Persistent Marker Flickering on Android Map View

[tsaperlein]

Environment

• Android OS version: [e.g., Android 13 (API 33)]
• Devices affected: [e.g., Pixel 7 Pro, Samsung S23, Android Emulator]
• Maps SDK Version: [e.g., v10.16.1 or v11.0.0]

Observed behavior and steps to reproduce

We are experiencing a visual regression where map markers (annotations) flicker, flash, or temporarily vanish and reappear. This is most noticeable during camera movement or when the map state is updated.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Initialize MapView.
2. Add a data source containing point annotations (using [e.g., PointAnnotationManager or a SymbolLayer]).
3. Pan, zoom, or rotate the map camera quickly.
4. Observation: Markers do not move smoothly with the map; instead, they flicker or toggle visibility rapidly.

Evidence

Persistent.Marker.Flickering.mov

Expected behavior

The markers should remain visually stable and anchored to their coordinates without flashing. The visibility state should be consistent regardless of camera velocity or minor zoom level changes.

Notes / preliminary analysis

We suspect the issue originates from the rendering engine's collision detection or Z-ordering logic.

• Collision Logic: It appears the engine is recalculating icon-allow-overlap or text-allow-overlap on every frame, causing icons to be hidden and reshown unnecessarily.
• View Annotations: If using View Annotations, there may be a desynchronization between the Android View system and the GL Surface updates.
• Texture Atlas: If using custom bitmaps, the symbol layer might be reloading the image source repeatedly.

Additional links and references

• Code Snippet:

• https://github.com/OdysseasKM/Erth/blob/no-expo/Erth_frontend/android/app/src/main/java/com/globe/GlobeView.kt
• https://github.com/OdysseasKM/Erth/blob/no-expo/Erth_frontend/specs/GlobeNativeComponent.ts