I am wondering if anyone has experimented with importing geoserver-generated kml into the google maps mobile app.
Here’s the situation I am dealing with. We have a website which displays arterial roadway conditions (congestion data) on geoserver-created files overlaid on Google Maps. We have been asked to research making this data available on pdas as well as the web.
Neither the Google Maps Javascript API or the Google Maps Flash API work within the majority of pda-based environments (a well-known limitation). But I stumbled across some information which stated that IF a pda had Google Mobile Maps installed and the web browser on that pda tried to access a kml file, the google mobile maps app should open and then display the kml file. Thus, in our case, providing at least a traffic data “snapshot” to anyone with this setup.
I played with the kml reflect url for our congestion layer in google earth, and got a beautiful snapshot of our traffic data overlaid on the google earth map. So, I took the idea over to a fellow employee with an iPhone (comes with Google Mobile Maps) and we tried to access the kml url from safari on his phone. Safari just said it couldn’t open the file.
Further research says that opening kml files using the google app on the iPhone may or many not be broken and thus what we did may not be a fully valid test. Further research also says there may have been improvements in the kml generation of geoserver since the version we are running (v1.6.4)? Unfortunately, we don’t seem to have any other types of smart phones or pdas around the office to test with.
So, I guess what I’m asking is
(a) has anyone successfully accomplished getting a google mobile maps app on any pda/smart phone to access and open a kml file from a geoserver kml_reflect url? If so, what pda/smart phone?
(b) if anyone has, can you give me any advice on what we need to do or look at to make this more successful? Even if we create a simple version of the website for “all” pdas and have a section that states “if you use a, b, or c, and have google mobile maps installed, access this link to see a visual snapshot of congestion data” that would probably make our client happy.
Thanks,
Deirdre
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We haven't tried on android, but imagine it wouldn't be too much work to get it working since it's also a webkit browser (same as iphone).
Deirdre Hall wrote:
I am wondering if anyone has experimented with importing geoserver-generated kml into the google maps mobile app.
Here's the situation I am dealing with. We have a website which displays arterial roadway conditions (congestion data) on geoserver-created files overlaid on Google Maps. We have been asked to research making this data available on pdas as well as the web.
Neither the Google Maps Javascript API or the Google Maps Flash API work within the majority of pda-based environments (a well-known limitation). But I stumbled across some information which stated that IF a pda had Google Mobile Maps installed and the web browser on that pda tried to access a kml file, the google mobile maps app should open and then display the kml file. Thus, in our case, providing at least a traffic data "snapshot" to anyone with this setup.
I played with the kml reflect url for our congestion layer in google earth, and got a beautiful snapshot of our traffic data overlaid on the google earth map. So, I took the idea over to a fellow employee with an iPhone (comes with Google Mobile Maps) and we tried to access the kml url from safari on his phone. Safari just said it couldn't open the file.
Further research says that opening kml files using the google app on the iPhone may or many not be broken and thus what we did may not be a fully valid test. Further research also says there may have been improvements in the kml generation of geoserver since the version we are running (v1.6.4)? Unfortunately, we don't seem to have any other types of smart phones or pdas around the office to test with.
So, I guess what I'm asking is
(a) has anyone successfully accomplished getting a google mobile maps app on any pda/smart phone to access and open a kml file from a geoserver kml_reflect url? If so, what pda/smart phone?
(b) if anyone has, can you give me any advice on what we need to do or look at to make this more successful? Even if we create a simple version of the website for "all" pdas and have a section that states "if you use a, b, or c, and have google mobile maps installed, access this link to see a visual snapshot of congestion data" that would probably make our client happy.
Thanks,
Deirdre
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