Google Maps Paris restos

[jo]

Oh, I like this one too, Mez. My Paris bookmarks are getting very long!

Jo

[mez]

Getting the icons there is easy enough. I am not sure if that's a good thing though because everytime I open the map I start to drool when I see the croissants and choc bars.

I am happy to write up a longer tutorial with screen shots about the wonder of Google Maps if anyone wants a "dummies" guide, just let me know. In short though, it's really a 3 step process - find an icon, copy an icon, paste an icon into your map.

Back to the icons...
It's best to work with 2 windows - one with your Google maps, the other to search for icons.
1. Find the icon you want on the internet. I just searched Google images until I found something that suits. Search for 'croissant icon' or 'chocolate icon' etc.
2. Click on the icon you want. What you want is address (or URL) to just that icon. Now that you've found it, leave the window open and go to your Google Map
3. When you are editing or adding info to a particular marker on your map, a shape like a speech bubble appears. This is where you make your amendments.

In the top right, there is a default marker shown. Click on this. You are now presented with a number of default icons. You can choose any of these by clicking to select.

If you want to select an icon you have previously saved, click on the 'my icons' link and all your saved icons will appear.

If you want to save a new icon (ie. the one you found on Google images), click 'add an icon'. A new box appears asking for the URL (aka address) of the icon. This is when you go back to the window with the image you want, copy the URL from the address bar, come back to your Google maps box and paste the URL here. Click OK.

Your new icon will now be appearing in the top right of the speech bubble and you can make any other amendments you want before closing the box.

That's it!

My London map is much fancier - I have coffins for cemeteries, gavels for auction houses, artists paint palettes for galleries etc.

Another tip:
If you take a look at the entries on the left hand side of my London map, you will see they are all grouped according to the icon I have assigned them. You can move these entries around on your own map by clicking on an entry, keep holding your finger down on the mouse and moving your mouse up or down. When you lift your finger, the entry will drop to a new position on the list.

The other thing I have done is create separate eat & drink maps and places to visit maps. My reason for this is that when I access the maps on my iPhone I can ask the app to show all or just some of my Google maps. If I am looking for a place to eat, I can them display my eating map only without the clutter of the other icons.

[Darcy]

That is very impressive!!

[PariS]

Very cool, Mez! I had no idea we could import icons. I know what I'll be doing when I have some time to update my Google maps! I have lots of Paris maps--one for restaurants, one for shopping, one for sights, one specially for "Sweets & Treats" , one for covered passages, etc. Then I cull thru them all before a trip and create a map for that particular trip that I can bring up on my iPad or Darryl's iPhone. Anyway....off to see if I can import a fun icon!

[skywalkerbeth]

Great tips!

I am going to add more restos this wkd. No idea how I'm even going to have time to visit the 30-40 I have on there NOW. haha

[skywalkerbeth]

Question:

When the time comes to print this bear! ?

I want it to be in high enough rez to have the map be useful for walking. Which means I will not be able to get all the icons on one page. How do you do that? Meaning both large scale and print? Do I make it large scale and then move the map around until only one part shows, then print?

Can I make a PDF, word, etc?

[PariS]

I fiddled with trying to print them off a couple years ago, and couldn't find a satisfactory solution so gave up. Maybe someone else knows a good way to do it?

[skywalkerbeth]

Now that would be funny. If you cannot print the durn thing to useful scale, then this isn't useful on the ground.

[PariS]

No, not without a smart phone or iPad with wifi...at least as far as I can tell. I quickly googled "how to print google maps", and there's talk about an unauthorized download that enables you to do it, but I haven't studied it out yet.

[mossie]

If you look at the top right of the border you will see a "print" option. Scale the map up using the left hand scale bar then select "print". A new page will open with your map AT THE TOP. This is a trap, as all the restaurants etc., listed will appear as a long list below your map. So if you now attempt to print you will use several sheets of paper as these print out as a single column.
Just be quick and whip out the printer cable as soon as the map is printed, unless of course you want the whole list
Note also there is a little panel at top right where you may add notes.
Have fun and don't overeat. How could I possibly give such advice ;D ;D

[mez]

I've got no solution for the printing either. While I've printed off the maps, it's because I wanted a copy of the list, and not the map.