| Welcome to the new GeoMOOSE.org! |
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| Written by Web Master | |
| Saturday, 12 June 2004 | |
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GeoMoose is a Web Client Javascript Framework for displaying distributed cartographic data. Among it's many strengths, it can handle large numbers of mapping layers, all mapping display is abstracted to separate layers. This allows for the abstraction of the maintenance and updating tasks as well. The GeoMoose project is client-side code that uses a variety of JavaScript, XML, and DHTML technologies to interface with other web-clients. The primary target of Moose is for integration with the University of Minnesota's MapServer, but is not dependent upon it for operation. Design objectives include:
GeoMoose treats all data layers and interface tools as services. This makes it very easy to design and add new tools as needed. It also makes GeoMoose a very good candidate for building links from Map based to Tabular datasets. GeoMoose is designed around the idea of using Web based URL services as an integration method. It's very easy to integrate in any existing Web based service to GeoMoose. The same goes for the Toolset inside of GeoMoose. GeoMoose is currently built as a front end to MapServer (CGI). Because of this, it can utilize any of the output functions that MapServer provides, including Raster, XML, and OGC compliant formats. Each data layer can be displayed as a raster image, a Imagemap for displaying Popups on a per layer basis, as well as be used as a basis for doing additional data requests based on polygons, or buffered elements in a layer. OGC services such as WMS (and soon WFS) can also be used directly by GeoMoose. There is no need to even have a CGI service such as MapServer, if the right OGC services are available. There is also the capability to draw in the mapping interface and use these new elements as data layers in the interface, including, using them as selection criteria. GeoMoose is very flexible as far as what services it utilizes, while it's currently built against MapServer, other Raster based data services can also be used by GeoMoose. In addition to the data owners managing their own publishing tasks, GeoMoose, the interface, is initialized via a XML file called a MapBook. This MapBook can be constructed by anyone, so even the Mapping interface itself can be managed by anyone. Project leaders can build interfaces with Zoom-to controls and with only the pertinent layers being displayed. The organization of the layers in the catalog can be grouped, turned on/off by default, have opacity applied to them, and be reordered, or stacked, in the "Z" direction. Placement of the interface elements is also governed by the XML file. The Services integration is also handled in the XML file, so separate services can be integrated by the non-GIS professional as well. New capabilities are being added all the time. There is a very good Windows install based on MS4W available for Download, with a Linux version on the way. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 23 January 2009 ) |