topic Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget in ArcGIS JavaScript Maps SDK Questions

Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

BugraOtken — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 09:00:20 GMT

Greetings!

As an information technologies company we are developing apps for municipalities usage. Through their demands, we developed Google Street View app in ArcMap Javascript API. Let me explain what it does:

Users can point and drag the Google Yellow Man on GoogleMap in our widget.
The extent of ESRI layers on main Open Street Map changes to the point where users dragged the Yellow Man.
Users can view the surroundings in our app via Google Street View data.

You can view the screenshot of our widget. My question is: Do you think that it violates the terms of Google Street View?

If non-Google map usage is the problem (OSM), does it prevent the violation of terms of Google if we use Google Map as basemap?

I hope Mr. rscheitlin sees and answers this question cause he developed a widget once but gave up distributing it due to the facts of terms of Google Street View.

Thank you in advance,

Bugra

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 12:41:39 GMT

Bugra,

This looks like it may work then, because you are using a Google Map and you are interacting with the Google Map and just syncing your esri map with the google maps extent. I would suggest that you even place a marker on the esri map to show the street view POV (point of view). Nice workaround for the TOS issue.

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

BugraOtken — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 13:32:27 GMT

Mr. Robert,

Actually we do have a rotatable marker but i didn't interact with the map while capturing a screenshot. Then i understand that we don't have to worry about TOS issue.

Thank you very much for your answer Mr. Robert!

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 13:49:23 GMT

Burga,

It is my opinion that it would conform to Google Maps API TOS. Your best bet is to run this part the Google Maps API team

maps-api-usage-questions@google.com

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

deleted-user-ZTub55yWbsya — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 22:07:35 GMT

Has anyone recently communicated with a human at Google? A few weeks ago I tried emailing maps-api-usage-questions@.., but as expected they won't answer. We don't want to make assumptions about their Terms of Service. Here is what I asked:

When it comes to dynamically displaying Street View using a lat/lon obtained from a map click inside an ESRI (or any non-Google) web application, will Google allow either of the following scenarios?

1. Opening a new window containing only the street view by using this URL structure: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=&layer=c&cbll=32.7211048,-97.1346032

No API is used for development in this case. If for some reason this is prohibited, what about dynamically generating a link inside my application containing the lat/lon parameters, so the user would just need to click on the link to open a new window?

2. Opening a new window containing both a Google Map and a Street View container, similar to this: http://www.geocodezip.com/v3_Streetview_lookAtC.html?location=40.720032,-73.988354&fov=90&heading=235&pitch=10

If needed, I could automatically zoom to the location (in the 2D map), and then perhaps use the center spot in the Google Map as a determinant for loading the Street View right beside it.

Based on Google's restrictions, I don't see a specific reference to using direct URLs (rather than the Maps Javascript API + key) in a new window. And while it does specify a Google Map must be the source of the Street View location, there's nothing stating how the Google Map is used - manually or programmatically - to ultimately obtain the location.

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

JelenaCvetinovic1 — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 13:58:32 GMT

Hi Andy,

I have the same situation, have you ever got the answers regarding Google Street View TOS?

Regards

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

deleted-user-ZTub55yWbsya — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 22:59:31 GMT

Hi Jelena,

No, I have not heard back. When it comes to these sorts of things, Google clearly has higher priorities ($$$) than taking time out to help an individual understand if they are abiding by the rules. I'm sure if they really want to know they can somehow trace all references made to their pages and start with the highest violators! For organizations who don't want to proceed without safely confirming, it may be a lost cause. I wish there was more to say. Maybe someone else will jump in here....

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

JelenaCvetinovic1 — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 11:11:59 GMT

Hi Andy,

thank you for replying. I really hope that we will find the answer eventually...

Regards,

Jelena

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

MikeNelson4 — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 19:25:06 GMT

Did you ever hear anything back from Google about this use case? We are running into same issues/questions.

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

JelenaCvetinovic1 — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 07:27:32 GMT

Hi Mike. We don't have anything new on this matter. Maybe someone else has something new...

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

MikeNelson4 — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 14:53:52 GMT

Our manager was able to get someone from Google on the phone. They were familiar with Esri software. Explained what we wanted to do: have an embedded window within ArcMap that brought up Google Maps or Streetview and followed along as user panned around. He said that would be fine as long as we had an API Key and a billable account tied to it. And there may be charges per call based on Google's new pay model with their maps API. He said they were more concerned with bulk download of imagery.

Re: Usage of Google Street View as a custom widget

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 16:00:04 GMT

I would get that in writing. I personally have been contact by the Google Maps API team and been told of the violation of Google Maps API TOS specific sections when using a Non Google map as the starting point to display a Google StreetView.