21 replies to this topic

[Esther Mandeno]

Slightly different angle to the question:

When we develop new layers or maps, you can bet that one place that layer or feature might be fact-checked is in Google Earth. If your map/layer doesn't fit positionally with what the customer sees in Google Earth/Maps, then there's something wrong with your data/map. Who gets the benefit of the doubt on that one? Of course this view is more centered around layer developement, but the implications for cartographic work are strong. I can think of several occasions in the past year where customers wanted to know the positional accuracy of our map features against Google Earth. IMO we aren't necessarily reliant on GE as a direct data source, but we are becoming more bound to it as a resource/reference tool, because our customers are using it. My 2 cents. Any thoughts on this angle? Sorry if I pulled the topic in a slightly different direction. Hopefully it's worth it.

Here's my 2 cents: many of my clients often send me Google Earth image captures to quickly let me know where their project is. I then gather images and other gis base layers from sources I trust/know (government sources mostly) to generate the maps that they want. So, yes, I guess I'm bound to Google Earth in that sense. I am also getting requests to convert project boundary shapefiles or geodatabases to KML so that my clients can create their on-demand maps on their own. So, I finally made the leap and installed Google Earth on my machine so that I would at least know what everyone was talking about! I've used Google Map quite a bit before but not Google Earth. Anyway, for better or worse, as others have noted, GE is here and becoming the standard as it is so accessible to everyone. Doesn't mean we have to like it...

[Jimbo]

Slightly different angle to the question:
Anyway, for better or worse, as others have noted, GE is here and becoming the standard as it is so accessible to everyone. Doesn't mean we have to like it...

I find most clients have turned to web programmers for their mapping needs. So Google has damaged the cartographic field by simply taking potential clientele away from our community.

[peanut]

I have been using Google Maps more and more. See http://waterquality.lcra.org and http://crwn.lcra.org . The production process is better now that I have figured out how to use ArcGIS server produce tiles to overlay on Google Maps. The watersheds and rivers and streams on the maps originated as ArcMap MXDs.

Rich

Hi Rich, This is my first time on this forum but saw your posts and maps you created from ArcMap. I'm looking for a simple way to make a bunch of maps accessible to the public without having to create and manage an internet map service. I'm searching through references on line but need a quick couple of suggestions for a short deadline. Can you tell me briefly where you started and is the google interface a free one? Thanks, Kristal

Kristal,

Unfortunately, what you posted doesn't give me much to go on in order to help you.

The Google Map API is free so long as your site is freely available to the public.

Do you have a bunch of completed maps that you want to make available to the public (e.g. maps in PDF format) or do you have a bunch of data that you want to render into maps for the public online?

The Google Maps API examples I posted here required making a map service on ArcGIS server.

Rich

[ccmappost]

Slightly different angle to the question:
Anyway, for better or worse, as others have noted, GE is here and becoming the standard as it is so accessible to everyone. Doesn't mean we have to like it...

I find most clients have turned to web programmers for their mapping needs. So Google has damaged the cartographic field by simply taking potential clientele away from our community.

Your correct on that. Only maps that are needed for artwork are ordered now. Very little custom web map work any more.

C Chubb
cchubb1@mac.com

[woneil]

I make maps for use in my analysis work -- both as tools for analysis and to display the results in reports. For my work Google Earth is wonderful as a reconnaissance tool for gathering data to use in maps, but not for mapping per se. For that it's tremendously useful, because you can learn a lot of things from looking at a place that you cannot readily get from other sources.

[ProMapper]

Here I agree to all you guys. GMap has opened the hitherto mapping field to Java/Script programmers and users like it because it is kind of live mapping. One need not generate new maps each time a road changes or a KFC or MacDonald is added.

However GE gives an oppotunity to use common GIS / maaping software to generate small files which can be sent over low bandwidth networks to keep a tab on the progress of projects or even large KML files with details of projects for easy refrencing with respect to the earth. Here I have uploaded one very small sample to my website http://www.mapsandlo...m/plan_devp.kmz. One can choose to use it in an innovative manner for diverse purposes.

Anu
Http://www.mapsandlocations.com

[Jimbo]

If I can make a suggestion here, now I noticed that after I click your link that my browser tells me to view it I have to download the file & view it in Google Earth. I also went onto your homepage , tested your links including the HTML Mask Maps link & it told me that I was downloading a sample file. There's nothing wrong with downloading sample files but at the same time you should display how the data will be shown on a web page & add a download link for the sample. Especially for the KML file, all it takes is a few sample lines of code, so using my own training sample:

function load() {
if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());
geoXml = new GGeoXml("http://www.annexmaps...gle/Forcov.kml");


map.setCenter(new GLatLng(45.1282,-64.4498), 14);
map.addOverlay(geoXml);
}
}

I would strongly suggest that you create a sub domain first then add it as link, for example it could be called something like http://www.google.mapsandlocations.com. Also make sure you use your sub domain when you get your API key from Google. I also want to mention that if you are going to specialize in KML even with the GIS tools your going have to still learn how to add additional code such as images if you have a client that requests the information. Because GIS may save you from doing a lot of work, but it doesn't always produce the final KML.