Map of players on web page

[PeterR]

Hi jon,

Just tried the new version via your server. The zoom is working great. This is so cool!

A nice feature to add would be pan arrows in the zoomed image to move from section to section without having to zoom out.

[jonf]

Good idea. Shouldn't be too hard. I'll see if I can get that added next week.

[WingzServer CEO]

Also will it take long to make an .ASP version of this map? Cause i cant get the current files to work on my webserver!

[jonf]

A php version is under development now. I'll try to get ASP next. Until then, just run it off my server.

[CowBoyGuy]

glad to hear php is underway....

Will it require php 4.3+ in order to provide graphics support? I was thinking of tinkering with pilot logs along with php grabbing the xml and plotting logs position data for each pilot.... but I think GD support embedded in php4.3 is almost required for that level.

[PeterR]

I don't think it'll need GD. On the current map, the aircraft position markers are separate images from what I can tell and are placed by the browser based on the information given in the HTML, not drawn by the server onto the map image. If that's the case, the PHP version would only have to generate the same client-side code that the EXE version does now. It's a nice design this way because it reduces the server load by not generating new images all the time.

[jonf]

Correct. Player positioning is done with HTML. The PHP will only be used to interpret the XML data.

BTW, when zoomed in, clicking the edges of the map will now allow you to scroll around.

[PeterR]

Cool. Thanks jon.

[jordan]

Very powerful and VERY cool.  I'm concerned about the accuracy of the location conversion.  I had 5 or 6 flyers in central oregon USA, but the dot appeared in western British Columbia, CA.  Almost in th ocean.  Perhaps just a corrective offset in the numbers would help get it a little closer.  I understand the complexities of getting it truly accurate though.

[CowBoyGuy]

Player positioning is done with HTML. The PHP will only be used to interpret the XML data.

I've created a set of PHP files to take care of all the XML parsing (and hopefully left it in good enough shape for future changes). One thing I've never done is used HTML to place images (Dots, Icons) on top of other images (maps).  Got any good simple instructions?

I'd be happy to share the PHP parsing scripts. For anyone hosting more than one session, it's a nice way to pull them all together into a single page.
My Newest Site is still a little ugly, worked on content not presentation .

[PeterR]

CBG,

Take a peek at the source HTML generated by the map server. That should show you how it's done.

[CowBoyGuy]

ok... I've got the basic overlays.... but  my maps are all screwy. Looks like you've had some issues gettng sprcific lat/lon to line up exactly with the pixels too.

One of the things I'm trying to do is plot on some sectionals for up close views. How did you calculate your locations against the image? If I could match up the proper locations, I;'m ready to post multiple session icons onto a single map (I run 3 sessions), and then zoom in like your map does to  my sectional(s).

I'm also looking into plotting for another application with GPS coord's,

Any help with the plotting would be greatly appreciated.

[insanecessna]

About the maps...

I understand not wnting to infringe copyright laws or anything, but what about asking the FAA if you can use old charts (sectionals for zoomed areas) and like


(this is just continental US though  :-/)
 for the main view.
If the FAA is kind enough to send you some charts they have, probobly outdated versions, that would make for a good mapping system.

Just my 2 cents.

[jonf]

The most important requirement for the maps is that the latitude and longitude run perfectly horizontally and vertically across the image. If the map is "sphered" and not a true flat map then it won't work. The best thing to probably do is take the maps I've already made and edit them to make new maps. Just make sure you leave the land/water borders exactly where they are.

[insanecessna]

ahhh, I got ya now.