GMaps for the CWBP

[SeerBlue]

After reading a previous post about using Google Maps API to display the CWBP creations I couldn't resist giving it a go.
Over at ME-DEM we have long talked about co-opting the map api to display our Middle Earth imagery and I have done several test pages doing that, so since I have Global Mapper, which makes creating google maps with custom imagery very painless, I talked to Redrobes about it and he supplied me with some image files for tiling, and some I snagged from the CWBP Wiki.
Right now there are a handful of maps on the site Inspired Cartography
on the GMaps page. I have set the site up for both Cartographers' Guild work and ME-DEM Project work, with links galore back to the original sites.
This was my first attempt at a multipage website, so there are bound to be things I did not catch.

Some maps have only a few zoom levels, Thrubmorton Fen has from 6 (I think) to 21, some are geo-referenced to the whole world map and show the effect of the Mercator Projection, and 2 are as close to the original format as I could get them (geo-referenced at 0 latitude,0 longitude).

I hope I have not step on any toes here, I just wanted to see the CWBP maps showcased, and at me-dem I have server space and access, so I thought combining the work of two inspiring cartographic projects would work well...If I have overstepped let me know, or if you like the site and see things that need changing (perhaps a better description of the CWBP), let me know that as well.

As a note, the site displays the latest imagery I had at the time I uploaded it, and I have a set of higher resolution tiles for the full map that is inwork awaiting upload. There are also a few "oops" in the Fentor Cross Village" gmap that I have left in until I can get screen caps for a tutorial I am writing on Gmaps and Global Mapper.

Hope you like it, SeerBlue

[Gamerprinter]

Looks very cool Seerblue! Have some rep!

GP

[Torq]

Magnificent Seerblue. I think you've done a fantastic thing there. It works hand in hand with the wiki, in that it provides an easy graphical interface for those purely interested in the mapping aspect while the wiki deals with the written details. I see you have a link to the wiki too. Great job. I dont think you have stood on anyone's toes at all. If this doesn't inspire those who have yet to turn in their area maps, I dont know what will. Thanks.

Torq

[ravells]

Very cool indeed, thanks Seerblue!

[SeerBlue]

Thank you, all, I am glad you like the site, and I hope it does garner some attention for the Projects.
I will also be happy to add all maps as they are completed, I can tile in excess of a 16k by 16k image (Thrubmorton Fen is that size), and can add higher resolution imagery to just about any point on any map, if the zoom ranges are comparable.

EDIT; I am also working on adding markers to the maps which will open info bubbles, perhaps with a bit of information gleaned from the Wiki pertaining to that location and a link back to the more detailed Wiki entry..or to higher resolution imagery on another map of a specific feature or building in that location,,as some maps may not be large enough to fill the zoom levels between "country" and "Tavern".
I am thinking perhaps a frames page with drop downs to select the country, which will then load in a small frame, and then in turn load the markers into the map and a sidebar. Once a marker is selected a larger image will load in a larger frame, to display the local image/map...hopefully

Thank you again, I have to run to get the kids for the day, SeerBlue

[SeerBlue]

the google maps on Inspired Cartography and me-dem are down for a bit, we are working at getting everything back up as soon as possible. SeerBlue

[Redrobes]

Very cool stuff. I think the site is back up again Well your bit is - medem is still down

I reckon this is going to become very cool if you can get right up to building level and then links to the wiki for each one. I see ordinary google maps have a new tick box for links into the wikipedia for the places write up so it must be possible somehow.

[Torq]

The site looks very cool Seerblue. But .. .... ahem,....where is Groam?

Torq

[SeerBlue]

ahhh, Groam, I actually have it tiled, and am fiddling with 2 things,or one thing that does two things, markers which will open links to either the CWBP Wiki, or to higher resolution subsets of the map (for which right now I am just using filler images), but until the me-dem site is fixed I won't be uploading any files, I don't want to put a wrench into any of the work JavaJones is doing to upgrade the site. InsCarto is not actually "within" me-dem's cms, but I don't want to risk it.
I was thinking that not all maps may be as large as Thrubmorton Fen in resolution, yet they may have Cities or Villages, or even Structures, that are done in their own map, and so to see them in the context of where they "are in the World" a clickable marker placed above the actual country map at the proper location would be nice, click the linked marker and the new map opens..or if some one writes a bit of info/story about a specific location a marker can link to that..

I have a version working in frames, a smaller frame for the whole country map (to give the overview) which has the markers, and a larger frame which will display the higher resolution map/image(if it is say, a Tavern),,,and a version which opens a new window with a separate gmap instance.
The frames page works/looks real good with big monitors, while the separate pages version looks best on laptop/normal monitors.

To make all the html/jscripting easier I have been experimenting with exporting the lat long coordinates from Global Mapper, after digitizing the locations of the points of interest, as its own csv file, which I convert to xml for the page to get and load....This way, or once I finalize a nice way, the actual page html will be cleaner, and mods to the marker xml will be easier. I could even go the route of loading the marker files on Google Docs as a table and pull it from there,,,if I could remember my log-in

I will have to look into the Wiki link tick box Redrobes, I had read about it in the API forums, but never got back to it.

And, I have also been looking into / learning as much as I can about serving tiles on the fly, between bouts of child minding.
As the amount of tiles needed grows, the benefits of having a few huge images, compared to tens of thousands of precut tiles, appear.
USNAVIGUIDE, John Coryat's mapping business serves out imagery cut on the fly at quite a volume, he uses Perl 5.8 with DBI, GD and CGI modules,PostgreSQL 8.2 with PostGIS Extension,Apache 2.0 webserver, USNaviguide_Google_Relpix Perl module,USNaviguide_Google_Tiles Perl module,ProjectedImage.js Javascript ,,,he supplies the scripts and perl modules from his site, as well as a good bit of info. But as I have no experience with the software (yet) I am still in the try and try again mode to get it to work.
Luckily we have not yet approached the point yet, with either me-dem or guild imagery where changing how the tiles are stored/served is necessary,,,I would like to get there though.

SeerBlue

edit; after posting I realized I was repeating my previous post, pretty much, guess the memory is going.

[SeerBlue]

I have added Groam and Kwourin to the gmaps at InsCarto http://maps.me-dem.org/InsCarto/GoogleMaps/Gmaps.htm
Just click on the link (cartographers') next to Groam in the list of maps, and a map (should) open. This page is different than the others as I added markers to each location (as a test), the list in the GControl is of cities in Groam, clicking one will center on the marker and open the info bubble, for example,the label for Kwourin will center the Kwourin marker and open an info bubble with a link to Torqs' Kwourin city map, the label for Arkender, Silvervein, and the Grey Fortress will center on those markers and open info bubbles for links to the CWBP Wiki entries for each. This is one way of adding the city maps into the country maps when there is not enough zoom levels to fly right in.
I plan on adding the links to the remaining locations which have Wiki entries soon. Take a look and see if it works for you, I have just a laptop with an itsy screen so it is hard to judge how it will appear on the monsters you all own ,, I read the What does your workspace look like thread

And if any one is planning on mapping any of the structures in Kwourin let me know and I will link them off of the Kwourin map.

Now to work on an me-dem map that can utilize some of what I have learned doing this..SeerBlue