Incorrectly, both Airtable and Zapier refer to their integration glue as a “webhook”. The correct way to describe these processes is “polling”. Airtable does not support events and webhook posts - two things that make it possible to build near-real-time integration processes. Zapier (and other integration platforms) are forced to mimic webhooks by constantly polling for changes and that’s where it gets dicey.
Detecting changes in records is not always a perfect science. As such, the only way to reduce the latency is to speed up the polling process. With Airtable this can also get you into a little bind because of the API request limitations.
I believe we are using the same API, but I suspect its outcomes are being applied differently.
I use the integrated Google Maps SDK in Google Apps Script - see code below. From this, I can extract vastly more data about geo-processes than you probably have available using Zapier.
Plus, I can also perform geometry computations in javascript with ease - example:
function getDistance(c1, c2, opt)
{
var lat1 = rad(c1.lat), lat2 = rad(c2.lat);
var lng1 = rad(c1.lng), lng2 = rad(c2.lng);
var dLng = (lng2-lng1), dLat = (lat2-lat1);
var R = 6371/1.6;
var a = Math.sin(dLat/2) * Math.sin(dLat/2) +
Math.sin(dLng/2) * Math.sin(dLng/2) *
Math.cos(lat1) * Math.cos(lat2);
var c = 2 * Math.atan2(Math.sqrt(a), Math.sqrt(1-a));
return parseInt(R * c);
}
function rad(degrees) {
return degrees * Math.PI/180;
}
The following function computes the driving directions for the stated addresses. I reviewed the outcome on the map and the distances and times all seem reasonable, but I let you be the judge of the accuracy. I’ve published a log of the computed directions.
//
// get directions
//
function getDirections()
{
var directions = getDirections_("Voorzittersstraat 34, Brussel, Belgium", "Fortstraat 14, The Netherlands");
var steps = directions.steps;
for (var i in steps)
{
Logger.log(steps[i].duration.text + " :: " + steps[i].distance.text);
Logger.log(steps[i].html_instructions.replace(/<[^>]+>/g, ""));
Logger.log("");
}
return(true);
}
function getDirections_(city1, city2) {
var directions = Maps.newDirectionFinder()
.setOrigin(city1).setDestination(city2)
.setMode(Maps.DirectionFinder.Mode.DRIVING)
.getDirections();
var d = directions.routes[0].legs[0];
return(d);
}
Driving directions…
1 min :: 0.1 km
Head northeast on Rue du Président/Voorzittersstraat toward Keienveldstraat/Rue Keyenveld
1 min :: 84 m
Turn right onto Keienveldstraat/Rue Keyenveld
1 min :: 0.2 km
Turn right onto Rue de l'Arbre Bénit/Gewijde-Boomstraat
1 min :: 0.2 km
Turn right onto Rue Mercelis/Mercelisstraat
1 min :: 0.1 km
Turn right onto Avenue Louise/Louizalaan
1 min :: 61 m
Slight left toward Stefaniatunnel/Tunnel Stéphanie/N24
1 min :: 0.6 km
Merge onto Stefaniatunnel/Tunnel Stéphanie/N24
1 min :: 0.3 km
Take the ramp to Port de Namur/Naamsepoort
1 min :: 0.6 km
Merge onto R20
1 min :: 0.3 km
Exit onto Avenue des Arts/Kunstlaan
2 mins :: 0.6 km
Turn right onto Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat
1 min :: 0.1 km
Keep left to continue on Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat/Belliardtunnel/Tunnel belliardContinue to follow Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat
1 min :: 0.6 km
Continue onto Kortenbergtunnel/Tunnel de Cortenbergh/N23/N3
3 mins :: 2.4 km
Continue straight onto Kortenbergtunnel/Tunnel de Cortenbergh/N23
1 min :: 93 m
Keep left at the fork to continue toward E40
2 mins :: 3.9 km
Continue onto E40
1 min :: 1.1 km
At the interchange Sint.-Stevens-Woluwe, keep right and follow signs for E19/Luchthaven Zaventem/Gent/Antwerpen/E40
1 min :: 0.2 km
Merge onto R0
2 mins :: 3.6 km
Merge onto E40/R0
1 min :: 0.6 km
At the interchange Machelen, keep right and follow signs for Antwerpen/Mechelen
19 mins :: 34.0 km
Merge onto E19
1 min :: 0.7 km
At the interchange Antwerpen-Zuid, keep right and follow signs for Breda/Luik/Haven 1-999
2 mins :: 3.3 km
Merge onto E19/E34
4 mins :: 5.9 km
Keep left at the fork to continue on E19, follow signs for Ring Antwerpen/Breda/Haven
6 mins :: 10.7 km
Keep left at the fork to stay on E19
14 mins :: 24.3 km
Keep left to stay on E19Entering the Netherlands
2 mins :: 4.1 km
Continue onto A16/E19
1 min :: 0.7 km
At the interchange Breda-Oost-Knooppunt Galder, keep right and follow signs for E312/A58 toward A27/Breda-Oost/Utrecht/Tilburg
15 mins :: 25.8 km
Continue onto A58/E312
3 mins :: 5.9 km
Keep left at the fork to continue on A65, follow signs for Tilburg-Noord/Oisterwijk/'s-Hertogenbosch
12 mins :: 12.7 km
Continue onto Bosscheweg/N65Continue to follow N65
1 min :: 1.7 km
Continue onto A65 (signs for 's-Hertogenbosch/Eindhoven/Nijmegen)
1 min :: 1.6 km
At the interchange Knooppunt Vught, follow signs for A2/E25 toward Nijmegen/Utrecht/Ring 's-Hertogenbosch
1 min :: 0.3 km
Take the N279 exit toward St.Michiels-gestel/Schijndel/Waalwijk/Rosmalen/Nijmegen/Veghel
1 min :: 2.0 km
Keep left to continue toward A59
1 min :: 1.7 km
Keep left, follow signs for Nijmegen/A59/Rosmalen
10 mins :: 17.4 km
Continue onto A59
21 mins :: 37.7 km
Merge onto A50
4 mins :: 6.4 km
At the interchange Knooppunt Grijsoord, keep right and follow signs for E35/A12/A50 toward Arnhem/Apeldoorn/Zwolle/Doetinchem
12 mins :: 20.0 km
Keep left at the fork to continue on A12
1 min :: 1.2 km
At the interchange Knooppunt Oud-Dijk, keep right and follow signs for A18 toward Doetinchem/Enschede
12 mins :: 21.7 km
Continue onto A18
1 min :: 1.2 km
Turn right onto Twente-Route/N18
5 mins :: 5.1 km
Turn left onto Zelhemseweg/N330Continue to follow N330
1 min :: 0.5 km
Turn right onto Fortstraat
1 min :: 0.1 km
Turn left to stay on Fortstraat
