29

In a desktop Qt application, I have some GPS coordinates that I'd like to show on a map. My plan is to construct an URL with the coordinates and let a web browser and Google maps or a similar service do the heavy lifting.

After reading some apparently reverse-engineered documentation at 

mapki.com slash wiki slash Google_Map_Parameters

I can make it work for a single point, but what's the URL syntax for multiple points?

My best shot so far is to build a string such as this:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&q=My+First+Point@59.591,17.82&q=My+Second+Point@59.592,17.82

but that will only show "My Second Point". Is there a better description of the syntax somewhere?

Replacing q= with markers= did not work and the "static map" suggestion below only complained about an incorrect API key.

Joakim Rosqvist
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5 Answers5

38

for google maps static there is this URL:

http://maps.google.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=Brooklyn+Bridge,New+York,NY&zoom=14&size=512x512&maptype=roadmap
&markers=color:blue|label:S|40.702147,-74.015794&markers=color:green|label:G|40.711614,-74.012318
&markers=color:red|label:C|40.718217,-73.998284&sensor=false&key=MAPS_API_KEY

Detailed version:

http://maps.google.com/maps/api/staticmap?
center=Brooklyn+Bridge,New+York,NY
&zoom=14
&size=512x512
&maptype=roadmap
&markers=color:blue|label:S|40.702147,-74.015794
&markers=color:green|label:G|40.711614,-74.012318
&markers=color:red|label:C|40.718217,-73.998284
&sensor=false
&key=MAPS_API_KEY

i am not sure if this syntax is also good for standard maps

H Aßdøµ
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dusoft
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8

http://staticmapmaker.com/ - very nice web tool for generating static map urls.

List of currently supported map services: - Google - Bing - Yandex - HERE - Mapbox - MapQuest - CartoDB

p.s. I know this is an old question, but many still google for it.

cement
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6

Throwing parameters at maps.google.com only gets you one point.

As dusoft says, you could use Google Static maps.

Or, if you require dynamic maps, you could write your own public web page that uses Google Maps API and accepts a long list of parameters. Use your own web page in exactly the same way that you were intending to use maps.google.com web page, except that you get to design what you want the parameters to look like.

Perhaps something like this.

Mike Williams
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1

Several parameters (such as the markers and path parameters) take multiple locations. In those cases, the locations are separated by the pipe (|) character.

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=boca+raton,+fl+|+deerfied,+FL&zoom=12&scale=false&size=600x300&maptype=roadmap&sensor=false&key=API_KEY&format=png&visual_refresh=true&markers=size:mid%7Ccolor:red%7Cboca+raton,+fl+|+deerfied,+FL" alt="Google Map of boca raton, fl | deerfied, FL
Zoe
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Ishai Avrahami
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1

I know that you specifically asked for Google Maps, however I came up with a solution using Bing Maps:

https://bing.com/maps/default.aspx?sp=point.48.858303_2.3499404_Eiffel%20Tower~point.48.8530067_2.3499404_Notre-Dame%20Cathedral~point.48.8605088_2.3376727_Louvre link

The sp parameter can define a list of points, polylines, polygons and addresses. Multiple objects are separated by ~.

The syntax for point is:

point.latitude_longitude_titleString_notesString_linkURL_photoURL

titleString is displayed in the map and notesString only when clicking on a point.

A Link with you coordinates would look like:

https://bing.com/maps/default.aspx?sp=point.59.591_17.82_P1~point.59.592_17.82_P2 link

I did some tests on how many of these points can be in a URL by generating a really long URL in the form of https://www.bing.com/maps?sp=point.10.000000_10.000000_0~point.10.000000_10.01_1~point.10.000000_10.02_2~point.10.000000_10.03_3... and it seems up to about 150 points are working.

Documentation: Microsoft Documentation: Create a Custom Map URL

ProgrammierPatrick
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