Google Maps and RapidWeaver

I quote Joe Workman: “My Google Maps stack generates non-interactive static maps and does not require an API key”.

@NeilUK
For Google Maps Api, I need to fill out my credit card records at Google.
I’m a little weepy for that.

@robbeattie
I’ve already bought Openstreetmap from Instacks. Looks good too.

And it does not require an API Key, do you have a link to that published page where it is not working? Works great for me, here is a demo in all of the new RapidWeaver 8 themes:
http://www.zeebedesigns.com/google-maps-api-key/

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Hi chaps, new to RW, I’ve been asking a number of questions so feel appropriate I can offer some advice/experience back.

Google maps got thrown out for me after their new restrictions with previous sites I’ve built (Wordpress), changed instead to Open Street Maps, which to be fair I hadn’t looked at for a long time and they have progressed great, so much that I actually prefer them, the visual style etc.

Put my first one in RW/Foundation/Stacks and it is a doddle, using a bog standard HTML stack I just copy and paste the OSM embed code from the OSM wesite, then fiddle around with the code to set the height to the number of pixels I want e.g. 400pxls and the width to 100% so it fits whatever size the stack it is in and changes with responsive movement of page browser.

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@zeebe
I removed everything from the server and republished. Now Google Maps stack is gonna be well on the pages. Thank you all for thinking of a solution.
Greetings from the Netherlands

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I noticed the error message on my map because of this thread.
Since I will not give google my credit card, my work around is to use a jpg of the map location and link it to a live google map.

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Which is not allowed by the terms of Google…

I don’t see that.

I mean to make a screenshot of any google maps view. It is of course a good idea to link a picture.

Hi Joe, your demo is erroring out.

Well damn. The static map API used to be exempt from the API key requirements. Looks like no longer. However, it does seem to work when I don’t have 5 maps on the same page.

It’s not a matter of how many maps are visibile in the page.

As far as I know, all maps (interactive and static) require an API key.
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/maps-static/error-messages

And, by the way, make a screenshot or downloading a static map (and serve it from your web server) is not allowed by Google Maps API terms.
https://developers.google.com/maps/faq?csw=1#tos_staticmaps_reuse

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I will now have to replace all maps in my websites with your stack - I’m glad you have provided a simple solution.

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I am not using a google map screenshot.

Ah sorry then.

No reason you can’t have a link that says something like “Show me a map!” and link it in using an iFrame/lightbox. As seen here (I am not using any sort of API Key).

screenshot_3577

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As others have pointed out you don’t pay unless you get heavy traffic - which for some of course is unpredictable. Also, if you run lots of websites for clients it’s a pain getting them all individually set up while adding them all to a single agency account is limited unless you add a card - no thanks. I switched everything to OpenStreetMaps - hassle free.

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Correct, and as you state, it’s unpredictable. I have a festival site that attracts little traffic 11 months out of the year. But, with the festival fast approaching, the site generated over $100 worth of use within two weeks - and I was still two weeks out from the big day (when traffic to the site really skyrockets). As a result, I swapped out the maps with a hand drawn one - and also offer a Google Map inside of a Lightbox. Voila - no accrued charges!

https://suwaneefest.com/parking/

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