Find a point in a polyline which is closest to a latlng
i have a polyine which i have drawn with latlngs obtained from google maps directions service. Now i want to find a point on the polyline that is closest to a given point.
The obvious way (to me) is to kind of loop through all the points in the polyline and find the distance between them and the given point, however this is inefficient because the points on the polyline can potentially be large.
I would be glad to hear any alternatives of doing this. Thanks in advance.
See Bill Chadwick's example here:
http://www.bdcc.co.uk/Gmaps/BdccGmapBits.htm
above example ported to v3 (code at bottom of this answer)
on his page under:
DISTANCE POINT TO POLYLINE OR POLYGON
from that post:
There is a similar, better demo here http://wtp2.appspot.com/cSnapToRouteDemo.html
It is finding the closest point on the line to the mouse. Also note that it is a Google Maps API v2 example (but the principle with v3 would be the same).
// Code to find the distance in metres between a lat/lng point and a polyline of lat/lng points
// All in WGS84. Free for any use.
//
// Bill Chadwick 2007
// updated to Google Maps API v3, Lawrence Ross 2014
// Construct a bdccGeo from its latitude and longitude in degrees
function bdccGeo(lat, lon)
{
var theta = (lon * Math.PI / 180.0);
var rlat = bdccGeoGeocentricLatitude(lat * Math.PI / 180.0);
var c = Math.cos(rlat);
this.x = c * Math.cos(theta);
this.y = c * Math.sin(theta);
this.z = Math.sin(rlat);
}
bdccGeo.prototype = new bdccGeo();
// internal helper functions =========================================
// Convert from geographic to geocentric latitude (radians).
function bdccGeoGeocentricLatitude(geographicLatitude)
{
var flattening = 1.0 / 298.257223563;//WGS84
var f = (1.0 - flattening) * (1.0 - flattening);
return Math.atan((Math.tan(geographicLatitude) * f));
}
// Returns the two antipodal points of intersection of two great
// circles defined by the arcs geo1 to geo2 and
// geo3 to geo4. Returns a point as a Geo, use .antipode to get the other point
function bdccGeoGetIntersection( geo1, geo2, geo3, geo4)
{
var geoCross1 = geo1.crossNormalize(geo2);
var geoCross2 = geo3.crossNormalize(geo4);
return geoCross1.crossNormalize(geoCross2);
}
//from Radians to Meters
function bdccGeoRadiansToMeters(rad)
{
return rad * 6378137.0; // WGS84 Equatorial Radius in Meters
}
//from Meters to Radians
function bdccGeoMetersToRadians(m)
{
return m / 6378137.0; // WGS84 Equatorial Radius in Meters
}
// properties =================================================
bdccGeo.prototype.getLatitudeRadians = function()
{
return (bdccGeoGeographicLatitude(Math.atan2(this.z,
Math.sqrt((this.x * this.x) + (this.y * this.y)))));
}
bdccGeo.prototype.getLongitudeRadians = function()
{
return (Math.atan2(this.y, this.x));
}
bdccGeo.prototype.getLatitude = function()
{
return this.getLatitudeRadians() * 180.0 / Math.PI;
}
bdccGeo.prototype.getLongitude = function()
{
return this.getLongitudeRadians() * 180.0 / Math.PI ;
}
// Methods =================================================
//Maths
bdccGeo.prototype.dot = function( b)
{
return ((this.x * b.x) + (this.y * b.y) + (this.z * b.z));
}
//More Maths
bdccGeo.prototype.crossLength = function( b)
{
var x = (this.y * b.z) - (this.z * b.y);
var y = (this.z * b.x) - (this.x * b.z);
var z = (this.x * b.y) - (this.y * b.x);
return Math.sqrt((x * x) + (y * y) + (z * z));
}
//More Maths
bdccGeo.prototype.scale = function( s)
{
var r = new bdccGeo(0,0);
r.x = this.x * s;
r.y = this.y * s;
r.z = this.z * s;
return r;
}
// More Maths
bdccGeo.prototype.crossNormalize = function( b)
{
var x = (this.y * b.z) - (this.z * b.y);
var y = (this.z * b.x) - (this.x * b.z);
var z = (this.x * b.y) - (this.y * b.x);
var L = Math.sqrt((x * x) + (y * y) + (z * z));
var r = new bdccGeo(0,0);
r.x = x / L;
r.y = y / L;
r.z = z / L;
return r;
}
// point on opposite side of the world to this point
bdccGeo.prototype.antipode = function()
{
return this.scale(-1.0);
}
//distance in radians from this point to point v2
bdccGeo.prototype.distance = function( v2)
{
return Math.atan2(v2.crossLength(this), v2.dot(this));
}
//returns in meters the minimum of the perpendicular distance of this point from the line segment geo1-geo2
//and the distance from this point to the line segment ends in geo1 and geo2
bdccGeo.prototype.distanceToLineSegMtrs = function(geo1, geo2)
{
//point on unit sphere above origin and normal to plane of geo1,geo2
//could be either side of the plane
var p2 = geo1.crossNormalize(geo2);
// intersection of GC normal to geo1/geo2 passing through p with GC geo1/geo2
var ip = bdccGeoGetIntersection(geo1,geo2,this,p2);
//need to check that ip or its antipode is between p1 and p2
var d = geo1.distance(geo2);
var d1p = geo1.distance(ip);
var d2p = geo2.distance(ip);
//window.status = d + ", " + d1p + ", " + d2p;
if ((d >= d1p) && (d >= d2p))
return bdccGeoRadiansToMeters(this.distance(ip));
else
{
ip = ip.antipode();
d1p = geo1.distance(ip);
d2p = geo2.distance(ip);
}
if ((d >= d1p) && (d >= d2p))
return bdccGeoRadiansToMeters(this.distance(ip));
else
return bdccGeoRadiansToMeters(Math.min(geo1.distance(this),geo2.distance(this)));
}
// distance in meters from GLatLng point to GPolyline or GPolygon poly
function bdccGeoDistanceToPolyMtrs(poly, point)
{
var d = 999999999;
var i;
var p = new bdccGeo(point.lat(),point.lng());
for(i=0; i<(poly.getPath().getLength()-1); i++)
{
var p1 = poly.getPath().getAt(i);
var l1 = new bdccGeo(p1.lat(),p1.lng());
var p2 = poly.getPath().getAt(i+1);
var l2 = new bdccGeo(p2.lat(),p2.lng());
var dp = p.distanceToLineSegMtrs(l1,l2);
if(dp < d)
d = dp;
}
return d;
}
// get a new GLatLng distanceMeters away on the compass bearing azimuthDegrees
// from the GLatLng point - accurate to better than 200m in 140km (20m in 14km) in the UK
function bdccGeoPointAtRangeAndBearing (point, distanceMeters, azimuthDegrees)
{
var latr = point.lat() * Math.PI / 180.0;
var lonr = point.lng() * Math.PI / 180.0;
var coslat = Math.cos(latr);
var sinlat = Math.sin(latr);
var az = azimuthDegrees* Math.PI / 180.0;
var cosaz = Math.cos(az);
var sinaz = Math.sin(az);
var dr = distanceMeters / 6378137.0; // distance in radians using WGS84 Equatorial Radius
var sind = Math.sin(dr);
var cosd = Math.cos(dr);
return new google.maps.LatLng(Math.asin((sinlat * cosd) + (coslat * sind * cosaz)) * 180.0 / Math.PI,
(Math.atan2((sind * sinaz), (coslat * cosd) - (sinlat * sind * cosaz)) + lonr) * 180.0 / Math.PI);
}
I needed a cleaner version that was ported to V3, so here it is:
/**
* Snap marker to closest point on a line.
*
* Based on Distance to line example by
* Marcelo, maps.forum.nu - http://maps.forum.nu/gm_mouse_dist_to_line.html
* Then
* @ work of Björn Brala - Swis BV who wrapped the algorithm in a class operating on GMap Objects
* And now
* Bill Chadwick, who factored the basic algorithm out of the class (removing much intermediate storage of results)
* and added distance along line to nearest point calculation
* Followed by
* Robert Crowe, who ported it to v3 of the Google Maps API and factored out the marker to make it more general.
*
* Usage:
*
* Create the class
* var oSnap = new cSnapToRoute();
*
* Initialize the subjects
* oSnap.init(oMap, oPolyline);
*
**/
function cSnapToRoute() {
this.routePoints = Array();
this.routePixels = Array();
this._oMap;
this._oPolyline;
/**
* @desc Initialize the objects.
* @param Map object
* @param GPolyline object - the 'route'
**/
this.init = function (oMap, oPolyline) {
this._oMap = oMap;
this._oPolyline = oPolyline;
this.loadRouteData(); // Load needed data for point calculations
}
/**
* @desc internal use only, Load route points into RoutePixel array for calculations, do this whenever zoom changes
**/
this.loadRouteData = function () {
this.routePixels = new Array();
var proj = this._oMap.getProjection();
for (var i = 0; i < this._oPolyline.getPath().getLength(); i++) {
var Px = proj.fromLatLngToPoint(this._oPolyline.getPath().getAt(i));
this.routePixels.push(Px);
}
}
/**
* @desc Get closest point on route to test point
* @param GLatLng() the test point
* @return new GLatLng();
**/
this.getClosestLatLng = function (latlng) {
var r = this.distanceToLines(latlng);
var proj = this._oMap.getProjection();
return proj.fromPointToLatLng(new google.maps.Point(r.x, r.y));
}
/**
* @desc Get distance along route in meters of closest point on route to test point
* @param GLatLng() the test point
* @return distance in meters;
**/
this.getDistAlongRoute = function (latlng) {
var r = this.distanceToLines(latlng);
return this.getDistToLine(r.i, r.fTo);
}
/**
* @desc internal use only, gets test point xy and then calls fundamental algorithm
**/
this.distanceToLines = function (thisLatLng) {
var tm = this._oMap;
var proj = this._oMap.getProjection();
var thisPx = proj.fromLatLngToPoint(thisLatLng);
var routePixels = this.routePixels;
return getClosestPointOnLines(thisPx, routePixels);
}
/**
* @desc internal use only, find distance along route to point nearest test point
**/
this.getDistToLine = function (iLine, fTo) {
var routeOverlay = this._oPolyline;
var d = 0;
for (var n = 1 ; n < iLine ; n++) {
d += routeOverlay.getPath().getAt(n - 1).distanceFrom(routeOverlay.getPath().getAt(n));
}
d += routeOverlay.getPath().getAt(iLine - 1).distanceFrom(routeOverlay.getPath().getAt(iLine)) * fTo;
return d;
}
}
/* desc Static function. Find point on lines nearest test point
test point pXy with properties .x and .y
lines defined by array aXys with nodes having properties .x and .y
return is object with .x and .y properties and property i indicating nearest segment in aXys
and property fFrom the fractional distance of the returned point from aXy[i-1]
and property fTo the fractional distance of the returned point from aXy[i] */
function getClosestPointOnLines(pXy, aXys) {
var minDist;
var fTo;
var fFrom;
var x;
var y;
var i;
var dist;
if (aXys.length > 1) {
for (var n = 1 ; n < aXys.length ; n++) {
if (aXys[n].x != aXys[n - 1].x) {
var a = (aXys[n].y - aXys[n - 1].y) / (aXys[n].x - aXys[n - 1].x);
var b = aXys[n].y - a * aXys[n].x;
dist = Math.abs(a * pXy.x + b - pXy.y) / Math.sqrt(a * a + 1);
}
else
dist = Math.abs(pXy.x - aXys[n].x)
// length^2 of line segment
var rl2 = Math.pow(aXys[n].y - aXys[n - 1].y, 2) + Math.pow(aXys[n].x - aXys[n - 1].x, 2);
// distance^2 of pt to end line segment
var ln2 = Math.pow(aXys[n].y - pXy.y, 2) + Math.pow(aXys[n].x - pXy.x, 2);
// distance^2 of pt to begin line segment
var lnm12 = Math.pow(aXys[n - 1].y - pXy.y, 2) + Math.pow(aXys[n - 1].x - pXy.x, 2);
// minimum distance^2 of pt to infinite line
var dist2 = Math.pow(dist, 2);
// calculated length^2 of line segment
var calcrl2 = ln2 - dist2 + lnm12 - dist2;
// redefine minimum distance to line segment (not infinite line) if necessary
if (calcrl2 > rl2)
dist = Math.sqrt(Math.min(ln2, lnm12));
if ((minDist == null) || (minDist > dist)) {
if (calcrl2 > rl2) {
if (lnm12 < ln2) {
fTo = 0;//nearer to previous point
fFrom = 1;
}
else {
fFrom = 0;//nearer to current point
fTo = 1;
}
}
else {
// perpendicular from point intersects line segment
fTo = ((Math.sqrt(lnm12 - dist2)) / Math.sqrt(rl2));
fFrom = ((Math.sqrt(ln2 - dist2)) / Math.sqrt(rl2));
}
minDist = dist;
i = n;
}
}
var dx = aXys[i - 1].x - aXys[i].x;
var dy = aXys[i - 1].y - aXys[i].y;
x = aXys[i - 1].x - (dx * fTo);
y = aXys[i - 1].y - (dy * fTo);
}
return { 'x': x, 'y': y, 'i': i, 'fTo': fTo, 'fFrom': fFrom };
}