Google Maps - missing markers and other problems

iamback

Either some markers are missing, or I'm missing something (quite possible since I'm just starting here) or both.

At the moment I have just two galleries, one with six photos all from the same place, one with two from different places; all have lat/lon entered in the geography data.

What happened first of all (after entering all this data), was that the Google map on the control panel would start out all the way zoomed in, somewhere way north-west of Nova Zembla ... :scratch ... endless clicks to zoom out (why no slider here?!?) revealed a single marker - clicking through on this showed the large map with the marker popup indicating my series of pictures in Shibam, Yemen. Incorrect, and not exactly usable. (I made a screen shot, just ask me if anyone's interested.)

A day later, the single marker had at least moved into Yemen at the correct position - now the map starts out with a world map, and then immediately refreshes to a strongly zoomed-in view of Shibam: a very nice view, but again, endless clicks to zoom out shows the two other markers that should be there are still missing. There should be another in Yemen (Tarim), and one in Kyrgyzstan (south of Issik Kol). For illustration, I've temporarily turned on the map so it will show up on my home page.

So we have a number of problems:

• Initially the map started out completely zoomed in to a position north of Nova Zembla - quite confusing, because there's nothing to see there at that zoom level - all you see is the standard tiny texts that Google doesn't have anything for that level of detail (also the only clue that you need to zoom out because there's no slider). Curiously, this one marker does have the data for the photos in Yemen - so how can that marker be positioned near the North Pole?
• Even now that the marker for one set of photos has "moved" to the correct place, two markers are still completely missing.
• The small map (both on the control panel and on the home page) is very user-unfriendly in that there are only zoom buttons but no slider, so it takes many clicks and return trips to the server to get to the desired zoom level.
• The zoom level for the one marker in Shibam shows a nice view, but misses context for anyone who's not familiar with Yemen. It would be nice if we could set an initial zoom level for the map on the home page. The way it is displayed now, I've only put it there for illustration of the problems, but I don't want it there like that, forcing the visitor to click many times to zoom out sufficiently to see where in the world that marker actually is!

Any comments, ideas or solutions?

rainforest1155

Yeah, the two other places are still missing. Maybe try to update their location again?
I understand that the small map directly on your homepage is just a teaser to get you into clicking on one of the markers to get you to the real deal. Apart from that it is not very useable. That's why it zooms in so closely on one location.
People are probably using it all differently so it might be good to have some more choices on the appearance of the map on your page. Another reason for that is that some users already have the map moved to a different page on their site and now might even more want to customize it's size and functionality.

Sebastian

iamback

just for a moment now...

rainforest1155 wrote:

Yeah, the two other places are still missing. Maybe try to update their location again?

I hadn't mentioned it, but I tried to do that already - several times. For the heck of it, I tried it again and oh wonder, now the map on the home page is zoomed out much more and I see a second marker in Kyrgyzstan!

So far so good, that looks much better to start with - but when I click through on that I end up on the large map in what looks like the correct position in Kyrgyzstan but without the marker there. And to the right it still links to my six-photo album located in Yemen. (That's a great way to teach geography, isn't it?) Then, maybe the system realizes it's missing something: when I go back to the homepage / control panel, it shows the zoomed-in Shibam (Yemen) view again; no trace of the other location in Yemen either, even though I adapted that photo's lat/lon as well. :bash

I understand that the small map directly on your homepage is just a teaser to get you into clicking on one of the markers to get you to the real deal. Apart from that it is not very useable. That's why it zooms in so closely on one location.

That makes sort of sense when there is only one location - but for a few moments just now I had a much better view with the two markers in it... (third one still missing).

People are probably using it all differently so it might be good to have some more choices on the appearance of the map on your page. Another reason for that is that some users already have the map moved to a different page on their site and now might even more want to customize it's size and functionality.

Well, exactly - some control over its appearance would help. But first, I'd like to have it show at least the correct data, with no markers missing, and all in the correct place. (There will not likely even be a correct marker for me way north-west of Nova Zembla - much too cold for me!)

Edit: After editing the geography for the other two places yet again and turning the "use geography" radio button off for each of the two galleries, the map now shows two markers in Yemen (one for each gallery). :confused It will probably disappear again when I scrape my throat, or something.

iamback

This is just too hard!

rainforest1155 wrote:

Yeah, the two other places are still missing. Maybe try to update their location again?

Again. And again. And again.... I finally got the three markers to show up.

Not exactly a smooth process, to put it mildly. And all the other problems I listed remain of course.

Plus there really should be a much better way to place a marker on the map: when editing geographic info, put the map right on the page; allow the marker to be dragged in place and also put latitude / longitude entry boxes with the map. That way, you can use both: enter numbers, drag the pointer into place, either or one after the other to get an accurate location.

The Google API allows all this! I've seen Google map interfaces that do exactly this, so SmugMug can do it, too. It's just way too hard now.

Allen

iamback wrote:

Again. And again. And again.... I finally got the three markers to show up.

Not exactly a smooth process, to put it mildly. And all the other problems I listed remain of course.

Plus there really should be a much better way to place a marker on the map: when editing geographic info, put the map right on the page; allow the marker to be dragged in place and also put latitude / longitude entry boxes with the map. That way, you can use both: enter numbers, drag the pointer into place, either or one after the other to get an accurate location.

The Google API allows all this! I've seen Google map interfaces that do exactly this, so SmugMug can do it, too. It's just way too hard now.

I always get the lat and long form GoogleEarth, copy each and paste into
Smug.

iamback

Allen wrote:

I always get the lat and long form GoogleEarth, copy each and paste into Smug.

I don't have Google Earth but could use Google Maps - but it's still two windows/tabs/screens going backwards and forwards; and I have to go there first - it' snot as thouhg I have that page always open already.

All that just isn't necessary with a better user interface in SmugMug itself.

Colleen Miller

I cant get my pics in the right location
Hi, totally agree with Iamback in that manouvering around maps is a pain, when I clicked mapthis I thought I would see a map with my icon on it.

For some reason my pic is showing up off Japan not in Australia.

I have a gps and software to map locations. To check that I am entering the correct format & longitude and latitude, I went to google earth to cofirm that the coordinates agreed. Still no luck. It looks as though it is directly north of where it should be so I tried putting a - in front but that didnt work either.

The pic is Eucalyptus baureiana and I think the location should be 37d 49m & 144d 35m

Any advice - initially I just want it to show up in the right place.

Colleen Miller www.nativeplants.smugmug.com

Andy

Hi, thanks for posting, everyone - I'll ask Ben and Ivar to look into this, okay? Thanks folks.

Allen

Colleen Miller wrote:

...

The pic is Eucalyptus baureiana and I think the location should be 37d 49m & 144d 35m
...
Colleen Miller www.nativeplants.smugmug.com

Did you try the decimal equivalent? You can copy that directly out of
GoogleEarth.

Colleen Miller

Co-ordinates
Hi Allen,

Yes I tried a variety of formats but without any luck. When you have time could you send me what coordinates you would enter for Melbourne's CBD or near enough. I'll try entering that and see if I get closer than Japan.

Thanks

Colleen

iamback

Decimal notation

Andy wrote:

Hi, thanks for posting, everyone - I'll ask Ben and Ivar to look into this, okay? Thanks folks.

Thanks, Andy! Just a small additional note: I always use decimal - so any problem with location markers showing up near the North Pole (or not at all) cannot be due to format, in my case at least.

ivar

Marjolein,

I'm looking into this problem. Can you email me the screenshot(s) that you have to our helpdesk, subject: attn. Ivar? That would be great.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks.

iamback

ivar wrote:

I'm looking into this problem. Can you email me the screenshot(s) that you have to our helpdesk, subject: attn. Ivar? That would be great.

Done. (One screenshot, with explanation.)

ivar

iamback wrote:

Done. (One screenshot, with explanation.)

Received as well. I'm looking into it today (our time)

Allen

Colleen Miller wrote:

Hi Allen,

Yes I tried a variety of formats but without any luck. When you have time could you send me what coordinates you would enter for Melbourne's CBD or near enough. I'll try entering that and see if I get closer than Japan.

Thanks

Colleen

Have no idea what Melbourne's CBD means but here's Melbourn Au.:D
Straight from properities box of GoogleEarth.

-37.814251
144.963169

ivar

Colleen Miller wrote:

Hi, totally agree with Iamback in that manouvering around maps is a pain, when I clicked mapthis I thought I would see a map with my icon on it.

For some reason my pic is showing up off Japan not in Australia.

I have a gps and software to map locations. To check that I am entering the correct format & longitude and latitude, I went to google earth to cofirm that the coordinates agreed. Still no luck. It looks as though it is directly north of where it should be so I tried putting a - in front but that didnt work either.

The pic is Eucalyptus baureiana and I think the location should be 37d 49m & 144d 35m

Any advice - initially I just want it to show up in the right place.

Colleen Miller www.nativeplants.smugmug.com

What software do you use for adding geo-data to your photos?

Can you email me a photo that you have added a geo-location to using your GPS and software? I will PM you my email address.

That might really help trying to figure out what's going on with the mapping function. Thanks!

ivar

I have a few thing I'm investigating RE: your problem, Marjolein.

I'll keep you posted.

Colleen Miller

I have managed to get my markers in the correct place
Hi Ivar Allen and Iamback,

I tried placing a second pic with the correct coordinates and it worked.

I tried changing the coordinates on the first pic but that didnt work. I deleted the coordinates, exited, re-entered the coordinates and hey presto it is in the right place.

It seems that if you dont get it right the first time it may be better to delete the coordinates and re-enter but make sure you exit in between.

Hope this makes sense

Colleen

iamback

Colleen Miller wrote:

It seems that if you dont get it right the first time it may be better to delete the coordinates and re-enter but make sure you exit in between.

Maybe your problem is related to what I saw - but I did get it right first time! Still, the marker for six photos in Yemen appeared near the North Pole at first and the markers for two other pictures did not appear at all. There was nothing "not right" with any of the latitude/longitude data I entered. (I'd like a few to be more accurately positioned later, but that is a different matter.)

iamback

ivar wrote:

I have a few thing I'm investigating RE: your problem, Marjolein.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for the update, waiting with bated breath...

garyjwood

Adding my $.02

iamback wrote:

Thanks for the update, waiting with bated breath...

I have several hundred geotagged images now. All I get is a map of the entire world, no zoom:

iamback

ivar wrote:

I have a few thing I'm investigating RE: your problem, Marjolein.

I'll keep you posted.

Any news or progress on this, Ivar?

ivar

I've been looking into this, the only thing I've been able to recreate is the fact that when you click on 'map this' on your homepage, it centers to one of your photos, and doesn't always show all markers.

Is there anything else that I am missing?

iamback

ivar wrote:

I've been looking into this, the only thing I've been able to recreate is the fact that when you click on 'map this' on your homepage, it centers to one of your photos, and doesn't always show all markers.

Is there anything else that I am missing?

I'd try recreating the process.

• Try all the steps I've described (in detail) that I did, and see what happens. Do you see a single marker appear for a group of photos in one gallery, all with the same geo data? Do single markers for another gallery appear (images with different data)? Does a marker appear only to disappear again, until several changes have been made to latitude and longitude?
• What is the server-side process for storing, updating and presenting geo data - is there a queue involved somewhere? What, in the server-side process could explain that a marker first doesn't appear at all, then appears (but only after a number of changes), then disappears again (after no changes), then reappears (but only after a number of changes again)? Are there any logs that can show you my actions and what they triggered server-side?

Just clicking on my mapthis button will not tell you anything about the processes involved. But something must be wrong somewhere to cause these weird symptoms.

ivar

iamback wrote:

Try all the steps I've described (in detail) that I did, and see what happens. Do you see a single marker appear for a group of photos in one gallery, all with the same geo data?

Since multiple photos have been placed at the same location, the markers will be placed at the same location as well. It will be a stack, but show as one. If you want to differentiate between the markers, you'll have to give a different location to some of the photos. I'm not sure what the resolution of the Google Maps is, but I'm guessing you the locations should differ at least a few hundreds of a second, maybe more.

iamback wrote:

Do single markers for another gallery appear (images with different data)?

Yes. I see them at your site as well?

iamback wrote:

Does a marker appear only to disappear again, until several changes have been made to latitude and longitude?

I've not seen it happen like that, I'm sorry.

I'm going to leave the technical side for now, as it takes a lot of time to describe, and doesn't help me at this time.

I need more information from you. What, at this time, is the exact problem you are seeing? Where do I go to see that problem?

iamback

ivar wrote:

Since multiple photos have been placed at the same location, the markers will be placed at the same location as well. It will be a stack, but show as one. If you want to differentiate between the markers, you'll have to give a different location to some of the photos. I'm not sure what the resolution of the Google Maps is, but I'm guessing you the locations should differ at least a few hundreds of a second, maybe more.

Yes, of course. But I deliberately (initially) gave them all the same lat/lon. No problem there and I never suggested it was. (The original problem for that collection was that the marker appeared near the North Pole instead of in Yemen)

ivar wrote:

I need more information from you. What, at this time, is the exact problem you are seeing? Where do I go to see that problem?

I gave an exact description in my posts here as well as in the email I sent to you.

The problem is not "somewhere" that you can see it, it's in the process and the only way to see it (or not) is to follow that process. In other words, try to reproduce it. Looking at a (temporary) end result is not going to be instructive or useful.

The only place you can look now is the current map (which I still haven't changed while (I hope) the techies are looking at the problem) and that map, as it is now, does not have a problem. It did, that's what the screenshot was for. It does not now since I did not (dare to) do any more changes to the geo data since it somehow "stabilized".

That does not mean the problem is solved, because the problem is (or was?) in the processes taking place. There is only a temporary situation that happens to be stable now.

What I need to know is whether any caching is involved in the server-side process (should I wait? how long? or change and re-change until it finally "catches"?). And I'd like to know what in the server-side process causes a marker to first not appear (not initially, not after several changes), then appear after more lat/lon changes, then disappear all by itself (no changes from me), and then re-appear only after repeated changes by me. And what in the server-side process can cause all photos in a gallery to be (correctly) tied to a single marker but having that marker appear half-way across the globe.

The symptoms suggest there are delays somewhere, or duplication with one bit being updated and another bit not, things getting out of synch, something like that.

Anyway there must be a problem in the process somewhere - or maybe it's an intermittent one - but it's not possible to "go [somewhere] to see that problem", except by trying to repeat the steps, or by bumping it up to the techies and ask them what in the process could be causing this. A process is not a place.

I'm repeating myself now - again. Please kick it to whoever can look at the actual processes involved and explain the symptoms.

ivar

iamback, I already told you earlier that I was not able to reproduce the problem that you were experiencing. I've even set up an account, and added the same amount of photos as you have, and used the same geodata as you have added to your photos. The problem as you described does not show for me, I'm sorry.

Due to the size of our company, we don't have the resources/engineers available to look in to any problem right away, I'm sorry. I've listed it, but at this time it is a problem that, as far as we know, only occurred once to one person and that is now not directly affecting anyone or causing any problems. It is not extremely high on our priority list, I'm sorry. If you can replicate it, or if there are more people who are experiencing the same problem please step forward and let us know

iamback

ivar wrote:

iamback, I already told you earlier that I was not able to reproduce the problem that you were experiencing. I've even set up an account, and added the same amount of photos as you have, and used the same geodata as you have added to your photos. The problem as you described does not show for me, I'm sorry.

Well, sorry I missed that but that was not obvious from your posts.

ivar wrote:

Due to the size of our company, we don't have the resources/engineers available to look in to any problem right away, I'm sorry. I've listed it, but at this time it is a problem that, as far as we know, only occurred once to one person and that is now not directly affecting anyone or causing any problems.

I never asked for "right away". If the problems are recorded as problems (not a single one, it seems from the symptoms) I'm content for now. But would suggest to at least link that problem report to this thread (if you haven't already done so): other problems listed by others in this thread (some even without any reply) may have the same or similar root causes as what I ran into. They may help in analysing where the problems come from.

ivar wrote:

If you can replicate it, or if there are more people who are experiencing the same problem please step forward and let us know

OK, I'll try adding / updating and see what happens.

Thanks for your efforts!

I was hoping to build my own interface to add data using google maps to place a pointer or drag it to a new location (the same as I've seen it on other sites, so I know it's possible) - that would at least eliminate several tedious roundtrips to place a marker accurately, but it seems the API cannot even retrieve the geo data, let alone add or update it (I just trawled through the docs). I was thinking that "too many" changes in quick succession could cause the system to get confused so a single accurate entry might get around that - but without API support that little idea is a dead end...