....... loses himself in Google Maps

I have stated I want to use various public mapping facilities to record and map public art works in Walthamstow, and further afield around Waltham Forest. I am having a go at learning how to use a few mapping tools including OpenStreet Map and Google Maps.

This post is about the technicalities of getting lost and finding out.

Here is an image of a 'Lost and Found in E17' My Map - 'Public Art in Waltham Forest'.

As I understand this facility, this map will show up if 'Public Art in Waltham Forest' is used as a search term in the Google Search Engine.

There is a useful Youtube/Google video tutorial here about the basics of creating a 'My Map'. I have followed this and I managed to accomplish most of the tasks, except adding an image to the place marker or map pin.

At about 2min15sec, the tutor begins to demonstrate how to add an image to the place marker by pasting a URL of that image into the editing facility. This means the image has to come from an on line source. You cannot, e.g. download an image from folders on or in your computer.

So I went to Lost and Found in E17's Picasa web album to select an image for one of the public art works (Shying Horse) that I have mapped. I copied the web address - seen in the top left hand corner of the (edited) screen image below.

I hoped to apply this address (below) to get that image to appear in the place mark for Shying Horse, on the Public Art in Waltham Forest map.

https://picasaweb.google.com/hiveof/LostAndFoundInE17#5695910675985029234

What happened?

You might be able to see, rather than the image of a horse appearing in the place mark box, a square with a red cross did instead. I thought I had applied the URL for the on line image of the sculpture and mosaic. I hadn't. Notice the address above does not end with 'jpg', or some other abbreviation denoting an image file. The address above is for the location of the image but not the image itself.

Where on, or in, the Picasa album can you find the actual URL (address) for the image?

Go to the required image in the Picasa album and, if you are using a PC, right click on the image.

Click on  'Properties' and the properties box should appear. Detailed in this box is the URL address of the image. In this case, the address is about half way down. Copy the whole  address.....

....... in this case:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qGjYjScnPcM/TwvwlOJxWHI/AAAAAAAAEx4/FNJcHFmh9Y4/s640/PICT2937.JPG

Notice this address has a .jpg at the end. Following the video tutorial, I applied this address and managed to insert the image of Shying Horse into the place mark.

Alternatively, come here and get lost and you'll more than likely find something less pedestrian than my mapping of this here 'oss'.