Google Maps - Changing the pane order of tile overlays?

Question

A continuation of my previous question: How to change the layering of KML and Tile Overlays in Google Maps?

I am currently rewriting some of the code regarding the buttons which enable and disable tile overlays using arrays. In doing so, I'm trying to combine all of the button's individual functions into a single function, but since I have two methods of rendering the overlays, I was hoping to try and simply focus on only one method. The first uses "overlayMapTypes":

map.overlayMapTypes.insertAt(0, beloitMapType);

The second, using a script provided in my previous question:

this.getPanes().overlayShadow.appendChild(this.settings.div_);

The former method is my original approach; however, since I use polygons on the Satellite view I needed a way to place icon/name overlays above the colored polygons. To achieve this, I sought something akin to the latter method where certain overlays could be placed onto a pane higher than the polygons and thus appear above them.

However, in the time between my previous question and now, as well as through some of my own research, I've come to realize that the latter method, rather than placing the tiles into their places, estimates the location of the tile and places it as an image overlay. As a result, a part of my accessibility layer which colors in inaccessible paths had been misaligned by a pixel or two, or my building name overlay currently has names on the border of two tiles which have a sharp line through them as those two tiles overlap slightly. In addition, these two issues come and go each time the map is loaded with each tile being placed on the map with a variance of 1-2 pixels in any direction.

Thus, I would very much prefer to use the former method with overlayMapTypes, which is more reliable and accurate, on all of the overlays, but I also need a way to bring some of these overlays higher than the "overlayLayer" pane and above the polygons. Is this possible and, if so, how could it be done?

---

Addition: I have an additional need to try and find a method to achieve the reassignment of panes with the overlayMapType method: the script I'm using to achieve this doesn't appear to work in IE7/8. I'm going to investigate this angle myself, but I'd still prefer to drop the script entirely if possible.

Answer 1

Well, I've hit upon a possible solution and, for the sake of sharing it, allow me to explain:

• Polygons do not necessarily need to be visible to still have click and hover events.

• Since the polygons are used to color the buildings and poi in Satellite view, such a visual component could easily be done by an overlay.

Thus, a possible solution is to have all polygons invisible and simply use them for click and hover events. Likewise, a second overlay, or a modification of an existing one, would replace the polygon's original visual component. Since this visual component is now an overlay like everything else, it can be easily layered with any other overlay using the "MapType" method.

(This however doesn't answer the question; namely, can tile overlays and polygons be layered only with the MapType method? I would still like to know that, but in the event that there is no answer, this hopefully is a possible alternative.)