Maps

To calculate the optimal zoom level for a Google Map that just fits all of your venues without scrolling, you need to determine the bounding box that encompasses all the venue locations. Based on the bounding box, you can compute the zoom level that ensures all the venues are visible. Here’s how you can approach this:

Steps to Calculate Optimal Zoom Level

Find the bounding box:
For all your venues, compute the min and max latitudes and min and max longitudes:

• minLat = minimum latitude of all venues
• maxLat = maximum latitude of all venues
• minLng = minimum longitude of all venues
• maxLng = maximum longitude of all venues

Calculate the geographical range:

• The latitude range is:
  latRange = maxLat - minLat
• The longitude range is:
  lngRange = maxLng - minLng

Calculate the center of the map:
The center of the map is simply the average of the latitudes and longitudes:

• centerLat = (maxLat + minLat) / 2
• centerLng = (maxLng + minLng) / 2

Calculate the diagonal distance: The diagonal distance between the top-left and bottom-right corners of the bounding box is critical for determining the zoom level. You can use the Haversine formula or a simplified approximation to compute the distance.

The Haversine formula is:

1. a = sin²(Δφ/2) + cos(φ1) ⋅ cos(φ2) ⋅ sin²(Δλ/2) c = 2 ⋅ atan2(√a, √(1−a)) d = R ⋅ c

Where:

• Δφ = difference in latitude (in radians)
• Δλ = difference in longitude (in radians)
• φ1, φ2 = latitude values in radians
• R = radius of the Earth (mean radius = 6,371 km)
• d = the distance between the two points (diagonal distance)

Estimate zoom level:
Based on the diagonal distance, Google Maps provides a rough way to estimate the zoom level, which is typically from 0 (world) to 21 (street level). A common approach is to map the diagonal distance to zoom levels using a logarithmic scale, but this depends on the map's current bounds and the projection used. Generally, a simplified formula is:

1. zoomLevel = maxZoom - log(d / maxDistance) * scaleFactor
   • maxZoom = the maximum zoom level allowed (usually 21)
   • maxDistance = the maximum diagonal distance you want to show (e.g., distance across your entire map's viewable range)
   • scaleFactor adjusts for the desired map fit

Using Google Maps API to Simplify:

You can simplify this calculation by using the Google Maps API, which has a method to fit markers within a viewport using fitBounds():

// Assuming you have an array of venue locations in {lat, lng} format: const locations = [  {lat: 40.748817, lng: -73.985428},  {lat: 40.748217, lng: -73.985128},  // Add other venues here ]; // Create a bounds object const bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds(); // Extend bounds to include each venue locations.forEach(location => {  bounds.extend(new google.maps.LatLng(location.lat, location.lng)); }); // Create a map with the bounds set const map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById("map"), {  center: bounds.getCenter(),  // Center map at the average of the venues  zoom: 15  // You can let Google automatically choose the zoom or set a default }); // Fit map to the bounds map.fitBounds(bounds);

This method will automatically adjust the zoom level and center based on your venues, ensuring all the locations are visible without scrolling. You don't need to manually calculate the zoom level if you're using this approach.