Basic Google Maps Placemarks

BGMP creates a custom post type for placemarks (markers) on a Google Map. The map is embedded into pages or posts using a shortcode, and there are settings to affect how it’s displayed. You can create markers that will show up on the map, and set their icons using the Featured Image meta box. When a marker is clicked on, a box will appear and show the marker’s title and description.

Features

• Each map marker can have a unique custom Installation icon, share a common custom icon, or use the default icon.
• Options to set the map type (street, satellite, etc), center location, size, zoom level, navigation controls, etc.
• Setup unique maps on different pages with their own placemarks, map types, center locations, etc.
• Placemarks can be assigned to categories, and you can control which categories are displayed on a individual map.
• Marker clustering for large numbers of placemarks
• Extra shortcode to output a text-based list of markers for mobile devices, search engines, etc.
• Lots of filters so that developers can customize and extend the plugin.
• Use HTML, images, etc inside the information window.
• Compatible with WordPress MultiSite.
• Internationalized (see Other Notes for a list of supported languages)

Live Examples

• The Australian Polio Register
• The North Carolina Fire Station Mapping Project
• Washington House Churches

Support

I’m happy to fix reproducible bugs, but don’t have time to help you customize the plugin to fit your needs. There’s also plenty of documentation and community support available. Check out the ‘How can I get help when I’m having a problem?’ question in the FAQ for details.
Localizations

• Spanish (thanks to Andrew Kurtis from WebHostingHub)
• Chinese (thanks to yzqiang)
• Russian (thanks to alexgr)
• French (thanks to Romain Fevre)
• German (thanks to Jens)
• Italian (thanks to Andrea Colombo)
• Serbo-Croatian (thanks to Borisa Djuraskovic from WebHostingHub)
• Dutch (thanks to mardonios)

If there isn’t a translation for your language (or it is incomplete/inaccurate) please consider making one and contributing it to the plugin. You can learn how by reading Translating WordPress and How to Create a .po Language Translation. The .pot file you’ll need is inside the languages directory in the plugin’s folder. Once you’re done, just start a thread on the support forum with links to the .po and .mo files, and I’ll add them to the next release. You can also subscribe to the BGMP Translators e-mail list to be notified when updated versions have new strings to translate.

Known conflicts

• The Post Types Order plugin can cause the wrong placemarks to show up in [bgmp-map] or [bgmp-list] results. Try disabling the AutoSort feature.
• The Better WP Security plugin may break the Google Maps API if the “Display random version number” option is enabled.
• The [bgmp-map] and [bgmp-list] shortcodes won’t work in WP e-Commerce product post types.
• Also make sure that no other Google Maps plugins are activated, and that your theme isn’t including the Maps API. You can view the page’s source code and search for instances of “maps.google.com/maps/api/js”. If there’s more than one, then you’re probably going to have issues.

How you can help with the plugin’s development

• The thing I could really use some help with is answering questions on the support forum. I don’t have a lot of time to work on the plugin, so the time I spend answering questions reduces the amount of time I have to add new features. If you’re familiar with the plugin and would like to help out, you can click the ‘Subscribe to Emails for this Plugin’ link to get an e-mail whenever a new post is created.
• Translate the plugin into your language. See the Localizations section above for details.
• Volunteer to test new versions before they’re officially released. Sign up for the BGMP Testers e-mail list to be notified when new release candidates are available for testing.
• If you find a bug, create a post on the support forum with as much information as possible. If you’re a developer, create a patch and include a link to it in the post.
• Send me feedback on how easy or difficult the plugin is to use, and where you think things could be improved. Add a post to the support forum with details.
• Send me feedback on ways the documentation could be more clear or complete. Add a post to the support forum with details.
• Review the code for security vulnerabilities and best practices. If you find a security issue, please contact me privately so that I can release a fix for it before publicly disclosing it.
• Check the TODO.txt file for features that need to be added and submit a patch.

Donations

I do this as a way to give back to the WordPress community, so I don’t want to take any donations. If you’d like to give something, though, I’d encourage you to make a donation to Doctors Without Borders or the WordPress Foundation.

Customization

If you need to customize BGMP and a solution isn’t already available in the forums, the best thing to do is to hire a developer. Your local WordPress Meetup is a great place to meet one, or you can also check out jobs.wordpress.net.

If you make customizations that could be beneficial to other users, please start a thread on the support forum with a description of them and a link to the source code.