[Mapserver-west] Crytozoology non-profit seeking advise

[Josh Livni]

If you're going the Google Maps route (not a bad idea) for the front-end,
you may wish to look at OpenLayers (openlayers.org).  

It loads Google Map tiles if you want those, and has great integration with
other layers (WMS [mapserver], WorldWind, ka-map, virtual earth, yahoo,
etc.) as well.  

And, if you need to dump Google Maps later (due to terms of service
questions, or any other reason), it's probably a little easier than redoing
the app in OpenLayers at that point.  

YMMV, but I've done a few Google Maps sites, and have recently become a big
OpenLayers fan.

  -Josh


-----Original Message-----
From: mapserver-west-bounces at lists.maptools.org
[mailto:mapserver-west-bounces at lists.maptools.org] On Behalf Of Nelson Guda
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 11:03 AM
To: Tyler Mitchell
Cc: mapserver-west at lists.maptools.org
Subject: Re: [Mapserver-west] Crytozoology non-profit seeking advise

Hi all,

I agree that the google api + postgre is the best way to go.  You could use
mysql, but if in the future you might  want to use mapserver or the gis
functions in postgis, then you should start with postgre.

The Google api can effectively handle a little over 200 points on one
screen.  More than that and you need to start complicated methods for
clustering or adding removing points as you move the map.  Another way that
I've dealt with many points is to overlay a mapserver map on top of the
google map.  Then you use a small javascript/php query to retrieve
information about the points.  It is quite effective.  Here  
is an example that we are putting together now for malaria vectors.   
It still has relatively few data points, but the idea is that it will grow
quite large ( http://www.roadlessland.org/malaria ).

I also have an example that overlays vector shapes on a google map and plots
google markers for each area.  that is here ( http:// www.roadlessland.org
).

best
nelson


On Oct 11, 2006, at 11:30 AM, Paul Ramsey wrote:

> I tend to lean with Mark, particularly if the number of observations 
> is relatively sparse at this point: use a mapping API like google maps 
> to start with, and do something  more custom only if you need to... 
> the architecture would be something like:
>
> - Data form for collection which feeds into a
> - PostGIS database which has a
> - PHP/Whatever script to pull out points and return an XML document
> - GoogleMaps API / javascript / dom to parse the XML and turn it into 
> placemarks
>
> See: <http://www.refractions.net/white_papers/mashups/> for an example 
> of simple code for doing some of these things.
>
> P
>
> On 11-Oct-06, at 7:36 AM, Tyler Mitchell wrote:
>
>>
>> On 10-Oct-06, at 9:06 PM, Fred wrote:
>>> BACKGROUND: We have a bunch of volunteer investigators who input 
>>> sighting information into our web based database, we get about 50 
>>> reports/month. The info includes gps coordinates and date/time of 
>>> each sighting. We want to plot that data colorcoded based on the 
>>> date/time onto a map of the pacific northwest in order to reveal 
>>> migration patterns (if they exist at all). Of course we have already 
>>> done the analysis on existing data, but would like to automate the 
>>> process for all of the forthcoming data. We would like to present 
>>> the results via the web in the form of a map.
>>> ...
>>> QUESTIONS:
>>>
>>> Is it possible to implement this using all open source software?
>>
>> Hi Fred, sounds interesting for sure.
>> This is definitely possible.
>>
>>> What software would you use?
>>
>> I would base the system on MapServer and the PostGIS extension to 
>> PostgreSQL database.  To keep it as simple as possible (maybe too
>> simple) - you can create a web-based form for capturing the 
>> coordinate and date and save it into PostGIS....
>>
>>> Is an expert required to generate the data maps or can they be 
>>> generated on the fly by the server?
>>
>> ... then MapServer can re-request data on-the-fly from the table in 
>> PostGIS.  Once you have a basic install of MapServer up and running, 
>> you can create a simple web map using some background map layers 
>> accessible over the web (or do you have your own map data you want to 
>> use?).
>>
>> To simplify this approach further you can use almost any database you 
>> are comfortable with, even something that is non-spatial, like SQLite 
>> (easy to maintain) or a text file.  As long as you have a web 
>> interface to add data to the format, you can likely get MapServer (or 
>> any other web map server, including MapGuide) to read from it without 
>> a lot of work.
>>
>> Hope this helps, fire off more questions as you have them.  I'm still 
>> wondering if Sasquatch makes his home in Lillooet BC :)
>>
>> Tyler
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>
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