mapping on S Anand

Creating a scrollytelling map

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 16:25:50 +0530

I had Claude Code with Fable create a small scrollytelling map for my 14-minute walk experience at Bagmane Capital in Bangalore.

I used this as an opportunity to explore the current status of the technology. ChatGPT suggested:

Try ArcGIS StoryMaps first for a polished scrollytelling story.
Try Google Earth Projects if this is primarily something you will present live, like a map-based slide deck.
Use MapLibre GL JS with a coding agent if you want precise choreography, animated routes, unusual visual effects, or an asset you can continually extend.

None of these fit my requirements, which was:

Hostable, self-contained, on GitHub Pages
Forever free tiles, to the extent possible

Based on its recommendations, my workflow was:

Capture locations in Google Maps. Right-click and copy the latitude, longitude.
Capture routes in Google My Maps. This was insight. MyMaps lets you export driving, walking, and cycling routes as KML. (No bike routes, though.)
Create a single-page index.html using MapLibre GL JS with a free OpenFreeMap basemap.

I created the MyMaps routes…

… exported layers as KML files, and meta-prompted Codex with my story written in this form:

I was staying at [The Curzon Court, Brigade Road](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ArHn75eAihHzZXcr9). 12.97454856819103, 77.60788450296555

I needed to be at [Microsoft Luxor North Tower](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tf5qZGwXogetSJr46) 12.984402817080221, 77.70407412470264
for a 2 pm [workshop](https://hasgeek.com/fifthelephant/when-data-is-for-agents-workshop/).

So I came over to [Seetharampalya Metro Station](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Z4deFUzZsqamcCZC9) 12.98116461318051, 77.70872373073122
and seated myself at [Fairfield by Marriott](https://maps.app.goo.gl/NJqUfFnHL4QW8xa2A) 12.981961760138114, 77.70869689674738
by 11 am.

...

… and also attached a series of .kml files for the routes. The generated prompt had some nice suggestions, such as:

Break the story into well-paced scenes, preserving its dry, escalating humour.
Make time pressure visible through restrained clocks, timestamps, distance and ETA annotations.
Build tension toward the late arrival, then treat the security confrontation with deadpan repetition.
End quietly and anticlimactically at Bug & Bean with the peri peri paneer sandwich.
… etc.

But one interesting idea I didn’t explore was to “Have the coding agent add an authoring mode”, specifically:

In authoring mode:

Clicking the map copies [longitude, latitude].
Copy camera copies the current center, zoom, bearing and pitch.
Copy visible bounds copies southwest and northeast coordinates.
Import KML/GeoJSON previews routes.
Selecting a route offers Create fit chapter.
Clicking a marker offers Create point chapter.
A panel shows the exact chapter JSON.
Pressing C copies the current camera.
Pressing P creates a placemark.
Pressing B creates a fit-to-bounds instruction.

This is a great idea - fairly easy to implement, meaning that I can even do away with map authoring software in the future.

AI agents write software, but also know what software features are useful. That makes taste more niche (i.e. I’ll use / buy your software if I already know and totally align with your taste, but otherwise, I’ll mix-and-match and build my own.)

GPS and Google Earth

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 12:00:00 +0000

How to use a GPS with Google Earth and map your path. Which is also a way to use your laptop and any GBP 30 GPS receiver to create a GBP 100 GPS navigator.

Google Earth Chennai

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 12:00:00 +0000

Chennai on Google Earth in high resolution. Mylapore and other areas near the coast are not yet in hi-res, though.

A9.com Maps

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 12:00:00 +0000

A9.com Maps. Provides photos of building elevations of location!

Nokia GPS and Google Maps

Sun, 31 Jul 2005 12:00:00 +0000

Mobile Google Maps with GPS.

Google Earth Released

Thu, 30 Jun 2005 12:00:00 +0000

Google Earth released. It’s free. Related links: Google Earth Hacks

Comments

S Anand 1 Jul 2005 12:13 pm: It shows my house.
Ram 1 Jul 2005 4:16 pm: At my first sight i thought that this picture was taken from simsity game.I coudn’t imagine that this picture from Google maps are real !!!
S Anand 4 Jul 2005 5:00 am: It gets better than SimCity. You can tilt the view of a city and fly by the skyline on Google Earth.

Google Maps API

Thu, 30 Jun 2005 12:00:00 +0000

Google Maps API. But for some reason, it doesn’t work on Geocities. Related links: Google Maps Mania, London Traffic (and cameras)

Google Earth

Wed, 01 Jun 2005 12:00:00 +0000

Google Earth = Google + Keyhole.

Google Maps UK

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 12:00:00 +0000

Google Maps, UK. I’m thrilled!

Surprises in satellite maps

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 12:00:00 +0000

Surprises lurk in satellite maps. Like the tsunami hitting Sri Lanka, an erupted volcano, bombing at Baghdad, etc.

Google Maps

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 12:00:00 +0000

Google Maps. Only has the US for now. But that may change, given that

not to mention that google has been primarily focused on the u.s. market and is now turning their full attention to the global marketplace.

The interface, as always with Google, is fantastic. This is the way to go for Web applications.

via Google Blogoscoped.

Comments

m1108061928989 9 Feb 2005 12:00 pm: Actually, google maps produced better routes too (more intuitive or just plain luck in my case ) but 2 consecutive routes cant be coincidence
S Anand 9 Feb 2005 12:00 pm: Their database may be from Keyhole, whom they acquired recently. I didn’t see anything from India on it, though.
Sathish 9 Feb 2005 12:00 pm: This is an interesting way to comment..
TOPFRAME 9 Feb 2005 12:00 pm: their interface is pretty good.. but, I wonder if they could do the maps of India in the same manner..

GeoURL

Wed, 26 Feb 2003 12:00:00 +0000

Experimenting with GeoURL. It also gives an interesting perspective of blog usage, geographically.

Music helps identify software bugs

Thu, 12 Sep 2002 12:00:00 +0000

Music helps identify software bugs. I’m sure it can be extended to many other forms of ordered data. DNA sequences, time series, etc.