When you open Google Maps, you see icons and symbols. They are small images that help you navigate. Icons like markers show locations, while symbols on lines indicate directions.

Understanding these symbols can enhance your map experience. Knowing how to customize them will improve your navigation. Let’s learn more about Google Maps icons and symbols to see why they matter and how they work.

Google Maps Icon

Common marker icons in Google Maps include predefined symbols like circles and arrows. These icons can be added to markers by setting the desired path using SVG path notation in the icon property of a marker.

Users can also create custom path symbols for markers or polylines by defining properties such as fillColor, rotation, and scale.

For animation effects in Google Maps icons, users can use the DOM’s window.setInterval() function to change the offset of a symbol at fixed intervals. This allows for dynamic movement along a path.

Additionally, advanced features such as the google.maps.marker.AdvancedMarkerElement class provide enhanced functionality over the deprecated google.maps.Marker class.

With the flexibility to customize symbols, add them to polylines, and animate them, Google Maps offers a versatile platform for integrating engaging icon imagery into mapping applications.

Symbols Overview

Symbols for Google Maps can be added to markers or polylines.

These symbols are in a vector-based format using SVG path notation.

They can have custom fill color, stroke color, and rotation for a better look.

Predefined symbols like arrows and circles are ready for markers and polylines.

Symbols can even be animated on a path for dynamic effects.

Users can use symbols to make directions or locations visually appealing in their apps.

This enhances the app’s functionality and attractiveness, boosting user engagement.

Properties of Symbols

Vector-based Icons

Vector-based icons are different from raster-based icons. They are defined by paths using SVG path notation. This allows for scalability without losing image quality.

In design projects, vector-based icons offer flexibility in size adjustment without pixelation. They also adapt well across various screen resolutions.

Custom paths for vector-based icons can be created in design software. This is done by defining the desired shape using SVG path notation.

By using the Marker and Polyline objects in Google Maps, vector-based icons can be added to markers or polylines. This enhances the visual representation of locations and routes.

The Symbol object supports properties like path, anchor, fillColor, rotation, scale, strokeColor, and more. This provides customization options for icons.

Predefined symbols, such as arrows and flags, are available through the SymbolPath class. This offers a variety of options to choose from.

With the ability to add symbols to markers and polylines, vector-based icons play an important role in improving the user experience of mapping applications.

Marker Icons

Different types of marker icons are available on Google Maps, such as predefined symbols like circles and arrows. These icons can be customized easily by adjusting properties like fill color, stroke color, rotation, and scale.

Users can also create unique marker icons by adding custom paths using SVG path notation. To display vector-based icons on markers or polylines, users can use the Symbol object literal and specify the desired path in the icon property.

For polylines, users can set the icons[] property of the PolylineOptions object. This allows symbols to be displayed along the line with options like icon, offset, and repeat.

By utilizing these options, users can add a variety of symbols such as vehicle icons or custom flags to their markers and polylines on Google Maps.

Predefined Symbols

Predefined symbols in Google Maps offer built-in icons like arrows and circles. These icons can be easily added to markers or polylines, enhancing the representation of locations on a map.

Users can customize these symbols by adjusting properties such as fill color, stroke weight, and rotation angle to meet specific application requirements. Customization through SVG path notation allows for unique visual elements on markers or polylines.

By using predefined symbols, users can efficiently add visual markers without extensive graphic design work, ensuring consistency in appearance across different map applications.

Custom Paths

Users can customize paths on Google Maps by defining a vector-based icon using SVG path notation. This customization can be applied to markers or polylines, allowing for personalized symbols on the map.

Customization options include setting the path, fill color, stroke color, rotation, scale, opacity, anchor position, and more. These properties offer flexibility in creating unique markers or polylines with distinct visual characteristics.

By using the SymbolPath class and IconSequence objects, users can enhance their custom paths by adding predefined symbols like arrows or creating their own shapes. These features enable users to tailor their maps to fit specific needs, from marking locations with custom icons to displaying intricate designs along routes.

Custom paths provide a creative way to enhance the user experience and make maps more visually engaging.

Typescript and Javascript for Symbols

Using Symbols in Typescript

Symbols in Typescript are vector-based icons. They can be displayed on markers or polylines. Defined by a path using SVG notation, symbols can be customized with properties like fill color, rotation, and scale. Predefined symbols, including circles and arrows, can be added using the google.maps.SymbolPath class in web applications.

For polylines, symbols must fit within a 22x22px square. Their position can be adjusted using the anchor property. Adding a symbol to a marker involves passing a Symbol object literal with the desired path to the marker’s icon property. For polylines, the icons[] property of the PolylineOptions object is used to specify the icon’s offset and repeat on the line using IconSequence object literals.

Symbols and the PolylineOptions class give developers control over the visual aspects of icons in web applications.

Implementing Symbols in Javascript

Symbols in JavaScript can be implemented on markers or polylines in Google Maps using the Symbol object.

The symbol’s shape is defined by a path using SVG path notation.

For markers, the symbol can be added to the icon property using a Symbol object literal with the desired path.

On polylines, the symbols can be displayed by setting the icons[] property of the PolylineOptions object with one or more IconSequence objects.

These symbols provide various customization options such as defining the path, anchor position, color, opacity, rotation, scale, stroke, and fill.

Developers can utilize predefined symbols like circles and arrows or create custom paths to enhance the visual appeal of their maps.

Furthermore, developers can animate symbols along a path to create interactive and dynamic map effects.

The latest version of the Maps JavaScript API and the new google.maps.marker.AdvancedMarkerElement class provide improved markers for better user interaction.

By following the Google Developers Site Policies and using code samples under the Creative Commons Attribution license, developers can easily enhance the user experience by adding symbols to their maps.

Sample Symbols on Google Maps

Marker Symbols

Marker symbols are icons that can be displayed on markers or polylines on maps.

The shape of a symbol is defined by a path using SVG path notation.

Symbols can have properties like fill color, rotation, and scale.

Predefined symbols like circles and arrows are available through the SymbolPath class.

These can be added to markers using the icon property.

For customization, custom path symbols can be created by defining the path, fill color, stroke color, and other visual aspects.

These custom symbols can be added to markers by passing a Symbol object literal to the icon property.

Symbols can also be added to polylines using the icons[] property of the PolylineOptions object.

Properties like icon, offset, and repeat can be used for the symbols.

With these options, Google Maps allows for creating unique and visually appealing icons for directions, location marking, and more.

Polyline Symbols

Polyline symbols make routes on a map easier to understand. You can add custom symbols to polylines for a better visual representation. By using IconSequence objects in the PolylineOptions object’s icons[] property, you can specify the symbol, offset, and repeat properties for each symbol along the polyline. This allows for customization like adding arrows, creating dashed lines, or using unique custom shapes.

Furthermore, you can animate polyline symbols by adjusting the symbol’s offset along the path at regular intervals using the window.setInterval() function. This creates dynamic visual effects, making map displays more interactive and engaging for users.

Arrows and Dashed Lines

Arrows and dashed lines can be used in Google Maps as symbols. They are added to a polyline to show directions or paths.

• The IconSequence.offset property can add arrows to the start or end of a line, making directions clearer in the app.

• To create a dashed line, set the polyline’s opacity to 0 and place an opaque symbol regularly along the line. This gives a dotted line look.

• Custom path symbols provide various options for markers and lines on Google Maps, allowing for unique designs to mark locations.

• Marker symbols can have animation effects by changing their position using window.setInterval(). This adds a dynamic element to the map.

These symbol features improve the user experience and customize how locations are shown on the map.

Custom Path Symbols

Users can create custom path symbols on Google Maps in a few simple steps:

• Define a path using SVG path notation.

• Specify properties like fill color, rotation, and scale.

These custom symbols can then be added to markers or polylines to make the map unique.

Compared to predefined symbols, custom path symbols offer more flexibility for personalization.

Custom symbols help improve the visual appeal of the map interface while enhancing the user experience.

Users can add unique image icons or use advanced features like the google.maps.marker.AdvancedMarkerElement class to make the map app more engaging.

By cloning samples, sharing feedback, and accessing resources like Google Developers site policies and Java documentation, users can easily implement custom symbols on Google Maps while following licensing agreements and best practices.

Animating Symbols

Adding Animation Effects to Icons

Common animation effects for icons:

• Symbol rotation

• Scaling

• Path-based movement

These effects make icons visually engaging and interactive. Animated icons help users recognize actions or features in apps or websites. Tools like Google Maps API enable customization of icons with animation properties like rotation angle and scale.

Techniques such as using SVG path notation or predefined symbols simplify adding animations to markers or polylines. Developers can create dynamic interfaces that enhance user engagement and navigation by utilizing these features.

Moreover, the ability to clone or share customized icons facilitates easy collection and distribution across projects. Google Developers provide updated guidelines and code samples for integrating animated icons seamlessly, ensuring compliance with licensing requirements.

FAQ

What do the different colors in Google Maps icons represent?

The different colors in Google Maps icons represent different types of locations or points of interest. For example, blue icons typically represent points of interest or public services, green icons represent parks or outdoor spaces, and red icons represent shops or businesses.

How can I find out the meaning of symbols on Google Maps?

To find the meaning of symbols on Google Maps, simply click on the “Legend” icon in the bottom right corner of the map. This will provide a key explaining the various symbols used on the map.

Can I customize the icons in Google Maps?

No, you cannot customize the icons in Google Maps. You can only choose from the pre-set icons available for different categories like restaurants, hotels, and shops.

What do the different shapes of icons on Google Maps mean?

The different shapes of icons on Google Maps represent various categories of places. For example, a blue icon usually signifies a point of interest, a yellow icon represents a business, and a red icon typically indicates a location that you’ve searched for.

Is there a legend for Google Maps icons and symbols?

Yes, Google Maps has a legend that explains the various icons and symbols used on the map. You can access the legend by clicking on the three horizontal lines at the top left corner of the Google Maps app and selecting “Legend.”