Xamarin.Forms - MKMapView iOS Render - xamarin.forms

Question

I tried using Xamarin.Forms.Maps, and it is missing many features, so I decided to make an iOS ViewRenderer with the MKMapView and adding custom pin images and such, but I am not sure how to make a ViewRenderer and how MKMapView works. Can someone be kind enough to show me how it works and give me a small quick example of just showing the map.
I just want to make a custom render for ios that will show MKMapView, the rest i can probably figure out, but I cant even figure out how to make it show from the viewrenderer.

Answer 1

Simple example on how to build your Custom ViewRenderer
in your PCL project create something that inehrits from view:
public class CustomMap: View
{
public static readonly BindableProperty PinsItemsSourceProperty = BindableProperty.Create ("PinsItemsSource ", typeof(IEnumerable), typeof(CustomMap), null, BindingMode.OneWay, null, null, null, null);
public IEnumerable PinsItemsSource {
get {
return (IEnumerable)base.GetValue (CustomMap.PinsItemsSourceProperty );
}
set {
base.SetValue (CustomMap.PinsItemsSourceProperty , value);
}
}
}
Then on your IOS create your custom renderer for that view like so:
[assembly: ExportRenderer(typeof(CustomMap), typeof(CustomMapRenderer ))]
namespace Xamarin.Forms.Labs.iOS.Controls
{
public class CustomMapRenderer : ViewRenderer<CustomMap,MKMapView >
{
protected override void OnElementChanged (ElementChangedEventArgs<CustomMap> e)
{
base.OnElementChanged (e);
var mapView = new MKMapView (this.Bounds);
mapView.AutoresizingMask = UIViewAutoresizing.FlexibleDimensions;
foreach(item in e.NewElement.PinsItemsSource )
{
//add the points
var annotation = new BasicMapAnnotation (new CLLocationCoordinate2D(x,y), "something", "something");
mapView.AddAnnotation(annotation);
}
base.SetNativeControl(mapView);
}
}
ps: i wrote this code on the fly from my head and i didn't tested but it should help you get going