Google maps w/ satellite imagery

[Kristjan Annus]

If you have large number of pre.generated zoom levels you can make your
user to belive that he
has the custom zoom level solution :-) You just have to choose the most
compatible level after the
user makes zoom-box query.

There is one other interesting solution for large images ie. satellite
imagery - Zoomify
http://www.zoomify.com/
Click on the 'See Full srceen demo' link under the Paris satellite image.
Of course this is not real GIS but it is quite interesting.

Kristjan

>I'd be very interested in trying to reverse engineer Google's maps as
>well.  The click-and-drag interface is so much nicer than having to
>wait for reloads.
>
>For all of our applications, losing arbitary zoom levels wouldn't be
>all that bad.  In many ways, it would simplify things, as you'd only
>have to adjust your layers and displays for a preset number of zoom
>levels, without having to worry about how the maps look as they
>approach your various min/maxscales.
>
>For turning different map layers on and off, couldn't one just
>generate a different set of tiles for each layer, and create them with
>transparent backgrounds?  I can't see why javascript couldn't overlay
>the different layers of tiles for a final image.  That seems to be how
>Google is drawing their icons over the maps.  Doing it that way would
>also allow for the toggling of layers without the need for a reload.
>
>Of course, the major hassle, as with all javascript applications, is
>supporting the wide variety of browsers out there.  Last I checked
>Google maps only supported IE and Mozilla (not even Opera or Safari),
>though that may have changed by now.
>
>-Camden
>
>