Description

JUMP TO:

• how plugin looks
• plugin's commercial extensions
• requirements and install instructions
• demo of maps on group/profile page
  

HOW IT LOOKS: 

After installing the plugin ,you're able to add a new fields to user profile, group profile and custom forms. When such a form is edited, user is presented with the 'select location' button. After the button is clicked, a location selector appears:

[buttons: 'jump to address', 'clear selection' and 'save location']

Location's lightbox link

User has to choose his location on map, or by inputting his address. Afterwards, location is presented on user's or group's profile, in a form of a link with address. After the link is clicked, the lightbox with map centered on this address appears:

This plugin gives a select location capabilities to google-map widget as well.

To see more screenshots, got to this album

FEATURES:

caching of user locations

This is a crucial feature for all sites having more than 50 users. In the free version, user addresses are taken from the Google's reverse geocoding webservice. This means each time any address is displayed, it's pulled from the webservice. When caching is enabled, user addresses are written to database each time user changes his location. This significantly lowers page loading time for user listings, and improves service's up time (no more 'Show on map' texts instead user addresses).

zoomable map displaying all members (in development)

this map shows most popular users on the map, and on the list below the map. By default, it shows 10 most popular users in a location's scope. This means that if you zoom in, eventually you will be able to see also those users that are less popular. The number of users being shown can be changed. If you're logged in, you can view the map in action here. (it's not accessible for not logged in users)

IP geocoding

This is a powerfull module, allowing you to get location based by the IP address. When a select location window is opened, the map is centered on the current user IP address's location.

This module can be usefull to you in many ways. You can easily create a map showing all connections to your site, or a given group. You can also provide your users with some local informations, or detect their default language by their location. It's also possible to provide content that is accessible only to people from a given town, or region.

additional fields on display

With this extension you can have following fields on your users and groups profile, as well as on your forms:

• map with marker showing selected location (see demo on bottom of this page)
• map without marker showing selected location (for privacy) (see demo on bottom of this page)
• address link without marker showing selected location (for privacy)
• address link with marker showing selected location (this field is default)

COMMERCIAL EXTENSIONS AND SERVICES: 

location on registration

This feature allows you to ask your users for a location while they're registering to your site. It is released as a separate plugin. It needs siteaccess plugin to work.

You can go to the extension's group page for more details.

geocoding for Tidypics

This feature adds geotagging for tidypics albums and photos. All photos and albums are displayed on a map. After clicking on a photo, a photo's description appears. You can view example of the map here.

You can go to the extension's group page for more details.

friend map

This feature adds widget for a profile and dashboard page that displays interactive map and list of yoru friends.

You can go to the extension's group page for more details.

geocoding for blogs

This feature adds geotagging for blogs. All blogs are displayed on a map. After clicking on a blog, a blog's description appears.

You can go to the extension's group page for more details.

geocoding for events

This feature adds geotagging for events. All eventsare displayed on a map. After clicking on an event, a event's description appears.

You can go to the extension's group page for more details.

installation

The process of installation for forms plugin can be sometimes time consuming. If you want to save your time and use our experience, you can pass us the parameters to your site, and we'll install this plugin for you. The fees for installation vary between 25$ and 75$, based on complexity of your site. If you want us to install the plugin for you, contact us at elggdev.info@gmail.com

development work

In case you want us to implement features that are not included into vazco_gmap plugin, please contact us at elggdev.info@gmail.com.

REQUIREMENTS: 

• Elgg 1.5
• google-map plugin, ver. 0.92
• form plugin and related (flexgroupprofile, flexprofile), ver 0.82
• siteaccess plugin (only for the 'location on registration' extension)

INSTALL:

• install the required plugins from the list above
• place this plugin below the required plugins, and enable.
• go to the Administration->Forms management, and create user or group form
• add a field to this form, and name it 'location'. Choose the type of this field as 'Google Maps'
• save the form, and edit your group/user profile. You will see a location selector on edit page
• in case of any trouble, please refer to the forms documentation

FUNCTIONALITIES THAT AWAIT FUNDING:

- Widget displaying all groups members on the map
- search objects by location
- route selecting and displaying capabilities

Demonstration of plugin's maps:

[Those maps can be used in any form, on user profile and on group profile. Location of each map is editable in group/profile settings. They are highly customizable.]