Set MapKit pins with different colors - ios

Question

I am new in iOS and I implemented a MapKit with static markers from different arrays types and they are working fine , I am trying to put pins that come from shops array to be blue for example , and pins that come from community read , etc .. I have no idea about how to do this
at all , they are all in red in the map and my goal is to change the color for every array of pins
here what I have tried :
import UIKit
import MapKit
class myMapViewController: UIViewController, MKMapViewDelegate {
var shops = [Shops]()
var communities = [Community]()
var cyclists = [Cyclist]()
var circuits = [Circuit]()
#IBOutlet weak var myMap: MKMapView!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
shops.append(Shops(id: 0, title: "Shop1", latitude: 36.553015 , longitude: 10.592774))
shops.append(Shops(id: 0, title: "Shop2", latitude: 35.499414 , longitude: 10.824846))
communities.append(Community(id: 0, title: "community1", latitude: 37.276943 , longitude: 10.934709 ))
communities.append(Community(id: 0, title: "community2", latitude: 35.427828 , longitude: 9.748186 ))
circuits.append(Circuit(id: 0, title: "circuit1", latitude: 33.773035 , longitude: 10.857805 ))
cyclists.append(Cyclist(id: 0, title: "cyclist1", latitude: 35.785118 , longitude: 10.000871 ))
createShopsAnnotations(locations: shops)
createCircuitsAnnotations(locations: circuits)
createCommunityAnnotations(locations: communities)
createCyclistsAnnotations(locations: cyclists)
}
func createShopsAnnotations(locations:[Shops]){
for location in locations {
let annotations = MKPointAnnotation()
annotations.title = location.title as? String
annotations.coordinate = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: location.latitude as! CLLocationDegrees , longitude: location.longitude as! CLLocationDegrees)
myMap.addAnnotation(annotations)
}
}
func createCircuitsAnnotations(locations:[Circuit]){
for location in locations {
let annotations = MKPointAnnotation()
annotations.title = location.title as? String
annotations.coordinate = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: location.latitude as! CLLocationDegrees , longitude: location.longitude as! CLLocationDegrees)
myMap.addAnnotation(annotations)
}
}
func createCommunityAnnotations(locations:[Community]){
for location in locations {
let annotations = MKPointAnnotation()
annotations.title = location.title as? String
annotations.coordinate = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: location.latitude as! CLLocationDegrees , longitude: location.longitude as! CLLocationDegrees)
myMap.addAnnotation(annotations)
}
}
func createCyclistsAnnotations(locations:[Cyclist]){
for location in locations {
let annotations = MKPointAnnotation()
annotations.title = location.title as? String
annotations.coordinate = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: location.latitude as! CLLocationDegrees , longitude: location.longitude as! CLLocationDegrees)
myMap.addAnnotation(annotations)
}
}
}
I have headed some tutorials but I was not able to apply them on my example.

Answer 1

The basic idea is to make an annotation view type to render the correct color. So, assume for a second that you have four annotation types (see below), then you might have an annotation view type like so:
class AnnotationView: MKMarkerAnnotationView {
override var annotation: MKAnnotation? { didSet { update(for: annotation) } }
override init(annotation: MKAnnotation?, reuseIdentifier: String?) {
super.init(annotation: annotation, reuseIdentifier: reuseIdentifier)
update(for: annotation)
}
required init?(coder: NSCoder) {
super.init(coder: coder)
}
func update(for annotation: MKAnnotation?) {
switch annotation {
case is Shop: markerTintColor = .blue
case is Community: markerTintColor = .cyan
case is Cyclist: markerTintColor = .green
case is Circuit: markerTintColor = .red
default: break
}
}
}
And then you would have your view controller register that annotation view for your map view:
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
mapView.register(AnnotationView.self, forAnnotationViewWithReuseIdentifier: MKMapViewDefaultAnnotationViewReuseIdentifier)
...
}
Note, when you register an annotation view type like this, you do not want to implement any mapView(_:viewFor:) method. Since iOS 11, that delegate method is not needed/recommended any more.
Anyway, that annotation view type assumes you have four types of annotations. I'd personally make Shop, Community, Cyclist and Circuit just be annotation types, e.g.
class Shop: NSObject, MKAnnotation {
let id: Int
dynamic var title: String?
dynamic var subtitle: String?
dynamic var coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D
init(id: Int, title: String, subtitle: String? = nil, coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D) {
self.id = id
self.title = title
self.subtitle = subtitle
self.coordinate = coordinate
super.init()
}
}
// repeat for the other three types
And then, when I want to add them to my map:
shops.append(Shop(id: 0, title: "Shop1", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 36.553015, longitude: 10.592774)))
shops.append(Shop(id: 0, title: "Shop2", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 35.499414 , longitude: 10.824846)))
communities.append(Community(id: 0, title: "community1", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 37.276943 , longitude: 10.934709)))
communities.append(Community(id: 0, title: "community2", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 35.427828 , longitude: 9.748186)))
circuits.append(Circuit(id: 0, title: "circuit1", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 33.773035 , longitude: 10.857805)))
cyclists.append(Cyclist(id: 0, title: "cyclist1", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 35.785118 , longitude: 10.000871)))
mapView.addAnnotations(shops + communities + circuits + cyclists)
Alternatively, you might have one annotation type:
enum PlaceType {
case shop, community, cyclist, circuit
}
class Place: NSObject, MKAnnotation {
let id: Int
let type: PlaceType
dynamic var title: String?
dynamic var subtitle: String?
dynamic var coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D
init(id: Int, type: PlaceType, title: String, subtitle: String? = nil, coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D) {
self.id = id
self.type = type
self.title = title
self.subtitle = subtitle
self.coordinate = coordinate
super.init()
}
}
You'd then instantiate these places:
var places = [Place]()
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
mapView.register(AnnotationView.self, forAnnotationViewWithReuseIdentifier: MKMapViewDefaultAnnotationViewReuseIdentifier)
places = [
Place(id: 0, type: .shop, title: "Shop1", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 36.553015, longitude: 10.592774)),
Place(id: 0, type: .shop, title: "Shop2", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 35.499414 , longitude: 10.824846)),
Place(id: 0, type: .community, title: "community1", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 37.276943 , longitude: 10.934709)),
Place(id: 0, type: .community, title: "community2", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 35.427828 , longitude: 9.748186)),
Place(id: 0, type: .circuit, title: "circuit1", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 33.773035 , longitude: 10.857805)),
Place(id: 0, type: .cyclist, title: "cyclist1", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 35.785118 , longitude: 10.000871))
]
mapView.addAnnotations(places)
}
And your annotation view type would then use this type parameter:
class AnnotationView: MKMarkerAnnotationView {
override var annotation: MKAnnotation? { didSet { update(for: annotation) } }
override init(annotation: MKAnnotation?, reuseIdentifier: String?) {
super.init(annotation: annotation, reuseIdentifier: reuseIdentifier)
update(for: annotation)
}
required init?(coder: NSCoder) {
super.init(coder: coder)
}
func update(for annotation: MKAnnotation?) {
guard let annotation = annotation as? Place else { return }
switch annotation.type {
case .shop: markerTintColor = .blue
case .community: markerTintColor = .cyan
case .cyclist: markerTintColor = .green
case .circuit: markerTintColor = .red
}
}
}
This results in: