Get started

Select platform: Android iOS JavaScript

Follow these steps to get set up with the data-driven styling for datasets.

Get an API key and enable APIs

Before using data-driven styling for datasets, you need: Cloud project with a billing account, and both the Maps SDK for iOS and the Maps Datasets API enabled. To learn more, see:

Create a map ID

A mapID is a unique identifier that represents a single instance of a Google Map. You can create map IDs and update a style associated with a map ID at any time in the Google Cloud console.

A screenshot of Google Cloud console

Create a new map style

To create a new map style, follow the instructions in Manage map styles to create the style. Once complete associate the style with the newly created map ID.

Update your map initialization code

This step requires a map ID be associated with a style with one or more feature layers enabled. To verify your map ID is set up correctly in Cloud console, review how it is configured under Maps Management.

Swift

// A map ID using a style with one or more feature layers enabled

let mapID = GMSMapID(identifier: "YOUR_MAP_ID")
let mapView = GMSMapView(frame: .zero, mapID: mapID, camera: GMSCameraPosition(latitude: 40, longitude: -80, zoom: 7))

Objective-C

// A map ID using a style with one or more feature layers enabled

GMSMapID *mapID = [GMSMapID mapIDWithIdentifier:@"MAP_ID"];
GMSMapView *mapView = [GMSMapView mapWithFrame:CGRectZero mapID:mapID camera:[GMSCameraPosition cameraWithLatitude:40 longitude:-80 zoom:7]];

Check map capabilities

Data-driven styling for datasets requires capabilities which are enabled in the Google Cloud console, and associated with a map ID. Because map IDs are subject to change, you can call mapView.mapCapabilities on a GMSMapView to verify whether a certain capability (for example data-driven styling) is available prior to calling it.

You can also detect changes in map capabilities by subscribing to GMSViewDelegate. This example shows how to use the protocol to check for data-driven styling requirements.

Swift

class SampleViewController: UIViewController {

  private lazy var mapView: GMSMapView = GMSMapView(frame: .zero, mapID: GMSMapID(identifier: "YOUR_MAP_ID"), camera: GMSCameraPosition(latitude: 40, longitude: -80, zoom: 7))

  override func loadView() {
    self.view = mapView
    mapView.delegate = self
  }
}

extension SampleViewController: GMSMapViewDelegate {
  func mapView(_ mapView: GMSMapView, didChange mapCapabilities: GMSMapCapabilityFlags) {
    if (!mapCapabilities.contains(.dataDrivenStyling)) {
      // Data-driven styling is *not* available, add a fallback.
      // Existing feature layers are also unavailable.
    }
  }
}

Objective-C

@interface SampleViewController: UIViewController <GMSMapViewDelegate>
@end

@implementation SampleViewController
- (void)loadView {
  GMSMapView *mapView = [GMSMapView mapWithFrame:CGRectZero mapID:[GMSMapID mapIDWithIdentifier:@"MAP_ID"] camera:[GMSCameraPosition cameraWithLatitude:40 longitude:-80 zoom:7]];
  mapView.delegete = self;
  self.view = mapView;
}

- (void)mapView:(GMSMapView *)mapView didChangeMapCapabilities:(GMSMapCapabilityFlags)mapCapabilities {
  if (!(mapCapabilities & GMSMapCapabilityFlagsDataDrivenStyling)) {
    // Data-driven styling is *not* available, add a fallback.
    // Existing feature layers are also unavailable.
  }
}
@end

Next steps