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Get Started

This guide walks you through installing the GLOBUS SDK and displaying your first map on iOS or Android.

What You'll Build​

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

  • ✅ GLOBUS SDK installed in your project
  • ✅ A working map view displaying OpenStreetMap data
  • ✅ Basic camera controls (zoom, pan)

Time to complete: ~10 minutes

Prerequisites​

Choose Your Platform​

Select your platform to get started:

📱 iOS (Swift)

Step 1: Install the SDK​

GLOBUS supports Swift Package Manager (recommended) and CocoaPods.

Option A: Swift Package Manager​

  1. In Xcode, select File → Add Packages
  2. Enter the repository URL: https://github.com/GLMap/GLMapSwift
  3. Select Up to Next Major Version with 1.0.0
  4. Click Add Package
  5. Select the packages you need:
    • GLMap (required) – Map rendering
    • GLMapSwift (recommended) – Swift extensions
    • GLRoute (optional) – Navigation
    • GLSearch (optional) – Offline search

Option B: CocoaPods​

Add to your Podfile:

platform :ios, '13.0'
use_frameworks!

target 'YourApp' do
  pod 'GLMap'
  pod 'GLRoute'  # Optional: for routing
  pod 'GLSearch' # Optional: for search
end

Run:

pod repo update
pod install

Open the .xcworkspace file (not .xcodeproj).

Step 2: Initialize the SDK​

In your AppDelegate.swift, import GLMap and activate it with your API key:

import UIKit
import GLMap
import GLMapSwift

@main
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
    func application(_ application: UIApplication,
                     didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {

        // Activate GLMap with your API key
        GLMapManager.activate(apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY")

        return true
    }
}

Step 3: Add a Map View​

In your view controller (e.g., ViewController.swift):

import UIKit
import GLMap
import GLMapSwift

class ViewController: UIViewController {
    var mapView: GLMapView!

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        // Create map view
        mapView = GLMapView(frame: view.bounds)
        mapView.autoresizingMask = [.flexibleWidth, .flexibleHeight]
        view.addSubview(mapView)

        // Set initial position (San Francisco)
        mapView.mapGeoCenter = GLMapGeoPoint(lat: 37.7749, lon: -122.4194)
        mapView.mapZoomLevel = 12
    }
}

Step 4: Run Your App​

Build and run! You should see a map centered on San Francisco.

Troubleshooting:

  • "DefaultStyle.bundle not found": Ensure GLMap is properly linked. The style is embedded in the framework.
  • Blank map: Check that your API key is valid and internet is available for initial tile download.
🤖 Android (Kotlin)

Step 1: Add Maven Repository​

In your project's settings.gradle (or root build.gradle):

dependencyResolutionManagement {
    repositories {
        google()
        mavenCentral()
        maven { url 'https://maven.globus.software/artifactory/libs' }
    }
}

Step 2: Add Dependencies​

In your app's build.gradle:

dependencies {
    implementation 'globus:glmap:1.12.0'
    implementation 'globus:glroute:1.12.0'  // Optional: for routing
    implementation 'globus:glsearch:1.12.0' // Optional: for search
}

Sync your project.

Step 3: Initialize the SDK​

Create an Application class:

import android.app.Application
import globus.glmap.GLMapManager

class MyApp : Application() {
    override fun onCreate() {
        super.onCreate()

        // Initialize GLMap with your API key
        GLMapManager.Initialize(this, "YOUR_API_KEY", null)
    }
}

Register it in AndroidManifest.xml:

<application
    android:name=".MyApp"
    ...>

Step 4: Add Map View to Layout​

In your activity's layout (activity_main.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

    <globus.glmap.GLMapView
        android:id="@+id/map_view"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent" />
</FrameLayout>

Step 5: Load the Map​

In your MainActivity.kt:

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity
import globus.glmap.GLMapView
import globus.glmap.MapPoint

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
    private lateinit var mapView: GLMapView

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

        mapView = findViewById(R.id.map_view)

        // Set initial position (San Francisco)
        mapView.renderer.setMapGeoCenter(MapGeoPoint(37.7749, -122.4194))
        mapView.renderer.mapZoom = 12f
    }
}

Step 6: Run Your App​

Build and run! You should see a map centered on San Francisco.

Troubleshooting:

  • Build errors: Ensure you've added the Maven repository correctly.
  • "DefaultStyle.bundle not found": The style is embedded in the library; ensure GLMap is properly added as a dependency.
  • Blank map: Check your API key and internet connectivity for initial tiles.
🍎 Objective-C (iOS)

Step 1: Install via CocoaPods​

Add to your Podfile:

platform :ios, '13.0'
use_frameworks!

target 'YourApp' do
  pod 'GLMap'
end

Run pod install.

Step 2: Initialize in AppDelegate​

#import <GLMap/GLMap.h>

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application
    didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {

    [GLMapManager activateWithApiKey:@"YOUR_API_KEY"];
    return YES;
}

Step 3: Add Map View​

#import <GLMap/GLMap.h>

@interface ViewController ()
@property (strong, nonatomic) GLMapView *mapView;
@end

@implementation ViewController

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];

    self.mapView = [[GLMapView alloc] initWithFrame:self.view.bounds];
    self.mapView.autoresizingMask = UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleWidth | UIViewAutoresizingFlexibleHeight;
    [self.view addSubview:self.mapView];

    self.mapView.mapGeoCenter = GLMapGeoPointMake(37.7749, -122.4194);
    self.mapView.mapZoomLevel = 12;
}

@end
☕ Java (Android)

Step 1: Add Dependencies​

See the Kotlin section above for Gradle setup.

Step 2: Initialize in Application Class​

import android.app.Application;
import globus.glmap.GLMapManager;

public class MyApp extends Application {
    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();
        GLMapManager.Initialize(this, "YOUR_API_KEY", null);
    }
}

Step 3: Add Map View​

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import globus.glmap.GLMapView;
import globus.glmap.MapPoint;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
    private GLMapView mapView;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

        mapView = findViewById(R.id.map_view);
        mapView.renderer.setMapGeoCenter(new MapGeoPoint(37.7749, -122.4194));
        mapView.renderer.setMapZoom(12f);
    }
}

Components Overview​

GLOBUS consists of three main SDKs. Install only what you need:

ComponentPurposeWhen to Use
GLMapMap renderingRequired for all apps
GLRouteOffline routing & navigationAdd if you need turn-by-turn directions
GLSearchOffline searchAdd if you need address/POI search

GLMapSwift Extension​

For iOS Swift projects, we recommend adding GLMapSwift – an open-source extension providing:

  • Swift-friendly property wrappers
  • Convenience methods
  • Better type safety

View on GitHub →

What's Next?​

Congratulations! You now have a working map in your app. Here's what to explore next:

Tutorials​

Guides​

Resources​

Need Help?​