[Xastir] Google maps

[Gerry Creager N5JXS]

There's been a lot of discussion on the Mapserver list.  The approach 
they're using is to have a LOT fo prerendered map tiles and select the 
right tile for the job.  Between Inktomi and Akamai... and Google's own 
resources, they can push a lot of maps out pretty fast, AND for all of 
us hitting 'em they're NOT being hit hard -- yet.

The Web-Based-Mapping folks who are really sharp seem less than 
impressed, although the user interface appears slick and has caught 
their eye.

gerry

Hurt, Gerald wrote:
> Curt this is something I'd mentioned a year or so ago, nice to see
> someone using it! Too bad I'm finding some decent errors in their data
> for my area... :-)
> 
> It would be nice to be able to pan using this same method in Xastir, I
> bet it could cut down on the overhead when panning around due to the map
> already having some information displayed.
> 
> Cheers!
> Jay
> 73 de N0XVB
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xastir-bounces at xastir.org [mailto:xastir-bounces at xastir.org] On
> Behalf Of Tom Russo
> Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 16:14
> To: Curt, WE7U
> Cc: xastir List
> Subject: Re: [Xastir] Google maps
> 
> On Tue, Feb 08, 2005 at 11:17:45AM -0800, we recorded a bogon-computron
> collision of the <archer at eskimo.com> flavor, containing:
> 
>>On Tue, 8 Feb 2005, N1OFZ wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Anyone take a look at Google's map offerings?  I can't believe how 
>>>fast it is to load.  Being able to drag around with the hand tool is
> 
> 
>>>cool too.  Anything to learn from them?
>>
>>Once they get some terms of use out there and we can peruse them, we 
>>might be able to use them as another online map source.  It wouldn't 
>>be a good idea to start on that project until we see what their terms 
>>might be.
>>
>>Not sure if we could learn anything from their interface that could be
> 
> 
>>applied to Xastir.  Perhaps.
> 
> 
> Well, in its current incarnation most of the functionality of the pages
> is hidden inside javascript (spot the peeve), and there's no obvious way
> to extract just a map image.  I would expect that at some point they'll
> publish an API that can be used, since they've done that for their other
> products.
> 
> I have been impressed at the quality of the maps so far, and they would
> be useful.  Since they're *intended* to be used as accurate street-level
> maps, they beat the pants off the TIGER maps, fer sher, fer sher.  
> 

-- 
Gerry Creager -- gerry.creager at tamu.edu
Texas Mesonet -- AATLT, Texas A&M University	
Cell: 979.229.5301 Office: 979.458.4020 FAX: 979.847.8578
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Office: 903A Eller Bldg, TAMU, College Station, TX 77843