Google Maps as Mapserver Layer

[P Kishor]

Hi Richie,

As Gregor mentioned earlier, you can build a Google Maps based
application, use their data and imagery (and, obviously, their API,
which, might I add, is rather nice and has a very enthusiastic user
community, even though it might have limits to its "openness"), and
pull in your own WMS services served capably by MapServer. It works
very well, and is very quick.

On 3/1/07, Richie Pierce <rpierce at actgeospatial.com> wrote:
> Thanks for the quick responses, that's what I was afraid of.  Fortunately,
> for the State of Arkansas we have an online clearinghouse for all our
> publicly available data (www.geostor.arkansas.gov) so the data is freely
> available with or without Google's 'semi-free' services.  And the imagery
> I'm wanting is running as a WMS service through ArcIMS WMS connector.  So
> currently I'm using a Mapserver WMS layer to display the imagery.  It's
> just frustrating when Mapserver displays the rest of the data so quickly and
> then takes so long to display the WMS layer through ArcIMS.  Guess we'll
> have to bite the bullet and add disk space and serve it locally. At least
> for my non-OpenLayers sites.  BTW...OpenLayers does display Google Maps
> layers.  And it also allows you to define multiple connection url's
> (www.domain.com, sub1.domain.com, sub2.domain.com) for your WMS layers which
> increases the tile loading speed 5X.     Thanks again for the help.
>
>
> Richie Pierce
> Sr GIS Analyst
> a.c.t.GeoSpatial, Inc.
> 2900 Percy Machin Drive, Suite One
> North Little Rock, AR 72114
> Ph(501) 771-2985
> rpierce at actgeospatial.com
> www.actgeospatial.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Ramsey [mailto:pramsey at REFRACTIONS.NET]
> Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 11:11 AM
> To: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
> Subject: Re: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Google Maps as Mapserver Layer
>
> Richie,
>
> One of the quiet tragedies of the Google Earth/Maps mania is that once
> public data is handed over to the Googleplex it becomes slightly less
> public. You are only allowed to access mapping data served by Google via
> Google-approved mechanisms, such as the Maps API or directly via Earth.
>
> Another public geodata issue, I suppose. If enough folks who wanted to
> "give their data to google" instead gave it to a 3rd party who processed
> it into standardized tiles, then people could still get direct access to
> the public data, and Google/Microsoft could easily integrate it as well.
>
> Paul
>
> Richie Pierce wrote:
> > Like many of you we have space limitations when it comes to our raster
> > files.  We just received notice however that Google will be integrating
> > our new Statewide ortho flight into their Google Maps/Earth service.
> > This is exciting for me because it will allow me to get access to our
> > statewide imagery without needing the space on my own server.  I was
> > wondering if it was possible to use Google Maps imagery as a layer in my
> > map file.  I am using Mapserver and OpenLayers on some of my sites which
> > will work wonderfully.  But I also have other sites that I'm using a
> > custom Mapserver interface, and I'd like add the new orthos.
>
>
>
> --
>
>    Paul Ramsey
>    Refractions Research
>    http://www.refractions.net
>    pramsey at refractions.net
>    Phone: 250-383-3022
>    Cell: 250-885-0632
>


-- 
Puneet Kishor http://punkish.eidesis.org/
Nelson Inst. for Env. Studies, UW-Madison http://www.nelson.wisc.edu/
Open Source Geospatial Foundation http://www.osgeo.org/education/
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