Creating Custom Google Maps

The latest from Google Geo Developer series, John Coryat (of maps.huge.info and usnaviguide.com) gives a great talk on how to go about creating custom maps with the Google maps API. I can forgive him for dwelling a little too long on US Specific data sources, as he gave a very good presentation on how to go about posting data using the Google Maps API.

You can view the video here on YouTube and download his presentation as a PDF.

John described a number of different ways of adding data to maps using the Maps API, highlighting the pros, cons and trade-offs of each method. I list the main points I took from the presentation below, if they are of interest take the time to watch the video:

• Max number points and lines successfully displayed by the maps API in one map window: 50-150 in a view depending on user browser & system.

• Image Overlays: Whole image overlays & tile overlays.
• Whole image overlays.
• Unprojected.
• Projected.
• Tile image overlays.
• Description of structure
• Tiles cut from single images
• Static data tiles (can be different images for different zooms)
• Dynamic data tiles
• Simulated markers

This weeks presentation was a little more advanced than the previous one and assumed a little more previous knowledge. If you felt left behind a little and would like some getting started tutorials and other useful information the Google Maps API FAQ page is a good place to start. Check out their Articles and Tutorials. If you have further questions sign up to the Discussion Group and Blog.