I need to create an iPad application that uses Google Earth at its core. So Basically when the app opens it will need to run Google Earth.
Then I would need to add additional features tailored to our business such as photos of our different hotels and offers and different icons and various features.
Is this at all possible and how difficult would it be for a C# developer do you think?
Do you know of any other similar app's besides Google Earth?
This is not possible as Google Earth and the Google Earth Plug-in are, to date, not supported on the iPad. There is a Google Earth iPhone application that works on the iPad but this has no public api. You can however load custom Kml into the application and that may be enough for your needs.
I don't know of any other solutions.
Related
Looks like this question hasn't been asked in a while...
Any way to get streetview from the Google Maps SDK for iOS?
I have a client who is specifically interested in the Google Maps Streetview feature for his app, but, like most clients, he really doesn't want the feature to require going outside of the app. (This is where Android is one up on iOS, with their omnipresent back button. Sigh.)
The need for streetview is driven by a clear benefit in this app to being able to see actual images of buildings, lots, etc. as opposed to the 3D satellite imagery in Apple Maps, which is cool but not well suited for this app's purposes, as the buildings, lots, etc. are distorted.
I combed through the documentation for the iOS Google Maps SDK, looking for a way to get streetview.
I also downloaded the SDK and ran through the demos.
No dice on either account.
I see that I can get to a streetview image using Google Street View Image API, which is better than nothing:
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/streetview/
Here is a sample call from the documentation:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/streetview?size=400x400&location=40.720032,%20-73.988354&fov=90&heading=235&pitch=10&sensor=false
But building something into the app to let the user modify things like the size (via zoom), heading, pitch, etc. sure feels like I would be "reinventing the wheel" and is something that would be available in an SDK...
Thanks!
Del
Google Maps iOS SDK 1.4 (released a few hours ago) has this feature:
Street View in iOS SDK
The best option currently available for accessing streetview from google maps ios sdk seems to be using the Google Maps URL scheme which will call the official google maps app for iphone based on the values provided by the user from the custom maps app(using ios sdk). The input values that can be used with the url scheme include:
1, mapmode : here streetview option can be chosen to show the map in streetview mode
2, center : center latitude,longitude point for the map to be displayed
3, zoom
4, views
I have done routing in iOS apps before, but with iOS6 we are now displaying Apple maps - which causes a problem because we are using Google routing data and if we use Google data, we are supposed to be displaying it on a Google map.
I have been searching but as far as I can tell, Apple does not provide any routing data. The closest thing to an answer so far seems to be when Apple says Apps that consume direction information do so by sending an appropriate request to the Maps app, which then handles the task of displaying that information to the user. - which, to me, means that the Maps app would be opened to display the route, and taking the user out of our app.
Where can we get on-the-fly routing data that is acceptable to use on iOS6 apps using Apple's maps?
You could use MapQuest's Open Directions API. It is free and it does not seem to have any limit. They also have a licensed API with a free daily limit.
I believe you are only required to put their logo somewhere on your app.
Unfortunately MapKit does not provide routing data.
In iOS 6 and later, Map Kit offers support for providing map-based
directions to the user. Apps can be a provider of directions or they
can use the Maps app itself to provide directions. Apps that consume
direction information do so by sending an appropriate request to the
Maps app, which then handles the task of displaying that information
to the user. However, if you are implementing a navigation app of your
own, you can register your app as a routing app—that is, a provider of
directions. When the Maps app receives direction requests from the
user (or other apps), it can then forward those requests to your app
for display.
Source
So, your best bet here is to use external routing data, or the maps app. Since Google prohibits using their routing data without displaying on a Google map, you may want to check the bing API's (here). It is not immediately apparent that they require you to use bing maps with the bing routing data, but they do also provide a static map api as well (here).
Alternately, you may want to look at this project on github. It shows how to load google map tiles in a map view.
Best of luck.
Apple may provide routing information in the future, but for now it's only available in the Maps app.
One solution is to use Google tiles in your map view. The code for ClassicMap has a complete implementation of this, and is available with a liberal license. Use it as a stopgap until Apple provides routing information.
You are correct, the Google API terms of service state in 10.1.1 point g:
(g) No Use of Content without a Google Map. You must not use or display the Content without a corresponding Google map, unless you are
explicitly permitted to do so in the Maps APIs Documentation, or
through written permission from Google. In any event, you must not use
or display the Content on or in conjunction with a non-Google map. For
example, you must not use geocodes obtained through the Service in
conjunction with a non-Google map. As another example, you must not
display Street View imagery alongside a non-Google map, but you may
display Street View imagery without a corresponding Google map because
the Maps APIs Documentation explicitly permits you to do so.
The access to the Google APIs was until iOS 6 transparent and accessed via the MapKit framework by Apple, who handled all the licensing, fees etc for us the developers, we didn't need to worry about this.
Now that Apple are using their own mapping service, we don't have access to Google APIs via the MapKit framework, like you say, and routing isn't possible with MapKit in the way you want to use it.
So you must keep the communication with Google, but the problem is now you will be using Google data without a Google Map.
This is a problem, and if your app's popular, and Google realise, they may choose to make a problem with you.
There isn't a correct way around it for now, some apps are tiling Google maps onto Apple maps, but then you will need to register your app with Google for an API key I assume, which limits your number of requests and potentially you may have to pay Google for the API usage.
I am trying to develop turn by turn navigation app for iphone and ipad.
I have been searching these whole day but it seemed like there is no way to build it without having map data api. (I don't think google map provides that api)
Although I can launch google map app in my app but I would like to do it without using google map app. (without using [UIApplication sharedapplicaiton] openURl...etc)
I just would like to ask if it is possible and feasible to build an ios turn by turn navigation app.
Thank you very much
It's pretty difficult to imagine making a navigation app without some source of map data. An alternative to Google Map API is the OpenStreetMap API. Here is a page on developing OpenStreetMap apps for iOS, which includes a list of currently existing apps. So yes, it's feasible.
A large company with many resources can build this type of app. Apple does not provide any type of API for this. You would need a data source for your maps and a data source and algorithm to give directions. You cannot use Google Maps directions in IOS directly. So the answer is yes it's possible but unlikely to make any money in the app store due to the large initial investment and strong competition.
now iOs 6.0 has replaced google map with built in maps that very easy to implement and a lot of features are also built in
I am planning to develop a blackberry application which primarily uses map. Its an India centric application. After some googling I came to know there where no maps support for blackberry for India as of now.
I planned to use Google map API Static and Mobile Maps. As of now I'm loading the maps in browser field. Sometimes the google maps can't plot the direction for the given two co ordinates. I am not able to handle the response.
I like to know whether there are any other option to display maps in India. To show direction from one place to another place. I am getting necessary details from google Maps and Places API.
There are some countries which blackberry can't show in its maps. You can use google maps instead. If you want it then go to web browser of device and type: m.google.com/maps and download and install it.
Then search code for accessing them. I have done it myself
I have heard rumors that the use of a MapField or MapView in a BlackBerry app typically presents a problem because carriers such as AT&T and Verizon in the US have locked down the devices so as to not make those API's available or usable. I have three questions:
1) I am new to BlackBerry development. What's the difference between MapField and MapView and their respective availabilities? Are they related or different?
2) Are there actual known carrier restrictions that prevent / prohibit the use of MapField and/or MapView?
3) If there are known carrier issues, what are the best alternatives? So far I've found the following options: a) use of a Browser.Field with Google Static Maps (good suggestions from these StackOverflow questions: How to use Google Map in BlackBerry application? and BlackBerry and map based apps like Yelp and Google Map); b) license the Nutiteq map API library. Any other viable options I might be missing out on?
Thanks for your time in helping out a BlackBerry newbie.