Map "Widget"

When I tried to include a Google Map into one of my recent blog entries, I did not find a suitable method to just add a placemark and show the map in the blog entry. There was the option to show a map as a static image, provided by Google, but I wanted to keep all the user interaction open (zoom, shift, etc.). So I had no other choice than to write again an HTML page with this functionality.

This page allows to show any set of locations, provided through just the URL. The following is an example how it looks:



This is the code for it:

<iframe width="100%" frameborder="0" src="http://creativetech.inn.leedsmet.ac.uk/_Track/ShowMapPlaces.php?h=400&p=34.8239369,33.6019474,Journalist%20Village,http://www.esk.org.cy/en1.htm&p=34.8210700,33.6035568,Hotel%20Pharos,http://www.faros-village-larnaka.eureka-reservation.com" height="400px" >
</iframe>

Anyone can use this for inclusion in their own blog - no warranty is given here, not for functionality, damage, or sustainability. The above URL may disappear any time, but for now it will remain here - if it would be moved, it will be announced here in this blog.

The method is to embed an IFRAME into any web page, with the usual parameters. The URL is http://creativetech.inn.leedsmet.ac.uk/_Track/ShowMapPlaces.php.

Parameters are:

h= height of the map
w= width of the map; if not given, it will automatically adjust to the width of the IFRAME
p= point
This is given by 4 parameters, separated by commas:
latitude, longitude, headline text, headline URL

Feel free to test it out into your own web site.
Not sure how long the URL can be... but any number of points is ok. In case of 1 point, a zoom factor of 17 is assumed. In case of more points, the bounding box is computed automatically, and the zoom is set so that all points are within the visible map.

Have fun!

Geo-Centric Display now in Public Testing

A first version of the geo-centric display is now ready for testing by selected users: http://creativetech.inn.leedsmet.ac.uk/_Track/.

Before a user can register there, an "invitation code" is required. Please send me an email or post a comment below if you are interested in getting such a code. The current policy is to allow only a few users on the system, as things are still in motion: the database might be changed, and there can be no guarantee given that the system will always and continuously work.

In order to let a few users test the system, two databases had been merged into one, making the administration easier.

There has no documentation yet been prepared. It is hoped that the operation (logging in, setting the position) is straight-forward and self-explanatory.

One issue to remember when registring: right after registration another login page appears, which is already "pre-filled" with username and temporary password. You NEED to change the password, otherwise the login will not work.

The position can be set by moving the red icon to the desired location. A info ballon callout appears then over the new location, with a button to store this location. The user can choose to hide the position, by not checking the "show location public" box. A query to the database from the public URL will then not show the icon on the map.

Currently the system only stores the last position and does not store tracks or history.