Google is the leader in Internet search engines. It has also surpassed many of its competitors in mapping and directions services. Unlike some other web mapping sites, Google has exposed its underlying data through an extensive API. This API lets us create dynamic map displays and applications suitable for desktop and mobile devices alike. During this session I will describe our experiences in creating a campus Google map. In the spirit of this year's UNC CAUSE, we will describe how we used the expertise of many campus departments and individuals to improve the map for all users. We will also describe how we were able to make use of Google's hosted maps to allow for collaborative mapping without requiring any programming experience. Other areas of discussion include: soliciting feedback and corrections for your maps, encouraging participation to avoid stale data, and creating a balanced team to implement your own maps sites. In addition to the always important user experience issues, we will describe the technologies available from Google and others to rapidly deploy maps to your university Web site.

1. What’s That Building?
Using the Google Maps API to
Create a Campus Map

2. About Me
o Technology Consultant, East Carolina
University
o millerf@ecu.edu
o http://blog.ecu.edu/millerf
o http://blog.ecu.edu/techtips
o http://www.carolinamantis.com
o @Lightningwhelk

3. Going From
This To This

4. What did we do?
o Research
o Planning
o Implementation
o Upkeep

5. Research
o Why create a new campus map?
o Who offers maps?
o How can we create map instances?
o What information goes on map?
o Where is information that goes on map?

6. Why create a new map?
To get from here To here

7. Why create a new map?
o Increasing power of desktop web browsers
o Increasing power of mobile devices
o Improved real world navigation
o Improved marketing of University
o Improved experience for visitors
o Gartner says so

8. Who offers online maps?
o OpenStreetMap Maps
o MapQuest Maps
o Yahoo Maps
o Bing Maps
o Google Maps

9. Who offers online maps?
OpenStreetMap Maps

10. Who offers online maps?
MapQuest Maps

11. Who offers online maps?
Yahoo Maps

12. Who offers online maps?
Bing Maps

13. Who offers online maps
Google Maps

14. How can we create map instances?
o OpenStreetMap Maps
o MapQuest Maps
o Yahoo Maps
o Bing Maps
o Google Maps

15. How can we create map instances?
o URLs with query strings (“static maps”)
o URLs to third party sites
o HTML / CSS / JavaScript
o Adobe Flash
o Microsoft Silverlight
o OS Specific SDK

16. Platform Decision – Jan 2009
o Google Maps API
 Most advanced and stable
 Base tile layer most developed
 Most original documentation
 Most third party examples and tutorials
 Most third party API extensions

17. Platform Decision – Jan 2009
o JavaScript API
 Team’s experience with HTML / CSS /
JavaScript
 No third party browser plug-in
 Operating system agnostic
 Simple development environment
 Control of branding and user experience

18. What Information Goes On Map?
o Buildings
o Parking
o Transit
o Food / Dining
o Housing
o Visitor information
o Emergency resources
o More (and more and more…)

19. Who has the information that goes
on map?
o Campus Facilities / Operations
o University Marketing
o University Publications
o Admissions
o Housing / Parking / Transit Offices
o Campus Police / Safety
o IT Department(s)
o City / County / State Government

20. Getting Data
o Reach out to map stake holders
o Find person responsible for existing data
o Find person responsible for maintaining
data
o Politely request data files and/or feeds
o Determine how to get updates to data files
o Ask if existing systems have APIs

21. Data – You’re soaking in it
o Adobe Acrobat files
o CAD files
o Map image files (GIF, PNG, JPEG…)
o Adobe Flash files
o Location image files
o Text files
o Spreadsheet files
o RDBMS databases
o XML / JSON feeds

22. Coping With Data – Project
o Make building points your first iteration
o Choose source(s) of building information
o Use static data for building information
o Leave additional layers for future iterations
o Leave dynamic data for future iterations

23. Coping With Data - Code
o Tenets of Open Source (and online maps!)
 Release Early
 Release Often
 Update continuously
 Add incremental features / views / data

24. Coping With Data
Google.com My Maps

25. Google.com Map Benefits
o No coding experience needed
o Multi-user collaboration tools
o Exposed and exportable data
o Data privacy controls
o Increased visibility on default Google maps
o Can embed and link maps immediately

26. Self Hosting 101
o Create standard HTML page with branding
o Use Google’s embed code to load map

27. Self Hosting 201
o Get KML file from your Google Map
o Create HTML page with “Hello World” Map
o Change lat / long of map center to your
campus
o Change zoom level to cover desired area
o Add KML layer using API

28. Self Hosting Grad. Colloquium
o Consume raw XML, RSS, JSON to add
layers
o Create markers, polygons dynamically
o Add dynamically visible layers
o Add search functions
o Add query string parsing
o Use maps API tools to add advanced
widgets
o Add geolocation, panoramas, and
directions

29. The Perfect Team
o Graphic Designers
o Web UI / UX specialists
o Web programmers (client and server side)
o Human factors specialists / testers
o Geographers / Urban planners
o Marketers

30. The “I don’t have that” Team
o Web programmer
o Graphic designer
o Marketer

31. The “No, really, I don’t have that”
Team
o Faculty / Staff PM
o Tech savvy student
Never underestimate
the motivation of a
bored, talented student to
be paid for real world
resume improving
experience.

32. Remember Data Contributors
o Data owners are stakeholders
o Want additional visibility maps provide
o Want their area presented accurately
o Want their area presented well
o Prototypes, prototypes, prototypes

33. Tools to Help
o JavaScript libraries
 jQuery, MooTools, Prototype, Dojo
o Php.js
o Google Maps Utility Library v3
o Google Maps Mashup Creators

34. Crowdsourcing Updates
o Need simple, fast, friendly update request
o Need way to simply propose edits
o Provide editable version of current data
o Rich Text Editors are your friend
o Package original, proposed update, diff off
to active map maintainers

35. Resources
o Google Maps Documentation
o Google Maps API Tutorial
o Using the Google Maps API V3
o Official Google Maps API Blog
o Google JavaScript Maps API V3 Google
Group
o Stack Overflow

36. Photo Credits
o B’s Barbecue Road Sign
 Flickr: E Wayne

37. Questions? Feedback?
http://joind.in/talk/view/2023