Connecting to a 3rd party API can be a powerful way to make searches and use the results to populate the AerialSphere viewer with matching markers. We won’t be covering how to use these 3rd party APIs, but there are some links to a few of the popular choices listed below. Any API that provides you with location information can be used, but if extra information is provided it can streamline the marker creation process.
It greatly depends on what searches you are making and for what purpose, but here are some of the most common/important pieces of data you should be looking for:
Location Information: Ideally there will be a latitude and longitude, but an address is usable as well. This is vital for placing the matching marker in the correct place.
Name & Description: This information can be directly input into your marker to streamline what info is shown in the matching popup.
Icon or Logo: Some search APIs will include an image (or a url to an image) which can be used instead of an Icon/Logo from the AerialSphere library. If this info is provided, you can create a “Custom Marker” (see “Working with Markers” for custom marker details) that uses the provided image.
Extra Information: This varies largely depending on your use case and what you are searching for, but there is often much more information included with your search results. Extra info can always be stored in the metaData property of the matching marker, or you can create new properties on your marker to store the relevant data in. Extra information may include (but is not limited to): website links, property info, pricing info, phone number, contact info, images, and analytical data.
Pointers to 3rd party documentation (not an all inclusive list, any place/search API should work)