[mapserver-dev] Updated Google Maps API and 3D

[Tom Payne]

Hi Stephen,

On 3 December 2012 22:36, Stephen Woodbridge <woodbri at swoodbridge.com> wrote:
> Sorry for the cross posting. The following article which is thin on details
> raise some interesting questions in my mind related to Mapserver and
> OpenLayers.
>
> http://www.zdnet.com/google-dives-deeper-on-vector-based-maps-with-api-update-7000008233/?s_cid=e550
>
> I know OpenLayers 3 is looking at potentially adding camera model to support
> tilted views. Would this be a static definition to support tiling? Or would
> the camera be able to be dynamically changed? This seems a lot like Google
> Street View.
>
> Has any thought been given to support for 2.5D or 3D features? Is there a
> need for this?

Yes, supporting 2.5D and 3D features is part of what we're working on
for OpenLayers 3 at Camptocamp.

Note that StreetView is quite different technology, it's closer to the
skyboxes used to provide backgrounds in computer graphics.

> If mapserver supported rendering orthogonal views or even a camera view
> model them a guess a layer could be defined to pass that information to
> mapserver to render in the same.
>
> Mapserver devs - there was some discussion about supporting 2.5D objections
> like buildings. In light of Google and Apple moving in these directions is
> this an area that we should be discussing for a future version. Should be be
> looking at a more flexible viewing model like a camera model as an option.

Note that it's incredibly inefficient to re-generate all the tiles on
the server whenever the camera position changes on the client.
Instead, (almost) all systems work by sending normal tiles to the
client and then having the client project them.

> It looks like the OGC is working on this also, google "ogc web 3d service".

My understanding from following the OGC discussions is that they were
more focused on visualizing CityGML data.

> Seems like these questions should be discussed if they are not already being
> discussed.

They are already being discussed (and implementation has started) for
ol3 at Camptocamp.

Regards,
Tom


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