Francois, I like it very much ! Lets see if some others feel the same way, and if the map should even include ground events. My hope is so. Respectfully, John
OK Guys, This is not set in stone but let's see how this works: Grey = German Green = American (darker green than the glider demos) Blue = British & Commonwealth Red = Other Allied Countries Black = All Cemeteries (with different designs) I will therefore ask Nicholas to rotate one of the glider icons to the ten o'clock position, retain the letters and turn the background a darker green (hopefully with invasion stripes). Blue versions can be acquired for the British Airborne area. Francois's crossed rifles looks very good indeed for ground engagements and I'll ask Nicholas to do us up a fifth customised icon incorporating this idea. Let's see how it works out and we can modify as required. Thanks John for your generous contribution to the cause; it is very much appreciated. Regards, Pat
Hi All, Please take a look at the five customised icons and let me have your preferred R, G and B values for all five. The two gliders should be the same colour of course. Also, remember that with ‘Satellite’ view turned on in Google Maps, the icons will very often be seen against green fields. http://mapicons.nicolasmollet.com/markers/industry/military/wwii-pat/ Regards, Pat
Hi All, Getting to grips with coding Google Maps on a smaller project at present before implementing the glider location map. This map is just marking some locations for a tour I am leading next July from Ireland. The map will show markers for each proposed site and when the user clicks on a marker, an infobox will open with details of the site. Simple to code you might think, but I cannot get the JavaScript file to load the map as per the example on pages 126-7 in Gabriel Svennerberg's book 'Beginning Google Maps API 3' I have emailed Gabriel just now but if any reader knows JavaScript, can I ask you to please take a look at my code here (14.5KBs) and check for errors or omissions? Thanks, Pat
Hi All, This project has been parked for a while while I got to grips with the smaller customised Map for the July 2014 tour locations. Thanks to Gabriel Svennerberg, I have now a good working version at this location: http://www.normandy.whitebeamimages.ie/google_maps/index.html The info window which opens when the user clicks a map marker now has a working 'zoom in' link. A bit more work is needed to get this to read 'zoom out' after the link is clicked, but for now a rough work around is in place - just press the F5 function key on your keyboard to reload the 'Home Map' The Map has twenty one markers showing the two B&B locations and nineteen locations to be visited during the three day tour. Each marker requires two blocks of code. One to create and position the marker... PHP: locationIcons['falley_ambush'] = new google.maps.MarkerImage( 'http://www.normandy.whitebeamimages.ie/google_maps/markers/blue/letter_b.png', new google.maps.Size(32, 37), null, new google.maps.Point(16, 16) ); and the second block to populate the info box which opens when the user clicks a marker... PHP: { 'Title': 'General Falley Ambush Site', 'Lat': 49.392845, 'Lng': -1.402435, 'description': '<div id="info_window"><h3>Site B - Falley Ambush</h3>' + '<hr>Location where General Falley was killed' + ' by a group of stray US paratroopers led by Lt. Malcolm Brannen, HQ CO. 3/508th PIR' + ' on D-Day morning. Hear the full story from Dale.<hr>' + '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Falley">' + 'More info...</a> | <a href="" onclick="map.setZoom(17); map.setCenter(new google.maps.LatLng(parseFloat(49.392845), parseFloat(-1.402435))); return false;">Zoom To</a>' + ' | <a href="http://www.normandy.whitebeamimages.ie/forum/index.php">Whitebeam Forum</a></div>', 'place': 'falley_ambush' }, The resulting JavaScript file has 1147 lines of code - for just 21 markers :s Obviously, our glider location map is going to have to handle hundreds of these markers and info boxes, so this 'hard coding' approach is not going to be practical. If I understand things correctly, we are therefore in the realm of linking some form of database to the Map - perhaps using JSON. As I want to give Gabriel a break for a few months at least, s) does anyone know how this might be achieved? Thanks, Pat
Wish I could help you but I am totally useless with Java script and such :-( Looks great, but apparently a lot of coding work.
Not to worry François, I am sure Amazon will have a book on this subject as they do on every other under the sun Regards, Pat
Pat, What about instead of creating all this coding, if you just create your own map on Google maps like I did here when I created one for naval targets, german batteries and WN locations. https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=209661709708940440557.0004ddcff6af135671f1c&msa=0&ll=49.427054,-0.87204&spn=0.525208,0.812988 And then linked it to a thread here http://normandy.whitebeamimages.ie/forum/thread-127-post-871.html#pid871 It was pretty easy to do and they had there own icon and info boxes... and it was free. The only thing you may not be able to do is use the icons you created, but it is an option. John
Hi John, Guess I'm just stubborn But seriously though, I can see no huge advantage in coding up a customised Map apart from a few additional 'bells & whistles' which do not really add much to the information which the Map is attempting to impart, when compared to your use of Google Earth Outreach. I note they have a collaboration feature which would be useful too for a team effort on plotting the gliders. If you are happy to set up another Map for glider locations like the one for the shore batteries then I will continue at my own pace with the coding on a smaller project which I have in mind plotting the V sites on the Cotentin. Regards, Pat
Pat, I could give it a shot but I need to know what you would like included and the sources we plan on using. I figure NCAP aerials and any other aerials available. Would it be plotting ALL gliders? or just known gliders? I figure once it is well started, the collaboration could begin later. Pat or anyone who has some suggestions, thoughts, guidelines, please feel free to post them or private message me. John
Hi John, Am I correct in thinking that the info windows can hold images? If so, perhaps the first step might be to create markers for gliders with known ground photographs, such as 'Edna' at the Pond Field? ...or should the images be only from the reconnaissance cover :huh: Just thinking out loud. Regards, Pat
Pat, I dont think the google map feature will allow for photos to be attached. I had wanted to post some aerial photos of the batteries in my other map, but I couldn't get anything to work in the text box. I did try to post a link into the box on my map but it did not function as a link, only as text. Maybe I was doing something wrong or google doesn't seem to have that ability. Maybe the newer version of google maps has that ability... does anybody know ? As for the map, I would plot as many gliders I can from aerials and identify those known such as Edna, Hoatson, and any others. Also have a different pin color for horsa's and Waco's. John
Hi John, Are you using the Google Earth Outreach interface to create your maps? If so, see this page on their site and specifically this section therein which shows how to insert an image into an info box. Regards, Pat
Hi Pat, I did my map on Google maps, but Google earth outreach may be an updated version. I am still at work, but I did peek at my naval target map and I think the tutorial may work for it because I do have the rich text and simular box icons. I will have to try with my naval map a bit later... but you have me feeling positive now !!! Pat, I just added you to the naval target map as a collaborator to it... if you want to expieriment with adding a photo, please give it a try !!! John
Hi John, The only concern I have regarding Google Earth as opposed to Google Maps is that the user must have GE installed whereas Google Maps would open in any browser - at least that's the way it used to be. They may be merging the two into one now - something we need to check out. I'll look at the naval target map tonight. Regards, Pat