Google Maps API

[gtrtroger]

Changes are coming. I am a vested Maps API user with other projects, so I got a heads up message from Google about the pending changes. Here’s an excerpt from the notification:

Today we are announcing important changes, including our new name - Google Maps Platform, a simplified product structure, pay as you go pricing for all, and more. Please take a few minutes to review the announcement to familiarize yourself with the upcoming changes.

We would like to highlight a few updates that may impact your implementation. Beginning June 11th, we are launching our new pricing plan and providing all users access to support. We’ll continue to offer a free tier — all developers will receive $200 of free monthly usage of our core products.

In addition, this change will require you to enable billing and associate it with all of your Google Maps Platform projects. Creating a billing account helps us better understand your usage so we can continue developing helpful products. It also allows you to scale easily with less downtime and fewer performance issues if your product grows beyond the $200 of free monthly usage. For additional visibility and control you can set daily quotas or billing alerts.

And......

With the launch of Google Maps Platform, we’ve introduced changes to our products, pricing, and support to provide you with greater flexibility, transparency, and control. This guide explains how these changes may impact you and what steps you need to take. You can also read our blog for additional context.

Beginning on June 11, 2018, you’ll need to enable billing with a credit card and have a valid API key for all projects. This will give you the ability to scale easily with less downtime and fewer performance issues. In addition, we’re simplifying our 18 individual APIs into three products: Maps, Routes, and Places.

Also, in June 2016 we announced that we would stop supporting keyless usage, meaning any request that doesn’t include an API key or Client ID. This will go into effect on June 11th, and keyless access will no longer be supported. At that time, keyless calls to the Maps JavaScript API and Street View API will return low-resolution maps watermarked with “for development purposes only.” Keyless calls to any of the following APIs will return an error: Maps Static API (including Static Street View), Directions API, Distance Matrix API, Geocoding API, Geolocation API, Places API, Roads API, and Time Zone API.

To avoid a service interruption to your projects, please visit our Get Started page to enable a billing account and generate an API key. Once you generate and secure an API key, make sure to update your application with the new API key.

Essentially, if you have a Maps API, you are now or will be required to also have a billing account....even if you are in the under $200 a month category....so that Google can monitor (and bill you) when their records indicate you have exceeded the “free limit”.

Map makers beware....after an initial period, I would assume Google, being Google, that API keys issued without a corresponding billing account record will/may be terminated. And thus you will no longer be allowed to download google map images into the world editor.

....that’s my take anyhow....

....you heard it here first.....

[Tomcat]

I received the same email 1 hour ago and I'm reading it the same way... just about everyone would need to create a billing account by June 11 and receive a new key - current keys will stop working. They estimated my usage over the last 3 months and believe I would be under the $200 limit each month. I would hope that they include a usage monitor so we would be forewarned if we are about to cross over into billable territory - that's probably hoping for too much.

[RAILSOHIO]

I've done a quick estimate,and I would say I spend just under 300 hours per year in the route building mode,and I nearly always have Google Maps enabled. I am VERY thankful that this program has had this ability for some time. I have mentioned in the past it would be great to have a slider to access older imagery. But it is not practical to build a route without this tool. So time will tell what I will pay.

[minerman146]

After years of Google mining my personal information and monetizing it, I was hoping for actual remuneration, not a credit.
What about all the young folk out there in our little hobby?

I'm gonna pay up - I got a route to finish.

[TheTeenageFoamer]

Well, that may be the end of the "Norfolk Southern Lafayette District" route I am building. Thanks Google!

[BoostedFridge]

All of us are going to be in the usage category of the 'free $200 credit PER MONTH' with our TS2018 route building projects. There is nothing to worry about exceeding that.

I'm curious what kind of billing account is required though, more for those in the hobby who are too young to have a credit card.

[PNWR1854]

those in the hobby who are too young to have a credit card.

Cough Cough, ME
Never was into route building anyway, but Come on!

[Tomcat]

After a more thorough reading of the coming changes I don't think this will affect me at all. Taking my usage statistics (and I use Google Overlay every editing session) and then cross referencing with the pricing structure, I fall well under the free $200 limit each month. The only concerns are that it's just another place that has my credit card info (what could go wrong?) and it may put a crimp in younger creators who don't have a credit card or permission to use a parents card.

[SAR704]

Just saw this thread about this alleged improvement towards the 'services' provided by this company....

Anyhow, how many MBs (or bytes) does $200 of data amount to? Will it be enough to load one town let alone Street View imagery? There are no indications mentioned.

[BoostedFridge]

Just saw this thread about this alleged improvement towards the 'services' provided by this company....

Anyhow, how many MBs (or bytes) does $200 of data amount to? Will it be enough to load one town let alone Street View imagery? There are no indications mentioned.

One month of pretty intense route work (w/ Google Overlay) equated to 6% of my montly limit

[NorthernWarrior]

I would exercise severe trepidation in handing any financial (debit or credit) card data to Google, for them to use as a standing order. $200 (or about £150) is a fair sum of money. While in theory we might not bang through the data limit, who knows what could happen in practice. And I doubt their customer service would be much use when it comes to appealing against an unfair payment collection.

Assuming DTG actually still developing TS20xx maybe time for them to look at an alternative such as OSM, or something similar to Transdem for Trainz where the mapping overlay is taken indirectly and painted on the route with terrtex, to be overpainted with the "real" texture as you progress through the route.

[buzz456]

The only time I ever exceeded my limit was one time when I did a helicopter run over about a hundred miles of the MRL route that had no scenery on it yet and I was curious about what kind of features it had. Suddenly maps stopped working. I think I even posted a thread about it and no one had any ideas. The next month rolled around and it started working again. I seriously think this will not be a issue for many of us.

[NorthernWarrior]

You may well be right Buzz, the problem being the difference between the API not working for a few days and explaining to your missus the unexpected $200 bill which just appeared on your CC statement...

[plovdiv21]

From the FAC for existing API holders;
" If you choose not to add a billing account, there is a risk that if your usage exceeds $200 in a given month, your Maps API implementation will be degraded or other API requests will return an error"--I take this to mean that if you don't go over $200 in any month it does not affect anyone's api use.(ie,we don't need to bother with any of this new policy or furnish a credit card if you stay under $200).

[SAR704]

How much monthly usage amounts to $200 though? I use Street view, and obviously the aerial imagery for route building, but i don't spend much time just roaming around.

Does the post above imply that it may not be necessary for folks like us to add a billing account? Or am I misinterpreting something?