WordPress Travel Map Plugin (CMMRM) - Free Version Tutorial

WordPress Travel Map Plugin - Free Version Tutorial

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This article covers only features present in the free version of the WordPress Travel Map Plugin. It shows you how to create a directory of routes on your site.

Example

Table of Contents

1. Installation guide
2. List of Features
3. Using the Plugin - Overview
4. Initial Setup
   1. Google API Key
5. Settings
   1. Navigation (Routes URL and Edit Form)
   2. General (Template, Units, Map Behavior, Custom CSS)
   3. Index Page
   4. Route Page
   5. User Dashboard

Installation guide

Here are the steps needed to install the plugin:

1. Download - To manually install the plugin, you must first download it from CreativeMinds to your computer.
2. Navigate to the Plugins tab in the WordPress Admin Panel to install the plugin.

3. Activate the plugin. 

TIP: Register for Benefits

If you like, you can register your plugin to receive information about updates and our latest offers. You can complete your registration at any time. 

If you don’t want to register right away, you can select the Skip button.

List of Features

Using the Free Plugin - Overview

TIP: Automatic Index and User Dashboard Pages

The plugin automatically creates:

1. A Routes index page - All routes will be shown there. New routes are added automatically.
2. A user dashboard page - Users can manage their routes and add new ones from there.

Admin - Adding and Managing Routes

You can add and manage routes from the back-end. Head to Admin Dashboard → CM Map Routes → Routes.

User Dashboard - Adding and Managing Routes

Every route is "attached" to the user that created it, including the admin!

The user dashboard page lists all routes added by the currently logged-in user. As such, the content changes depending on who accesses it. There's also a handy Add route button.

What Does It Look Like to Add a Route?

All users (including the admin) can add routes from a front-end form. It includes a series of fields, including a Google Map where the user can draw the route. Here is a sample of the form:

Initial Setup

A core aspect of the plugin is showing routes on a Google Map. To do so, you require creating and then add a Google Maps API key into the plugin.

Google API Keys - Obtaining the Google API Key

To obtain the Google API key, follow these steps:

1. Head to the Google Developers webpage.
2. Log in to your Google account.
3. Go to your project or create a new one.

4. Head to APIs & Services and then Library:

5. Select one of the API from the list. You may have to search for it by using the search bar.

6. This page is important. In it, you can enable the API and find resources about it. Click Enable:

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for all the API keys you need to enable:
   1. JavaScript API
   2. Geocoding API
   3. Places API
   4. Static API
   5. Elevation API 
   6. Directions API
8. After you have enabled all the API Keys, activate the sidebar menu and click on Credentials. You will find the API key there, ready to be copied and pasted into the plugin's settings.

Billing

Also, if you have still not enabled billing, you can do so by activating the sidebar menu and then selecting Billing.

Then click Link a billing account and follow the steps.

Adding Key to Plugin

Once you have the key, adding it to the plugin is easy. Head to the Setup tab and copy it to the Google Maps App key field.

In the same setting, you can click Test Configuration to ensure the connection is working.

Settings - Navigation (Routes URL)

• Permalink prefix - The prefix of the index and routes' permalinks.

  For example, "map-routes" will generate permalinks such as: site.com/map-routes/mountain-trail.

  By default, it's "map-routes".

Settings - General (Template, Units, Map Behavior, Custom CSS)

In this tab, you can configure the overall plugin behavior and appearance.

Template

• Page template: Choose the page template of the current theme or set default.

• Other page template file - Enter the other name of the page template if your template is not on the list above. This option has priority over the selected page template. Leave blank to reset.

  Advanced!

  Editing templates is an advanced process that may require HTML, CSS and coding skills.

  Make sure to back up all files before saving changes. This article provides examples of changes, but they are illustrative and not meant to be followed literally.

  General Support - Advanced - Creating and Editing Custom Templates

Appearance

• Default map view - Choose between
  • road map
  • terrain
  • pure satellite without labels
  • hybrid: satellite + labels
• Zoom map when using mouse wheel - If enabled, scrolling the mouse when it's over the map will zoom out or zoom in.

Custom CSS

You can enter a custom CSS which will be embedded on every page that contains a WordPress Travel Map plugin interface.

Units

• Length unit - Choose between:
  • meters
  • feet

Settings - Index Page

You can configure everything related to the index page in this tab. 

Pagination, order, search

• Routes per page - Limit the routes visible on each page. The default is 10.

Appearance

• Information visible on the index page - Show or hide
  • Distance
  • Duration
  • Max elevation
  • Min elevation
  • Climb
  • Descent
  • AVG Speed
  • Featured image
  • Publish date

  • Author

    Where The Fields Are

    

• Text on top - Enter what is displayed on the top of the index page, below the page title.

  Highlighted Example

  

Route's featured image - Choose between:

• First route image
• Map thumbnail
• Route's default image - Useful for branding.

Settings - Route Page

You can configure everything related to the route page in this tab. 

Appearance

• Information visible on the index page - Show or hide:
• Distance
• Duration
• Max elevation
• Min elevation
• Climb
• Descent
• AVG Speed
• Location altitude

• Location address

  Highlighted Example

  

  
  
• Enable WP Comments - Disable to hide the comments fields.

Settings - User Dashboard Page

Editor

• Enable rich text editor - Allow or not users to use the WYSIWYG editor when creating the route description. If disabled, a simple textarea will be displayed.

Map default position

• Editor default route's latitude - By default, 0.
• Editor default route's longitude - By default, 0.
• Editor default zoom - Higher number means closer. By default, 5.

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