can one add display objects (e.g. overlay) to a native.newMapView?

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

Can one add display objects (e.g. overlay) to a native.newMapView?

So you can effectively add an overlay to the map at locations on the map, such that the overlay objects (circles, rectangles etc) will travel with the map?     I can’t see any API calls to do this?  

#2

According to the documentation: “Native map views are not part of the OpenGL canvas and do not obey the display object hierarchy, so they will always appear in front of normal display objects including images, text, and vector objects.”

http://docs.coronalabs.com/api/library/native/newMapView.html

#3

You cannot add anything to the mapView other than markers with CoronaSDK.  However, with Corona Enterprise, you can build your own map object and then you should be able to use the map SDK’s native features to do overlays and path drawing.

Rob

#4

thanks Rob -  If you did use Enterprise here would it be true to say the app would no longer be cross platform?  

So for a true cross-platform mapping app you’d really need to develop your own map download/rendering etc in Corona non-Enterprise using lua?  This would be possible I assume if you did the rendering properly (like MTE) do you think?

#5

Well that’s the trick.  Maps are not cross-platform.  Google, Apple and Amazon are all different implementations.  There is only so much we can do in a generic fashion that’s flexible for everyone.  But you can customize your own Google, Apple and Amazon versions but that part will need to native on all three platforms.

Rob

#6

According to the documentation: “Native map views are not part of the OpenGL canvas and do not obey the display object hierarchy, so they will always appear in front of normal display objects including images, text, and vector objects.”

http://docs.coronalabs.com/api/library/native/newMapView.html

#7

You cannot add anything to the mapView other than markers with CoronaSDK.  However, with Corona Enterprise, you can build your own map object and then you should be able to use the map SDK’s native features to do overlays and path drawing.

Rob

#8

thanks Rob -  If you did use Enterprise here would it be true to say the app would no longer be cross platform?  

So for a true cross-platform mapping app you’d really need to develop your own map download/rendering etc in Corona non-Enterprise using lua?  This would be possible I assume if you did the rendering properly (like MTE) do you think?

#9

Well that’s the trick.  Maps are not cross-platform.  Google, Apple and Amazon are all different implementations.  There is only so much we can do in a generic fashion that’s flexible for everyone.  But you can customize your own Google, Apple and Amazon versions but that part will need to native on all three platforms.

Rob