ContentMap

It allows the association of a geographical place to each Joomla article, and display it within a Google Maps at the bottom of the article itself.
Includes even a module which collect in a single map multiple places associated to articles.
Supports custom icons for markers, infowindows, and all kind of maps (street, satellite, terrain, hybrid).
It doesn't require Google Maps API knowledge.

Buy now ContentMap for Joomla 3. For 26 Euro: (VAT not included)

• Full featured version, suitable for commercial purposes
• 12 months upgrades included
• Subscription renewal every 12 months at a cost of only 18 Euro (excluding VAT) with possibility to terminate the subscription at any time (more info)
• Technical support in English and Italian languages via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., reserved only to users with not expired subscription. To identify yourself as a customer, plese use the same email address you used for the payment, otherwise your request may be discarded.
• Unlimited domains / installations allowed.

 

Version comparing	Free version	Commercial version
Use of new Google Maps API 3
Automatical grouping of markers
News text and image in the marker balloon
Integrated system to insert the coordinates
Street view and route calculation
Dynamic filters of markers by category
KML track
Graphic Map managed by Joomla! TAGS
Removal of signature under the map
Technical support
	Download	Purchase

INSTRUCTIONS

Once installed ContentMap from the Extensions Manager, you will find in your site the ContentMap plugin and module.

Create your free Google Map API KEY from this page: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key and insert it in the first parameter of ContentMap module and plugin.
Currently is necessary in your "Google Cloud Platform" account to enabled billing. The use remains free and the billing will be zero but it is necessary to indicate the billing data to keep the service active. (Only in the remote case your maps display more than 25 thousand times per day the Google service will require a payment).

Plugin usage

ContentMap plugin inserts a map under the text of the article with a single marker placed according to the coordinates within the article itself. Exemple

Step 1: Edit your articles and insert the coordinates

Open the Plugin Manager and make sure that the ContentMap plugin is enabled.
Open the Article Manager and create a new article, or edit an existing one.
Click on the tab 'Publish'.

On the bottom right you will find the parameter ContentMap:

You need to manually enter the decimal value of the coordinates of the single point in the article, pasting the value in the form such as:: 28.728573, -13.867734
You can obtain the value to copy and paste in the ContentMap parameter from the site www.google.it/maps by right-clicking on the desired point and selecting "What is here?".

The parameter Marker style allows you to choose a custom marker for this article that goes to replace the marker set in the parameters of the plugin.

Now you can save the article in frontend and see the result: a Google Map will appear below the article text.

Step 2: Insert an image on the balloon

Clicking in frontend on the the marker just entered, it opens a balloon containing the article title and the intro text. If you want to also insert an image, you can bring up the picture in the intro text of the article.
Then back to Management Articles and let's edit the article, open the tab 'Images and links'. Select an Intro Image and save. Check the site and you'll see that the image appears in the balloon. The parameters 'Image Float', 'Alt text' and 'Caption' will be used also, but consider that only the parameter 'Intro Image' is used in the balloon. The parameter 'Full article image' will instead be ignored.

If you do not see the parameter 'Intro Image', check in Article Manager> Options> Editing Layout that the parameter 'Administrator Images and Links' is set to Yes

Step 3: Parameters customization

Open Plugin Manager > ContentMap and you will find all the available parameters to customize your maps within the articles:

• Width: you can set a fixed width in pixels or percentage.
• Height: you can set a fixed height in pixels.
• Zoom level: you can set the default zoom maps from 1 (less zoom) to 21 (higher zoom).
• Map type: you can choose between Road, Satellite, Hybrid and Terrain map.
• Enabled Street view: if enabled, this parameter will insert the street view below the maps, a feature of great visual impact as it allows you to actually see the place indicated by the marker.
• Markers icon: this parameter sets a default icon for all maps. The options are many, but it is also possible to add other icons directly in the folder media/contentmap/markers/icons
• Open balloon: you can choose whether to open the balloon with a click, hover or disable the opening.
• Width: you can set the maximum width of the balloon, in pixels.
• Show title: sets whether to show or hide the article title inside the balloon.
• Linked titles: if set to Yes, the article title inside the balloon will have a link to the article itself.
• URL Target Window: sets the target of the link of the article title inside the balloon.
• Image: sets whether or not to display the image associated with the intro text(see Step 2)
• Author alias: if set to Show, and if the parameter 'Created by alias' has been compiled, it will appear in the balloon.
• Creation date: you can choose whether to show the creation date of the article in the balloon.
• Show Intro Text: you can choose whether to show the intro text within the balloon.
• Article text limit: sets a limit to the number of characters displayed in the intro text within the balloon.
• Show 'Get Directions' link: if set to Show, within the balloon will appear the link to Google Maps to calculate your route to get to the point marked by the marker, the link to see the street view of the place and a field where you can enter an address and see so directly in the map the route to the place indicated (look the image above).

Module usage

The ContentMap module inserts, in the desired module position, a Google Maps with multiple markers associated with their articles. Exemple

Step 1: Module creation

After entering the coordinates in at least two articles, you can create with the module Google Maps with multiple markers, we see how ...

Open Module Manager and create a new 'ContentMap' module.
Publish the module in one of the available module positions in your template, possibly one allowing enough space to see the map.
Now check the site: your map is visible.
As you can see it was very easy!

Step 2: Setting desidered filters

The module groups places defined in articles so, in addition to the above options described for the plugin, there are some other parameters available:

• Center: centers the map with the specified coordinates.
• URL Track KML file: if you enter the URL of a KML track, this will be displayed on the map.
• Cluster: groups the markers increasing the performance of the display. Useful when the map contains many markers.
• Filter based on categories under the map: under the map shows the categories of Joomla, with the possibility to select which to see in the map. Useful if you have items with the coordinates, though belonging to different categories of Joomla.
• Featured Articles: you can choose whether to show all items, or only those featured, or only those not featured.
• Filtering type: you can set a filter inclusive (include only the categories specified in the next parameter) or exclusive (include all categories except as indicated in the following parameter)
• Categories: select which categories to include or exclude from the map.
• Authors: select which authors to include or exclude from the map.

Example of how it can be your map (the route is determined by the parameter URL Track KML file, see above)

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Graphic Map managed by Joomla! TAGS

This type of map is not generated using the coordinate values, but simply associating a tag to a content (element) of Joomla. The name of the tag is recognized by the map module that shows the area. This example shows Italy but you can view and select any area of the world, both city and regions.

The component that generates new TAGS is already present in Joomla 3 (this type of map is not available in Joomla 2.5). To enable this type of map in ContentMap module go to the "GEO Chart Settings" tab and set the "Data source" parameter on "Joomla TAGS - Chart Map".
In the "Display mode" parameter select what you want to highlight, the Region Map or the Marker map that stand for the cities. You will need to create the TAGS on the basis of this choice, they must be so or names of regions/nations or names of cities/towns.
In the "Region" parameter select the desired area.
In Tags component create the different regions or countries or cities you want to highlight on the map. Then during the creation or modification of your content (articles, categories, contacts, etc...) you can associate it to its TAG. Automatically the map will highlight the areas indicated by the TAG giving more graphic importance to those that contain more elements. Pressing on the area you'll go to the list of items associated with it, in the case of a single element is passed directly to the display of the same.

You can quickly and easily generate new TAGS also directly in the edit screen of your content by writing the name of the tag in the appropriate field and then pressing the Enter key.

ContentMap documentation