Shading calculator: Google API key outdated?

When trying to build a 3D-scene for shading calculation based on google maps, I get "Time Zone API Error!", a lot of follow up errors, and no Google map. My AI-chat says, this has to do with an outdated google API key, which is hardcoded in SAM.

How can this be solved?

(I am using sam-windows-2025-4-16-r1, downloaded last week.)

Hi Markus,

The static map download feature for SAM's 3D shade calculator does not work as of SAM 2025.4.16. The workaround is to create a map image outside of SAM and click Load image on the shade calculator's Location tab to import it and then click Underlay this map in the scene to set it as the scene's underlayed map.

Your chatbot was close, but not exactly correct. SAM relies on a Microsoft Azure API for this service, not a Google API. And, the API key is not outdated, it doesn't exist.

For more details, you can see the SAM release notes at natlabrockies.github.io/SAM/doc/releasenotes.html , and this GitHub pull request: github.com/NatLabRockies/SAM/pull/2093 .

Best regards,
Paul.