Loading Custom Maps
I am a creator who wish to use this incredibly epic but newly found software to build a custom home trackihg system. I have tried and used almost all the Saas type builders, Retool, Appsmith, Buddibase etc. but then I found Windmill and I instantly liked it. I though, it would most likely the solutions to get passed all the poorly implemented custom widgets of the other platforms. I wondered why it is not way more popular, I dont think Appsmith can even compare with Windmill.
I am experienced in advanced map apis in almost all languages, and the first thing I do is see how I can customize something like a Google maps or Mapbox maps in a custom widget, I just want client side js and data I can sent through. I draw some zones, paths, markers and icons on the maps. I though this should be easy, through a custom component. Until I clicked it and it says EE features only. My disappointment was a new low, and I realized why its not more popular. Would be a simple feature to implement but if it is made to deliberately stop one from doing something like this in the open-source tactic, this would be exactly the reason why it is not in the popularity of n8n, but it deserves to be.
I do not have much hope, but is there anyway to make something like still work? For those who would say, just pay $60 or what a month, I genuinely cant, we live in South Africa, for a home project it is absolutely impossible.
Any response in this matter would be greatly appreciated. I wish one could just pay $10 to unlock this for a single developer. Why are all these SaaS apps so maker unfriendly?
10 Replies
Hello. I understand your disappointment but we do have a business to run and being popular because we're free doesn't pay our salaries. We try to limit as much as possible EE features so for the app builder it's css and custom components.
On the other hand, we do not want to gate map features so most likely you're just missing a specific map component that you have in mind so you can issue a gh request with your needs and we might take a look when we have time.
No I do understand, but I mean the maker crowed is huge, and I am sure $10 from each would help pay salaries. Anyway, I am sure you guys know what you are doing. And you mention maybe I am missing something, maybe I am, may I ask, can you do this:
Just make a HTML widget and control the contents with javascript, meaning, I create a button in html and I want javascript to count up when clicked? Just a simple html button and a number that counts up. If you cant do this, then I am not missing anything, then I hit the paywall limit.
we have an html component
iframe your component or build it like that and you should be good to go
we're not after your $10, our audience is enterprise
Ok but it is correct to say that I cannot use javascript in html correct?
frontend scripts are javascript
Ok I think I am missing something, I thought that you cannot output html and control that html with a frontend script. If so, my sincere apologies for waisting your time.
But sincerely, incredible software.
it's javascript, you can do everything
we might be missing a setValue on the html component but you can just use state as input and set the state
I know, I think I ran into an issue and I made the assumption you intentionally prevent javascript from running and manipulating html widgets as to prevent people from essentially building their own widgets. But I think something else was going on and I misunderstoon. But thank you very much for time. Much much appreciated, and keep up the good work.
we're greedy but we're not THAT greedy
Oh and Retool can go take a nap against this bad boy.
Nah now that I know this new info, I think you give makers exactly enough to be nice about.
I just want to respond with this, it indeed works perfectly, something was just flakey at the wrong time. I see we have full freedom. Just once again thank you so much and for making this open source, I am so impressed with this software.
Thanks to the whole team there.