Going by the current set of guideline as you describe, how could one look at marking a large university/campus with multiple buildings....esp to determine the correct walking distance between building pins on the campus
The marker for the university itself would be the marker that is centred on the entire campus.
A marker for a component that qualifies for it's own POI under the rules of mapping departments, let's say the math department or a named library, would be centred on the actual offices of that department or the centre of the library.
Buildings are not mapped as markers; they are marked as polygons. With the closure of Map Maker we do not have access right now to that functionality, but if it is restored then you name those buildings that have proper names; but you do not name buildings with descriptions. Thus "Math Building" would not be appropriate, but "James Hall" or "Centennial Auditorium" would be proper.
If someone wants directions to or from an unmappable place or an unnamed building, Maps provides this functionality through dropped pins.
Note: I should mention that while polygon editing is disabled, some buildings have been made temporarily available as point features. The rules for adding a point feature to represent a missing building would be that it only gets added if there is proper name, not a description, and that it would be centred on the middle of the building itself (where the marker would end up anyway if the building was drawn as a polygon).
Flash - LG Connect Moderator, Maps Platinum Product Expert, Map Maker Platinum Product Expert, RER and Regional Lead
Due to the volume I receive, I do not respond to unsolicited private messages
@Flash, these rules could apply to places where there are indeed "buildings" (footprints) provided but in my city (which is relatively big for this) there are about a dozen of buildings marked altogether. Then there are businesses in buildings in (what is usually referred to as) "residential areas" - all facing the street along the building which may even have a facade to yet another street. IMO it could be rather confusing for people where to look for a business if the marker is placed in the middle and especially if there are several markers placed in the same spot as there are several businesses in the same building.
I think there is a misunderstanding here. The marker only belongs in the middle of the overall area if it is a marker for the overall area itself. If a business uses a space in that area then the marker for that business belongs in the middle of that space; not at the entrance for that space nor at the entrance or centre of the overall area.
I think it (again) boils down to the differences between regions.
There is no such thing as regional rules for mapping. The rules are the same worldwide.
In the US, a McDonald's may be a separate building. Here (until recently) it used to be in the building of our town hall but I know places where it's in a train station. Should I put the marker in the middle of the train station (right on to the rails) or where it actually is (so that peNople may find it easier)?
You would put the marker in the middle of the space which it occupies in the building.
Flash - LG Connect Moderator, Maps Platinum Product Expert, Map Maker Platinum Product Expert, RER and Regional Lead
Due to the volume I receive, I do not respond to unsolicited private messages
@Flash i think what @Csaba meant is this, for a building housing many business, place each marker at the center of each space occupied by each of these busineses. But the real question is, what of businesses lined up adjascent, located at different floors of a giant building?
I love rules, but I also appreciate open minds and flexibility
When it comes to the map, open minds and flexibility are great for suggesting changes to the rules. Google will consider such recommendations. However, when mapping one must follow the rules as set by Google. If you (meaning everyone) are unsure about them, please make a post and mapping experts will be able to provide them; they should never be assumed. Over the years pretty well every situation has been considered multiple times and we have ensured we have Google's guidance when the rules are not previously known; the experienced mappers will be able to get you the correct method, immediately in almost every case or with a delay if we have to check with our internal resources.
Flash - LG Connect Moderator, Maps Platinum Product Expert, Map Maker Platinum Product Expert, RER and Regional Lead
Due to the volume I receive, I do not respond to unsolicited private messages
But the real question is, what of businesses lined up adjascent, located at different floors of a giant building?
Each business is considered separately. When placing a business, place it at the centre of it's location. If, for a multi-floored building, that means it is on top of another POI then that is fine; the appropriate one will show based on the search entered by the end user.
Flash - LG Connect Moderator, Maps Platinum Product Expert, Map Maker Platinum Product Expert, RER and Regional Lead
Due to the volume I receive, I do not respond to unsolicited private messages
I love rules, but I also appreciate open minds and flexibility
When it comes to the map, open minds and flexibility are great for suggesting changes to the rules. Google will consider such recommendations. However, when mapping one must follow the rules as set by Google. If you (meaning everyone) are unsure about them, please make a post and mapping experts will be able to provide them; they should never be assumed. Over the years pretty well every situation has been considered multiple times and we have ensured we have Google's guidance when the rules are not previously known; the experienced mappers will be able to get you the correct method, immediately in almost every case or with a delay if we have to check with our internal resources.
And, as for your words, rules for this topic ARE NOT SET, and you can't share these internal resources.
TC/RL/RS/"the experienced mappers" couldn't be the judge and rule setter all around the world; because, you couldn't know perfectly whom are you talking to and which situation you have to put hands on.
I agree with rules, worldwide, when the rules are written and exposed by the owner: Google.
Howewer, don't worry, here, no one is going to do something nasty on maps; we are everybody here to help, and, let me say, a rigid mind and sentences like "you have to comply no matter where you live no matter who you are no matter this rules are not written anywhere" doesn't help.
Do you agree with me that is better to add a business that is not on map, also with marker not perfectly at the center of the area the business occupy in a building than not add at all?
If these rules are so rigid, why, i have to move lot's of markers placed into the void? Why Google accepted those add to maps?
Anyway, thanks for your valuable thoughts on this topic, i'm going to move thousands of markers around.
And, as for your words, rules for this topic ARE NOT SET
Yes, they are. There are rules for everything you can add or edit on Maps. The map would not be very useful if there weren't rules.
TC/RL/RS/"the experienced mappers" couldn't be the judge and rule setter all around the world; because, you couldn't know perfectly whom are you talking to and which situation you have to put hands on.
I have never said we are the "rule setters". Google sets the rules. Google has supplied them to us. We are passing them along to you.
The rules do apply worldwide. Figuring out how to apply them is not region dependent, but rather questions about the feature need to be asked no matter it's location.
You have expressed multiple times you do not like the system Google uses to communicate many of the rules and interpretations. I'm sorry if it doesnt' work well for you, but that is what Google has chosen to do.
Howewer, don't worry, here, no one is going to do something nasty on maps; we are everybody here to help, and, let me say, a rigid mind and sentences like "you have to comply no matter where you live no matter who you are no matter this rules are not written anywhere" doesn't help.
Again, this is not from me. Google requires you follow the rules if you want to edit the map. I realize we all want to build a better map; but to do so does require following the rules of the map. I too cannot deviate from them.
Do you agree with me that is better to add a business that is not on map, also with marker not perfectly at the center of the area the business occupy in a building than not add at all?
No, I do not agree.
As already mentioned by @GregMcG, you are required to have personal knowledge in order to map something. The idea of crowdsourcing information is that if you don't have the knowledge and can't obtain it through the very limited allowed resources, then you should leave it for someone with the required knowledge to map it.
If you are correcting an already existing POI, such as one that is currently located in the street, and all you know it that it's in a building/place then by the rules you should move it to the centre of the building/place. Later someone with more knowledge can move it to the place it actually occupies. Placing the POI at the entrance is no longer permitted.
What should be mentioned is that there is a difference between the marker you are moving and the navigation marker; known as the access point. The marker you move is where the place label is to be positioned. Normally the access point follow it, though that is currently broken. There are some situations where the marker placement and the access point need to vary, such as a large box store where due to large amounts of "sidewalk" our front the actual roads pass closer to the rear of the building than the front. In that case you would need to use "Send Feedback -> Other feedback" to request that the access point be better positioned for directions.
Google is aware that the access point actions need to be fixed and that it is on our wish list for the public to be able to move it separately from the main marker.
Flash - LG Connect Moderator, Maps Platinum Product Expert, Map Maker Platinum Product Expert, RER and Regional Lead
Due to the volume I receive, I do not respond to unsolicited private messages
@Flash, @LucioV, @Csaba, @GregMcG, @Pea you guys have made a wonderful contributions here, but i nearly forgot the main reason i asked this question, i moved the marker of one of my favorite spot in the city to the approximate center of the premise, after a month or thereabout i noticed the marker has been removed somewhere around the entrance. Honestly i felt bad that after setting things in order as i supposed, some other local guide came along and makes his own changes. I know this is one of the main reason of meet ups and other local guide activities, but i really think provision should be made for an interaction between the last local guide who edited the place and the new local guide who suggested his own edit, or a mail containing the new suggested edit sent to the last editor for feedback. Believe me google maps can be as disasterous as its usefulness, for instance you where directed by google maps to a place, drove many miles only to realize your destination is actually at the other side of the city.
2022
