WebGL, Deck.gl, & CARTO

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g-Xperts (Google Cloud & Business Profile Partner)
Spatialized.io (Elasticsearch & Google Maps consulting).
and Garages-Near-Me.com (Effortless parking across Germany)

Until now we’ve only dealt with raster maps. Your Google map is raster by default — unless you create a Vector Map ID and initialize your instance with it.

With raster maps, 2D image tiles are stitched together to form the map canvas. This technique has stood the test of time and powers millions of Google maps on websites and in mobile apps.

But this tiling approach has some downsides too:

With slower connection speeds, there’s perceptible tile loading.
Aside from the 45° tilting available in the satellite & hybrid modes, there’s no support for immersive 3D experiences. Everything stays flat.
Even though the map tiles are internally composed of layers, Google doesn’t let us intercept, adjust, or alter these layers in any way. Consequently, all artifacts and overlays must be placed on top of the map canvas.

On top of that, with the ever-improving performance of evergreen browsers, web users started to expect more — more immersiveness, more customization, more spark.

Google’s competition didn’t sleep either. For instance, work on Mapbox’s answer to Google’s inaction began in 2013 — back when the underlying technology — WebGL — was still in its infancy.

In 2020, Google finally released its take on vector maps. These days (2023), vector maps are freshly out of beta and here are a few sneak peeks of what you can already do with them:

[Animating a flight path from Paris to London; Courtesy of Google](https://storage.googleapis.com/gmaps-handbook/public/common/5/5.2/CDG-to-LHR-in-3D.mp4)

Animating a flight path from Paris to London; Courtesy of Google

[Highlighting a 3D building; Courtesy of Google](https://storage.googleapis.com/gmaps-handbook/public/common/5/5.2/london-hotel-in-3d.mp4)

Highlighting a 3D building; Courtesy of Google

[Interacting with nearby restaurants; Courtesy of Google](https://storage.googleapis.com/gmaps-handbook/public/common/5/5.2/london-restaurant-in-3d.mp4)

Interacting with nearby restaurants; Courtesy of Google