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This might be categorized as trivial by most of you, but I would really like the linked maps on websites such as zillow, trulia, etc. to have some sort of a scale line in the corner, so you could see how far properties are from other locations or amenities. Is there some reason why this is left off the maps? Is that stream 1 mile away or 1000 ft? What about that highway intersection? Zooming out, is that property 50 miles from where I want to work, or is it only 2 miles? For folks looking in their home town this would not really be needed, but for out of state buyers it would be quite helpful. What do others think?
This might be categorized as trivial by most of you, but I would really like the linked maps on websites such as zillow, trulia, etc. to have some sort of a scale line in the corner, so you could see how far properties are from other locations or amenities. Is there some reason why this is left off the maps? Is that stream 1 mile away or 1000 ft? What about that highway intersection? Zooming out, is that property 50 miles from where I want to work, or is it only 2 miles? For folks looking in their home town this would not really be needed, but for out of state buyers it would be quite helpful. What do others think?
I know what you means, but I'm thinking that with the almost infinite variety of zooming that is used, it would be problematic.
If I really get curious, I do a "birdseye" view with Bing maps -- it gives you an idea of scale better than a 2-D maps, sometimes.
Yes, I thought of the zooming issue, but most of the zooming is done in steps. All this would need is an overlay of the scale picture at the corner of the frame that the user sees of the map. The scale would be linked to the zoom tool, and the 'hand' that moves the center of the map will be able to do so 'behind' the scale image.
I have an issue with this too. I remember when I learned about maps in 5th grade, we were told that a map always had to have a scale. It kills me when I see ones that don't.
Is a scale an extra cost in licensing fees for sites to use maps? Would pinching pennies by site owners be the reason that they are not available everywhere?
Our MLS Bing mapping shows scales, in aerial, hybrid, and Bird's Eye views, at all zoom levels.
But, my MapQuest solution on my IDX doesn't show scales.
Tangentially, oddly enough, our MLS has not been able to get the provider to enable rotation and zoom in Bird's Eye view. We get one static view. But when listings go out in emails to clients and customers, those functionalities are enabled.
Is a scale an extra cost in licensing fees for sites to use maps?
no
Quote:
Would pinching pennies by site owners be the reason that they are not available everywhere?
i doubt it, they likely just didn't request a scale bar.
it's possible that they're limited by the specific technology they are using, but i've never come across a mapping API that didn't have the option for a scale bar.
Quote:
Our MLS Bing mapping shows scales, in aerial, hybrid, and Bird's Eye views, at all zoom levels.
But, my MapQuest solution on my IDX doesn't show scales.
Tangentially, oddly enough, our MLS has not been able to get the provider to enable rotation and zoom in Bird's Eye view. We get one static view. But when listings go out in emails to clients and customers, those functionalities are enabled.
these web maps are easy to make; as a developer the difficult part is getting access to the underlying MLS data. the fragmentation and "exclusiveness" of the various regional MLS'es contributes to the poor mapping tools available for it.
It's likely products that "cost money" have this scale feature.
you could assess the likelihood, based on your imagination
or just take the word of someone who develops with these APIs
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