Question

I’m using Google maps api v3. In the middle of the map there is a (custom) flag marker with large transparent areas around the flag body. Under the flag icon there are another markers that are inaccessible because of dead transparent areas. Is there any way to set flag marker to be click-through? I cant find solution.

Answer 1

Yes, it is possible the Marker class has a shape property that takes a MarkerShape object. This describes the clickable region for the Marker.

Here is Google’s Example. They have a custom flag image and adjusted the shape so that only the rectangular flag section is clickable. With the MarkerShape object you can draw a Circle, Retangle, or Polygon shape area.

Google example code segment:

function setMarkers(map, locations) {
  // Add markers to the map

  // Marker sizes are expressed as a Size of X,Y
  // where the origin of the image (0,0) is located
  // in the top left of the image.

  // Origins, anchor positions and coordinates of the marker
  // increase in the X direction to the right and in
  // the Y direction down.
  var image = new google.maps.MarkerImage('images/beachflag.png',
      // This marker is 20 pixels wide by 32 pixels tall.
      new google.maps.Size(20, 32),
      // The origin for this image is 0,0.
      new google.maps.Point(0,0),
      // The anchor for this image is the base of the flagpole at 0,32.
      new google.maps.Point(0, 32));
  var shadow = new google.maps.MarkerImage('images/beachflag_shadow.png',
      // The shadow image is larger in the horizontal dimension
      // while the position and offset are the same as for the main image.
      new google.maps.Size(37, 32),
      new google.maps.Point(0,0),
      new google.maps.Point(0, 32));
      // Shapes define the clickable region of the icon.
      // The type defines an HTML <area> element 'poly' which
      // traces out a polygon as a series of X,Y points. The final
      // coordinate closes the poly by connecting to the first
      // coordinate.
  var shape = {
      coord: [1, 1, 1, 20, 18, 20, 18 , 1],
      type: 'poly'
  };
  for (var i = 0; i < locations.length; i++) {
    var beach = locations[i];
    var myLatLng = new google.maps.LatLng(beach[1], beach[2]);
    var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
        position: myLatLng,
        map: map,
        shadow: shadow,
        icon: image,
        shape: shape,
        title: beach[0],
        zIndex: beach[3]
    });
  }
}