Mapping

[Max Turbo]

Hello

The business I am hopefully starting in the next couple of months will rely heavily on mapping, something along the lines of Google Maps although it does not have to be with them.

My requirements:

- To be able to have free use of zoomable maps
- To be able to overlay my own layers, which will contain locations inputted by either postcode (fulll postcode rather than just the first part) or full address
- To be able to link two locations together, either by a line mapping out the route (ala Google Maps) or just an "as the crow flies" line. Preferably the route line.

I have spoken briefly to my website designer about this and he seems to think that this sort of mapping (full postcode mapping) isn't possible without paying for it, based on research for another project he was working on.

When it comes to programming, I am not too clued up so when I try and hunt the web for information on this, I am usually thrown by the "tech speak" but I wanted to do some research for myself.

Does anyone know if, based on my requirements, it is possible to acheive what I am after without incurring a cost for it.

Thanks

Max

[ukvoyager.info]

http://www.openlayers.org will provide you the map client for browsers. Works with Google, Yahoo, MultiMap, Map24, MapPoint & many others and will do everything you ask.

For royalty free maps check out http://www.openstreetmap.org

You will have to write your own plumbing for a postcode search though but it isn't that hard to do. Any decent web developer can do it for you. Other than that cost, the rest is free.

[Max Turbo]

ukvoyager.info said:

http://www.openlayers.org will provide you the map client for browsers. Works with Google, Yahoo, MultiMap, Map24, MapPoint & many others and will do everything you ask.

For royalty free maps check out http://www.openstreetmap.org

You will have to write your own plumbing for a postcode search though but it isn't that hard to do. Any decent web developer can do it for you. Other than that cost, the rest is free.

Thanks for the info! Sorry to be a bit of a simpleton but what do you mean by a "map client"? Is this the company that supply the mapping software which is embedded into the (my) website?

I presume the setup you suggest will allow layers to be put over the top of the maps?

Many thanks

Max

[Max Turbo]

Ohh, I forgot to mention. I linked across to your website and the map seemed to be lying on top of the info the right of it? It may well be something on my computer making it happen but just wanted to make sure you knew about it if its something that isnt just my end and you didn't know about it.

Cheers

M

[GHW]

Assuming that the map will be freely accessible by anyone, you can use the public Google Maps API to do this. If it's going to be a private website, then you'll need to pay Google for the privilege.

OpenLayers is a completely free component (similar to Google Maps) that you can add to a webpage and get similar map viewing functions (see a demo at http://www.openlayers.org). It's only a viewer though, so you'll have to provide the map data, the routing and the locating services yourself.

Openstreetmap (http://www.openstreetmap.org) can provide you with the map data, but it doesn't have full UK coverage yet, and the data is user-contributed (think of it as a wikipedia streetmap), so may not be very accurate.

[Don]

GHW said:

Assuming that the map will be freely accessible by anyone, you can use the public Google Maps API to do this. If it's going to be a private website, then you'll need to pay Google for the privilege.

We looked into this and the key thing is that the maps must be freely accessible to the public - no usernames, passwords or restrictions of any kind. Costs $10,000USD otherwise.

I've done a bit of Google API programming - all good fun - you can achieve some pretty neat effects...

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

I'm using www.live.com (then click on Maps and then usually use the 'locations' to search for the address I'm looking for). Their USP is that you are able to click on 'Birds Eye view' once you have your location BUT most importantly you are able to rotate around the chosen area by clicking on the rotate arrows.

Useful when looking at sites in London for my job. Not sure whether it is any good for stuff beyond M25.

Also www.promap.co.uk is extremely useful but you have to pay for that.

[Max Turbo]

GHW said:

Assuming that the map will be freely accessible by anyone, you can use the public Google Maps API to do this. If it's going to be a private website, then you'll need to pay Google for the privilege.

This is what I am not 100% sure about. Without wanting to give away too much info at the moment, I want to provide the "map feature" to anyone and everyone. Information will be displayed on the map feature but to know who listed the information, the user needs to register on my website. So, in summary, the map plus information is available without cost or login required. The only thing requiring login will be gaining access to the username of the person who listed the information.

Will this cause me a ball ache if I want to use Google Maps?

Many thanks

M

Edited by Max Turbo on Monday 10th March 20:00

[Don]

Max Turbo said:

Will this cause me a ball ache if I want to use Google Maps?

I'm pretty sure it will. You'd need to get a lawyer to read the Ts and Cs and consult with your developer about exactly how it will be implemented.