Google Maps API

[DanSSG]

How much monthly usage amounts to $200 though?

Railworks uses the static maps API and with your $200 you'll get up to 100,000 loads but I have no idea if one load is one tile...

Source: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/pricing/sheet/

I use Street view, and obviously the aerial imagery for route building, but i don't spend much time just roaming around.

I think only if you use the API in Railworks it counts from your quota, not using street view in your browser or so.

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

I hope so.

[madoke]

Its now August, and the Google Maps API change has been in place since mid July. I fired up RW a few days ago to work on an ongoing route project that has been formant for several months. I tried to use the map overlay for some track laying and I got nothing but endlessly rotating blue circles. Checking out the forums I saw the comments about the new billing process and new rules for the api, and went to Google to see what the noise was all about. I found that my old api key was still valid, but that it needed billing set up. I reluctantly gave Google my info and created a new key. Went back to RW and there is no change in the problem. No maps, endless blue circles. I have heard of one other person with the same experience. Has anyone recently logged on and tried to use the map overlay and found that it works? I need to figure out whether this is a local problem with me or more general.
Thanks,

[ET44C4]

I'm using it right now without any problems.

[RudiJaeger]

Another fellow Washingtonian!
This isn't exactly an answer to your question, but perhaps it will be of help. I obtained an api-key a few weeks ago, using my laptop. When I entered the key into TS on my gaming rig, I got the little blue circles too. I was not aware of the billing requirements at the time. Curiously, without using any api key, I've been able to enter "Ctrl-G" and the satellite image will display, although not at a very high resolution; but enough to get the job done (identify track, roads, streams, ect.)

Hopefully someone will offer a more specific answer soon. Good luck!

[DanSSG]

Hi Madoke,

I am currently building a route and using google maps sometimes but not all the time.
I haven't set up a billing account, my API key is at least two or three years old and the overlay works as usual.

Sometimes I have some map tiles that won't load and I got only blue circles. After a restart of TS the problem is mostly gone.
What I noticed is, that some Websites who use google maps sometimes have a dark map with a 'For development purposes only' watermark on it. I think that happens if you have used all your free API calls for that day.

[Tomcat]

Google Earth Overlay works for me. I use it most every day and was just using it 20 minutes ago. I'm using my original key from Google which I obtained when DTG first implemented the feature. I never did go get another key and input my billing info, my thinking was I'll hold off until it doesn't work.

[buzz456]

I too use mine all the time and so far no problems.

[madoke]

Thanks for the feedback, folks.

I have just done 3 local file checks on Steam, and have opened, closed, and reopened the simulator (2018) and checked out the operation of the maps api. Unfortunately, I am still just getting the blue circles with no map being loaded. I have used the google overlays since the sim gave us the ability to use it. Never had a problem having it work. Used it just a few months ago with no problem. Nothing now. I have not changed anything in the sim, or in the route.

So, I'm in mandatory fix-it mode since I have already erased all my RW Decals from when I first built the route and I have no intention of rebuilding 100's of decals at this point. My priority now is to find out why on my installation of the sim this api is not working properly. I need some advice on what to look for as a possible issue.

As a starting point, I have a valid key that is linked to a billing account, and I have done repeat verifications of the key entry in the sim. So, that shouldn't be the source of the problem,,,one would think. I'm hoping that someone may have been through someithing similar and might have some suggestions.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

[xxuntitledxx]

I’ve been using mine since it was implemented into the sim with no problems. I used it a couple of days ago.

[RailWanderer]

I was having the same problem as Madoke, and I may have figured it out, not too sure, so someone with the same problem may have to try it.

1. Go to Google API Console
2. Go to your API Project https://gyazo.com/52c65b1179b2625e988e2185b1678b42
3. In the IAM & admin panel chose Crytographic Keys from the left menu https://gyazo.com/ae68f5b47bf9c8aed93a8bc2143fb32f
4. Notice it gives you a warning about the change in an area to go to that handles Cloud Key Management Services and click that link.
5. In Key Management you will find a way to associate your key to the billing entity which I never used a credit card with I just selected the proper add billing and it took it, This is the part I can't show as it has permissons and key showing, so you have to take it on your own to do the right thing here.
6. I tried my old key from back when I started using Google maps and now it works.

Notice, also, at the top left of those images it now shows the $300 credit and the time limit, which I didn't have before I tried this. Hopefully this helps, I'm not able to give complete images and descriptions of each step as when I did the process none of the process stayed in the window, it changed as I went along.

[SAR704]

Time limit? Don't recall hearing about such a thing. What is it, 15 minutes per 6 months?

[RailWanderer]

Well, as it reads, its for a free trial, in my case $300 per 355 days left of a free trial. I would assume if you associate a credit card to the key then it would be different as it wouldn't be a trial anymore.

[NorthernWarrior]

As a fallback you can simply return to the old way of pegging out markers for key features in Google Earth, which does not require a "deposit" at least for the now! Most of my RS and RW routes were built before we had the overlay anyway!

There's also for those who still have the .exe (somewhere) the possibility of using RW Decal though I personally found it rather cumbersome and tended to sap the frame rate somewhat.

[NorthernWarrior]

...sshhh… When I opened up the editor for a play yesterday, my overlay was still working. How long that will last remains to be seen.

[kris120]

I have just read on rail-sim.de that removing the API key from the TS would help.
I did not test this so far. Just give it a try.