Gmap4 Example Maps
In order to share a map, you first have to make a URL for your map. Each URL should include one or more
parameters which control the appearance of the map when it first appears on the screen. As you look at the
following examples please take a moment to pay attention to the parameters that are part of the URL for each map.
The URL parameters understood by Gmap4 are: q, ll, coord, directions, hillshade, icon (or symbol), label, t, z and refresh. You can read more about
these URL parameters, their allowable values and their default values in the Help file. Each update of the Gmap4 software includes an updated pdf Help file. You can download and search the Help file on "(New)"
in order to get more information about the latest updates.
These maps open in this same window, so use your back button to return to this page.
Gmap4 map of USA
This map shows most of the USA and Canada. Zoom in on the USA anywhere using your mouse wheel or the
map control in the upper left. To pan the map: Click-hold-drag. Keep zooming in until the scale
line in the lower left says "1 mile". Open the menu in the very upper right and select "t4 Topo High". You
are now looking at the USGS 7.5" topographic map (1:24,000 scale). Keep zooming in for more detail.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.125286,-94.21875&t=m&z=4
New Find yourself on the map
iPad and Smartphone users: Open the following link in your browser. If your phone or other mobile device has a GPS chip then make certain that you have turned it on since the GPS is 'off' by default.
Desktop/laptop users: Go ahead and try this. However if your computer is hardwired to the internet, then do not expect your location to be very accurate. See the Gmap4 Help file for more information on this feature.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?findme=on
The Gmap4 Help file shows how the "FindMe" feature can be combined with any database. The map will show the user's location plus nearby features from the database. Clicking a symbol displays information from the database about that feature. For more information, search the Gmap4 Help file on 'SQL'.
Gmap4 map produced by searching
Display any Gmap4 map and click Menu ==> Search. You can search on (1) anything related
to addresses including names of many settlements that no longer exist and (2) any reasonable way to write
a latitude/longitude pair. Compare these searches:
Paris (click "Search")
Paris USA (click "Search and Mark")
Paris USA (click "List")
Note on the list of hits that there are a number of places in the USA named "Paris". If you
do not ask to see the list of hits, then the map will always display the first hit on the list.
Gmap4 map based on specific latitude and longitude
New These links display the new very high quality topographic maps that do not have any watermarks and do not have any ads.
Yosemite National Park, California. With default amount of hill shading.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.747949,-119.588662&t=t4&z=15
Yosemite National Park, California. With no hill shading.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=37.747949,-119.588662&t=t4&z=15&hillshade=0
Sunrise area, Mt. Rainier, Washington State. With default amount of hill shading.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=46.916349,-121.641462&t=t4&z=15
Sunrise area, Mt. Rainier, Washington State. With no hill shading.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=46.916349,-121.641462&t=t4&z=15&hillshade=0
Gmap4 displaying maps with labels
Here is a nice map of a trip by Whitebark in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada. The new URL parameter '&label=on' tells Gmap4 to display every waypoint name as a label on the map. After the map is displayed you can toggle the labels by clicking Menu ==> Label on/off.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=mymap,210884365946431522523.0004aa95e258ece10202b&t=t3&label=on
You can style labels with your own HTML and CSS. The delimited text file format that Gmap4 can read includes additional label features that are not available for GPX, KML and TPO files. The updated Gmap4 Help file will answer many of your label questions.
This next example uses a delimited text file hosted at Google Sites and shows an advanced way to use the new label feature. These labels are transparent and located to the right of their waypoint symbol. The labels are clickable and will take you to a page from Peakbagger.com with more information. If you change to an aerial view, then the labels have a solid background so their black text does not disappear in a black shadow on the aerial.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/teanaway_peaks_delimited.txt&ll=47.421616,-120.876101&t=t4&z=13&label=on
This new label feature works with all the file types that Gmap4 can display, except it is not supported yet for KMZ files.
Gmap4 map displaying information from a delimited text file
This new file format is much easier to understand than GPX or KML files. In addition to these examples, the Help file has an updated series of step-by-step example maps made with this new file format.
Example 1
The following two line text file is delimited with the ^ character and is online at Google Sites:
delimiter=^
47.669655,-122.197298^ Google campus - Kirkland, WA^ 747 6th St S, Kirkland, WA 98033
Link to download data file:
https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/delimited_01.txt
Link to display a map produced by the above data file. Open the map and then click the marker:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/delimited_01.txt
The following link also displays the above data file. URL parameters have been added to change the map center,
override the default map type, override the default zoom and to turn the label feature on:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/delimited_01.txt&ll=47.672083,-122.200817&t=h&z=16&label=on
Example 2
The data file from Example 1 has been expanded to include:
* Map title
* Designated symbol images
* Lines with different widths and colors
Link to download data file:
https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/delimited_02.txt
Link to display the Example 2 map:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/delimited_02.txt&ll=47.672083,-122.200817&t=h&z=16&label=on
Example 3
The data file from Example 2 has been expanded to include:
* A 'floating point' that has a label but no symbol (Moss Bay).
* A 'floating point' on a line (Beware of dog)
* A point on a line that has a symbol and is clickable (Future trail)
Link to download data file:
https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/delimited_03.txt
Link to display the Example 3 map:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=https://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/delimited/delimited_03.txt&ll=47.672083,-122.200817&t=h&z=16&label=on
Gmap4 map displaying a UTM coordinate grid
This map shows part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area in Washington State where the MyTopo maps
have a faint UTM grid based on the same datum (WGS84) that is used by Gmap4:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=47.476235,-120.802876&t=t4&z=14&coord=utm
The UTM support in Gmap4 works worldwide. Here is a map showing the area around Montreux, Switzerland:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=46.430476,6.922587&t=h&z=13&coord=utm
Gmap4 map displaying a map marker - No data file required
If you want to share a map that just has a single icon on it, this is one way to do it.
The 'icon' URL parameter can be used to tell Gmap4 to place a marker at the location specified
by the 'll' URL parameter.
Several different markers are available including custom markers designed for trailheads (&icon=th)
and summits (crosshair &icon=ch).
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=47.267579,-121.174258&z=14&t=t2&icon=th
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?ll=47.271175,-121.135076&z=14&t=t4&icon=ch
Gmap4 map displaying data from a GPX file hosted on Google Sites
Any of the data files that Gmap4 can display can be placed online using Google Sites. This is a free
service from Google. If you do not have your own website, then this is a great way to put your data files
online. There are step-by-step instructions in the Gmap4 'Help' file. The following map shows a GPX file
containing the GPS track of a hike in the Washington State Cascades.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://sites.google.com/site/gmap4files/p/helpfile/Johnson_Ridge.gpx&t=t4
Gmap4 map displaying georeferenced photos
If you use a KML file instead of a GPX file then you can add photos to your map. The Gmap4 'Help'
file walks you though the process and gives you KML template files to get you started.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/Stafford_Creek.kml&t=t4
Would you like the above map to open on your screen with the UTM grid displayed? Simply add &coord=utm to the URL:
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/Stafford_Creek.kml&t=t4&coord=utm
Gmap4 map displaying data from a Google MyPlace file
KML files can also be placed online as Google MyPlace maps.
The next map is an example of a KML file that was 'imported' into Google Maps and saved as a Google MyPlace file.
The file contains the GPS track of a different hike in the Washington State Cascades.
You can use Gmap4 to display any Google MyPlace map simply by substituting the unique 'id'
Google assigned to that map into the following link.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=mymap,105432215366276592381.0004897737811ac6a6a05&z=15&t=t4
Gmap4 map displaying a small 'live' map in a trip report
If you enjoy filing trip reports describing your latest hike/climb/bike/ski/paddle trip then of course you could include a
link to a Gmap4 map in your report. But even better, if the website where you file your report allows iframes,
then you can include a 'live' map right in the body of your report. This 'live' map can be as small as
400 pixels by 400 pixels. Here's an example from a site in Washington State popular with hikers.
Scroll down just a bit for the map. Since this map is 'live' you can pan, zoom, play with the
menus, etc.
http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7980146
Gmap4 map displaying information from three data files
If you place KML files online either as Google MyPlace map or on your own website, then you can produce a map that
displays information from several of those files.
http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.php?q=http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4/helpfile/three_files.kml
For more information, including step-by-step instructions and sample KML files you can download and use as templates for your own data, please click 'Help' in the menu bar.