maps.

Track Maps using Google Analytics

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GIS with Google Maps

GIS Cloud is a powerful free cloud based GIS service, that allows users to create, edit, analyze and publish data from only one GIS service.

When creating a map with GIS Cloud users can choose from a number of base tiles, including OpenStreetMap, Bing Maps and Google Maps. Users can then add GIS data to the map, either from data already hosted on GIS Cloud or from their own files.

Because the application is web based GIS Cloud enables centralised access to projects. Teams can work together on a project, with each member having their own account. Any changes then made to a project are available immediately to every member of the team.

GIS Cloud projects can be shared, either by sharing the GIS Cloud URL of the project or by embedding the map in your own website. GIS Cloud also comes with a REST API and a JavaScript API.

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Helping You Build a Google Map

Build-A-Map is a new Google Maps creation tool to help users build visually appealing, functionally rich, and interactive maps with minimal effort.



Using the simple point-and-click interface users can create custom maps, publish the map on Build-A-Map's servers and then simply embed it in their own website or application. You can view examples of Google Maps created with Build-A-Map on the demo page.



Currently Build-A-Map is in beta testing. You can sign up now to be an early user.



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Travel Blogs and Google Maps

Blogabond is a neat application that allows anyone to create their own travel blog with an accompanying Google Map that shows the location of your blog posts and photographs.

Blogabond is very easy to use. After you create an account you can create a new travel blog. This simply involves choosing a location, adding your text and uploading any photographs that you want to share.

When finished your travel blog is presented on its very own page. The blog includes a Google Maps header that displays markers for all of your entries. The map can therefore be used as an index for your blog. You just need to click on a map marker to view the entry for that location.

Blogabond

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Create a Google Map in Minutes

Topo.ly is a free Google Maps creation tool that you can use to create a map from data from a spreadsheet, for example from data in an Excel spreadsheet.

Using the tool it is very easy to create a Google Map with multiple dataset layers, apply filters to locations, choose different markers and securely share maps within a team.

You can register for free with Topo.ly. Then all you need to do is name your map and then paste a list of addresses into the map creation tool. Within seconds, all addresses and other location-specific data is plotted on a Google Map.

Topo.ly

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Map Your Life with Intersect

Intersect is an interesting new website that allows you to map stories by time and place and share them with the world. Once you have mapped your story you can then see how your narrative interacts with other stories - by seeing what else happened at the same time and place.

Intersect uses a time-line and Google Maps to show the intersections between your story and the stories of others. Using the map and the time-line you can find out what important events in other people's lives were happening at the same time and place.

The home page of Intersect features a large Google Map and a time-line that lets you browse all the stories already created with Intersect.

Intersect

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Lara Croft - Google Maps Raider

Mike Gleason has created two very nice examples of zoomable images created with the Google Maps API. He has also written a step-by-step tutorial explaining how you can create your very own image maps.

To help you create your own map tiles from any image you can use Mike's C# Code - Tiles Generator (a guide on how to install and run the tile generator are included in the tutorial).

The two example image maps include a simple zoomable image of Lara Croft and a more interactive image map with custom controls.

The custom controls in the 'Earth' map include hand drawn looking zoom buttons and some hand drawn buttons which open information windows on the map. The information windows themselves continue the hand drawn theme.

Create Zoomable Images Using The Google Maps API

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Map Channels Adds Fusion Tables Support

Map Channels, the popular Google Maps creation tool, now lets you add data to a map from Google Fusion Tables.

In the four years that Map Channels has been running over 20,000 maps have been created by its users. It has proved popular with casual map makers and with major news organisations., including Fox News and CBC.

You can create a Google Map with Map Channels using data from a KML, a Google Spreadsheet, a GeoRSS feed, tab delimited text and now with a Google Fusion Table. You can see an example of a Map Channels created map with data provided by a Fusion Table in this Wikipedia Events Map.

Map Channels

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Create Your Own Animated Google Map

Animaps lets you create your own animated maps. You could use the application to create an animated map of a journey you have taken, or to show how a bike / yacht race progressed or even to show the progress of armies in a famous battle.

With Animaps you can quickly animate, map markers, polylines or polygons. To get a true idea of what is possible with Animaps you should check out this showcase map that includes many of the application's features.

As well as the animation features you can add photographs and video, that will appear (and play) at the points you say in your animated map. An example of this feature in action can be seen in this animated map of a cycling trip to Asia that includes a number of photographs taken along the journey.

Animaps

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Custom Satellite View with Google Maps

Cartagen Warping Tool

The Google Maps API v3 has a great feature that lets you take and add your own Custom Street Views to Google Maps. Unfortunately it doesn't have a similar feature to add your own aerial imagery.

Step forward then Cartagen Warping Tool.

This tool allows you to upload your own aerial imagery and place it on top of Google Maps. The application includes tools that allow you to rotate and scale your images to fit the underlying map tiles.

In the unlikely event that you can't afford your own satellite you could always try and create aerial imagery with a kite or a remote controlled helicopter.

OK, the Google Maps API v3 actually does have a feature that allows you to add your own aerial imagery. You can use the Ground Overlay feature to place imagery on top of Google Maps. Using Ground Overlays though does mean that you will need to rotate and scale your own images.

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600 Free Google Map Markers

Map Icons Collection

I rarely make a Google Map without using map markers from the Map Icons Collection. The collection has more than 600 free icons which you can use as map markers with the Google Maps API, which means you can nearly always find a marker that fits the purpose and design of your map.

The collection has previously been hosted on Google Projects but now has its very own website. With the new website comes two cool new features, styles and custom colors.

The custom colors feature allows you to change the color of any map marker to fit the style of your map and website. The style feature lets you choose from seven different style of marker, including iPhone, gradient and classic.

If you are a Google Maps API developer then bookmark this collection now!

Via: Le Technology du LAC

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CartoView - Google Maps Templates

CartoView - SF Social

CartoView has released the source code for a number of Google Map templates.

This Google Map of San Francisco includes Fusion Tables, Twitter, Flickr and You Tube layers. The map lets you view layers that display San Francisco parks, events, Tweets and videos directly on the map.

If you want to create a similar map for your own town you can download the source code and adapt the map to your own purposes. The source code for the map and for a number of other Google Maps templates is available from the CartoView Demos page.

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