14 replies to this topic

[Michael Markieta]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some advice on my growth of Costco map regarding a visual/geo-design element.

If anyone is familiar with the Google Maps API, and have utilized the variable, MarkerClusterer WITH Animation.DROP
please advise on how to implement the two together?

If anyone would like to see the code that generates my map, it is hosted HERE for your pleasure to copy/download.

Any comments/criticism or general high-fives are welcome

Cheers,

[Gretchen Peterson]

Neat map! I can't advise on your specific question but it did occur to me that a date would help. Also, it might be more informative (at least to me) to zoom-in on the U.S. in order to see the distribution there a little better. There were only a few in the other locations anyway.

[Matthew Hampton]

Nice work!

I only have a couple of minor suggestions. One, that echo's Gretchen's, is to have a timeline slider. This would reinforce the "growth over time" focus of the map and allow some interactivity. I would also like to zoom into the map and replay the animation at the extent of my choosing (ie. midwest).

[Michael Markieta]

Neat map! I can't advise on your specific question but it did occur to me that a date would help. Also, it might be more informative (at least to me) to zoom-in on the U.S. in order to see the distribution there a little better. There were only a few in the other locations anyway.

Nice work!

I only have a couple of minor suggestions. One, that echo's Gretchen's, is to have a timeline slider. This would reinforce the "growth over time" focus of the map and allow some interactivity. I would also like to zoom into the map and replay the animation at the extent of my choosing (ie. midwest).

Thanks for the reply Gretchen and Mathew,

I am currently looking into the timeline slider as a feature to add to the map as per suggestions by others. Seems to be a popular (if not automatic) critique. The projection, or pattern, of time-series data is related to the "time" element and therefore an indication of the lapse of time should be included.

Cheers!

[Dennis McClendon]

A relatively easy way to show much the same information would be to simply color-code the dots by year opened. Use ColorBrewer or something similar to choose a relatively monochromatic scheme with all dots about the same intensity.

[Michael Markieta]

A relatively easy way to show much the same information would be to simply color-code the dots by year opened. Use ColorBrewer or something similar to choose a relatively monochromatic scheme with all dots about the same intensity.

Great idea... it's implementation with the Google API would be easier using the markermanager.

Cheers,

[David Medeiros]

Ditto on the obligatory time slider (or simple date label) critique. With out it you really have no idea what the time scale is and at some point you begin to wonder if its just looping.

Graphically, I noticed that the shadows for the dropped points seem too dark. As the map animates the high speed of animation and the darkness of the shadows make them look like dots themselves that come flying in from the East. Its a little distracting. I think there is a way to modify the shadow details in the API but not sure.

[Michael Markieta]

Ditto on the obligatory time slider (or simple date label) critique. With out it you really have no idea what the time scale is and at some point you begin to wonder if its just looping.

Graphically, I noticed that the shadows for the dropped points seem too dark. As the map animates the high speed of animation and the darkness of the shadows make them look like dots themselves that come flying in from the East. Its a little distracting. I think there is a way to modify the shadow details in the API but not sure.

The API includes the ability to use (or not use) a shadow. I shall play with that setting and see if the visualization looks better without shadows.

Cheers!

I'll get started on that timeline!

[David Medeiros]

Ditto on the obligatory time slider (or simple date label) critique. With out it you really have no idea what the time scale is and at some point you begin to wonder if its just looping.

Graphically, I noticed that the shadows for the dropped points seem too dark. As the map animates the high speed of animation and the darkness of the shadows make them look like dots themselves that come flying in from the East. Its a little distracting. I think there is a way to modify the shadow details in the API but not sure.

The API includes the ability to use (or not use) a shadow. I shall play with that setting and see if the visualization looks better without shadows.

Cheers!

I'll get started on that timeline!

I took a class on dynamic mapping last year and I vaguely remember some reading on the Google Map API and the ability to control the shadow beyond just turning it off. Changing lightness and possibly extent? This may actually involve setting your own image for the shadow meaning its not the code that changes but the image it references.

[Michael Markieta]

Ditto on the obligatory time slider (or simple date label) critique. With out it you really have no idea what the time scale is and at some point you begin to wonder if its just looping.

Graphically, I noticed that the shadows for the dropped points seem too dark. As the map animates the high speed of animation and the darkness of the shadows make them look like dots themselves that come flying in from the East. Its a little distracting. I think there is a way to modify the shadow details in the API but not sure.

The API includes the ability to use (or not use) a shadow. I shall play with that setting and see if the visualization looks better without shadows.

Cheers!

I'll get started on that timeline!

I took a class on dynamic mapping last year and I vaguely remember some reading on the Google Map API and the ability to control the shadow beyond just turning it off. Changing lightness and possibly extent? This may actually involve setting your own image for the shadow meaning its not the code that changes but the image it references.

Thanks!
Building upon this reply,

we are able to generate our own custom google markers using the MarkerImage variable as shown:

function addMarker() {		var image = new google.maps.MarkerImage('markers/costco_image.png',		new google.maps.Size(12, 12),		new google.maps.Point(0,0),		new google.maps.Point(6, 12));		var shadow = new google.maps.MarkerImage('markers/costco_shadow.png',		new google.maps.Size(22, 12),		new google.maps.Point(0,0),		new google.maps.Point(6, 12));		markers.push(new google.maps.Marker({			position: locations[iterator],			map: map,			draggable: false,			animation: google.maps.Animation.DROP,			shadow: shadow,			icon: image,		}));		iterator++;	}

where, var image and var shadow represent the icon and its respective shadow. The size and orientation(location?) of the icon are specified by passing the size, point, point options.

I will take a look into it further. The transparency is controlled fundamentally through the PNG image, which stores transparency in the alpha channel.

Cheers,

Edit: I removed the shadows all-together and I believe it looks better! Now to get the timeline working... http://www.spatialan...-animation-usa/
--silly browsers, might have to clear cookies before trying to watch the updated version if you don't see a change.

[Michael Markieta]

Toying with some timeline graphs and I really like how this one turned out (bottom of the page):

http://www.spatialan...-animation-usa/

[rudy]

My 2 cents: a time slider as others have mentioned would be great. But I also find the dots dropping from the top of the map a little on the cheesy side - sort of like a bad PowerPoint transition. What about having the dots just appear?

[Dennis McClendon]

I'm not sure what's going on, but dots appear in places like Wyoming and Alberta and then disappear never to be seen again.

[Michael Markieta]

I'm not sure what's going on, but dots appear in places like Wyoming and Alberta and then disappear never to be seen again.

Hi Dennis,

I think what you might be seing is some lag during the "bounce" stage of the drop.

1. The marker drops from the top of the map
2. Landing in its spot, it bounces a few mm before resting at its final location

I guess goofy animations aren't for everybody! Much more of an experiment in toying with time-series data, than anything else.
I don't have enough working knowledge of the Google API to know if I can have the markers appear one by one (or year by year). The iterator I am using to drop each marker might be able to work for a simple draw marker method.

Cheers!

[MitsyLovely]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some advice on my growth of Costco map regarding a visual/geo-design element.

If anyone is familiar with the Google Maps API, and have utilized the variable, MarkerClusterer WITH Animation.DROP
please advise on how to implement the two together?

If anyone would like to see the code that generates my map, it is hosted HERE for your pleasure to copy/download.

Any comments/criticism or general high-fives are welcome

Cheers,

I can't really answer your question either, but that's a really neat map. Kudos to your hard word!