log2map

Inspiration

During my previous job, I spent countless hours analyzing location logs to evaluate coverage quality and accuracy. The process was frustrating - staring at spreadsheets of coordinates and trying to visualize coverage patterns in 2D maps. I knew there had to be a better way. When I discovered Google Maps Platform's Photorealistic 3D Maps, I immediately saw the potential to transform this tedious task into something more intuitive and engaging.

What it does

Log2Map serves three main purposes:

1. Log Analysis: Parses raw location logs (timestamps, coordinates, accuracy) and visualizes them in 3D, with color-coded markers showing accuracy levels and coverage polygons showing service areas.
2. Infrastructure Planning: Helps plan deployments by allowing users to place markers in 3D space and visualize coverage overlaps across varying terrain.
3. Travel Planning: Converts addresses to coordinates and creates immersive 3D route visualizations with fly-through animations.

How I built it

• Next.js 20+ for the frontend framework
• Supabase (PostgreSQL + PostGIS) for spatial data storage
• Google Maps Platform's 3D mapping features
• Tailwind CSS for styling

Challenges I ran into

1. 3D Marker Management: Handling large numbers of 3D markers while maintaining performance was tricky. I had to implement efficient marker clustering and cleanup.
2. Terrain Interaction: Making coverage polygons conform correctly to 3D terrain required careful consideration of altitude modes and extrusion.
3. Camera Controls: Creating smooth camera animations that work well with varying terrain heights took several iterations to get right.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

1. Created an intuitive solution for a real problem I faced in my previous job
2. Successfully implemented complex 3D visualizations that make spatial data immediately understandable
3. Built a tool that's useful for both technical analysis and general purpose planning
4. Achieved smooth performance even with large datasets

What I learned

• Deep understanding of Google Maps Platform's 3D capabilities
• Techniques for handling spatial data in three dimensions
• Performance optimization for 3D web applications
• The importance of user feedback in refining features

What's next for Log2Map

1. Enhanced Analysis: Add more statistical analysis tools and visualization options
2. Collaboration Features: Enable sharing and collaborative editing of location data
3. AI Integration: Implement intelligent suggestions for infrastructure placement
4. Time-based Visualization: Add support for visualizing location data changes over time

Built With

• google-maps
• javascript
• next.js
• postgresql
• react
• vercel