I just found out that Google has discontinued its old Mapping API in favor of API v3. How does this affect Freeway Pro users? Will we still be able to simply insert the API key into the Google Maps action? Will we need to update the API key for exiting clients?
Also, how does one handle the API for maps that exists on our test server, which may contain several client websites currently under development, but all in their own directory?
I’ve been playing around with the API key, but I can’t get it to work. Here’s the message I just received via Safari:
Google has disabled use of the Maps API for this application. The provided key is not a valid Google API Key, or it is not authorized for the Google Maps Javascript API v2 on this site. If you are the owner of this application, you can learn about obtaining a valid key here: Документация по платформе Google Карт | Maps JavaScript API | Google for Developers
If all you want is the static map of a location, then you don’t need the API at all. If you know the lat/long of the point where the pin should go, then a URL like this will retrieve it:
Note that there is no key, and yet it will load an image with a pin in it.
The variables are:
size: 300x200
sensor: false (don’t be creepy)
scale: 2 (no idea, it just works in my application)
zoom: 16 (play with this number, depending on size of map and scale of surroundings)
markers: latitude %2C longitude with no spaces between (I believe you could have multiple markers by adding another markers item to the URL)
If you wrap the resulting map image in a link to Google Maps, you can have most of what you would get from a basic API-driven Google map, without the API key needed. As with anything free, if you access this sort of URL more than a zillion times a day (there is a limit, I don’t remember what it is, but it’s very high) they will throttle or deny you.
If Tim has a moment, I am sure this could be Action-ized very quickly.
Walter
On May 22, 2012, at 10:06 AM, RavenManiac wrote:
I’ve been playing around with the API key, but I can’t get it to work. Here’s the message I just received via Safari:
Google has disabled use of the Maps API for this application. The provided key is not a valid Google API Key, or it is not authorized for the Google Maps Javascript API v2 on this site. If you are the owner of this application, you can learn about obtaining a valid key here: http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/javascript/v2/introduction.html#Obtaining_Key
There are a LOT of options for the Google Static Maps API (multiple markers, areas, paths, custom markers, high resolution images etc) but this Action only makes use of a handful of them; http://actionsforge.com/actions/view/260-google-static-map
Apply the Action to either an HTML item or a graphic item and provide it with the location of where you want to map. HTML items will create an image that is called directly from the Google servers when the page is loaded and graphic items will create a static ‘snapshot’ of the map that lives in your Resources folder. This option is useful if you need to serve the image locally without an internet connection or on a CD/DVD etc.
Enjoy.
Regards,
Tim.
On 22 May 2012, at 15:31, Walter Lee Davis wrote:
If Tim has a moment, I am sure this could be Action-ized very quickly.
Thanks Tim! You might want to include a link to a free Geocoding services, either in the Action or the documentation:
Walter
On May 22, 2012, at 2:27 PM, Tim Plumb wrote:
There are a LOT of options for the Google Static Maps API (multiple markers, areas, paths, custom markers, high resolution images etc) but this Action only makes use of a handful of them; http://actionsforge.com/actions/view/260-google-static-map
Apply the Action to either an HTML item or a graphic item and provide it with the location of where you want to map. HTML items will create an image that is called directly from the Google servers when the page is loaded and graphic items will create a static ‘snapshot’ of the map that lives in your Resources folder. This option is useful if you need to serve the image locally without an internet connection or on a CD/DVD etc.
Enjoy.
Regards,
Tim.
On 22 May 2012, at 15:31, Walter Lee Davis wrote:
If Tim has a moment, I am sure this could be Action-ized very quickly.
I’m sorry guys. I didn’t read your posts throughly enough. It sounds like the Google Static Map will work fine. I’m assuming it’ll handle Google’s v3 APIs.
On 22 May 2012, 6:27 pm, Tim Plumb wrote:
There are a LOT of options for the Google Static Maps API (multiple markers, areas, paths, custom markers, high resolution images etc) but this Action only makes use of a handful of them; http://actionsforge.com/actions/view/260-google-static-map
Apply the Action to either an HTML item or a graphic item and provide it with the location of where you want to map. HTML items will create an image that is called directly from the Google servers when the page is loaded and graphic items will create a static ‘snapshot’ of the map that lives in your Resources folder. This option is useful if you need to serve the image locally without an internet connection or on a CD/DVD etc.
Enjoy.
Regards,
Tim.
On 22 May 2012, at 15:31, Walter Lee Davis wrote:
If Tim has a moment, I am sure this could be Action-ized very quickly.
Okay, the Google Static Map action works well. The only problem is I frequently used the Google Maps Marker, which apparently doesn’t work with the afore mentioned action.
Is there anything else that I can use that’ll give me the same functionality?
Since the Static Map will always place the pin in the center of the image, right at the coordinates you define, you could easily add a layer element above the map image and use that to build your extended marker (address, business name, etc.). This Action will be a LOT faster to load than the one that uses the API and JavaScript to build the live map. So with another box layered above it, you can get pretty close to how the other map looks when it (finally) loads.
Walter
On May 22, 2012, at 7:04 PM, RavenManiac wrote:
Okay, the Google Static Map action works well. The only problem is I frequently used the Google Maps Marker, which apparently doesn’t work with the afore mentioned action.
Is there anything else that I can use that’ll give me the same functionality?
Joe, I can’t seem to make the dynamic maps work with Google’s v3 APIs. I keep getting this error message when I view the page in a browser, even though I’ve set everything per their instructions:
Google has disabled use of the Maps API for this application. The provided key is not a valid Google API Key, or it is not authorized for the Google Maps Javascript API v2 on this site. If you are the owner of this application, you can learn about obtaining a valid key here: Документация по платформе Google Карт | Maps JavaScript API | Google for Developers
Not yet, no. We’re working on it though. Try using the one in Freeway without an API key (or follow the steps on our KnowledgeBase). Alternatively you can use the code snippet direct from the Google Maps website if you need it right away. Note that this uses an iFrame and doesn’t support the marker and text bubble though.
Alternatively you can use the code snippet direct from the Google Maps website if you need it right away. Note that this uses an iFrame and doesn’t support the marker and text bubble though.
Joe, I’ve just tried to use the Google Maps action in Freeway, couldn’t get it to work, but found that if I used the iFrame code from Google in a Markup Item, I got my custom map’s markers and text bubbles to show fine. I made a custom map at Google, with a route marked on it, markers, and bubbles, and they all work.
Joe, I’ve just tried to use the Google Maps action in Freeway, couldn’t get it to work, but found that if I used the iFrame code from Google in a Markup Item, I got my custom map’s markers and text bubbles to show fine. I made a custom map at Google, with a route marked on it, markers, and bubbles, and they all work.
Paul, would you mind explaining how you accomplished all of this? Can you also post a link to the map you created?
Thanks!
On 23 May 2012, at 16:10, Joe Billings wrote:
Alternatively you can use the code snippet direct from the Google Maps website if you need it right away. Note that this uses an iFrame and doesn’t support the marker and text bubble though.
Joe, I’ve just tried to use the Google Maps action in Freeway, couldn’t get it to work, but found that if I used the iFrame code from Google in a Markup Item, I got my custom map’s markers and text bubbles to show fine. I made a custom map at Google, with a route marked on it, markers, and bubbles, and they all work.
Paul, would you mind explaining how you accomplished all of this? Can you also post a link to the map you created?
Sure. I went to Google Maps, clicked ‘My Places’, then the ‘Create Map’ button. I placed markers on the map, drew a line along the route I wanted to highlight, then clicked the button that looks like a link in a chain to get the code to put into Freeway. You can see the original map here:
I haven’t described exactly how to make the lines, markers etc. because that’s pretty well covered on the Google Maps site, although you may have to hunt around there and hit a few buttons just to see what they do If you need any more help with that, just ask.
If you need any more help with that, just ask.