CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptgoogle-mapsgoogle-maps-api-3
ZuzEL
ZuzEL

Reputation: 13655

Google Maps Javascript API tilt view differs from the one on www.google.com/maps

I noticed that some places opened on google.com/maps service look completely different from the same view generated using Google Maps Javascript API 3 using tilt: 45.

In the example map center is lat:39.073282988412444 lng:-77.15641707252614

So how it looks on google.com/maps service using hybrid mode and 3d view (not sure if it is the same as tilt: "45"):

enter image description here

And this is how it looks on my website using Google Maps Javascript API 3 in hybrid mode with tilt: 45 option:

enter image description here

As you can see the quality is poor when using API. Google maps uses something like 3d rendering which is not available through API.

So my question is. Does that mean that we (API customers) cannot achieve the same quality as we see on google.com/maps service? Because I believe everybody thinks that he can embed the same map as shown on google.com/maps through API, but in reality, it seems that you get lower quality service.

PS: I noticed that google.com/maps probably uses WebGL:

enter image description here

Upvotes: 8

Views: 739

Answers (2)

xomena
xomena

Reputation: 32178

The most important point is that Google Maps JavaScript API and Google Maps consumer application (maps.google.com) are different products managed by different teams at Google. You shouldn't expect that they work exactly the same way at all situations. As far as I know the API team strives to get the functionality as much close to consumer application as possible, but sometimes they need some time to implement things on the API side.

Referring to the MapsGL support in the Google Maps JavaScript API, there is a feature request in Google issue tracker that currently has 130 stars. Please have a look at this feature request:

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/35821626

I would suggest starring the feature request to add your vote, hopefully Google will take into account the number of people who starred the issue and implement it.

Upvotes: 2

VonC
VonC

Reputation: 1327334

As I commented, in "Enable new GL rendering in Google Maps API v3?", WebGL was unavailable in 2011.
In 2014, the Web Maps JavaScript API Release Notes page shows with this issue that WebGL is active.

But the Google Maps APIs documentation shows multiple APIs, and an API picker

From that API picker, we see that 3D features are only available in Google Maps Android API and Google Maps SDK for iOS.
It is not mentioned/available in the Google Maps JavaScript API or Google Maps Embed API, used to embed a map in a web page.
Yet, that last API does show a view mode which displays buildings in a 3D-ish way: Google Maps Embed API / Map Mode / View mode: maybe that is enough for your case. (IE, using the "Embed API", not the "Javascript API")

embed map with 3D elements

Upvotes: 0

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