I have programmed a rough UI for importing map images into 93 Photo Street, so I immediately made a photo map of Sibley Volcanic Regional Park using the photos from my previously unsuccessful attempt:
There are still a few rough edges, but I was surprised at how the new feature came together in just a couple of days of programming. I took the common design language of layer manipulation in graphics editors like photoshop or the gimp and implemented the simplest parts for image layers between the bottom road map and the location pins:
I don't think the feel of manipulating submaps will be too complex and it does open up a wide field for interesting mixes of map layers. PNG transparency is supported, so irregularly shaped maps (like the Sibley map I used) and images with alpha blending can be used for varying effects.
Population maps, geologic layers, contribution maps... oh, my!
This is cool. I am about to teach a class (starting Aug. 16)to about 10 new 8th graders to the Acad. I have them three days a week for the entire year. The point of the class is to acquaint them with the technology of the school and how to use their laptops. But, since they are new kids, I think it will be cool to use 93 Photo Street to import a map of the Academy campus. Then, we can go out with the digital cameras, and take pictures of all the buildings on campus and have the kids use your program to map them to the proper location. Four birds, one (hopefully non-lethal) stone. They learn to use their laptops, they learn to use our cameras, they learn where stuff is on campus, and we have a cool photo map of campus for the web.
Posted by: chip | July 29, 2004 at 05:45 AM
That is a very cool use of photo maps. Let me know what I can do to help.
Posted by: Trevor Smith | July 29, 2004 at 09:41 AM