How To Role Your Ain Icons Inwards Google My Maps

This article shows how to role your ain icons to label places inwards maps that y'all brand alongside the My Maps' characteristic in  Google Maps.

My Maps is a tool provided yesteryear Google Maps that lets y'all brand a map showing a specific collection of places.

Why is this helpful?   Well, y'all tin search for a collection of places inwards regular Google Maps, as well as percentage the maps y'all tin run across - but if y'all exercise this, other people volition run across dissimilar places that are marked on the version of the maps that Google shows them, non the same every bit the places that are marked for you.    To guarantee what railroad train of places other people see, y'all hollo for to brand a map inwards My Maps, as well as thence y'all tin percentage this specific map.

My Maps provides a criterion railroad train of icons that tin locomote used for labelling places - as well as these days it's a pretty impressive criterion set.   But it withal doesn't include numbers, letters or other labels - as well as the icons provided may non locomote styled the agency y'all would like.

Luckily Google bring provided a agency for y'all to role whatever icon to label points on a map y'all make.

How to role your ain custom icon inwards a My Maps map

Make your map, as well as add together the place(s) y'all would similar to attach a custom icon to.

In the bar on the left manus side, hover your mouse over a place-marker which y'all desire to assign a specific icon to.   

The trouble for that item volition highlight slightly, as well as a minor color / paint-tipping icon seem volition to the correct of the house description, similar this:

Click on the paint-tipping / color icon

This opens a minor hover-window, where y'all tin pick out the color or icon shape.

Click the push clitoris at the bottom labelled More Icons.

On the pop-up that opens, y'all are able to select an icon from i of the categories available (currently Business, Crisis, Facilities as well as services, Points of interest, Recreational Activities, Transport, as well as  Weather).   Don't select whatever of these.

Instead, at the bottom of the screen, enter inwards the URL (ie website address) of a  file that y'all desire to role every bit a marker.  (.jpg  .png  .bmp, as well as .gif   files tin all locomote used).

Click Add Icon.

This adds the motion-picture demonstrate that y'all linked to the listing of items available nether Custom Icons, as well as selects it.

Click Ok to apply this icon to the point-marker that is existence edited.

Job done!   Your map straightaway has a mark that is made from your ain image.

Things to locomote aware of / Troubleshooting

• You hollo for to charge the prototype file to a file-host which handles motion-picture demonstrate files yourself:   at that spot is no alternative to charge a file straight from the More Icons tab.

• The prototype file needs to stay, unchanged, inwards the house where y'all linked to - as well as that house has to locomote available to anyone who mightiness await at the map: if y'all are sharing the map alongside "anyone inwards the world" thence the markers hollo for to locomote available similar that, too.

• The prototype file should locomote minor to speed upwards loading time:   images inwards the railroad train of markers I role are approx 2k each.

• Markers volition locomote displayed inwards the same minor size every bit Google's markers, ie 32x32 pixels:   there's no hollo for using a large, detailed photograph if it volition shrunk downward to thence tiny that the details can't locomote seen.

• You must supply the actual URL of the motion-picture demonstrate y'all desire to role every bit a marker, not the Google Photos shareable link.   (Because the latter includes to a greater extent than than simply the photo).

• I don't know whatever agency to bulk-load many custom icons into a My Maps map at the same time.   (There was a agency to exercise this inwards the quondam Google Custom Maps, but this doesn't locomote inwards My Maps.)    Or to brand i icon available to many / all your your My Maps at once.   If y'all bring a solution for this, delight exit a comment below.

• If y'all your icon background to locomote transparent, thence y'all hollo for to create it inwards RGB color mode: Icons alongside a transparent background created inwards Indexed color fashion don't work.

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