Combining layers into fewer tiles to reduce the number of Apache GETs

[Ed McNierney]

"Tiles" and "layers" are two completely different animals.  They have nothing to do with each other.  That's part of the reason why I thought the original poster's description sounded "a little odd".  kaMap is not MapServer; it's a client that makes MapServer requests.

If you want kaMap to request fewer, larger, tiles, tell kaMap to do that.  If you want MapServer to combine multiple layers into a single logical layer, tell MapServer to do that.  You may do one, both, or neither.

     - Ed
 
Ed McNierney
President and Chief Mapmaker
TopoZone.com / Maps a la carte, Inc.
73 Princeton Street, Suite 305
North Chelmsford, MA  01863
Phone: 978-251-4242, Fax: 978-251-1396
ed at topozone.com



-----Original Message-----
From: UMN MapServer Users List [mailto:MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of Samuel Doyle
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 11:12 PM
To: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: Re: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Combining layers into fewer tiles to reduce the number of Apache GETs

Hi does providing the grouping that you add actually condense the number of
tiles that are generated? We are using kaMap on the client side for
retrieving the map.


On Wed, 23 May 2007 22:09:59 -0400, Ed McNierney <ed at TOPOZONE.COM> wrote:

>André -
>
> 
>
>Your description sounds a little odd.  It is common for MapServer
applications to contain many dozens of shapefiles.  There may be one
shapefile per layer, but many layers combined into a GROUP with that
keyword.  And a given MapServer request can specify as many layers - in one
GET request - as needed.
>
> 
>
>From your description, simply adding a GROUP EVERYTHING (for example) to
each LAYER object, then making a single request for the layer EVERYTHING
would do just what it seems you are describing.
>
> 
>
>-      Ed
>
> 
>
>Ed McNierney
>
>President and Chief Mapmaker
>
>TopoZone.com / Maps a la carte, Inc.
>
>73 Princeton Street, Suite 305
>
>North Chelmsford, MA  01863
>
>Phone: 978-251-4242, Fax: 978-251-1396
>
>ed at topozone.com
>
> 
>
> 
>
> 
>
>From: UMN MapServer Users List [mailto:MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU] On
Behalf Of Andre Lockhart
>Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 9:50 PM
>To: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
>Subject: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Combining layers into fewer tiles to reduce
the number of Apache GETs
>
> 
>
>We have a MapServer application that uses ESRI shapefiles. There is a
different shapefile for land, street, city name, railroads, parks, etc.
MapServer creates and overlays tiles/layers for each and decorates them
according to the mapfile.
>
> 
>
>The problem is that it requires over 200 GETs on the web server to pull all
these layers/tiles down to the client and render them. 
>
> 
>
>Since all these layers are static and never need to be toggled on/off, we
would like to 'flatten' them into one layer. This would reduce the number of
GETs by almost an order of magnitude.
>
> 
>
>Does anyone know how to do this while keeping the 'decoration' (like
colors, fonts, etc.) specified in the mapfile?
>
> 
>
>Thanks!
>
> 
>
> 
>
> 
>
> 
>
>  <http://www.covaluate.com/> 
>
>         André Lockhart, President
>
>         andre at CoValuate.com
>
>         510.333.7189
>
> 
>
>