Hi,

It is worth knowing that when you search in waze, the default results are likely to come from google. Check your search results and if the google icon is selected, try tapping the waze icon to see what results waze will give you.

There is also no guarantee that the location of googles results will be correct. I recently dealt with a UR where a user wanted to go to a particular junction of the M1 and was directed to J24 (about 5 junctions away from where the user wanted to be. Searched google maps and the same wrong result was given..
In these cases, the issue needs to be raised with google as they have to shift their markers for the locations.

I would also add that waze doesn't always show landmarks on the map that are smaller than a particular size. Petrol stations are about the limit of what can be seen. Super markets and large retail developments can be mapped ( I map the shop and car park separately) but again, initial search info comes from google..

Des. . .

helvete666 wrote:Searched and didn't see anything previously asked apologies if it was, but has anyone deceived to map out the NCTS centers.

Although I think it's usual practice not to map individual businesses (apart from petrol stations) we do seem to have a habit in Ireland of mapping larger entities such as supermarkets and so on. I have seen a few NCTS centres mapped, and since these are physically large I think they're worth mapping as you come across them.

(there's no point mapping small individual businesses because anything smaller than about 1600 square metres won't show up on the client at all, and the map will quickly become too cluttered if we map every small business, aaaand this kind of thing can get out-of-date very quickly since businesses come and go all the time).

++David \ davidg666

Hi Martin,

helvete666 wrote:

davidg666 wrote:(there's no point mapping small individual businesses because anything smaller than about 1600 square metres won't show up on the client at all, and the map will quickly become too cluttered if we map every small business, aaaand this kind of thing can get out-of-date very quickly since businesses come and go all the time).

So even if i was to map one and i searched for it via the app it would not give me a result?

Good question. I know in some countries when you search for a business or other point of interest, Waze will actually use a different search provider such as Google or Foursquare or one of a number of other providers to find them, and will then just take you to the location supplied by the search provider.

I'm not quite sure what it uses for search results in Ireland, however - but I've just done some experimenting with the live map (which may or may not do exactly what the app does anyway) and if I search for "Tesco Carlow" (for example) it highlights the landmark for that Tesco and will route me there.

I just tried the app though: it must use some other provider for some kinds of search - if you do a category search in the app, it will give you results for things like pharmacies and ATMs, even though these aren't mapped on the Ireland map. You can also search for the name of a business (try "Halfords") and still get a result.

In summary: we shouldn't map small businesses for the reasons given above, and because they won't be visible on the map - but the non-Waze search providers will help find those. Big businesses are OK though, because they will be visible on the map, and make a useful landmark.

++David \ davidg666

helvete666 wrote:It does show the Fonthill NCTS center via the waze app search as it has been logged on the map. I've added one near me also.

Type: Government/Municipal Building
Formatted as Name: NCTS {AREA}
Description: National car testing service centre

Mapping the whole area including the parking lots

Do you mean using one landmark for the NCTS centre that covers the entire site, including the parking lot, or do you mean one landmark for the building and a separate parking lot landmark for the car park?

I think you mean the former (one landmark for the whole lot) and this is what I'd prefer too; I think having two landmarks is a bit messy, and all the user needs to see on the map is a single shape for the test centre; a single larger landmark will be more likely to show the name on the phone screen too.

++David

davidg666 wrote:(there's no point mapping small individual businesses because anything smaller than about 1600 square metres won't show up on the client at all, and the map will quickly become too cluttered if we map every small business, aaaand this kind of thing can get out-of-date very quickly since businesses come and go all the time).

So even if i was to map one and i searched for it via the app it would not give me a result?

Martin

It does show the Fonthill NCTS center via the waze app search as it has been logged on the map. I've added one near me also.

Formatted as
Type: Government/Municipal Building
Name: NCTS {AREA}
Description: National car testing service centre

Mapping the whole area including the parking lots

Have done the four centes in Dublin