Google Street View

Download Google Street View Images Using Google Maps Platform API

Google Maps Platform provides a Street View Static API that allows you to download Street View images based on specific parameters like location, heading, field of view, etc. In this tutorial, we will guide you through setting up a Google Cloud account, obtaining an API key, and using Python to fetch Google Street View images.

Part 1: Setting Up Your Google Cloud Account and Getting an API Key¶

• Before you can use the Google Maps Platform API, you'll need to set up a Google Cloud project and enable the Street View Static API.

• Official Document

• If it's your first time, you'll need to provide billing information. Google gives $300 in free credits for 90 days, which is enough to experiment with the API.

Create a Google Cloud Account¶

• Go to the Google Cloud Console and Sign in with your Google account.

Create a New Project¶

• Once you're in the console, click the Select a Project dropdown at the top.

• Click New Project and give it a name.

• Select the billing account you want to link to this project (you can use the free credits).

Enable the Google Maps API¶

• Go to the APIs & Services section on the left-hand menu.

  

• Click on Library and search for Street View Static API.

• Click Enable to turn on the API for your project.

  

Get Your API Key¶

• Go to the APIs & Services → Credentials section.

  

• Click Create Credentials and select API Key.

• This key will be used to authenticate your requests to the API. Keep it safe !

Part 2: Using the Google Street View Static API¶

• The Street View Static API allows you to request images by specifying parameters such as location, heading (direction), field of view, and more.

• official documents

URL Format¶

The base URL for the Google Street View Static API is:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/streetview

Key Parameters¶

1. size: Defines the image size in pixels. The maximum resolution is 640x640. You can specify custom dimensions like 600x400.

   • Example: size=600x400

2. location: Specifies the location from which to get the Street View image. This can be either a latitude/longitude value or a textual address.

   • Example: location=40.689247,-74.044502 (Statue of Liberty)
   • Example: location=Times Square, New York

3. heading: Defines the compass heading for the camera in degrees from 0 to 360. 0 points north, 90 is east, and so on.

   • Example: heading=90

4. fov (Field of View): Specifies the field of view of the image. The default is 90 degrees, and the maximum is 120. Smaller values zoom in more.

   • Example: fov=90

5. pitch: Adjusts the angle of the camera. The default is 0, but you can tilt the camera up to 90 degrees or down to -90 degrees.

   • Example: pitch=-20 (tilt the camera downward)

6. key: Your API key, which authenticates your request.

   • Example: key=YOUR_API_KEY

7. source (Optional): Restricts results to specific imagery. You can specify outdoor if you only want outdoor imagery.

   • Example: source=outdoor

Complete Example URL¶

Here's a complete example URL with parameters:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/streetview?size=600x400&location=40.689247,-74.044502&heading=151.78&pitch=-0.76&fov=90&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Part 3: Python Code to Download Street View Images¶

• Let’s now write Python code to download Street View images based on a list of locations.

In [1]:

import os
import requests
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from PIL import Image
from io import BytesIO

# Read the API key from system environment variable 'street_view_api'
API_KEY = os.getenv('street_view_api')

# Function to download and display Street View images
def download_and_display_street_view_image(location, heading, fov, pitch):
    base_url = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/streetview"
    
    # Define parameters
    params = {
        'size': '600x400',  # Image size
        'location': location,  # Location (lat, long or address)
        'heading': heading,  # Camera direction
        'fov': fov,  # Field of view
        'pitch': pitch,  # Camera tilt
        'key': API_KEY  # Your API key from the environment variable
    }
    
    # Make the request
    response = requests.get(base_url, params=params)
    
    if response.status_code == 200:
        # Open the image using PIL
        img = Image.open(BytesIO(response.content))
        
        # Plot the image using matplotlib
        plt.figure(figsize=(8, 6))
        plt.imshow(img)
        plt.axis('off')  # Hide axes
        plt.show()
    else:
        print(f"Failed to download image. HTTP status code: {response.status_code}")

# Example usage in Jupyter Notebook
location = "40.689247,-74.044502"  # Statue of Liberty
heading = 151.78  # Camera heading
fov = 90  # Field of view
pitch = -0.76  # Camera pitch

# Download and display the image
download_and_display_street_view_image(location, heading, fov, pitch)

import os import requests import matplotlib.pyplot as plt from PIL import Image from io import BytesIO # Read the API key from system environment variable 'street_view_api' API_KEY = os.getenv('street_view_api') # Function to download and display Street View images def download_and_display_street_view_image(location, heading, fov, pitch): base_url = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/streetview" # Define parameters params = { 'size': '600x400', # Image size 'location': location, # Location (lat, long or address) 'heading': heading, # Camera direction 'fov': fov, # Field of view 'pitch': pitch, # Camera tilt 'key': API_KEY # Your API key from the environment variable } # Make the request response = requests.get(base_url, params=params) if response.status_code == 200: # Open the image using PIL img = Image.open(BytesIO(response.content)) # Plot the image using matplotlib plt.figure(figsize=(8, 6)) plt.imshow(img) plt.axis('off') # Hide axes plt.show() else: print(f"Failed to download image. HTTP status code: {response.status_code}") # Example usage in Jupyter Notebook location = "40.689247,-74.044502" # Statue of Liberty heading = 151.78 # Camera heading fov = 90 # Field of view pitch = -0.76 # Camera pitch # Download and display the image download_and_display_street_view_image(location, heading, fov, pitch)