How to animate marker in android map api V2?

Question

I want to implement smooth transition to emulate car marker moving on the map.

Is it possible to animate marker in android map api v2?

Solution 1

None of versions provided worked for me, so I've implemented my custom solution. It provides both - location and rotation animation.

/**
 * Method to animate marker to destination location
 * @param destination destination location (must contain bearing attribute, to ensure
 *                    marker rotation will work correctly)
 * @param marker marker to be animated
 */
public static void animateMarker(Location destination, Marker marker) {
    if (marker != null) {
        LatLng startPosition = marker.getPosition();
        LatLng endPosition = new LatLng(destination.getLatitude(), destination.getLongitude());

        float startRotation = marker.getRotation();

        LatLngInterpolator latLngInterpolator = new LatLngInterpolator.LinearFixed();
        ValueAnimator valueAnimator = ValueAnimator.ofFloat(0, 1);
        valueAnimator.setDuration(1000); // duration 1 second
        valueAnimator.setInterpolator(new LinearInterpolator());
        valueAnimator.addUpdateListener(new ValueAnimator.AnimatorUpdateListener() {
            @Override public void onAnimationUpdate(ValueAnimator animation) {
                try {
                    float v = animation.getAnimatedFraction();
                    LatLng newPosition = latLngInterpolator.interpolate(v, startPosition, endPosition);
                    marker.setPosition(newPosition);
                    marker.setRotation(computeRotation(v, startRotation, destination.getBearing()));
                } catch (Exception ex) {
                    // I don't care atm..
                }
            }
        });

        valueAnimator.start();
    }
}

Rotation computation for specified fraction of animation. Marker is rotated in direction which is closer from start to end rotation:

private static float computeRotation(float fraction, float start, float end) {
    float normalizeEnd = end - start; // rotate start to 0
    float normalizedEndAbs = (normalizeEnd + 360) % 360;

    float direction = (normalizedEndAbs > 180) ? -1 : 1; // -1 = anticlockwise, 1 = clockwise
    float rotation;
    if (direction > 0) {
        rotation = normalizedEndAbs;
    } else {
        rotation = normalizedEndAbs - 360;
    }

    float result = fraction * rotation + start;
    return (result + 360) % 360;
} 

And finally Google's LatLngInterpolator:

private interface LatLngInterpolator {
    LatLng interpolate(float fraction, LatLng a, LatLng b);

    class LinearFixed implements LatLngInterpolator {
        @Override
        public LatLng interpolate(float fraction, LatLng a, LatLng b) {
            double lat = (b.latitude - a.latitude) * fraction + a.latitude;
            double lngDelta = b.longitude - a.longitude;
            // Take the shortest path across the 180th meridian.
            if (Math.abs(lngDelta) > 180) {
                lngDelta -= Math.signum(lngDelta) * 360;
            }
            double lng = lngDelta * fraction + a.longitude;
            return new LatLng(lat, lng);
        }
    }
}

Solution 2

Try out the below code to animate the marker on Google Map V2. You need to use the Interpolator class to apply the animation on the Marker and handle it in the Handler for the animation as below:

   public void animateMarker(final Marker marker, final LatLng toPosition,
        final boolean hideMarker) {
    final Handler handler = new Handler();
    final long start = SystemClock.uptimeMillis();
    Projection proj = mGoogleMapObject.getProjection();
    Point startPoint = proj.toScreenLocation(marker.getPosition());
    final LatLng startLatLng = proj.fromScreenLocation(startPoint);
    final long duration = 500;
    final Interpolator interpolator = new LinearInterpolator();
    handler.post(new Runnable() {
        @Override
        public void run() {
            long elapsed = SystemClock.uptimeMillis() - start;
            float t = interpolator.getInterpolation((float) elapsed
                    / duration);
            double lng = t * toPosition.longitude + (1 - t)
                    * startLatLng.longitude;
            double lat = t * toPosition.latitude + (1 - t)
                    * startLatLng.latitude;
            marker.setPosition(new LatLng(lat, lng));
            if (t < 1.0) {
                // Post again 16ms later.
                handler.postDelayed(this, 16);
            } else {
                if (hideMarker) {
                    marker.setVisible(false);
                } else {
                    marker.setVisible(true);
                }
            }
        }
    });
}

Solution 3

Just implemented a version, try this

public class MarkerAnimation {
static GoogleMap map;
ArrayList<LatLng> _trips = new ArrayList<>() ;
Marker _marker;
LatLngInterpolator _latLngInterpolator = new LatLngInterpolator.Spherical();

public void animateLine(ArrayList<LatLng> Trips,GoogleMap map,Marker  marker,Context current){
    _trips.addAll(Trips);
    _marker = marker;

animateMarker();
}

    public void animateMarker() {
        TypeEvaluator<LatLng> typeEvaluator = new TypeEvaluator<LatLng>() {
            @Override
            public LatLng evaluate(float fraction, LatLng startValue, LatLng endValue) {
                return _latLngInterpolator.interpolate(fraction, startValue, endValue);
            }
        };
        Property<Marker, LatLng> property = Property.of(Marker.class, LatLng.class, "position");

        ObjectAnimator animator = ObjectAnimator.ofObject(_marker, property, typeEvaluator, _trips.get(0));

        //ObjectAnimator animator = ObjectAnimator.o(view, "alpha", 0.0f);
        animator.addListener(new Animator.AnimatorListener() {
            @Override
            public void onAnimationCancel(Animator animation) {
                //  animDrawable.stop();
            }

            @Override
            public void onAnimationRepeat(Animator animation) {
                //  animDrawable.stop();
            }

            @Override
            public void onAnimationStart(Animator animation) {
                //  animDrawable.stop();
            }

            @Override
            public void onAnimationEnd(Animator animation) {
                //  animDrawable.stop();
                if (_trips.size() > 1) {
                    _trips.remove(0);
                    animateMarker();
                }
            }
        });

        animator.setDuration(300);
        animator.start();
    } 

LatLngInterpolator class is pre-written by Google guys which you can use as follows:

public interface LatLngInterpolator {

public LatLng interpolate(float fraction, LatLng a, LatLng b);

public class Spherical implements LatLngInterpolator {
    @Override
    public LatLng interpolate(float fraction, LatLng from, LatLng to) {
        // http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slerp
        double fromLat = toRadians(from.latitude);
        double fromLng = toRadians(from.longitude);
        double toLat = toRadians(to.latitude);
        double toLng = toRadians(to.longitude);
        double cosFromLat = cos(fromLat);
        double cosToLat = cos(toLat);

        // Computes Spherical interpolation coefficients.
        double angle = computeAngleBetween(fromLat, fromLng, toLat, toLng);
        double sinAngle = sin(angle);
        if (sinAngle < 1E-6) {
            return from;
        }
        double a = sin((1 - fraction) * angle) / sinAngle;
        double b = sin(fraction * angle) / sinAngle;

        // Converts from polar to vector and interpolate.
        double x = a * cosFromLat * cos(fromLng) + b * cosToLat * cos(toLng);
        double y = a * cosFromLat * sin(fromLng) + b * cosToLat * sin(toLng);
        double z = a * sin(fromLat) + b * sin(toLat);

        // Converts interpolated vector back to polar.
        double lat = atan2(z, sqrt(x * x + y * y));
        double lng = atan2(y, x);
        return new LatLng(toDegrees(lat), toDegrees(lng));
    }

    private double computeAngleBetween(double fromLat, double fromLng, double toLat, double toLng) {
        // Haversine's formula
        double dLat = fromLat - toLat;
        double dLng = fromLng - toLng;
        return 2 * asin(sqrt(pow(sin(dLat / 2), 2) +
                cos(fromLat) * cos(toLat) * pow(sin(dLng / 2), 2)));
    }
}
}

Then instantiate an object of the MarkerAnimation class and call the method like this:

 MarkerAnimation.animateLine(TripPoints,map,MovingMarker,context); 

Comments

[Anil]

Thanks a lot. That was extremely helpful.

[momokjaaaaa]

How exactly do you implement this code? @Anil ? can you get the marker moving along gps coordinates? Please post the answer.

[Sadia]

Hey, thanks a lot. It works. But marker moves back and forth before start marker animation. Can you please tell me how to fix it.

[Illegal Argument]

@GrlsHu I ended up with a code similar to yours but I am not able to animate in actual road it animates in straight line can you tell me how to achieve it

[GrIsHu]

@IllegalArgument Check out ddewaele.github.io/GoogleMapsV2WithActionBarSherlock/part3 which will guide you.

[Illegal Argument]

@GrIsHu I have done that the problem is that sometimes the markers are placed even above buildings and not on path so I tried to do it using polyline

[Siddharth]

Should i not call builder.include(vehicleLocation); instead ?

[Frank Odoom]

I am trying to implement this how do i add the bearing to the destination?, do you have any source on github of the final project?

[skywall]

@FrankOdoom You should properly set bearing via setBearing(float) or bearingTo(Location) method on passed Location destination parameter .

[Vihanga Yasith]

This is the best answer I found. There is no flickering at all.

[M.Yogeshwaran]

how to set bearing

[skywall]

@M.Yogeshwaran look two messages up in this discussion

[phourxx]

Best answer ever, thumbs up