Overlays
Get an overview of drawing and adding overlay objects to a map that can highlight points, lines, or areas.
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The Maps JavaScript API allows us to add objects to a map so that points, lines, or areas can be identified. These objects are called overlays and are tied to the latitude and longitude coordinates.
Overlay types
The following table summarises the different types of overlays that can be programmatically added to a map:
Type | Description |
Marker | Displays a single location on a map. |
Info Window | Displays content, usually text or images, within a popup at a given location on a map. |
Polyline | Displays lines on the map to represent an ordered sequence of locations. |
Polygon | Displays areas of arbitrary shapes on a map. |
Circle and Recatngle | Display circle and rectangle objects on a map. |
Overlays are a good way to customize a map and add interactivity to it. Overlays are tied to the latitude and longitude coordinates, so they move whenever zooming or dragging occurs on the map.