Earlier in the present day, the primary ever digital Google I/O developer convention kicked off, welcoming builders from all around the globe to be taught, share, and listen to bulletins from throughout Google. Right now, we’re excited to recap the newest information about Google Maps Platform, recent from the developer keynote.
WebGL-powered maps options beta launch
As a part of Cloud-based maps styling, we launched the vector map, which will likely be usually obtainable on JavaScript over the subsequent few weeks, and delivers the identical performant, WebGL-accelerated map from the Google Maps internet expertise to your internet apps for the primary time. WebGL is a low-level browser API that makes it attainable to render amazingly complicated 2D and 3D graphics on the net by giving the browser entry to the processing and rendering energy of the GPU on shopper units.
Right now, we’re releasing two new WebGL-powered options for the Maps JavaScript API in beta: Tilt and Rotation, and WebGL Overlay View. To see them in motion, take a look at our WebGL characteristic tour, and WebGL journey demos constructed by our pals at Ubilabs.
Tilt and Rotation
Till now, your maps have been restricted to a two-dimensional, top-down view of the basemap. With programmatic tilt and rotation, you can provide your customers a completely new perspective with 67.5 levels of tilt and full 360 rotation of the map each on load and at runtime. This additionally means our indirect 3D constructing fashions will seem in your internet apps for the primary time.
We’ve additionally added keyboard and mouse controls to permit customers to manually change the lean and rotation of the map, opening up an entire new stage of person interplay on your internet apps.
WebGL Overlay View
When you‘re enthusiastic about with the ability to management the basemap in three dimensions with Tilt and Rotation, then you definitely’re going to like WebGL Overlay View, which gives a essentially new solution to construct mapping experiences by providing you with direct hooks into the lifecycle of the WebGL rendering context we use to render the vector map.
With WebGL Overlay View, for the primary time ever you’ll be able to render two and three dimensional objects immediately on the basemap. This implies not solely will your rendered objects seem on the map, they are going to be rendered as a part of the map in three-dimensional area with occlusion and perspective. For instance, check out this WebGL Overlay View implementation of 3D markers. Discover how the markers grow to be hidden from view behind buildings because the map rotates, and get smaller as they transfer away from the digital camera.
To get began, take a look at our WebGL codelab and our documentation. If you weren’t capable of attend the session at Google I/O, it’s also possible to be taught extra from Travis McPhail’s session, ‘Subsequent technology maps for the net’, at three:30pm tomorrow, 5/19, and also will be obtainable on-demand on our YouTube channel.
Cloud-based Maps Styling for JavaScript basic availability
In June 2020, we launched the beta of Cloud-based maps styling options, a brand new set of capabilities that can assist you customise, handle, and deploy your maps from the Google Cloud console. This included the introduction of a wealthy, intuitive, UI-based model editor that allows you to deeply customise the look and conduct of the map from zoom-level customization to customized styling industrial corridors. Moreover, we launched business optimized map kinds that kickstart map creation to get you began quick.
Right now, we’re asserting that Cloud-based maps styling is formally usually obtainable for the Maps JavaScript API and the Maps Static API. We’ve spent the final 11 months enhancing the in-console expertise and general efficiency to allow your total staff to construct higher maps.
The product staff at Hemnet, Sweden’s main property platform, are already seeing advantages from migrating to Cloud-based map styling. “Just lately, our staff briefly re-styled our property maps to please our prospects throughout a vacation. It was fast and straightforward to deliver this concept to life by way of Cloud-based map styling. We may iterate and preview completely different map kinds inside minutes and go dwell immediately with out having to deploy,” Magnus Burell, Product Supervisor at Hemnet.
To everybody who tried Cloud-based maps styling in beta, thanks. Your suggestions has been invaluable in attending to basic availability, and our staff has been excited to see so many new customized maps now driving tens of thousands and thousands of map hundreds day by day, together with in different Google merchandise.
To be taught extra, watch our I/O 2021 session on Cloud-based maps Styling, take a look at the documentation for the Maps JavaScript API andMaps Static API, and examine how VCCP London used Cloud-based maps styling to deliver ‘Cadbury Worldwide Cover’ digital Easter egg hunt to life.
What’s subsequent?
We’re persevering with to enhance rendering and efficiency of those new options, and we’re consistently working to construct a map that delivers an expertise as wealthy because the world you reside in. To try this, we want your assist. Don’t overlook to submit bug stories, characteristic requests, and suggestions by way of our situation tracker to assist us enhance these new map options.
Almost 16 years in the past, we delivered the primary Google Maps API, and since then we’ve been impressed by all of the methods you’ve reimagined the map. Tilt and Rotation, WebGL Overlay View, and Cloud-based maps styling are simply the newest methods we’re working to allow you to create a brand new technology of mapping experiences. We will’t wait to see the superb belongings you’ll construct.
For extra info on Google Maps Platform, go to our web site.
