[Geoserver-users] Google Maps Alike?

GeoServer GeoServer User
1

Dear all,

i am working on a web application that displays GPS route data from GPS devices on a map
i currently use Google Maps API to convert the data coming from the device to the XML that matches google maps and display it.

is it possible to do the same(or similar) using my OWN digital map and use geoserver to display the date?
if yes, can you point me to some starting points and tutorials/examples?

its for a college project and am really running short on time :slight_smile:

regards,

–
Achraf El Kashef

2

Is the data streaming (live)? Meaning, is is coming in every so often
and you have to update the data? Or do you manually enter the data?

You can definitely use geoserver to do this. How you get it into
geoserver depends on the client side implementation of your data input
(is it a web interface or a program on a local machine?)
If it is a web interface, you can build WFS insert feature requests
and send the data to geoserver that way. This is probably the easiest.
You would do this with a small AJAX call every time an update came in.
After each insert, the data will be updated and the next time you
refresh the map, you will see your new features.

Learning WFS will take a few days at least, just to get a handle on it
and get some data going back and forth. But it isn't all that bad.
There are example wfs requests in geoserver under the demo page. You
should be able to just copy and use the example insert request (of
course formatted to fit your existing dataset that is living in
geoserver) and send it using AJAX to geoserver.

I hope that helps.

On 4/27/07, Achraf El Kashef <achraf.elkashef@anonymised.com> wrote:

Dear all,

i am working on a web application that displays GPS route data from GPS
devices on a map
i currently use Google Maps API to convert the data coming from the device
to the XML that matches google maps and display it.

is it possible to do the same(or similar) using my OWN digital map and use
geoserver to display the date?
if yes, can you point me to some starting points and tutorials/examples?

its for a college project and am really running short on time :slight_smile:

regards,

--
Achraf El Kashef
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Brent Owens

3

If you're short on time and just want non-google maps data, you can also just use http://sigma.openplans.org as your base layer. See the FAQ: http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOS/GeoServer+Demo+FAQ on how to set up OpenLayers (http://openlayers.org) to use the same base layer.

If you have existing data as shapefiles or imagery, then yes, that's what GeoServer is for. The tutorials are listed here: http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOSDOC/3+Tutorials Quickstart and User Tutorial Shapefile should get you started.

Chris

Brent Owens wrote:

Is the data streaming (live)? Meaning, is is coming in every so often
and you have to update the data? Or do you manually enter the data?

You can definitely use geoserver to do this. How you get it into
geoserver depends on the client side implementation of your data input
(is it a web interface or a program on a local machine?)
If it is a web interface, you can build WFS insert feature requests
and send the data to geoserver that way. This is probably the easiest.
You would do this with a small AJAX call every time an update came in.
After each insert, the data will be updated and the next time you
refresh the map, you will see your new features.

Learning WFS will take a few days at least, just to get a handle on it
and get some data going back and forth. But it isn't all that bad.
There are example wfs requests in geoserver under the demo page. You
should be able to just copy and use the example insert request (of
course formatted to fit your existing dataset that is living in
geoserver) and send it using AJAX to geoserver.

I hope that helps.

On 4/27/07, Achraf El Kashef <achraf.elkashef@anonymised.com> wrote:

Dear all,

i am working on a web application that displays GPS route data from GPS
devices on a map
i currently use Google Maps API to convert the data coming from the device
to the XML that matches google maps and display it.

is it possible to do the same(or similar) using my OWN digital map and use
geoserver to display the date?
if yes, can you point me to some starting points and tutorials/examples?

its for a college project and am really running short on time :slight_smile:

regards,

--
Achraf El Kashef
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express
Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take
control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now.
http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/
_______________________________________________
Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users

--
Chris Holmes
The Open Planning Project
http://topp.openplans.org

4

what i want to display is something VERY similar to this
http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/googlemaps/examples/map7.htm
but with my OWN maps…

no, the data is not live, i have another interface to connect to the device, grab the data, and store it in a MySQL DB…so all my work will be on the data from DB, which does not change quite often

thanks,
Achraf El Kashef

On 4/27/07, Chris Holmes <cholmes@anonymised.com> wrote:

If you’re short on time and just want non-google maps data, you can also
just use http://sigma.openplans.org as your base layer. See the FAQ:
http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOS/GeoServer+Demo+FAQ on how to set
up OpenLayers (http://openlayers.org) to use the same base layer.

If you have existing data as shapefiles or imagery, then yes, that’s
what GeoServer is for. The tutorials are listed here:
http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOSDOC/3+Tutorials Quickstart and
User Tutorial Shapefile should get you started.

Chris

Brent Owens wrote:

Is the data streaming (live)? Meaning, is is coming in every so often
and you have to update the data? Or do you manually enter the data?

You can definitely use geoserver to do this. How you get it into
geoserver depends on the client side implementation of your data input
(is it a web interface or a program on a local machine?)
If it is a web interface, you can build WFS insert feature requests
and send the data to geoserver that way. This is probably the easiest.
You would do this with a small AJAX call every time an update came in.
After each insert, the data will be updated and the next time you
refresh the map, you will see your new features.

Learning WFS will take a few days at least, just to get a handle on it
and get some data going back and forth. But it isn’t all that bad.
There are example wfs requests in geoserver under the demo page. You
should be able to just copy and use the example insert request (of
course formatted to fit your existing dataset that is living in
geoserver) and send it using AJAX to geoserver.

I hope that helps.

On 4/27/07, Achraf El Kashef <achraf.elkashef@anonymised.com> wrote:

Dear all,

i am working on a web application that displays GPS route data from GPS
devices on a map
i currently use Google Maps API to convert the data coming from the device
to the XML that matches google maps and display it.

is it possible to do the same(or similar) using my OWN digital map and use
geoserver to display the date?
if yes, can you point me to some starting points and tutorials/examples?

its for a college project and am really running short on time :slight_smile:

regards,

–
Achraf El Kashef

This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express
Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take
control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now.
http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/

Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users

–
Chris Holmes
The Open Planning Project
http://topp.openplans.org

–
Achraf El Kashef

5

Do you have your own maps? Like do you have base layer data of streets, parks, place names, water, ect. ? If so, then yes, you can put that in GeoServer and it will serve it up. But getting good data is generally the problem.

Chris

Achraf El Kashef wrote:

what i want to display is something VERY similar to this
http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/googlemaps/examples/map7.htm
but with my OWN maps..

no, the data is not live, i have another interface to connect to the device, grab the data, and store it in a MySQL DB.....so all my work will be on the data from DB, which does not change quite often

thanks,
Achraf El Kashef

On 4/27/07, *Chris Holmes* <cholmes@anonymised.com <mailto:cholmes@anonymised.com>> wrote:

    If you're short on time and just want non-google maps data, you can also
    just use http://sigma.openplans.org as your base layer. See the FAQ:
    http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOS/GeoServer+Demo+FAQ on how to set
    up OpenLayers (http://openlayers.org) to use the same base layer.

    If you have existing data as shapefiles or imagery, then yes, that's
    what GeoServer is for. The tutorials are listed here:
    http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOSDOC/3+Tutorials Quickstart and
    User Tutorial Shapefile should get you started.

    Chris

    Brent Owens wrote:
     > Is the data streaming (live)? Meaning, is is coming in every so often
     > and you have to update the data? Or do you manually enter the data?
     >
     > You can definitely use geoserver to do this. How you get it into
     > geoserver depends on the client side implementation of your data
    input
     > (is it a web interface or a program on a local machine?)
     > If it is a web interface, you can build WFS insert feature requests
     > and send the data to geoserver that way. This is probably the
    easiest.
     > You would do this with a small AJAX call every time an update
    came in.
     > After each insert, the data will be updated and the next time you
     > refresh the map, you will see your new features.
     >
     > Learning WFS will take a few days at least, just to get a handle
    on it
     > and get some data going back and forth. But it isn't all that bad.
     > There are example wfs requests in geoserver under the demo page. You
     > should be able to just copy and use the example insert request (of
     > course formatted to fit your existing dataset that is living in
     > geoserver) and send it using AJAX to geoserver.
     >
     > I hope that helps.
     >
     > On 4/27/07, Achraf El Kashef <achraf.elkashef@anonymised.com
    <mailto:achraf.elkashef@anonymised.com>> wrote:
     >> Dear all,
     >>
     >> i am working on a web application that displays GPS route data
    from GPS
     >> devices on a map
     >> i currently use Google Maps API to convert the data coming from
    the device
     >> to the XML that matches google maps and display it.
     >>
     >> is it possible to do the same(or similar) using my OWN digital
    map and use
     >> geoserver to display the date?
     >> if yes, can you point me to some starting points and
    tutorials/examples?
     >>
     >> its for a college project and am really running short on time :slight_smile:
     >>
     >> regards,
     >>
     >> --
     >> Achraf El Kashef
     >>
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

     >> This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express
     >> Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take
     >> control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now.
     >> http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/
     >> _______________________________________________
     >> Geoserver-users mailing list
     >> Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
    <mailto:Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net>
     >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users
     >>
     >

    --
    Chris Holmes
    The Open Planning Project
    http://topp.openplans.org

--
Achraf El Kashef

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express
Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take
control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now.
http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/

------------------------------------------------------------------------

_______________________________________________
Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users

--
Chris Holmes
The Open Planning Project
http://topp.openplans.org

6

yes i already bought a digital map that works on ESRI software… afair the extension is mdb

all i need to do now is plot data from my DB (lat/long data) as lines on this map on my web application (am using c# and .NET as my IDE)

any tutorials/examples would be really appreciated :slight_smile:

thanks,
Achraf El Kashef

On 4/27/07, Chris Holmes < cholmes@anonymised.com> wrote:

Do you have your own maps? Like do you have base layer data of streets,
parks, place names, water, ect. ? If so, then yes, you can put that in
GeoServer and it will serve it up. But getting good data is generally
the problem.

Chris

Achraf El Kashef wrote:

what i want to display is something VERY similar to this
http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/googlemaps/examples/map7.htm
but with my OWN maps…

no, the data is not live, i have another interface to connect to the
device, grab the data, and store it in a MySQL DB…so all my work
will be on the data from DB, which does not change quite often

thanks,
Achraf El Kashef

On 4/27/07, Chris Holmes < cholmes@anonymised.com
mailto:[cholmes@anonymised.com](mailto:cholmes@anonymised.com)> wrote:

If you’re short on time and just want non-google maps data, you can also
just use http://sigma.openplans.org as your base layer. See the FAQ:
http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOS/GeoServer+Demo+FAQ on how to set
up OpenLayers (http://openlayers.org) to use the same base layer.

If you have existing data as shapefiles or imagery, then yes, that’s
what GeoServer is for. The tutorials are listed here:
http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOSDOC/3+Tutorials Quickstart and
User Tutorial Shapefile should get you started.

Chris

Brent Owens wrote:

Is the data streaming (live)? Meaning, is is coming in every so often
and you have to update the data? Or do you manually enter the data?

You can definitely use geoserver to do this. How you get it into
geoserver depends on the client side implementation of your data
input
(is it a web interface or a program on a local machine?)
If it is a web interface, you can build WFS insert feature requests
and send the data to geoserver that way. This is probably the
easiest.
You would do this with a small AJAX call every time an update
came in.
After each insert, the data will be updated and the next time you
refresh the map, you will see your new features.

Learning WFS will take a few days at least, just to get a handle
on it
and get some data going back and forth. But it isn’t all that bad.
There are example wfs requests in geoserver under the demo page. You
should be able to just copy and use the example insert request (of
course formatted to fit your existing dataset that is living in
geoserver) and send it using AJAX to geoserver.

I hope that helps.

On 4/27/07, Achraf El Kashef <achraf.elkashef@anonymised.com
mailto:[achraf.elkashef@anonymised.com](mailto:achraf.elkashef@anonymised.com)> wrote:

Dear all,

i am working on a web application that displays GPS route data
from GPS
devices on a map
i currently use Google Maps API to convert the data coming from
the device
to the XML that matches google maps and display it.

is it possible to do the same(or similar) using my OWN digital
map and use
geoserver to display the date?
if yes, can you point me to some starting points and
tutorials/examples?

its for a college project and am really running short on time :slight_smile:

regards,

–
Achraf El Kashef

This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express
Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take
control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now.
http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/

Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
<mailto:Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net >
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users

–
Chris Holmes
The Open Planning Project
http://topp.openplans.org

–
Achraf El Kashef

This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express
Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take
control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now.
http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/

Geoserver-users mailing list
Geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geoserver-users

–
Chris Holmes
The Open Planning Project
http://topp.openplans.org

–
Achraf El Kashef

7

Achraf El Kashef ha scritto:

yes i already bought a digital map that works on ESRI software... afair the extension is mdb

all i need to do now is plot data from my DB (lat/long data) as lines on this map on my web application (am using c# and .NET as my IDE)

any tutorials/examples would be really appreciated :slight_smile:

Hmmm... if it's an MDB, that is, an Access DB, then you probably
have a "personal geodatabase". It's a proprietary format we can't read,
besides it's limited to work on Windows only.
As far as I know, you can use OGR (http://www.gdal.org/ogr/)
to read that format and turn it into something else that can be read
by Geoserver, such as shapefiles or a PostGIS table.

Then again, if you're playing with c# you'll have very few point of
contact with Geoserver, which is entirely developed in Java.
If all you wish is to plot a map using the esri geodatabase directly,
and have good integration with your development environment, you may
want to try something else, such as MapServer or MapGuide open source
edition.

Hope this helps
Cheers
Andrea

8

hmm, i already tried ogr to convert my MDB file, it produced some .shp and .prj files but it dies in the middle of the process saying “error 6 cant convert binary data”
anyway, i tried to import the output shp files into geoserver but it didnt work…it complained about SRS or something like that…

are there any other conversion tools? whats really the difference between the shp file and “personal geodatabase”?

so basically you’re saying that using my mdb map, with geoserver to plot GPS points from a DB is not feasible?

thanks alot for help,really appreciated

Achraf El Kashef

On 4/28/07, Andrea Aime <aaime@anonymised.com > wrote:

Achraf El Kashef ha scritto:

yes i already bought a digital map that works on ESRI software… afair
the extension is mdb

all i need to do now is plot data from my DB (lat/long data) as lines on
this map on my web application (am using c# and .NET as my IDE)

any tutorials/examples would be really appreciated :slight_smile:

Hmmm… if it’s an MDB, that is, an Access DB, then you probably
have a “personal geodatabase”. It’s a proprietary format we can’t read,
besides it’s limited to work on Windows only.
As far as I know, you can use OGR (http://www.gdal.org/ogr/)
to read that format and turn it into something else that can be read
by Geoserver, such as shapefiles or a PostGIS table.

Then again, if you’re playing with c# you’ll have very few point of
contact with Geoserver, which is entirely developed in Java.
If all you wish is to plot a map using the esri geodatabase directly,
and have good integration with your development environment, you may
want to try something else, such as MapServer or MapGuide open source
edition.

Hope this helps
Cheers
Andrea

–
Achraf El Kashef

9

Achraf El Kashef ha scritto:

hmm, i already tried ogr to convert my MDB file, it produced some .shp and .prj files but it dies in the middle of the process saying "error 6 cant convert binary data"

Hmmm... never had a personal geodatabase to play with, but if OGR
fails, I guess you won't be able to serve it with MapServer neither (since MapServer uses OGR to access it anyways). I'm sure there is
a commercial tool that can read and write lots of formats, it's very
good and you can get a 30 days trial, but for the life of me I can't
remember its name...

anyway, i tried to import the output shp files into geoserver but it didnt work..it complained about SRS or something like that...

We need more precise errors to diagnose. What is the exact error message? Did you get a stack trace in the Geoserver console?

are there any other conversion tools? whats really the difference between the shp file and "personal geodatabase"?

so basically you're saying that using my mdb map, with geoserver to plot GPS points from a DB is not feasible?

Not unless you manage to convert a personal geodatabase into something
Geoserver can read. Same goes for GPS points.

Cheers
Andrea