I need something like Multimap

[chrisforeman2]

Most people have heard or used of Multimap.com

You click a map and zoom in to view a more detailed map.

Well now.

It's the ability to click in on a map to see more detail that I need advice on. I have been asked to look into a system which in princicple is the same.

Are there any online notes or web sites I could go to to discover how I could have this "multimap" effect on my own site and have it developed in Ultradev/Dreamweaver MX...?

Loot

[Sanenet]

Whoo... who did you annoy to get this choice task?

It's a proprietary system, protected by patents and copyright, which I'm willing to bet took them a while to set up. However, if I remember correctly, they offer a development program in which you can get their software to develop your own applications.

[trillianjedi]

<Strange, BestBBS double posting.....>

[edited by: trillianjedi at 12:34 pm (utc) on Oct. 1, 2003]

[trillianjedi]

I have some experience of working with such systems. It's really very simple, but can be expensive getting permission to use the maps.

What exactly is it that you need to know?

TJ

[killroy]

Once you buy the maps from your local ministry, the rest is simple. the maps aren'T even that expensive, in my country at least.

You store the map in hi-res in small squares. you have a DB that relates each file with a longitude/latitude pair. You write a finction that takes a location and zoom factor. It calculates the box coordinates then pulls the relevant images, joins them, resizes them and voila you're done. a couple of lines in PHP at the most.

SN

[mole]

killroy, with respect, I have to disagree.

It's going to take considerably more than a couple of lines in PHP, and in the UK the right-to-use the maps will cost a fortune, depending on the area you want to cover.

Also, to make the zoom function work you have to store different maps to reflect the appropriate level of detail at the different scales (zoom factors).

Chrisforeman2 - please tell us how much area you plan to cover with this facility, then we can give you a better idea.

[killroy]

Hi Mole, I should have qualified. The system I've developed was for a small country where only 2 zoom levels were neccessary. I already qualyfied that the map rights are quite affordable in this country and said so.

Furthermore with a proper GIS system, details and road networks as well as other features can be enabled and disabled at will. For a large system, that is used nationwide in a country the size of the UK, a proper GIS system is a must. while GIS software is costly, if you can obtain the data files you could write the rest yourself. Not a few lines of PHP I agree, but then again I've never writte any PHP. I could write up the mapping part from the GIS data.

I was simply suggestign the quickest way to set a system up. Everything else is unfeasable for most websites, ergo: few online map offerings and VERY few custom solutions.

SN

[gethan]

Both streetmap.co.uk and multimap.com offer a templating system that you can frame in your own site. Definetly the quickest option. I used the streetmap offering for one client and was able to achieve what they wanted.

Writing this from scratch is a big undertaking... all the mapping of postcodes, as mentioned zooming, obtaining rights etc etc. I guess there is only a certain level of customisation that these guys would be prepared to do for you but it is always worth investigating first.

[mole]

I too have used the streetmap offering and I'm impressed. I've also used java applets to do zoomable maps which is another quick and low cost solution.

All depends what you want, I guess

[trillianjedi]

all the mapping of postcodes

That's not actually mentioned in the original post, but if required, it takes it into a whole new ballgame (and an expensive one to play at too).

The zooming is really not difficult - the maps you licence are pre-coded with the lat/long for top left and bottom right of the image. And they're all a fixed size, so it's basic maths to calculate the zoom and relate it to the database (or filename).

It is more than a couple of lines of php though!

The big hurdle is cost - as already asked, how big an area do you want to cover and what is your budget?

TJ

[chrisforeman2]

Hi All,

Just to clarify me origibnal posting.

I have my own maps which we have created in 3 levels of detail/scale.

The principle on Multimap of clicking an area of a map to zoom in is exactly what I need.

I dont need post codes or anything, I am working in a small region map covering an area of a small city.

Looking for a simple solution (arent we all).

Chris

[killroy]

you can use the server side image map feature to read the coordinates. Then you can reload at the right location and zoom.

In your case what I described earlier as the simplest solution should work fine.

SN

[kwasher]

Maybe this is what you are looking for, its called (formerly photovista?) iseemedia zoom image server.

I guess I probably have to sticky the url to you.

--Kenn

[dotbiz]

Does anyone know how much (appox.) the map data for the united states would cost? And where can I find such information?

Thanks.