Mappls Annotation Extension for iOS¶

The Mappls Annotation Extension is a lightweight library you can use with the Mappls Map SDK for iOS to quickly add basic shapes, icons, and other annotations to a map.

This extension leverages the power of runtime styling with an object oriented approach to simplify the creation and styling of annotations.

Installation ¶

This plugin can be installed using CocoaPods. It is available with name MapplsAnnotationExtension.

Using CocoaPods ¶

To install the Mappls Annotation Extension using CocoaPods:

Create a Podfile with the following specification:

pod 'MapplsAnnotationExtension', '1.0.2'

Run pod repo update && pod install and open the resulting Xcode workspace.

Dependencies ¶

This library depends upon several Mappls's own and third party libraries. All dependent libraries will be automatically installed on using CocoaPods.

Below are list of dependcies which are required to run this SDK:

Version History ¶

Version	Dated	Description
`1.0.2`	25 Feb 2025	Bitcode disabled to support Xcode 16.
`1.0.1`	23 Jul 2024	Fixed issue of marker not adding using Mappls Pin.
`1.0.0`	14 Jun 2022	Initial Mappls release.

Authorization ¶

MapplsAPICore ¶

It is required to set MAPPLS's keys to use any MAPPL's SDK. Please see here to achieve this.

The Mappls Annotation Extension supports the addition of circles, lines, polygons, and symbols. Each shape type has its own corresponding controller which manages the addition of multiple shape objects of the same type.

Since the map needs to be finished loading before adding shapes to it, all shapes should be added within the MGLMapView:didFinishLoadingStyle: delegate method.

Circles (`MGLCircleStyleAnnotation`)¶

Circles represent a coordinate point on a map with an associated radius, measured in pixels.

Circle can be created by two ways.

One is by creating instance of MGLCircleStyleAnnotation, either using a coordinate or Mappls Pin.

let circle = MGLCircleStyleAnnotation(center: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 59.31, longitude: 18.06), radius: 3.0, color: .blue)

or

let circle = MGLCircleStyleAnnotation(centerMapplsPin: "MMI000", radius: 3.0, color: .blue)

See code below to plot circle on map:

func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
  let circleAnnotationController = MGLCircleAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)
  let circle = MGLCircleStyleAnnotation(center: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 59.31, longitude: 18.06), radius: 3.0, color: .blue)
  circle.opacity = 0.5
  circleAnnotationController.add(circle)
}

Second is by passing a geoJSON (with point geometry) string in function create of instance of MGLCircleAnnotationController. As mentioned below.

let circleGeoJSON = "{\"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\"features\": [{\"type\": \"Feature\",\"properties\": {\"circle-radius\": \"50\",\"circle-color\": \"rgba(0, 0, 255, 1)\",\"circle-blur\": \"0\",\"circle-opacity\": \"0.7\",\"circle-stroke-width\": \"5\",\"circle-stroke-color\": \"rgba(0, 255, 0, 1)\",\"circle-stroke-opacity\": \"0.6\",\"is-draggable\": true},\"geometry\": {\"type\": \"Point\",\"coordinates\": [174.70458984375,-39.588757276965445]}}]}"

func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
  let circleAnnotationController = MGLCircleAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)
  circleAnnotationController.create(fromGeoJSON: circleGeoJSON) { (annotations, error) in
    if let error = error {   
      print(error.localizedDescription)           
    } else if let annotations = annotations, annotations.count > 0 {
      // Do custom actions here.
    } else {    
      print("No result found")          
    }
  }
}

Lines (`MGLLineStyleAnnotation`)¶

Lines represent a connected series of coordinates.

Line can be created by two ways.

One is by creating instance of MGLLineStyleAnnotation using array of coordinates. As mentioned below.

func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
  let lineAnnotationController = MGLLineAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)

  let lineCoordinates = [
      CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 59, longitude: 18),
      CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 60, longitude: 20)
  ]

  let line = MGLLineStyleAnnotation(coordinates: lineCoordinates, count: UInt(lineCoordinates.count))
  line.color = .purple
  lineAnnotationController.add(line)
}

Second is by passing a geoJSON (with line geometry) string in function create of instance of MGLLineAnnotationController. As mentioned below.

let lineGeoJSON = "{\"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\"features\": [{\"type\": \"Feature\",\"properties\": {\"line-join\": \"bevel\",\"line-opacity\": \"0.7\",\"line-color\":\"rgba(0, 255, 0, 1)\",\"line-width\": \"10\",\"line-gap-width\": \"1\",\"line-offset\": \"2\",\"line-blur\": \"0\"},\"geometry\": {\"type\": \"LineString\",\"coordinates\": [[168.5302734375,-46.377254205100265],[169.0576171875,-46.36209301204983],[169.65087890625,-46.13417004624325],[170.5078125,-45.782848351976746],[170.68359375,-45.213003555993964],[170.79345703124997,-44.840290651397986],[171.2109375,-44.16644466445859],[171.84814453125,-43.80281871904721],[172.59521484375,-43.309191099856854],[172.83691406249997,-42.81152174509788],[173.38623046875,-42.342305278572816]]}}]}"

func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
  let lineAnnotationController = MGLLineAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)

  lineAnnotationController.create(fromGeoJSON: lineGeoJSON) { (annotations, error) in
    if let error = error {
      print(error.localizedDescription)
    } else if let annotations = annotations, annotations.count > 0 {
      // Do custom actions here.
    } else {
      print("No result found")
    }
  }
}

Polygons (`MGLPolygonStyleAnnotation`)¶

Polygons represent a connected series of coordinates, where the first and last coordinates are equal.

Polygons can be created by two ways.

One is by creating instance of MGLPolygonStyleAnnotation using array of coordinates. As mentioned below.

func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
  let polygonAnnotationController = MGLPolygonAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)

  let polygonCoordinates = [
    CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(59, 18),
    CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(62, 19),
    CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(54, 20),
    CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(59, 18)
  ]

  let polygon = MGLPolygonStyleAnnotation(coordinates: polygonCoordinates, count: UInt(polygonCoordinates.count))
  polygon.fillOutlineColor = .red
  polygonAnnotationController.add(line)
}

Second is by passing a geoJSON (with polygon geometry) string in function create of instance of MGLPolygonAnnotationController. As mentioned below.

let polygonGeoJSON = "{\"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\"features\": [{\"type\": \"Feature\",\"properties\": {\"fill-opacity\": \"0.6\",\"fill-color\": \"rgba(0, 0, 255, 1)\",\"fill-outline-color\": \"rgba(255, 0, 0, 1)\",\"is-draggable\": true},\"geometry\": {\"type\": \"Polygon\",\"coordinates\": [[[170.947265625,-40.38002840251182],[172.59521484375,-39.90973623453718],[172.77099609375,-39.06184913429153],[172.77099609375,-38.03078569382294],[171.97998046874997,-37.579412513438385],[170.859375,-38.169114135560854],[169.93652343749997,-38.685509760012],[169.0576171875,-38.90813299596704],[168.99169921875,-40.563894530665074],[170.947265625,-40.38002840251182]]]}}]}"

func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
  let polygonAnnotationController = MGLPolygonAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)

  polygonAnnotationController.create(fromGeoJSON: polygonGeoJSON) { (annotations, error) in
    if let error = error {  
      print(error.localizedDescription)
    } else if let annotations = annotations, annotations.count > 0 {
      // Do custom actions here.
    } else {
      print("No result found")
    }
  }
}

Symbols (`MGLSymbolStyleAnnotation`)¶

Symbols represent a coordinate point on a map with a label and an associated optional icon image. An image must be supplied to the map's style before being able to assign it to be the icon image of a symbol.

Symbol can be created by two ways.

One is by creating instance of MGLSymbolStyleAnnotation either using a coordinate or Mappls Pin.

let symbol = MGLSymbolStyleAnnotation(coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(59, 18));

or

let symbol = MGLSymbolStyleAnnotation(mapplsPin: "MMI000")

See code below to plot symbol marker on map:

func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
  let attraction = UIImage(named: "attraction")

  if let styleImage = attraction {
    self.mapView.style?.setImage(styleImage, forName: "attraction")
  }

  let symbolAnnotationController = MGLSymbolAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)

  let symbol = MGLSymbolStyleAnnotation(coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(59, 18));
  symbol.iconImageName = "attraction"
  symbol.text = "This is a cool place!"
  symbol.textFontSize = 16
  symbolAnnotationController.add(symbol)
}

Second is by passing a geoJSON (with point geometry) string in function create of instance of MGLSymbolAnnotationController. As mentioned below.

let symbolGeoJSON = "{\"type\": \"FeatureCollection\",\"features\": [{\"type\": \"Feature\",\"properties\": {\"symbol-sort-key\": \"0\",\"icon-size\": \"1\",\"icon-image\": \"star-icon-image\",\"icon-rotate\": \"45\",\"icon-offset\": [5,10],\"icon-anchor\": \"bottom\",\"text-field\": \"Hello\",\"text-font\": [\"Open Sans Bold\"],\"text-size\": \"30\",\"text-max-width\": \"200\",\"text-letter-spacing\": \"1\",\"text-justify\": \"right\",\"text-radial-offset\": \"10\",\"text-anchor\": \"center\",\"text-rotate\": \"-30\",\"text-transform\": \"uppercase\",\"text-offset\": [5,10],\"icon-opacity\": \"0.6\",\"icon-color\": \"rgba(0, 0, 255, 1)\",\"icon-halo-color\": \"#00FF00\",\"icon-halo-width\": \"10\",\"icon-halo-blur\": \"0\",\"text-opacity\": \"0.5\",\"text-color\": \"rgba(255, 0, 0, 1)\",\"text-halo-color\": \"hsla(100, 50%, 50%, 1)\",\"text-halo-width\": \"5\",\"text-halo-blur\": \"0\",\"is-draggable\": true},\"geometry\": {\"type\": \"Point\",\"coordinates\": [172.5732421875,-46.31658418182218]}}]}"

func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
  let attraction = UIImage(named: "attraction")

  if let styleImage = attraction {
    self.mapView.style?.setImage(styleImage, forName: "attraction")
  }

  let symbolAnnotationController = MGLSymbolAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)

  symbolAnnotationController.create(fromGeoJSON: symbolGeoJSON) { (annotations, error) in
    if let error = error {
      print(error.localizedDescription)
    } else if let annotations = annotations, annotations.count > 0 {
      // Do custom actions here.
    } else {
      print("No result found")
    }
  }
}

Displaying callouts for style annotations¶

Style annotations support callouts that appear when the annotation is selected. Each callout can display additional information about its annotation.

1) To enable callouts for a style annotation, create a class property with the controller type you are enabling interaction for:

class ViewController: UIViewController {
    var mapView: MGLMapView!
    var circleAnnotationController: MGLCircleAnnotationController!
}

2) The style annotation must contain a title and must implement two delegate methods using the Maps SDK for iOS. The first method, annotationCanShowCallout should return true. The second method, viewFor annotation: should return an empty MGLAnnotationView matching the size of the style annotation's shape, as shown below.

extension ViewController : MapplsMapViewDelegate {

    func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, didFinishLoading style: MGLStyle) {
      circleAnnotationController = MGLCircleAnnotationController(mapView: self.mapView)
      let circle = MGLCircleStyleAnnotation(center: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 59.31, longitude: 18.06), radius: 3.0, color: .blue)
      circle.opacity = 0.5
      circle.title = "Title"
      circleAnnotationController.add(circle)
    }

    func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, annotationCanShowCallout annotation: MGLAnnotation) -> Bool {
        return true;
    }

    func mapView(_ mapView: MGLMapView, viewFor annotation: MGLAnnotation) -> MGLAnnotationView? {
        return MGLAnnotationView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 10, height: 10))
    }
}

Supported Properties ¶

Each MGLStyleAnnotation class can be assigned a specific set of properties to configure its layout and style. Additionally, MGLAnnotationControllers also have properties that can assign a specific layout property to all of its child MGLStyleAnnotations.

MGLCircleStyleAnnotation