SteveW
Advanced Member
Posts:662
 | | 25 Apr 2008 09:00 PM | | I'm running some experiments with MapServer and other Web Mapping Services software so I can create layers of SHP data onto the map. Results so far are pretty good. Up to this point I've manually converted SHP data in XML format, but this new method means that I'm not adding loads of overlays onto Google Maps, just adding a png file over the map. The result is that SHP data doesn't need a manual conversion and things are a lot quicker.
Next plan is to work out how to include markers and info windows with the WMS output, if it's possible.
The outcome would mean I can set up a Web Mapping Service that anyone else can use. If UK archaeology had a centralised Web Mapping Service like this I think it would only be a good thing because online archaeology maps could easily display multiple datasets at very low cost. | | | |
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SteveW
Advanced Member
Posts:662
| | 06 Jan 2006 12:11 PM | | | I've got things working directly from SHP data on my local box. I'm now researching linking the SHP data into GMaps events so the two can work together.
Next is to find a host that supports MapServer and away we go. | | | |
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SteveW
Advanced Member
Posts:662
| | 09 Apr 2006 08:05 PM | | | After a few tests with WFS and parsing the GML it looked like it put too much load on the client, so we tried a different approach. We loaded the WMS as normal and then captured the point where a user clicks and sent this point and other paramters back to MapServer as a GetFeatureInfo request.
This returns HTML back to the map which I then load into the InfoWindow.
Here's the outcome of the GetFeatureInfo test:
http://www.online-archaeology.co.uk/GoogleMap/pages/wms_test_feature.htm
Click on 'Military Roads', wait for the layer to load, then click on any polyline. | | | |
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StuartEve
New Member
Posts:1
| | 25 Apr 2008 09:01 PM | | | Hi Steve
We currently use Mapserver on lots of applications (see http://www.fastionline.org (soon to be upgraded) or http://www.lparchaeology.com/cms/services/merlin-gallery and follow the link for our 'Merlin' application)- we would interested in exploring the possiblity of using WMS to share archaeological data. We don't use GoogleMaps, but are getting reasonably profiecient at Mapserver and would be very interested to discuss possibilities of hosting the WMS server.
Let me know if you are interested | | | |
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SteveW
Advanced Member
Posts:662
| | 25 Apr 2008 09:01 PM | | | Hi Stuart, welcome to OA.
That sounds great. As I said below I've been playing with MapServer on and off locally and managed to get it spitting out custom tiles for GMaps. I think if we pooled resources we'd get a really good system together for UK archaeology - something like this is really needed I think.
I've also recently just completed MIDAS XML input/output so if you use the same standard maybe our systems can touch at different points.
Let's take this I'll contact you offline so we can discuss this further. | | | |
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mic_somewhere
New Member
Posts:4
| | 25 Apr 2008 09:01 PM | | | Hello
I am part of the www.theantiquariansociety.com. As part of a project to both engage and harness the knowledge of amateurs interested in archaeoastronomy, we are designing and building a database for our portal. I found this post whilst researching for it. Since it sounds like we are doing similar things (I want to be able to create funky Google maps too) it may make sense for us to adopt some standards. Then we could share our data etc. How can I keep up to speed with your XML standards? | | | |
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SteveW
Advanced Member
Posts:662
| | 25 Apr 2008 09:01 PM | | | Hi Mic -
The best place to get some details on MIDAS XML is here:
http://www.heritage-standards.org
MIDAS XML is a schema that has been adopted by many UK heritage applications to move towards interoperability. Without jargon, applications can share each other's data since they share the same data schema.
If you plan to export to XML using the MIDAS schema so that others can share your data, then you'll probably want to use the English Heritage Thesauri for your terms and classes:
http://thesaurus.english-heritage.org.uk
I had to get a licence from EH in order to use this.
Let me know if you need a hand with your GMaps stuff as I've learnt a lot by doing the one here:
http://www.online-archaeology.co.uk/GoogleMap
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mic_somewhere
New Member
Posts:4
| | 25 Apr 2008 09:01 PM | | | Excellent...thanks v.much for the links.
There's quite a bit to it huh? The schema is clearly broader than our project so I will pick a subset for us.
I may well be back with more questions if that's OK.
m:) | | | |
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SteveW
Advanced Member
Posts:662
| | 25 Apr 2008 09:01 PM | | | Yep no worries | | | |
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SteveW
Advanced Member
Posts:662
| | 25 Apr 2008 09:01 PM | | | Good news.
Big thanks to Stuart at LP Archaeology for giving me access to their MapServer so we can explore these things further.
Here's the first result:
http://www.online-archaeology.co.uk/GoogleMap/pages/wms_test.htm
Click on the 'Military Roads' button in the top right of the map. To return to the map just click on the 'Map' button.
What does it mean?
I sent Stuart a SHAPEFILE with some data in it of Military Roads. These types of files are used by ESRI for their software. He then put the file on his server. When the layer is active in my map I make a JavaScript call to his MapServer and ask it to send me data from the SHP file for a given area that I send over. I just overlay the images onto Google Maps. The implications are that we'll be able to add more layers over the main Google Map. What Stuart is doing is called a Web Mapping Service (WMS).
What's next?
A flat image is OK for some kinds of data, but what if I want to click on things? In order to do that we need to use a Web Feature Service (WFS). Luckily MapServer can provide both. So the next plan is to try using the same test data with a WFS.
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