Playing Around with Google Maps


I have been entirely ispired by Kyle Mulka and others who have written ingenious hacks to the google maps API. Below is a collection of hacks made by ingenious devs and supermen, which I am trying to duplicate and/or modify to make geology and archeology maps for my site utahgeology.com. This site is really meant only for me, and not so much for visitors but others might find some of the hacks I have done usefull. I have included references to hacks that I have gotten from others.

If you have any questions, suggestestions, comments, etc, feel free to contact me.

***** NOTE: Now that google has dropped support of version 1.0 of the googlemap API, only the top couple of these maps work. I am trying to fix them as I have time. ********

Maps

  • Utah Geology Google Map., Most of the GIS & googemap stuff I am working on will be intergrated into this map page. I am using the googlemap API to draw a map of utah, but this map will also pull layers from shape files or WMS servers. I have set up a WMS server on my server using the University of Wisconsin open source WMS. I also want to change it, so that it runs from within a macromedia flash application so zooming is smoother. When I'm finished, people will be able to overlay satalite imagery with geologic maps of utah of all scales. They will also be able to click and query the map for database information about individual formations and such.
    See http://maps.google.com/ -for info on the google maps

  • Utah Geology Layer Thickness Application, This is a sweet application I made using the tlabel hack mensioned below. Tmaps lets you display informatin in a box above the lat/lon point instead of a clickable marker. I have used it to create a php application which queries our formation database and returns layer thickness to layers you type in the input box. It's pretty sweet if I do say so myself. If you want to see the php code, just e-mail me. It uses some nifty loops and SQL queries to query over 100 database tables.

  • satmap_eqdata.html, This is a sweet hack from http://www.speakeasy.org/~endico/maps/usgs.html that gets a xml/rss feed from the usgs feed here http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/catalogs/eqs7day-M2.5.xml and plots a map of earthquakes which have occured in the last week. I am going to make a few similiar to it, which get earthquake data specific to my state (utah), and also some that get other rss feeds such as visible earth and modis satilite maps.

  • satmap_sql.php, North American Archeology Sites. The coordinates, names and links associated with these sites are all being called from a mysql database. The page uses php to dynamically call this information and write the html.
    See http://maps.kylemulka.com/ -for info on the multiple map views
    See http://www.map-server.com/googlemaps/overview.html -for php how to.

  • satmap_textmark.php, This uses the xmaps hack. Pulls the names of the markers from mysql database, as also mouseover text. Also creates custom images and background colors. So change the name shape and color of markers. requires calls the xmap.1b.js javascript, which is actually the same as the Ggpx.js
    SEE http://xmaps.busmonster.com/documentation.html#Red_vs_Green for info

  • satmap_tlabel.php, This uses the tlablel hack. I have integrated php and the database with this one so I can post info and image thumbnails to a map from the database. I might want to use it to display thumbnails of geologically annotated aerial photos and Layer Thickness Maps. It uses the tlabel.10.js and a few of my images in the googlemap folder.

  • satmap_sql2.php, Same as satmap_sql but uses labeled markers instead of the tiny ones.

  • satmap.htm, Basically the html code generated by the satmap_sql php file. Does NOT get data from the datbase.

  • satmap2.htm, The gmap EZ way of placing markers. Loads incredibly slow.

  • satmap_overlay2.html, This is a Sweet transparent overlay window I want to add a geologic map to, from http://www.kokogiak.com/gmaps-transparencies.html All credit goes to them for this work of art!

  • satmap_overlay.html, This is a hack of the above overlay that pulls custom info from a personal mapping server. If I can figure out how to set up the mapping server, I will start cutting up the geologic maps and have them served to may site. from http://www.ponies.me.uk/maps/osmap.html

  • satmap_geomap2.html, This is my altered version of the www.kokogiak.com hack above which overlays the google map ontop of my geologic map which is being pulled from my php psuedoWMS

  • satmap_geomap.html, One step better than the last this one my alteration of the www.ponies.me.uk above (which uses the kokogiak one) and puts the geology map ON TOP OR ON BOTTOM depending on which layer you choose. Sweet.

  • satmap_geomap3.html, The php / psuedo-WMS tile server in its simplest form. Made exactly from the "add your own custom map" tutorial found at (http://mapki.com/index.php?title=Add_Your_Own_Custom_Map). Which was written by the guys who made this map http://www.onnyturf.com/subwaymap.phphttp://www.onnyturf.com/subwaymap.php

  • satmap_geomap1.html, Here I am trying to add my psuedo WMS as another layer in Kyle Mulka's Nasa JPL and terraserver layers google map. NOT WORKING YET.

  • satmap_geomap4.html, And here I am trying to do my psuedo WMS in the same way that Kyle Mulka explains in his blog found at http://blog.kylemulka.com/index.php?cat=23 Which differs from the above in that it uses pure javascript to resolve the tile request and call the tile URL's instead of the php file.

  • satmap_tiny.htm, Supposed to be the default example of google tiny markers but isnt working right now.

  • satmap_click_controls.htm, The original example I downloaded from the website, a map of palo alto with zoomablity.

  • satmap_click_controls2.htm, Has the scroll zoom, no right click and middle click. Works with two sections of code and an external ref to a js file.

  • satmap_quickmaps.htm, I am trying to play with some of the hacks and functions of the application found at http://quikmaps.geotripping.com/new Its pretty sweet, and I havent been able to get anything to work yet, but I am working on it.

  • satmap_gpx.php, Draws a shapfile (or the .mif file) that is located in the "gpx" folder or directory requires/calls the Ggpx.js javascript in order to work. See here

  • satmap_gpx_mex.php, The one I have adapted to show the ancient extension to the gulf of mexico which is yet to be researched.

  • satmap_find_zip.html, Sweet geocoder from John Coryat Systems., that I dont think I will use, but I would like to play around with. It is copyrighted, so it is not for public use. I am just playing with the code to see if I want to do something like it, some day.

  • satmap_Tracer.php, This tool is a work of genious from http://www.499angels.net/jonnyc23/tracer.htm I only copied it incase it ever goes off line, since I use it often. All credit to Jon... he is the man.

  • satmap_sidebyside.html, Puts two maps side by side and makes them move together to compare them.

  • satmap_boxzoom.html, Sweet hack which lets you zoom by drawing a box around an area.

Tools

  • gpins_AtoZ.zip, Google markers A to Z. Google only has A-J (for those who have noticed), so I created the rest. They are the default maroonish red color.