I'm trying to create an interactive search application for Drupal 7, using the Location and GMAP modules to create a view. I'm getting close to what I want, but need answers to a few things I can't find in the documentation or with a search.
I am using a custom content type with a location field. What I'd like to do is have a view that will allow a user to create a search based on a distance from their zip code. I also have another field that's a taxonomy field, that could be used to optionally narrow down the search further.
I want to use a contextual filter, so I can call the URL from a selection box in a block that would be a standalone block, not a block attached to the view. I'd like to emulate the way Google Maps work, where they display a series of markers, each with a number, and a list of addresses in another block, with a corresponding marker displayed for each address. Can this be done with the Gmap module in Drupal, or am I asking too much?
1) I can't find out which arguments to put in the URL if I'm using a contextual filter of type "location: distance/proximity". I want to specify a distance in miles and a zip code.
2) I was able to get this to work with an exposed filter, and get nice litlte markers pop up on the map. But they don't have identifiers in them.
3) I'm concerned the map center may not be correct - is it always fixed to the values in the macro, or an it automatically be adjusted to center between multiple results?
4) If GMap/Views isn't going to do this, could I code a custom module to work with the Google API to do this? Are there any recommended tutorials or other references that could bring me up to speed quickly (other than the ones from Google)? Would I want to build a completely separate interface to Google, or use some of the Drupal Gmap/Location API for this?
Thanks; this isn't so easy to figure out, and I'm hoping somebody else has gotten it all to work!