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Static Maps

Updated: Zack Mertz Edited:

About Static Maps

Static Maps offer a streamlined approach to showcasing images of map locations on websites or through shareable URLs. These lightweight, snapshot images provide an efficient alternative to complex interactive maps, making them perfect for:

  • Highlighting specific locations and displaying multiple points of interest
  • Easy embedding in web pages and simplified sharing via URLs
  • Minimal load times, resource usage, and no need for interactive elements
  • Available for any existing map with no special activation required and customizable via a specific URL structure.

The URL-based generation method ensures easy management and updates, streamlining the process of maintaining and modifying your map displays over time.

 

Static Playground

 

Real Life Example

See an example: https://www.wpi.edu/about/locations/alumni-stadium

 

The Geeky Details

You can adjust the following items when creating a static map:

  • Map ID
  • Marker Instance ID (polygon, marker, polymarker)
  • Zoom Level
  • Scale
  • Label (custom label name or name of the marker within the CMS)

URL Structure and Manipulation

Understanding the structure of the static map URL allows you to customize your map's appearance and behavior. Let's break down each component of the URL and explain how you can manipulate it:

https://staticmap.concept3d.com/map/static-map/?map=<MAP ID>&loc=<MARKER_ID>&scale=<SCALE>&label=<LABEL_NAME>&zoom=<ZOOM_LEVEL>

1. Base URL

https://staticmap.concept3d.com/map/static-map/

This is the foundation of every static map URL. It cannot be changed.

2. Map ID

?map=<MAP ID>

This is your unique map identifier. Replace <MAP ID> with your actual map ID. For example: ?map=1216

3. Location (Marker ID)

&loc=<MARKER_ID>

This specifies which location on your map to focus on. Replace <MARKER_ID> with the ID of the marker you want to display. For example: &loc=307883

4. Scale

&scale=<SCALE>

This determines the size of the generated image. Replace <SCALE> with one of the following values:

  • 1: 512px (default if not specified)
  • 2: 1024px
  • 4: 2048px

For example: &scale=2 will generate a 1024px image.

5. Label

There are two ways to use the label parameter:

  1. &label

    Adding this parameter without a value will display the default label for the marker (as set in the CMS).

  2. &label=<LABEL_NAME>

    Replace <LABEL_NAME> with your custom label text. Use "%20" for spaces. For example: &label=Conference%20Room

6. Zoom Level

&zoom=<ZOOM_LEVEL>

This sets the zoom level of the map. Replace <ZOOM_LEVEL> with a number between 0 (zoomed out) and 21 (zoomed in). If not specified, it defaults to 19. For example: &zoom=15

Sample URLs and Results

  1. Basic static map (default settings):

    https://staticmap.concept3d.com/map/static-map/?map=1216&loc=307883
    Static map example 1

  2. Static map with label:

    https://staticmap.concept3d.com/map/static-map/?map=1216&loc=307883&label
    Static map example 2

  3. Static map with custom scale, label, and zoom:

    https://staticmap.concept3d.com/map/static-map/?map=1216&loc=307883&scale=2&label&zoom=17
    Static map example 3

  4. Static map with custom label:

    https://staticmap.concept3d.com/map/static-map/?map=1216&loc=307883&scale=1&label=Concept3D%20Sample
    Static map example 4

By understanding these URL components, you can create highly customized static maps to suit your specific needs. Experiment with different combinations of parameters to achieve the desired result.

 

Adding a URL to Your Static Map on Click Event

To create the best user experience with static maps, we recommend driving traffic back to the interactive map by adding a URL to the code for the static map. This code will enable the static map to be clickable, and return the user to the interactive map for the full experience.

The first URL in the above code is where the user should be directed, either your direct Concept3D map URL, or your custom map URL (should you use a custom URL or CNAME solution).

The second URL in the above code will be the static map URL created in the steps above.

 

Dynamic Labels on Static Maps

  • User can add &map_labels=[category ID] to the static map URL to include labels 
  • Comma separate the categories to include multiple categories of labels
  • Check out more about Dynamic Labels V2 here

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