Latest Version
Minimap is also hosted on addons.mozilla.org, albeit a fortnight or so behind the above release.
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If you like this extension Please blog about it and/or drop a review on the Mozilla site
If you have stumbled across this page and you use Internet Explorer, am afraid I do not have an IE version. However, please feel free to go and download the free Firefox web browser, come back here and then install the extension. Firefox can be got at here:
There is a new home for the Minimap Website at http://minimap.spatialviews.com - the site you are viewing now is OUT OF DATE
Welcome
The Minimap Addon gives you a suite of in-built maps and mapping tools for your web browser. Create and save a sidebar map using the addresses or address links you find on web pages (highlight then drag and drop), or by manually adding locations. View traffic Info, drag and drop or manually add kml file links, local search, directions, and view in google earth option; the sidebar is brought up using the view sidebar menu, the statusbar icon or via a toolbar icon which you can customise onto your main toolbar. The main element is the sidebar, but there is also a map tab available - get to this via the statusbar icon or by selecting an address, right clicking and choosing 'Locate Selected Address...' from the menu.
For any Operator users out there, there is a user script available that compliments Minimap (scroll down page to get the script).
This extension is based on my geoFlock extension, a topbar initiated by Flock developer Erwan Loisant using Yahoo maps to help him locate apartments to visit and assess when he was looking for a place to live. I have now extended and improved upon the concept as a Google version for the firefox sidebar.
Features
- Map an Address: Drag and drop addresses or Google/Yahoo Map links to show on map, which are added to the address list (hold shift when you drag to just display a temporary marker). Manually add an address. Build up a list of locally stored addresses.
- Map a Coordinate: Manually add a coordinate which is added to the address list.
- The Crosshair and Lat/Lon box: Map has a centre cross hair which displays the latitude and longitude in the top right hand corner of the map.
- geoDiscovery: The extension will automatically discover geoURL's and in-line geotags and populate the geoDiscovery list as you browse. Alerts you to the discovery via a status bar image.
- KML File: Drag and drop or manually add kml file links to show on map. Stored in a list.
- Navigation: Map, Satellite or Hybrid views. Pan and zoom. Drag Zoom.
- Address list: Build up a list of locally stored addresses.
- Directions: Get google/yahoo/live directions to/from an address list entry and/or set a locally stored ‘Home Address’ to get directions to/from an address list entry.
- Tagzania.com: View Tagzania Nearby entries based on an address list entry. Post an address list entry to Tagzania.
- Platial.com: View Platial Today Nearby entries based on an address list entry. View Platial Places based on an address list entry. Add an address list entry to Platial Places.
- Google Earth: View an address list entry or kml file link in Google Earth.
- Loc.alize.us: View loc.alize.us flickr photos based on an address list entry.
- Googlesightseeing.com: Drag and drop googlesightseeing links to view the image of interest.
- Fullscreen version of the sidebar, 'Map Tab', available.
- Traffic Information (currently USA only).
- Miscellaneous: Toolbar launcher available.
There is a new home for the Minimap Website at http://minimap.spatialviews.com - the site you are viewing now is OUT OF DATE
Known Issues
Q. Setting my Map Home in the options doesn't work?
A. You must use Decimal Degrees rather than UTM. The easiest way to set it is to add a marker or addresslist item and select 'Set as Map Home' in the context menu.
Q. The address is coming up in the wrong place?
A. I do not have any control over how Google's geocoder behaves i'm afraid. However, you can help it out by adding the country to the end of the address if manually adding. The other tweak available to you is in the options - change the google domain to your locale, for example changing it to maps.google.es will place Toledo in Spain rather than the US as it does by default.
Q. NoScript extension is blocking the sidebar?
A. If you are using the NoScript extension, you will have to allow the domain maps.stcstm.org, (the website that holds the google map) as well as google.com and googlecode.com.
Q. When I drag and drop or right-click to add a google/yahoo maps link or kml file link it does not work?
A. The extension looks for .kml, .kmz, =kml, Google MyMaps or keyhole kml file links. Try manually adding using the toolbarbutton if the link does not meet any of these criteria.
For the Google/Yahoo maps links, please email me mctones [at] gmail [dot] com with the page so I can investigate further.
Q. Clicking on a link or image sometimes opens up in the sidebar rather than a tab?
A. This normally happens with the Local Search Google Adlink: middle click the image/link to open in a new tab or drag the link/image onto the main browser area instead and it will open up in that tab.
Q. This extension doesn't work with google MyMaps kml links?
A. It has been fixed in version 0.1.4.4 or above.
Operator Script
I have created an Operator script to compliment the Minimap Sidebar - this allows you to add microformat addresses and geo locations to your address list, as well as the ability to view the address/locations in the map tab. NOTE! You need Operator 0.8.
User Script for Operator 0.8 is here (right click, save to desktop, then bring into Operator)