Geoview - Future?

[Peter from Germany]

Hi developers and users

What is your intention concerning the collection and presentation of geological data?

Geoview provides already some of the coordinates, but not those of my many hamlets. Further it provides very simple maps.
Our KML report delivers KML data from these.

On the other hand there is Google Maps (and Earth) that provide better maps and allow to create the coordinates rather easily.

The coordinates are also needed for other databases, e.g. in Germany FoKo (contacts between genealogists) and others.

For the exchange of GEDCOM files I would expect to have them within GEDCOM or at least (and in some cases even better) as separate files.

The application of maps including the place marks is not only in websites but also in printed maps embedded in text systems, e.g. OpenOffice Writer, for family chronicles.
Additionally there is the requirement to select the data, e.g. only a family branch, only birth places, only a selected area, ...

What will be the preferable (and best supported) approach:
First create a Google Map including the coordinates and, possibly, import them to Genj?
Or start with completing the data in Geoview and exporting them if needed?

How do you handle it?

Peter

[nmeier]

Hi Peter

the future of geo view looks bleak ... in the form it currently is

My brother created a plugin that I want to expand into a new component - simply drop the attached jar file into the lib folder, restart, there's a new 'world' view.

The goal
+ dynamic, tiled maps are the future (overcome simple maps)
+ easier creation of coordinates (if you add a MAP attribute to a PLACe this plugin will let you locate a pin on the map)
+ support 5.5.1 MAP properties for storage

Things like better selection of locations by e.g. family branch is a good suggestion too.

>Or start with completing the data in Geoview and exporting them if needed?

I think the new geoview is going to let you do more within GenJ so in the future that direction seems good

Cheers
Nils

[nmeier]

attached jar file

hmm, doesn't look the attachement made it - let me try again tonight

Cheers
Nils

[FrançoisMz]

Hi Nils,

This new geoview concept sounds exciting... Looking forward to that.

In addition to Peter's suggestions, I would add a possibility to select places within a time range.

Cheers
François

[nmeier]

prototype attached now

world.jar

(75.04 KiB) Downloaded 111 times

as mentioned - goes into GENJHOME/lib

world.png (298.95 KiB) Viewed 1730 times

N

[Paul_R]

Hi Nils,

Awesome! Works straight out of the box for dragging/zooming etc. It would be very useful just as a map if it had a place search function even if it didn't map places from the database - I frequently have google maps or whatever open to look at places while researching and this could easily save that inconvenience. Kudos to your brother.

[FrançoisMz]

Hi Nils,

Now, this is impressive!
Good idea to re-use openstreetmap.

Additionally, on a laptop, you can even play around with it when being off line thanks to the cache!
Perhaps we'll have to imagine some option to make the cache portable, but that's not what is important right now.

Congratulations.
François

[Paul_R]

Just an idea for Nils' brother ...not sure if those controls are separable but having a slider and buttons for zoom seems like overkill especially when the mousewheel does the same job....would it be possible to lose one or the other control to remove a little clutter?

Paul

[Paul_R]

There's a strange bug (? I think) with this view - it opens itself whenever an indi is clicked in Tree or Table view if it isn't already open.

I didn't notice it before - perhaps it's related to the fact that I removed it from ./lib while recording a video then put it back??

[Peter from Germany]

Here is a practical example how authors of family chronicles would like to use the Geoview feature:

In a chapter about a family branch I would like to insert a map of an area where the birth places are marked. Therefore I should be able

to restrict the the places to birthplaces only and to ancestors of a selected proband

to select small asterix or circles (not the big bumps of GoogleMaps)

Such chronicles will be on paper for the old uncles and aunts and also for the long term archiving.

Peter

[Paul_R]

Hi Peter

I agree, that would be very useful. It would need the sort of function I've mentioned before in the discussion about timelines i.e. some means of displaying just certain indis.

It [b]might[/] be possible to have the timeline or geo views use 'search results' or 'all records' via a toggle, that way you could could search for just those people with a certain family name, place, date range or special tag....

Paul

[ChrisN]

Just been looking at the world.Jar addition, pretty impressive. thanks to whoever did it.
Are there any notes/instructions relating to what it shows?

I've just tried zooming in to an area near my home and there are numerous triangular icons on it, some seem to coincide with hills but many of the more noticeable hills don't have this symbol.

Is there a way of placing the cursor over the correct part of the map and getting it to store the location against the individual?

[nmeier]

Hi

it's just a proof of concept atm - if you add a MAP property to a PLACe then you'll get an indicator you can position.

The goal of course is to use geocoding to place existing places automatically, store the (hand modified) results in MAP properties and add zooming capabilities that shows events for a certain time-range, or sub-tree, etc.

It's under construction but won't be ready for 3.1

Cheers
Nils

[melker]

I have not tested it but something like this is what I would like it to do:

When I enter a PLAC I would like the map-function to suggest a gegraphic position based on existing map search services on the net. If the pos is correct I say so (click or something) and the MAP:LATI/LONG is stored.

If the pos is incorrect I use the map to scroll to the correct position and mark the spot, MAP tag is stored.

Next time I enter the same name of a place the system suggests the pos I selected.

My place juristictions A,B,C,D may be to fine graded for a map search tounderstand them. Then I would like the suggested location check B,C,D to se if it can find a match etc.

[ChrisN]

Hi Nils

I accept that World.jar is not fully developed yet, but I have noticed a problem with it whilst setting up my MAP tags.
I switched to the example.ged file , edited mine and switched back, and did this a few times.
When you change database, GEDCOM file, the map does not refresh, so when I switched from my database to example it still had all my indicators on it.

It works well in feeding back the new coordinates to the file. Great work by the brothers Meier.

[nmeier]

Thanks Chris

it'll get a round of polishing this summer

Cheers
Nils

[ChrisN]

Hi Nils,

I appreciate that the mapping will come later, but I am curious, I presume the mapping plug-in be it Geoview or world.jar needs an internet connection to enable all the zooming in.

What happens if there is no internet?

Is there code in the main part of GenJ which disables the maps whatever your normal settings when there is no internet detected?

Chris

[nmeier]

Hi Chris

I was banking my money on the openstreet map stuff having an offline (caching) mode. We could potentially ship with a very rough overview of the globe so at least something (albeit not proper to zoom into) can be shown.

Cheers
Nils

[ChrisN]

Hi Nils,

Just wondered if there has been any progress in this area with world.jar?
Having switched from Windows to Mac I havent got fully sorted to get all the updates to see the developments.

Chris

[nmeier]

Hi Chris

not time, no news, sadly - it's only a prototype atm

Cheers
Nils

[Peter from Germany]

Hi all

I just noticed that the prototype world.jar does not understand the coordinates as required by GEDCOM, eg. N12,345 and E12,345.
We have to omit the N/S or E/W respectively.

Peter