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05 March 2008

OpenSpace Tiles in Google Earth

update: 38 second clip on You Tube by request - video capture by SnagIT

OpenSpace Tiles in Google Earth

"Gavin Brock has produced an Ordnance Survey Overlay for Google Earth which enables you to view public footpaths in Google Earth. Unfortunately the kml of the overlay doesn’t appear to work when loaded into Google Maps." Google Maps Mania

Not sure on the legal aspects (OS Copyright) on this but it is impressive to see 1:50,000 Landranger Series in 3D. Some footpaths are available but 1:25,000 (Explorer Series) is the official scale for public footpaths and rights of way, currently 1:25,000 is not available in the Openspace API.

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5 Comments:

At Tuesday, March 04, 2008 9:59:00 am, Blogger Fonant said...

Initially I thought that this must be against the OpenSpace developer agreement, but in fact the agreement doesn't seem to say that you have to use the OpenSpace API to display the map tiles.

Ah, no, following the chain of definitions, this does look to be against the agreement.

"4.3 Subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, We grant You a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable, royalty free, paid-up licence for the term of this Agreement:"
"4.3.3 to use the Ordnance Survey Data in accordance with the Usage Limits for the term of this Agreement solely for the Purpose"

So you can only use the OS map tiles from OpenSpace for the Purpose, and that is defined:

""Purpose" means the creation by You of one or more New Applications..."

So this is the creation of a New Application, which is defined as:

""New Application" means the web-based software solution(s) that You create through the Use of the OpenSpace API which must be publicly accessible to consumers on the Internet through Your registered URL;"

So it would seem that the tiles have to be displayed using the OpenSpace API only.

Having said that, I am not a lawyer. The current developer agreement is so tight is would seem that there are almost no useful uses for it, other than for experimentation. Hopefully OS will work out some form of commercial licensing soon.

 
At Tuesday, March 04, 2008 2:03:00 pm, Blogger Keir Clarke said...

Someone left a link to Whereisthepath
http://wheresthepath.googlepages.com/wheresthepath.htm
on the GoogleMapsMania post.

This site shows the ordnance survey map side to side with the Google Map.

I love checking out the Google Maps satellite view in conjunction with the ordnance survey map.

I will do a fuller review of this on GoogleMapsMania in the future - but I'd love to hear your views on it in the mean time.

 
At Friday, March 07, 2008 1:47:00 pm, Blogger pr said...

there is no difference in coverage of rights of way between Landrangers and Explorers, tho Explorers do show more of the waymarked/promoted routes

 
At Friday, March 07, 2008 3:45:00 pm, Blogger Mapperz said...

There are differences:

1:25,000 (Explorer) has more detail and is more accurate.

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/25kraster/pdf/opt44771a.pdf

Footpath
Bridleway
Byway open to all traffic
Road used as a public path (from late 2004 roads used as public paths are to be re-designated as Restricted byways.)
Permitted footpath
Permitted bridleway
Traffic free cycle route
Access land boundary
Access land in woodland area
Access information points
Walks/trails
Other road, drive or track, fenced and unfenced
Fields Boundaries (Right to Roam)

1:50,000 (Landranger)
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/products/50kraster/pdf/d01070a.pdf

Footpath
Road used as Footpath
Bridleway
Bridleway open to all traffic
National/Regional Cycle Network
Surfaced Cycle Network
Other Route (Public access)

 
At Friday, March 07, 2008 4:23:00 pm, Blogger pr said...

ah, but those other areas of public access aren't rights of way :-)

In one way, Landrangers are more accurate because they're released more often and so are more up-to-date. However, I'd agree that it would be good for walkers if the OS would include Explorers in their various online experiments.

 

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