Is there a Swing component for Google Maps? - java

I would like to have support for Google Maps in my Java Swing desktop application. Is there an Google Maps component for Swing that is freely available? It would be good if it was extendable and maybe had support for other maps i.e. like OpenStreetMaps.

You can use JXMapViewer
look here
http://today.java.net/pub/a/today/2007/10/30/building-maps-into-swing-app-with-jxmapviewer.html

How about JXMapViewer? Looks like it gets NASA's Blue Marble tile set by default (if you want 3D maps and Blue Marble WorldWindJava is an amazing API for mapping), but also works with OpenStreetMap. Or, looks like gmap-viewer is a project which can show you how it's done. Aerith also includes Google maps.
EDIT: Also, check out this related StackOverflow question. Looks like the FAQ, at least at that time, did not allow you to do what you want with Google Maps (OpenStreetMap, on the other hand, has desktop apps like Traveling Salesman and clearly embraces the desktop, as does WorldWind).

You can use Google visualisation library directly in java, where you can show Google Maps as you like.
Google Visualization API Gallery

Related

Modifying the LIBGDX Application frame in desktop

I'm currently using libgdx and I am looking for a way to modify the frame/window. I'm looking through google for maybe tutorials and examples but I'm not really sure what to search for. What would be the correct term to look and if anyone does have any examples/tutorials then I'd appreciate them posting them.
This is for desktop.
On the desktop Libgdx uses LWJGL to access OpenGL and desktop APIs. You should be able to use LWJGL APIs from your desktop backend if you need to.
You will have to be much more specific about what you want to "modify" about the "frame/window" if you want a more precise answer.

What is the Google Maps interactive map written in?

I just had an idea for a cool website, but it would require an application that is fairly similar to the Google Maps interactive map. I was wondering what it was made in?
Is it a Java applet or a Flash application? Or something else?
Thanks a lot
Javascript. Lots and lots of javascript, with JSON for loading new data without refreshing the entire page.
If you'd like to know more, there's quite a community revolving around Greasemonkey that specialize in extending/reverse engineering the google maps codebase.
Another option for your mapping app: Program it it Java building off NASA's free WorldWind geospatial API. You could release it either as a standalone app, or as a JApplet that runs within browsers. The latter simplifies distribution and versioning.
Google API is Javascript. It is also available in Flash.
Bing map is using the same sytem and it is available in javascript or silverlight.
You may also be interested in openstreetmap (free alternative).
If you want to build a tile system from the ground, the easier is to use flash. You will avoid cross browser issues, and easely target large audiance. (I made one long time ago before gmap was out).
If your application require a map, you can use either Map API and build your application on top of it. Be aware that some kind of application and some uses require a licence fee and the entry ticket is quite high ($10k for gmap).
For the client side they are using the Google Closure Library, with a lot of extra javascript on top.
Rolling Thunder has had the flyby capability for many years. You load a gpx file then you can fly over or just slightly above group and can control the rate you fly and can pause and look around. It works on windows or the Mac OSX. You can find the Windows version at http://www.myuniportal.com/download.html Download the Map login version and then open a Map child window the select the foot button on the Map child window. You download a gpx file then press play and it will start at one end of the trail and fly over it.

What are the benefits of using the native Android Google Maps API over integrating Maps Javascript API V3?

I want to develop an Android app that uses google maps heavily. So far I started developing with the native google maps API: http://code.google.com/android/add-ons/google-apis/maps-overview.html
but it is quite limited and most of the new functions are not usable.
To use more function I'm thinking about integrating the Javascript API as discriped here: http://code.google.com/apis/maps/articles/android_v3.html#why
Are things like adding and removing markers etc. with this API possible, too? Are there any disadvantages of using the Javascript API?
this is a common question, I'm surprised nobody answered it yet.
Google Maps API is "optimized" for smartphones. Really, it is very powerful on iOS, much less on Android. With the native API, you can fully use the interface (i.e. touch events, pinch to zoom, etc...), but the massive downside of it is that you can have only ONE map instanciated by MapActivity... Therefore, your MapView needs to be attached to a MapActivity... So forget it if you want to use it in a WebView, it just won't work... At least not nicely.
The JAvascript API v3 now, has been designed for web pages, so it does not provide support for touch events : zomm is performed by buttons for exemple (this is customizable, but yet antique). You can add Overlays with both of the APIs, but remenber that the Google Maps native API is REALLY heavy...
So, to summerize, if you want a very quick app that doesn't care about touch event (you can catch a touch to add an Overlay, but this is quite unreliable if I recall), then use Javascript API.
if you, on the other hand, try to developp a wide audience app (i.e. meant to be on the market), I'd recommend the native API, as painfull and limited as it is, because your end-users won't understand. Let's face it, Javascript API is ugly, and looks antique !
I had the case some weeks ago : I had troubles including MapView in a WebView (not really meant to be used that way...), so I backed to the Javascript API, just for the app to look like the contract says it should. Well, believe it or not, the client was VERY unhappy of the result...
Hope I'd help someone, since this post is so old...

How do I make my app look like a standard Android app?

I notice that most android apps have some sort of standard in that they all look similar. Most of them have some sort of list of Text that are click-able. It's somewhat hard to explain but they look really nice and I was wondering is there some sort of tool or api that allows me to change the look of an app to make it similar? Or do I have to specifically specify the different fonts and different graphics? Like this:
http://www.androidandme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/tmobapp1.png
I am new to Android programming so sorry if this sounds like a dumb question. Thank you.
You can start by reading up on the UI design guidelines provided by google:
http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/ui_guidelines/index.html
They are simply using the same standard Android UI elements provided to them via the framework. These views are readily available for you to use in Android. You can see some examples here.
In the case of your image example, they are using a TabWidget and a ListView.

Java & Google Maps

Is it possible to render google maps in swing or applet?
I know i can also use NASA World Wind but it seems to much overkill for a simple app.
There is JXMapViewer component in SwingX project. You can write new TileProviderInfo,TileFactory to pull images from Google maps but using JXMapViewer to pull maps from Google was illegal when I used it(2008). Google was usually changing Map URL format so your program can be broken unexpectedly if this is still illegal.
in My last project we have used JXMapViewer and Microsoft Visual Earth instead of Google maps.
You can use JxMaps to render Google Maps in your Swing application. It provides Java API that covers most of Google Maps JavaScript API functionality.

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