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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Paul,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You must have been extremely busy with all that. Do
you in fact sleep?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The performance from here (other side of the world)
is fantastic, and the navigation very smooth and nice. Look forward to seeing
this integrated into Chameleon.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jacob</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: <A
href="mailto:chameleon-bounces@lists.maptools.org">chameleon-bounces@lists.maptools.org</A>
[mailto:chameleon-bounces@lists.maptools.org] On Behalf Of Paul Spencer<BR>Sent:
18 May 2005 05:14<BR>To: <A
href="mailto:mapserver-users@dmsolutions.ca">mapserver-users@dmsolutions.ca</A>;
<A
href="mailto:'chameleon@lists.maptools.org'">'chameleon@lists.maptools.org'</A><BR>Subject:
[Chameleon] ka-Map: new open source project</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ka-Map: new open source
project<BR>===============================</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://ka-Map.maptools.org/">http://ka-Map.maptools.org/</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>DM Solutions Group is pleased to annouce the
release of a new MapTools <BR>open source project aimed at the growing interest
in highly interactive, <BR>javascript mapping applications based on
MapServer. Here are some <BR>details ...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ka-Map provides many of the features that one
should expect in a <BR>state-of-the-art web-mapping application.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Features include:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* tile-based continuous panning</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* no page reloading</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* keymap, legend and scalebar</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* zoom in/zoom out</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* keyboard navigation</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* sliding effects for panning on double click (ok,
that one's for fun!)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We have also implemented some advanced features
that are more in tune <BR>with the MapServer community's needs:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* configuration can include multiple map files with
different extents, <BR>image formats, and scales for each map file. Client
side interface can <BR>include the ability to change between map
files</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* ability to have layer visibility controls by
drawing each GROUP as a <BR>separate HTML layer on the client side</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* ability to use HTML legend template to build more
advanced layer controls</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* flexible tile caching system</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>* separation of the javascript logic from the HTML
page to provide an <BR>API with which to build your applications</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ka-Map is built on AJAX principles and uses the
XmlHttpRequest object to <BR>communicate with the server, providing a much more
responsive user <BR>interface. The server side is implemented using
PHP/MapScript (what <BR>else!) but could easily be replaced with anything that
would spit out <BR>the equivalent javascript in response to the various
requests.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ka-Map uses cached tiles generated on demand by
drawing much larger map <BR>images and slicing them up. The caching
mechanism is currently quite <BR>simplistic and could not handle large data
projects, but it is <BR>definitely sufficient for getting started. There
are issues with this <BR>kind of tile generation, but it is almost essential for
performance <BR>given the current state of the art.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ka-Map is aiming to be an API for developing
mapping applications. As <BR>such, we are hoping it will be picked up by,
and integrated into, some <BR>of the other open source projects such as
MapBender, ZMapServer, <BR>GeoServer, and (of course) Chameleon.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The home of ka-Map is:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://ka-Map.maptools.org">http://ka-Map.maptools.org</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Downloads and CVS are not quite ready, but you can
try out the interface <BR>by visiting our first public site based on this
technology (basic <BR>features only in this one):</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://maps.dmsolutions.ca/">http://maps.dmsolutions.ca/</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Subscribe to the user list to find out when
downloads and CVS access are <BR>available, and also to participate in the
ongoing development and <BR>testing of this new technology.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://lists.maptools.org/mailman/listinfo/ka-map-users">http://lists.maptools.org/mailman/listinfo/ka-map-users</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We are hoping this project will engage the
MapServer community's <BR>interest and gain momentum from user
contributions. Please join up and <BR>start contributing if you are
interested in this technology!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sincerely,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Paul<BR>--
<BR>+-----------------------------------------------------------------+<BR>|Paul
Spencer
<A href="mailto:pspencer@dmsolutions.ca">pspencer@dmsolutions.ca</A>
|<BR>+-----------------------------------------------------------------+<BR>|Applications
& Software
Development
|<BR>|DM Solutions Group
Inc
<A
href="http://www.dmsolutions.ca/">http://www.dmsolutions.ca/</A>|<BR>+-----------------------------------------------------------------+<BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Chameleon
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