Develop Reference

Is it OK to show google map API without actually showing a map?

I would like to use google map API to get a map canvas to put objects on it, but not showing the map, by using the maptype NONE.
Am I allowed to do that in an Android app using v2 and distribute it?
This is what I want to do:
#Override
public void onMapReady(GoogleMap map) {
map.moveCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.newLatLngZoom(
new LatLng(-18.142, 178.431), 2));
// Other supported types include: MAP_TYPE_NORMAL,
// MAP_TYPE_TERRAIN, MAP_TYPE_HYBRID and MAP_TYPE_SATELLITE
map.setMapType(GoogleMap.MAP_TYPE_NONE);
}
I want to set map.setMapType(GoogleMap.MAP_TYPE_NONE); and then add various markers to the map, including my current position
Added a picture to show what I want to achieve.

As mentioned in Google documentation it's forbidden. More over - From what you are saying it seems that you want use gmaps capabilities to get data and calculations but actually display some thing else. I really don't think it's good idea. However - if the issue is making geo calculations, consider to use 3'rd party open source libs for this. For example http://www.gavaghan.org/blog/free-source-code/geodesy-library-vincentys-formula-java/

Using polygon class in google maps without having maps view

I am developing an Android application where I need to check whether a GPS point lie inside a region (or polygon). I am therefore planning to use Polygon class provided by Google Maps. But, this require a map view to construct a polygon. I don't want to use a map view. Kindly tell if there is a class or some API by which polygon can be used. I have come to know of a PolyUtil class but it requires importing another library.
Thanks,
Arpit

Use this lib android-maps-utils:
PolyUtil.containsLocation(LatLng point, java.util.List<LatLng> polygon, boolean geodesic)

GoogleMaps V2 android get marker icon

I'm currently implementing GoogleMapsV2 and try to port the old functionality I had in MapsV1. in V1, I was able to subclass an OverlayItem and save the icon i put inside. Now I have to create a MarkerOption based on a model object, add it to the GoogleMap to get a Marker back.
Because the Marker class is final, and GoogleMaps isn't providing a Method to get a handle on it (like a SQLiteCursorFactory), I feel unable to get the icon back I put inside.
If i keep the MarkerOptions object, I could get back a BitmapDescriptor which has only one (obfuscated) method aW() which is returning a b object.
I'm quite shure that the Bitmap must be somewhere inside this object because its drawn on the GoogleMap. What is the best way to get it back from the marker.
I'm currently mapping the Marker to my model upon creation inside a HashMap<Marker, ModelObj> but from there I have to re-create the icon everytime I want to access it. This feels simply wrong, and I'm wondering if there is a better method of accessing it.

I'm quite shure that the Bitmap must be somewhere inside this object because its drawn on the GoogleMap.
That's far from certain. The map is rendered by another process. So, while the Bitmap is in that process, it may not be in yours.
What is the best way to get it back from the marker.
You don't. That's a write-only API.
I'm currently mapping the Marker to my model upon creation inside a HashMap but from there I have to re-create the icon everytime I want to access it.
Then cache it yourself. Nowadays, Marker has getId(), which is probably better than using Marker itself as the key. But then either tuck your icon into ModelObj or have a separate bitmap cache. You will have to determine for yourself if the CPU vs. RAM trade-off warrants caching or regenerating the icon.

Getting a SpannableString to my implementation InfoWindowAdapter

Google Maps V2. I have markers on a map that I have an associated SpannableString associated with. I want to display this spannableString in the popup window when the marker is clicked. I create an implementation of InfoWindowAdapter, but then I realize that all the data it receives is from MarkerOptions.. I can't attach a SpannableString to MarkerOptions.title() or MarkerOptions.snippit() because they only accept String. I can't extend MarkerOptions because it's final.
It appears I am sol.. however, there must be someway to do this I think. Is there a way to arbitrarily associated data with an object? I guess I could create a HashMap.. Seems hacky and obtuse..
All help appreciated. thank youuuu!

Using Map is the most often used workaround. See the discussion on gmaps-api-issues.
Alternatively you may try Android Maps Extensions, which adds Marker.setData(Object) and Object Marker.getData().

Add 1000's Markers to android Googlemap

I am developing a GoogleMap based android application.
I need to display 1000's of Markers on the map.
Currently I retrieve the Latitude and Longitude for each marker from an SQLite database loader and add the markers in the public void onLoadFinished(final Loader loader, final Cursor cursor) method.
this approach gives a very bad user experience though, as the application does not respond while i add the Markers.
how can i add 1000's of markers to a googlemap and keep my application responsive?
as i have to add the markers to the map on the main UI thread.

One possible way is to only add Markers when they fall into visible region of the map.
You would actually have to move your calls to addMarker from onLoadFinished to onCameraChange and in onLoadFinished only create a list of data needed to create these Markers. In the simplest form this might be List<MarkerOptions>.
Android Maps Extensions mentioned by Lalit Poptani in the comments above can handle that for you even if you don't want to use clustering. You simply leave your code like it is and only make a call like
googleMap.setClustering(new ClusteringSettings().enabled(false).addMarkersDynamically(true));
after replacing Google Maps Android API v2 with this extensions lib.

You can use Spatial Lite provider with geoserver to provide WMS maps.
In android you can set a tile provider to consuming such tile maps.