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Internet mapping that allows members of the public to interact quickly and seamlessly with complex multi-layer maps has been added to the Cartoplus e-government mapping system from Cook Hammond & Kell. The enhancements have been achieved through some advanced development work by Kingswood MapMechanics, the digital mapping and geographic information systems specialist.
A further attraction of the system is that the same underlying map database can also be used to generate high-quality hard copy litho printed maps. There has been no need to “reinvent the wheel” to handle these two different functions. |
The project has taken advantage of the power and flexibility of GeoConcept Internet Server (GCIS), the geographic information system for which Kingswood MapMechanics is the UK distributor.
CHK’s Cartoplus system helps local authorities to produce dynamic online versions of Local Plans and Unitary Development Plans, pursuant to the Government’s objective of providing wider public access to such information through electronic communication channels.
The Cartoplus system gives interactive mapping a prominent role, presenting digital maps on screen and allowing users with a Web browser to zoom and pan around and click to call up information on selected areas of interest.
Thanks to the interactive capabilities of GCIS and some underlying C++ programming by Kingswood MapMechanics, users can be presented with maps that contain layers relating to a variety of different information sources (for instance, local policy on housing development, policing or areas of outstanding natural beauty). When they click on the map, GCIS drills down through it and automatically finds cross-references to each relevant part of the appropriate policy document. For every mouse click, links to the document are displayed on screen adjacent to the map.
A further feature of GCIS that has been used effectively in this application is its ability to store “saved positions”, or pre-defined map views. In the browser window, these views are presented in the form of a drop-down list of local areas. Selecting one automatically delivers the relevant map to the map window.
For this application, Kingswood MapMechanics has augmented the saved positions by supplying a gazetteer of street names or postcodes. Users can type a street name into a search field, and GCIS will then look up the street and display the segment of map on which it appears.
The cartographic database itself has been supplied by Ordnance Survey, and is used by GCIS not just for Web output, but also to generate output suitable for high-quality hard copy litho printing.
Early adopters of the system include Canterbury, Salford and Wigan, and an interactive demonstration of the Salford implementation can be viewed on the CHK Web site at www.cartoplus.co.uk/salford/salford.html.
GCIS allows developers to provide many of the functions of GeoConcept itself to users having only a Web browser as their interface. The latest version, GCIS Professional 3.0, adds a variety of new features with which users can edit the map and perform thematic analysis.
Because Kingswood MapMechanics offers bespoke development as well as supplying GCIS itself, the company is well equipped to fine-tune the product’s functionality for applications such as Cartoplus.
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