This is used to set up Reftown for calculating precise driving distances related to assignments.

Logging Into a Google Cloud Account

1. Go to the Google Cloud Console
2. If you do not have an Account,
   • Click the "Create account" link.
     • Fill out the form to create an account with Google (below are the approximate steps which may vary as Google updates things)
       1. Enter your email address
          1. You will be sent a code to proceed.
       2. Enter the code
       3. Complete the signup process, creating a password
          1. Reftown will NEVER need that password.
       4. Agree to their  Privacy and Terms (a couple of times)
3. If you have an Account
   • Log In
4. You may be asked to create a payment profile in the event you go over the free levels
   • Each account will include a number of free accesses per month. Most organizations will not individually exceed those limits..
5. On the "Welcome" screen, click "Skip for now"

Creating a Google Cloud API Key for Embedded Maps

After logging into the Google account as described above, execute the following steps to enable the API create your Google Maps key.

1. Click on the menu at the top left and choose "APIs & Services" -> "Enabled APIs &* services"
2. Look for "Maps JavaScriptAPI".
3. If you do not have the "Maps JavaScriptAPI":
   1. Click on "+ Enable APIs and services" (at the top in blue).
   2. At the top, in the search box, type in "Maps JavaScript"
   3. Click on "Maps JavaScript API"
   4. Click "Enable" (if you see "Manage, it is already enabled)
       
4. Click on the menu at the top left and choose "APIs & Services" -> "Credentials"
   1. Click "+Create credentials"
   2. Click "API key"
      • You will be shown your key here. You can copy/paste this into Reftown now or later)
   3. Click "Close"
   4. In the list of API keys, click the dots on the right for the key just created and choose "Edit Key"
   5. At the top, change the name to something like "Reftown Embedded Maps"
      
      (the following restrictions are optional but protect your account from unauthorized use)
       
   6. Under "Application Restrictions", click "Websites"
   7. Under "Website restrictions" (which will appear after the above step), click "+ Add" (in blue)
      • Enter
        • *.reftown.com/*
   8. Under "Website restrictions" (which will appear after the above step), click "+ Add" (in blue) (again)
      • Enter
        • reftown.com/*
   9. Click "Save" (blue at the bottom)
       
5. Click "Show Key" for this API key (blue on the right)
   • A window will open where you can copy the key to your clipboard

Applying the Key for Use on Reftown.

After creating the API key on the Google Cloud Console, you will then need to copy the key and paste it into the Reftown configuration pages.

1. First, go to the Google Cloud Console pages as mentioned above.
2. Copy the key by selecting the entire key and pressing Ctrl-C or by clicking the copy icon
3. Navigate, on Reftown, to Admin -> Configuration, ASSIGNMENTS, Limits
4. Paste the key copied above into the setting called "Google API Key: Embedded Maps"
5. Click Update

GOOGLE COSTS!!

Google charges based on the number of routes calculated in a month and the number of embedded maps loaded.

Each account gets a free allotment before any charges accrue. (These payments are directly to Google, not Reftown)

Embedded maps showing the locations of games/officials cost if you go beyond the free allotment, which is probably unlikely to occur:

• For embedded maps
  • you get 10,000 free maps per month.
  • you pay $7.00 for every 1,000 map loads 10,000 to 100,000 maps
  • you pay $5.60 for every 1,000 map loads from 100,001 to to 500,000 maps
  • you pay $4.20 for every 1,000 map loads from 500,000 to to 1,000,000 maps

• In the Default Routing (LOW) accuracy mode
  • you get 10,000 free routes per month.
  • you pay $5.00 for every 1,000 routes you look up from 10,000 to 100,000 routes
  • you pay $4.00 for every 1,000 routes you look up from 100,001 to to 500,000 routes
  • you pay $3.00 for every 1,000 routes you look up from 500,000 to to 1,000,000 routes
     
• In the HIGH Routing accuracy mode (which is based on 5:00pm departures), the number of free routes is cut in half and the cost per route above the free level is doubled.
  • you get 5,000 free routes per month.
  • you pay $10.00 for every 1,000 routes you look up from 10,000 to 100,000 routes
  • you pay $8.00 for every 1,000 routes you look up from 100,000 to to 500,000 routes
  • you pay $6.00 for every 1,000 routes you look up from 500,000 to to 1,000,000 routes

In general, Reftown, in order to limit unnecessary calculations, will only request distance calculations between officials and locations in your account that have games.

• If you add a new official (or an official changes his/her address) and have 100 locations with games, that will consume 100 routes.
• If you add a game at a location not previously used and have 200 officials, that will consume 200 routes.
• If you add a new official but have no locations with games at that time, that will consume 0 routes...routes will be calculated later as games are added.

• Each night, Reftown runs a process to check for any official to location routes that need to be calculated.

Only larger organizations with hundreds of officials are likely to go beyond the free threshold.