how to create a static api map with directions

Question

I am trying to build a static google map with directions from villanova,pa to devon, pa. I have generated a google api key also and I am not able to build the url. can you please give me a sample url so that i can see how it is and build the new ones.

thanks

Answer 1

look here: Google Maps API Doc

Basically the flow is: 1) you ask for Directions (via Directions API) 2) in the XML/JSon result, you'll find a tag like this:

 <overview_polyline>
   <points> a lot of chars here.. </points>
 </overview_polyline>

3) you ask for Static Map specifying in the url the param:

path=enc:<the lot of chars you got in (2) >

This is a sample image:

whith this URL request: https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=400x400&path=enc:sizwFsq_z@Lg@j@o@bASbBLpCt@n@%5El@x@%5CN~Cd@nHCn@EdDdDv@n@lG%7CAgBhFUrADn@Zx@hMfStF%7CIvBrDl@dEJxBMlEG%60CVjBv@lEPjBIbAM%60@GAMDKNBh@JLBLa@lD@zD%60@rCzApFxBvJtEfVZdEq@fBaAZi@Ik@_@%7DBsB%7DBuA%7BAa@_Gw@oDNwBf@wEjCo@n@gErE%7DLdNqIfKeBpCoApCy@dCwArFgC%60RaD%7COmAnE%7BDpIcDvFeDdEmDxDkD%60CwG~Dyg@tUwJzFy@p@kExEcLrPiDrCaDbBwFlC_F%60EuAlBiB%7CDiA%60Eg@tCm@pHErFbApPFpDGpA_@~Dc@vBwAhEyDzIeBzDsBvC_A~@eC%60B_C%7C@aDd@%7DHGsKAsGDsDXsDv@uEjBiCbBmE~DaDzDqG%60IyFnGqFdFoHvEqHtC_PnEeF~AoFxBgGxDkFtE%7DGnJqCxF%7DAbEcBnGyAxGsBjKoGn%5CoBtIwCrJyApD_EnIyGzKmNlTyJzNsClDiF~EkI%7CFuAx@wIlFwJ%7CFiH%60FwGdFgJbI%7BNbNmGdGqH%60IiEpFaExGqDnHoBfFyCtJwBxIoJ%60d@iHhWqIpU%7BPzc@aCtF%7DFlJcHdHwF%7CDgH%7CCqWxGqElByDxBsFhEwClDi%5Dnb@%7BDdEkMxKoBbB_A%60A%7B@%5CaACc@%5BSc@GkAR%7B@l@g@%7C@@pAhAjAtAlBzBlE%60GfB~CdElHpXpf@hZzh@hEzHdEfFzIdIrWpU%60fA~A%60FlGdChEnBlEdHdTdJbY%7CFtQ~BxIpExSlBrJ%7CAbGjAbDxAbDhAzB~C~ErAhBdDhDvDrDlFjHnD%7CHvBjHz%5CfqAxEzP%60CzJ~@%60FjAjIjAbNd@dGfBnUpApWdAxVvAp%5DbAlLnAxGbAnDbBvElB%7CDxCzHfBdIXtBt@~JH~GKxGBhJ%5ExDnAfHdCtL%5ExDZ%60I@vWq@bXQ%7CKDxF%60ArMnBhRhBxJpErMfIjTfCbInBdJdCfPdAhH%60Lzw@hBlHpD%7CIlB%60DbEfFtIxIdClCte@hf@%7CTrUxFxIrBfFvA%60FnAhGlAbJ%7CBtQdBbIrB~F%7CHjN%7CNrVdG~J%7CJ%60QfK%7CPpDfGtIjPhAxBv_@du@~Rb%60@lL%60VvD%60Lh@%60Ct@lDfAjHl@jGTfEPzNWbLc@zGqBfRiFjd@yApROdHDdK%7CDpw@bD~n@dCbg@tAtU~Dxs@x@xG%60BpJtAvFP%7CBGjAw@r@sDOwBU%7D@Uo@MM%60@_@%60BaCtQc@pAsFzGiC%7CDgD%60F%5BLIJEZgA%7CDwB~EmAxAa@Vu@HoAd@w@%7CA