Hey Stony,

Have some additions for your roadmap. Are any of these even remotely doable for v1.0.4?

• Tie one or more custom or standard user profile fields to VBGooglemap, such that users who specify, say, their zip code or longitude/latitude coordinates in their profile automatically show up on VBGooglemap
• Tie one or more custom or standard calendar event fields in the same way, such that events that have locations defined show up in the map.
• Allow for multiple VBGooglemaps, so that there could be customized views of events, users, or whatever else might come up (views, different map instances, whatever)
• Driving directions to locations on the VBGooglemap

If I found away to do even one of the above, this extension would instantly jump up to killer app status on my forum.

It's like you read my mind on the functions I want to integrate :smoke:

The multiple googlemaps are in the works (including image support) but it's a whole lot of work. Together with vbstatextended this is my first vbulletin mod.

Events and hotspots are already on the roadmap.

The zip code is a tricky one due to the international character. I could make it a custom one specific for the states, UK or canada if only Google would hurry with the detailed Europe maps.

Not yet that status ?????? :devious: :devious:

All,

Version 1.0.3 is now online

Major Changes

The XML has no longer issues with special characters by adding a forced encoding statement. This was mainly an issue on Internet Explorer.

This makes the preparsing of the strings no longer needed. the only thing that is still captured is the ' ". The rest of special chars is allowed (encoding="ISO-8859-1") => performance is way better now so a lot of markers can be handled.

Some people got the error from an onload statement. The load of the maps is now done differently so that error should be gone.

I left 1.0.2 online to if you need to revert but I don't think so.

Please upgrade to the latest version

Sorry If I work that fast on the version but I want this to be a big App !!!!
I'll release on every milestone I reach so you'll have to keep up, sorry

I see that you did it OK.

However, I still cannot.

I suspected it was a local computer problem, as you do. However, I'm home now, and earlier I was at work. It's IE6 on both computers, but at work is Win98, and at home is WinXP. I get the exact same problem and error messages. I also upgraded to 1.0.3 and it didn't help. I've cleared my cache and restarted all browsers. I don't know what else to try.

I know what the problem was.

When I originally loaded VBGooglemap.php (both at work and at home), and got the full-width map, I started playing around with the map, scrolling around and zooming in. Then I clicked the Your Entry button and started getting that error message. I checked the googlemap table in the database just now, and saw that there was an entry for me, with all data except latitude and longitude. I deleted my record and reloaded the page and clicked Your Entry, and now the page appears to work just fine.

So the problem is that if somebody starts playing with the map before clicking that button, apparently a partial record is created in the database. But then when the script loads that partial record, it's choking on not finding the data it's expecting to find.

The best fix I can think of is to not make a record in the database if all the data isn't there.

Thanks for the catch. I'll build something to remedy the problem

Thank you, Stonyarc :)

Installed 1.0.3

This actually ranks lowest on my list but would be a "nice to have".

Oh OK, must have missed that.

Longitude/latitude would be a nice fallback for this, but I suspect most users would have no idea.

Er, it certainly is from my perspective I should have said! I'm just noticing that a lot of people don't input their info, and so the map has the appearance of being under-utilized at this stage.

Works beautifully so far, thanks for the update!

Thanks holmes, update ran through fine!

Upgrade worked fine for me. If zipcodes/postcodes were to be implemented I'd prefer them to be optional, as the databases are very sizable and if you can stick a pin in where you want they're not really necessary.

Aside from member avatars showing up in the boxes (or even custom images) and admin functions I'm happy as it is.

I'm not sure how useful ZIP or postal codes would be. A post code is a sizable area. I have my pushpin stuck where my apartment building is next to the street. There's no way that could have happened with a post code; the pin probably would be somewhere around the center of the area, which could potentially be miles from where I actually live. As for using it as a starting point, I didn't find it that hard to click the zoomed-out map pretty close to where I wanted it to center it, zoom in about half-way, re-center with more precision, zoom in almost all the way, and make a final adjustment.

I guess from a whole-world-zoom-level, it wouldn't make any difference if the pin is off by even a few miles, but when people start to zoom in, well maybe it's just me but I want the pin to be right on top of me.

ah cheers dude, this is the only thing keeping me from going live :D

(oh and the supermods are still the same colour as normal users?)

Does this map take information from the location field filled out by the users when they signed up. Will it automatically add the users that are already signed up.

This feature is not yet implemented. The location must be entered by clicking on your entry and zooming to the user location.

The reasons for this can be found in serveral posts in this thread.

Is it possible to change the default lat / long and zoom level when you arrive at the map? I run a regional site and showing the whole world when you arrive would mean there would just be a blob over Ottawa Canada.
Is there a way to do that as it is now or would that have to go on a wish list for a future release?

Ottawa: Look at the AdminCP options for this plugin. ;)

I was hoping for an answer prior to installing. Are you are saying it can be done as I am hoping? Thanks for your help.

Yep, you can set the starting position and zoom level.

Cool. That's perfect. Thanks.

In our case, zip code would be ideal - our users don't want to have their exact locations given away - we just want an overall survey of *generally* where people are, and zip code provides just the level of granularity we want.

We already track zip code as an extra user field, and I, for one, would be much more inclined to install this hack if it could take a list of member zip codes from our site and build the map from that, instead of lat/long.

Ironically, our members *do* know their lats and longs - they are pilots - but they arent technologically inclined and I'd rather not have them enter any more than they already have if I can avoid it (we ask them for zip code at registration).

Even some geocoding could solve that. I'm working on several approaches because I want this to be a global as possible.

I can go as far as going on address but this is in direct violation of privacy law (certainly in Europe).

Another split I'm working on is the event and hotspots map.

A zip code map is one of the additional maps I'm working on. But it's crazy to store all zipcodes in the world in a database unless you are able to offer it as a webservice. Moreover the zip code approach will put markers of the same area on exactly the same spot. This breaks the link with the user / text. and makes it less unique. If you zoom in, you won't be able to see through the stack of markers.

I know you all want this to be as flexible as frapper. But I'm alone in doing this and I don't want this to be a rush job. I do have a regular job too.

Don't forget to click install :ermm:

Awesome work. Thank you.

Did you not say earlier that this version was going to have different pin colors for each usergroup? Or that we were going to define usergroup pin colors?

Sorry for that I had to make the version 1.0.3 the special char release

That supermod and pin color will be in 1.0.4

PS:
Can you all do me a favour and read https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=100547

I am still running 1.0.2, haven't had time to upgrade yet, but someone has managed to get two entries in ... any ideas on that one? :)

If you start clicking insert your information before the map is fully loaded the application can insert a a line for that user without any longitude and latitude.

If this is the case you can safely remove the extra line in the database (googlemap table) I'm building in a safeguard for that in the next version

Care to share? I'd like to set my default to Satelite.

there are three instances of:

change them all to:

but I would recomend using the hybrid mode (see above for how to) by default cause it shows the country boarders as well

No worries. Where do I look to make the changes... templates or...?

Not really a problem for the Australian continent. :)

Here is a PLUGIN you can add to this hack to make all the templates from this hack to appear (in edit templates list, for example) grouped together:

Product (select from list): "VBGooglemap by StonyArc"
Hook location: template_groups (it's under vBulletin: General Administration)
Title: "VBGooglemap Template Grouping"
Plugin PHP code:

It is in the templates. I would edit the xml file and reimport it ;)

This site will give exact cordinates. dont know if it was mentioned in here anywhere or not

http://www.maporama.com/share/

maporama was not mentioned here but other simular sites.

Problem is I cannot bother everyone with a huge more geocode database on every install.

To give you an example only to service Belgium the data is about 798 Mb. So as long as nobody has a spare Oracle DB server or something this is just not feasible.

If we have a webservice fine, I could also leach on google servers and parse an address string from them but that is illegal.

So can I solved, yes. by creating a commercial one where you buy a webservice license for geocoding. But not just of the top of my hat, voodoo magic. The coding itself is "relatively" simple.

zipcodes alone won't do the trick because all your users in the same region will have the same marker. In maporama terms you need a PointAddress Web Service (Convert a physical address into latitude/longitude coordinates). I'm looking for a good free one but haven't found a good one yet. Moreover this causes privacy issues and coppa problems. So you have to be really careful when creating such a map.

FYI, this is not illegal in the US depending on how its implemented, certainly not if its volunteered info. (I mean, you can already mark you HOUSE with this so........ ;))

zip+4 is as far as its allowed from a marketing perspective (eg: direct mail).

zip codes would be a great addition, but yah...globally implemented you'd need partners for infrasturcture (and I'm in korea, so I'd love it but don't expect you to be able to cover db info here... ironically though..I HAVE ACCESS TO THIS!!--being in a related job field---in fact...maybe we should talk. heh. webservices etc etc. I could maybe get you start with this data in Korea...its VERY VERY advanced here for this stuff (more so than in the states actually. just a thought) ;)

in anycase, the business implications of this kind of program could be HUGE btw. I'm alllll for seeing this go as far as it could.

keep up the great work. :)

(and don't forget whatever you do...please keep it fully phrased!! I'd much appreciated THAT :D)

sorry..I know I'm getting WWAAAAY ahead here but.... you know what would absolutely RULE and be fun!!??!!

if you could do a smugmug maps type thing... (http://maps.smugmug.com) and have it work with vbaGallery (or attachment pics). that would .....well....... kick soooooo much arse and create a very "sticky" site. :D :D

just a thought. :)

First of all; great hack.

Secondly; after I installed the hack worked for like 10 minutes but after that everything disappeared; you can't see a single pin on the map anymore and you can't add new either (well, it says you can add and it was successfull and such but it doesn't show up). Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Yorixz,

Please post a link so I can check the XML file. It's probably a bad character in someone's textfile.

That is for all of you. If you want me to check please include a link.

I've opened it myself and it looks like it doesn't handle <'s and "s real good; maybe make it so they're replaced by their HTML-code?

Hello,

It's the jinto line that is causing the problem "<" character.

I'll fix this in the next version.

For now just go to phpmyadmin / your vbulletin database / googlemap table and just remove the < character from the line of Jinto

or ask the user to edit his entry.
Don't forget to restart your browser after the edit to see if it worked.
It should be fine after that.

/edit

The version now online should fix it on first entry

Thanks a lot, I'll upgrade.