When is a Google API key required?

[iantresman]

I've been using Pano2VR for about a month, and without a Google API key.

1. In the Google Street View panel, I can select places, use the Street View Browser, and upload Panoramas
2. In the Tour Map, I can use various Google maps.

So,

1. When do I need a Google API key?
2. Will I start seeing error message without one (or is there a log file?)

The only possible issue I have, is that meta data does not seem to be uploaded to Google Street View reliably, but I get no warning messages.

Note: I wonder whether having logged into Google Maps with my account, that I don't need an additional Google API Key?

[Hopki]

Hi,
Long story short when we first provided Google with a solution for uploading panoramas to their website it was all free.
Then Maps took over and started charging.

At one point it was costing us quite a lot of money so we turned off the API key in one version.
Google now has done something that makes it cheaper so we are still using our own API key within Pano2VR.

However, if this changes and starts costing us lots of money again so we would turn off our API key.
To this end, we wrote a document advising and showing people how to get their own API key.
This also will not affect you if you use your own API key.

So at the moment if you don't enter your own key you will be using ours.
Regards,
Hopki

[Frankster69]

Hello Hopki,

I was just wondering the same thing, but this clears it up. Wonderful service, thanks for your generosity!

kind regards, Frank