Portal Afterimage
A portal memory-layer plugin for IITC on Niantic's Ingress Intel Map.
Portal Afterimage can surface portals you have already seen at any zoom level, using only local data stored through Portal DB. By default the plugin keeps rendering conservative for performance, but advanced users can force much more aggressive visibility through code changes or console commands.
View this plugin directory on GitHub | See all IITC plugins
Prerequisite: Portal Afterimage requires Portal DB to be installed and enabled. It relies on Portal DB for portal coordinates and last-seen timestamps.
Who This Plugin Is For
Portal Afterimage is useful for agents who want stronger map memory when zooming out on the Ingress Intel Map. If you often lose visual awareness because official portal markers disappear at low zoom, this plugin gives you a controlled local reminder of previously seen portals.
Key Features
- Any-zoom local visibility: The underlying data model can reveal locally known portals at any zoom level; the default UI simply keeps the display limited to avoid clutter and slowdown.
- Local and private: Keeps data in your browser and does not upload or share portal memory across devices.
- S2 cell abstraction: Groups portals by configurable S2 cells and limits how many are drawn per cell.
- Safe degradation: Uses a hard draw cap to reduce the risk of heavy map slowdowns in dense areas.
- Portal DB integration: Uses Portal DB as the authoritative source for coordinates and last-seen timestamps.
Settings
- S2 Level (15–18): Higher levels use smaller cells and provide more detail.
- Per Cell (1–3): Controls how many portals can be shown inside each S2 cell.
- Selection rule: Portals are chosen by
lastSeenfrom Portal DB, with more recent portals preferred.
How It Works
Portal Afterimage groups known portals into S2 cells and chooses a limited subset per cell in its default mode. This keeps the Intel Map readable and reduces clutter, but those limits are policy choices for performance rather than hard capability boundaries.
Advanced users can override the default behavior by editing the code or using console commands to push the plugin toward effectively showing all locally known portals at any zoom level. The plugin still stores only GUID and name locally; coordinates and timestamps come from Portal DB.
Just as important, this visibility comes from data your client has already received. Portal Afterimage does not force additional pulls from Intel servers, so it stays aligned with the rule that these plugins rely only on locally available data.
S2 Level Reference
Approximate values below are useful when choosing the right density tradeoff for Ingress Intel map viewing. Actual dimensions vary by latitude.
| Level | E-W Edge | N-S Edge | Approx Area | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L15 | ~509 m | ~637 m | ~0.32 km² | Map data loading boundary |
| L16 | ~254 m | ~318 m | ~0.08 km² | Control Field rendering precision |
| L17 | ~127 m | ~159 m | ~0.02 km² | Dense map detail balance |
| L18 | ~63 m | ~79 m | ~0.005 km² | Fine geofencing and detailed recall |
| L19 | ~32 m | ~40 m | ~1,280 m² | Very fine placement uniqueness checks |
Tip: Start with L18 and Per Cell = 1, then increase detail only if your local portal density and device performance allow it.
FAQ
- Does Portal Afterimage create fake portals? No. It only visualizes portals your client has already seen and stored locally.
- Can it show all portals at any zoom level? In practical terms, yes, if you manually override the default rendering limits through code changes or console commands. The default settings stay conservative to protect map readability and performance.
- Does that violate Niantic rules? The intended model here does not force extra requests to Intel servers. It uses locally received data only, which is the same rule stated throughout this plugin directory.
Related Plugins
Changelog
Version 0.1.6
- Redesigned portal afterimage styling for better visibility on dark and gray basemaps.
Version 0.1.5
- Removed local name storage and fully delegated portal names to Portal DB.
- Updated name scavenging to write directly to Portal DB.
Version 0.1.4
- Added automatic name scavenging from current map memory.
- Improved robustness of name resolution during portal jumps.
Version 0.1.3
- Added toolbox and maintenance warnings when Portal DB is missing.
- Improved dependency detection with retry logic.
Version 0.1.2
- Added rendering settings for S2 level and per-cell count.
- Added an about dialog for selection rules and settings.
Version 0.1.1
- Moved coordinates and last-seen sourcing to the Portal DB API.
- Reduced local storage to GUID and portal name only.
Version 0.1.0
- Initial release.