VBA display a google static map in picture with long URL - vba

Question

I'm able to display a google static map in Excel.
Sheets("Sheet1").Range("a1").Parent.Pictures.Insert theURL
This works fine but once my URL is longer than 1650 characters I get an error message.
It's the same when I use a shape to display the map.
Sheets("Sheet1").Shapes("gMap").Fill.UserPicture theURL
Is there another way to display a google static map in Excel?
My URL I want to display could be <= 5000 characters. It's a map with a polyline.
There are URL examples:
URL with 1649 characters
https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=600x600&path=enc%3Amym~h?g~uz`??e?a?q?a?k?c?u?e?s?i?}?m?{`?c?s?a?i?a?i?a?i?a?i?a?g?a?o?a?g?c?q?a?i?g?c`?a?i?m?w`?a?q?q?s`?c?i?s?u`?e?q?m?y`?e?q?o?}`?q?w`?a?g?o?w`?c?g?e?q?a?g?k?o`?o?y`?m?w`?q?w`?a?g?q?u`?a?g?i?y`?m?s`?a?g?k?y`?a?g?i?w`?a?g?e?{`??q?c?y`?g?w`?a?e?e?u?g?g`?m?}`?a?g?m?{`?o?y`?k?a`?i?a`?i?c`?o?s`?u?q`?i?y?o?}`?c?y?c?k`?a?o?k?{`?c?o?o?w`?a?g?m?w`?m?y`?a?g?m?g`?i?y?q?{`?c?o?e?u`?o?m`?a?g?e?c`?d?u?f?c?z?`?b`?b?``?b?f`?a?f??h?`?z??h`?d?|??z?c?f`?i?j??d`??d??z??p?c?d`?i?d??h`?c?h??d`?c?z?a?b??d`?c?~?i?v?k?h?c?b`?k?j?e?h??~?n?b`?c?d??d`?i?b`?u?f?u?`?o?e?u`?q?w`?q?w`?c?e?q?g`?o?y?k?k?}?y?w?g`?s?}?g?i?}?i`?e?e?u?g`?a?e?s?m`?i?c`?c?o?e?{?a?m??k?e?c`?e?a`?a?g?u?o`?a?g?a?e?m?i`?i?{???q?o`?k?w?e?m?m?m`?m?i`?u?m`?c?e?e?m?s?u`??q?i?y?y?k`?a?e?u?q`?q?w`?a?i?q?w`?m?w`?u?u`?s?s`?u?s`?c?g?s?q`?s?q`?e?k?m?m`?q?u`?c?e?o?c`?g?}?b?ca?c?{?m?c?o?n?w?|?c?b?u?r?y?d`?q?v`?s?|`?u?r`?g?n?k?v?g?l?i?n?u?m?a`?u?e?a?g`?y?e?c?e`?y?e?c?g`?u?i?e?c`?{?e?c?a`?y?g?e?a`?e`?{?}?{?h?a`?v?}?~?a?d?m?f`?g?n`?i?~`?e?z`?o?t`?c?f?m?|`?a?f?i?|`?k?v`?g?|`??v?a?~?c?z?`?ba??|?c?d?}?r?}?f`?q?r?e?l?m?l?a`?z?i?d?}?n?y?h?g?j?e?l?e?v?g?x`??|`?d?|`?`?l`?e?v`?d?z`?`?n?j?x`??f?h?z`??f?j?|`?b?t?f?v`?h?v`??f?p?|`?d?p?h?t`??v`?g?|`?c?p??~`?b?l?f?``?n?``?`?d?n?x?h?n?p?d`?r?l`?j?v?r?l`?t?p`?h?r?b?d?f?r?f?x?b?l?`?l?b?l?f?d`?`?f?b?h`?`?z??h?c?l`??f?c?l`?j?p`?n?r`?b?f?t?r`?d?n?f?v`?m?z?{?~?s?|?a`?|?a`?v?c?`?k?j?m?n?a`?z?c?b?a`?x?c`?|?c?b?a`?|?q?n?a`?z?e?b?y?x?{?~?`?d`?`?z?}?f`?i?d`??f??l`??r`?v?l`?t?p`?`?f?x?n`?t?~?x?d`?v?b`?j?t?`?b?j?p?h?j?b?b?z?``?v?``?h?j`??p`??f?j?z?|?b?v?a?h?b?v?r?z?m?``?w?b?c?~?{?f?e?b`?}?``?q?h?a?d`?w?
URL with 1653 characters
https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=600x600&path=enc%3Amym~h?g~uz`??e?a?q?a?k?c?u?e?s?i?}?m?{`?c?s?a?i?a?i?a?i?a?i?a?g?a?o?a?g?c?q?a?i?g?c`?a?i?m?w`?a?q?q?s`?c?i?s?u`?e?q?m?y`?e?q?o?}`?q?w`?a?g?o?w`?c?g?e?q?a?g?k?o`?o?y`?m?w`?q?w`?a?g?q?u`?a?g?i?y`?m?s`?a?g?k?y`?a?g?i?w`?a?g?e?{`??q?c?y`?g?w`?a?e?e?u?g?g`?m?}`?a?g?m?{`?o?y`?k?a`?i?a`?i?c`?o?s`?u?q`?i?y?o?}`?c?y?c?k`?a?o?k?{`?c?o?o?w`?a?g?m?w`?m?y`?a?g?m?g`?i?y?q?{`?c?o?e?u`?o?m`?a?g?e?c`?d?u?f?c?z?`?b`?b?``?b?f`?a?f??h?`?z??h`?d?|??z?c?f`?i?j??d`??d??z??p?c?d`?i?d??h`?c?h??d`?c?z?a?b??d`?c?~?i?v?k?h?c?b`?k?j?e?h??~?n?b`?c?d??d`?i?b`?u?f?u?`?o?e?u`?q?w`?q?w`?c?e?q?g`?o?y?k?k?}?y?w?g`?s?}?g?i?}?i`?e?e?u?g`?a?e?s?m`?i?c`?c?o?e?{?a?m??k?e?c`?e?a`?a?g?u?o`?a?g?a?e?m?i`?i?{???q?o`?k?w?e?m?m?m`?m?i`?u?m`?c?e?e?m?s?u`??q?i?y?y?k`?a?e?u?q`?q?w`?a?i?q?w`?m?w`?u?u`?s?s`?u?s`?c?g?s?q`?s?q`?e?k?m?m`?q?u`?c?e?o?c`?g?}?b?ca?c?{?m?c?o?n?w?|?c?b?u?r?y?d`?q?v`?s?|`?u?r`?g?n?k?v?g?l?i?n?u?m?a`?u?e?a?g`?y?e?c?e`?y?e?c?g`?u?i?e?c`?{?e?c?a`?y?g?e?a`?e`?{?}?{?h?a`?v?}?~?a?d?m?f`?g?n`?i?~`?e?z`?o?t`?c?f?m?|`?a?f?i?|`?k?v`?g?|`??v?a?~?c?z?`?ba??|?c?d?}?r?}?f`?q?r?e?l?m?l?a`?z?i?d?}?n?y?h?g?j?e?l?e?v?g?x`??|`?d?|`?`?l`?e?v`?d?z`?`?n?j?x`??f?h?z`??f?j?|`?b?t?f?v`?h?v`??f?p?|`?d?p?h?t`??v`?g?|`?c?p??~`?b?l?f?``?n?``?`?d?n?x?h?n?p?d`?r?l`?j?v?r?l`?t?p`?h?r?b?d?f?r?f?x?b?l?`?l?b?l?f?d`?`?f?b?h`?`?z??h?c?l`??f?c?l`?j?p`?n?r`?b?f?t?r`?d?n?f?v`?m?z?{?~?s?|?a`?|?a`?v?c?`?k?j?m?n?a`?z?c?b?a`?x?c`?|?c?b?a`?|?q?n?a`?z?e?b?y?x?{?~?`?d`?`?z?}?f`?i?d`??f??l`??r`?v?l`?t?p`?`?f?x?n`?t?~?x?d`?v?b`?j?t?`?b?j?p?h?j?b?b?z?``?v?``?h?j`??p`??f?j?z?|?b?v?a?h?b?v?r?z?m?``?w?b?c?~?{?f?e?b`?}?``?q?h?a?d`?w?v?d?
Both URLs work when you copy them to your browser.

Answer 1

Here is an example using #Omegastripes idea of downloading to a folder first. My function in the comments, which converted to tinyURL also worked but can't be posted. Downloading to a folder is more robust however.
Note:
If on 32-bit remove the word PtrSafe
Code:
Private Declare PtrSafe Function URLDownloadToFile Lib "urlmon" _
Alias "URLDownloadToFileA" (ByVal pCaller As Long, _
ByVal szURL As String, ByVal szFileName As String, _
ByVal dwReserved As Long, ByVal lpfnCB As Long) As Long
Private Sub DownloadPic()
Dim url As String
Dim fileLocation As String
url = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=600x600&path="
url = url & "enc%3Amym~h?g~uz??e?a?q?a?k?c?u?e?s?i?}?m?{?c?s?a?i?a?i?a?i?a?i?a?g?a?o?a?g?c?q?a?i?g?c?a?i?m?w?a?q?q?s?c?i?s?u?e?q?m?y?e?q?o?}?q?w?a?g?o?w?c?g?e?q?a?g?k?o?o?y?m?w?q?w?a?g?q?u?a?g?i?y?m?s?a?g?k?y?a?g?i?w?a?g?e?{??q?c?y?g?w?a?e?e?u?g?g?m?}?a?g?m?{?o?y?k?a?i?a?i?c?o?s?u?q?i?y?o?}?c?y?c?k?a?o?k?{?c?o?o?w?a?g?m?w?m?y?a?g?m?g?i?y?q?{?c?o?e?u?o?m?a?g?e?c?d?u?f?c?z??b?b??b?f`?a?f??h?`?z??h`?d?|??z?c?f`?i?j??d`??d??z??p?c?d`?i?d??h`?c?h??d`?c?z?a?b??d`?c?~?i?v?k?h?c?b`?k?j?e?h??~?n?b`?c?d??d`?i?b`?u?f?u?`?o?e?u`?q?w`?q?w`?c?e?q?g`?o?y?k?k?}?y?w?g`?s?}?g?i?}?i`?e?e?u?g`?a?e?s?m`?i?c`?c?o?e?{?a?m??k?e?c`?e?a`?a?g?u?o`?a?g?a?e?m?i`?i?{???q?o`?k?w?e?m?m?m`?m?i`?u?m`?c?e?e?m?s?u`??q?i?y?y?k`?a?e?u?q`?q?w`?a?i?q?w`?m?w`?u?u`?s?s`?u?s`?c?g?s?q`?s?q`?e?k?m?m`?q?u`?c?e?o?c`?g?}?b?ca?c?{?m?c?o?n?w?|?c?b?u?r?y?d`?q?v`?s?|`?u?r`?g?n?k?v?g?l?i?n?u?m?a`?u?e?a?g`?y?e?c?e`?y?e?c?g`?u"
url = url & "?i?e?c`?{?e?c?a`?y?g?e?a`?e`?{?}?{?h?a`?v?}?~?a?d?m?f`?g?n`?i?~`?e?z`?o?t`?c?f?m?|`?a"
url = url & "?f?i?|`?k?v`?g?|`??v?a?~?c?z?`?ba??|?c?d?}?r?}?f`?q?r?e?l?m?l?a`?z?i?d?}?n?y?h?g?j?e?l?e?v?g?x`??|`?d?|`?`?l`?e?v`?d?z`?`?n?j?x`??f?h?z`??f?j?|`?b?t?f?v`?h?v`??f?p?|`?d?p?h?t`??v`?g?|`?c?p??~`?b?l?f??n??`?d?n?x?h?n?p?d`?r?l`?j?v?r?l`?t?p`?h?r?b?d?f?r?f?x?b?l?`?l?b?l?f?d`?`?f?b?h`?`?z??h?c?l`??f?c?l`?j?p`?n?r`?b?f?t?r`?d?n?f?v`?m?z?{?~?s?|?a`?|?a`?v?c?`?k?j?m?n?a`?z?c?b?a`?x?c`?|?c?b?a`?|?q?n?a`?z?e?b?y?x?{?~?`?d`?`?z?}?f`?i?d`??f??l`??r`?v?l`?t?p`?`?f?x?n`?t?~?x?d`?v?b`?j?t?`?b?j?p?h?j?b?b?z??v??h?j`??p`??f?j?z?|?b?v?a?h?b?v?r?z?m??w?b?c?~?{?f?e?b?}?``?q?h?a?d?w?v?d?"
fileLocation = "C:\Users\User\Desktop\TestFolder\Test.png"
If URLDownloadToFile(0, url, fileLocation, 0, 0) = 0 Then
Debug.Print "downloaded"
ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Sheet1").Range("A1").Parent.Pictures.Insert fileLocation
Kill fileLocation
Else
Debug.Print "failed"
End If
End Sub
Result: