Tools For Finder Professionals
🚀 Major Features
- Route Optimization Tool /tools/route-optimizer)
- Multi-stop route builder (up to 50 stops)
- Google Directions API integration with automatic optimization
- Cost calculator with fuel and driver rate configuration
- Side-by-side comparison of original vs. optimized routes
- Manual reordering with recalculation
- Save routes (authenticated users)
- Export to Google Maps, PDF, and text summary
- Saved routes dashboard at /dashboard/finder/saved-routes
- Logical top-to-bottom flow: Configure → Add Stops → Optimize → View Results → View Map → Export & Save
- Location Comparison Tool /tools/location-comparison)
- Compare up to 3 warehouse locations
- Side-by-side cost/time/distance comparison
- Winner highlighting (lowest cost)
- Savings percentage calculation
- Interactive map visualization
- Logical top-to-bottom flow: Add Stops → Add Warehouses → Compare → View Results → View Map
- Tools Index Page /tools)
- Beautiful landing page showcasing all tools
- Enhanced tool tiles with gradients and hover effects
- "Why Use IndiFind Tools?" section
- Navigation integration ("Tools" link in main menu)
🎨 Design Improvements
- Monochrome icons (replaced colored emojis with text symbols)
- Improved tool tiles with better visual hierarchy and hover effects
- Better typography for large numbers (reduced font size for tens of thousands)
- Logical top-to-bottom flow for all tool pages
- Enhanced hero sections with background images and proper overlays
- Consistent styling across all tool pages
- Reorganized route optimizer layout with Export & Save as final step
🔧 Technical Improvements
- New API routes for route optimization and comparison
- Google Maps integration (Maps, Places, Directions, Geocoding APIs)
- PDF export functionality using @react-pdf/renderer
- Custom map markers (pin-shaped with numbers)
- Map click functionality for adding locations
- Reverse geocoding for map clicks
- Shared Google Maps type definitions types/google-maps.d.ts)
- Consolidated Window interface extensions to avoid TypeScript conflicts
📊 Database
- New tables: saved_routes, comparison_scenarios
- Row-level security (RLS) policies
- Service role functions for API routes
📈 SEO & Marketing
- Comprehensive meta tags for all tool pages
- Structured data (Organization, WebApplication, HowTo)
- Sitemap integration for /tools, /tools/route-optimizer, and /tools/location-comparison
- Internal linking strategy
- Content sections (How It Works, FAQs, Use Cases, "Why This Tool Is Better Than Google Maps")
🐛 Bug Fixes
- Fixed overlay height issues on hero sections (extended overlay to cover borders)
- Improved map rendering (blurriness fix with explicit height and resize events)
- Fixed warehouse marker display in location comparison
- Enhanced error handling for Google Maps API
- Fixed TypeScript compilation errors (Map.entries(), implicit any types, null checks)
- Resolved type conflicts for Window.google interface declarations
- Added explicit types to geocoder callback parameters
- Added null checks for DirectionsService refs
📚 Documentation
- Route Optimizer implementation summary
- Setup and deployment guides
- Google Maps API configuration guides
- Billing setup instructions
- Comprehensive release notes and deployment checklist
🔄 Layout Improvements
- Route Optimizer: Reorganized layout flow
1. Step 1: Configure Cost Settings
2. Step 2: Add Route Stops
3. Step 3: Optimize Route
4. Step 4: Optimized Route Results
5. Step 5: Route Map
6. Step 6: Export & Save (final step, below map)
- Location Comparison: Logical flow
1. Step 1: Add Delivery Stops
2. Step 2: Add Warehouse Locations
3. Step 3: Compare Locations
4. Step 4: Comparison Results
5. Step 5: Location