Ovi SDK - Map Beta Examples - First Look

Ovi SDK - Map Beta Examples - First Look

It is nearly a week since the public release of the Ovi [Nokia] SDK

Mapping Wise what can you do with it?


Well the first version had an issue - apps would not show, but this has been rectified and now the examples will show in the Nokia(N97) Emulator.

This example shows a few options.
Drop Pin
POI Icons
Server Icon (Wifi/3G connection required)
Local (Phone memory in the app)
Polyline (now we are getting somewhere)
Polygons - Reviewed


Landscape mode enabled - shows all example with out needing to scroll.

Polygon Example

mapperz wasn't happy with the example polygon - it didn't seem that helpful


Custom Polygon generated in Ovi Map Player using the Ovi Apps SDK
(mapperz customised the orginal example with something slightly better)
So how was this achieved?

Well you can study the Development Guide or the API Library that comes zipped up
However the fastest way to learn is working examples

The code was found in mapfunctions.js
(in the Downloaded SDK >com.nokia.maps.examples.mapContent)
in here there is a section of code:

Example – Adding a Polygon to the Map
*/
function addPolygon()
{
var polygon = {
type: "polygon",
points: [{latitude: 51.45128846597743, longitude: -2.5956809520721436}, {latitude: 51.45115474591054, longitude: -2.5934386253356934}, {latitude: 51.44976403399727, longitude: -2.5936853885650635}, {latitude: 51.449957933872724, longitude: -2.595916986465454}],
visible: true,
width: 5,
color: {red: 180, blue: 20, green: 0, alpha: 255},
fillColor: {red: 0, blue: 0, green: 0, alpha: 100}
};
// Set zoom level
player.map.setZoomScale(500);

// Move map center to a central location between the three points of the polygon:
player.map.moveTo({
latitude: 51.45052625634988,
longitude: -2.5947046279907227
});

// Create a layer:
//var layer = player.map.createLayer({name: "testLayer1"});

// Add the polygon:
var mapObjects1 = layer.addMapObjects(polygon);

}

all that code for one square polygon? well yes...

Now in real-world terms you need quite a lot of information before you start:
Coordinates for each vertices is required to have
{latitude: 51.45128846597743, longitude: -2.5956809520721436}
easier would be: {lat1:51.451288,lng:-2.595680}
but it would be simpler to list them in a clockwise order.
or you end up copying and pasting lots of coordinates for quite simple shapes.

**note make sure you use {} 'curly brackets' and not () 'normal brackets' or you will get javascript errors.

There is currently no option for holes in polygons (donut polygons)
What would really help is the ability to overlay KML/GPX files from servers or accessed from the device.

Not sure why zoom extent coordinates are required - would be easier for the extent of the polygon(s) to be used.

Less code makes faster devices (http://www.bewebmaster.com/42.php)
color: {red: 180, blue: 20, green: 0, alpha: 255},
fillColor: {red: 0, blue: 0, green: 0, alpha: 100}

how about:
rgb:180,20,0,255
fill:0,0,0,100


Was hoping to evaulate the New Ovi Maps Navigiation API though in reading the documentation you get a message:

NOTE: The functionality described here is not yet available.

Would prefer they left it out until it was available - would presume that this requires an api key of sorts - but if wanted it tested and de-bugged in beta you would think it would be.


There is demand for this - many, many mobile devices are geo-aware and can use this but it seems clearer there is going to be a good few months of re-writting code to make this a truely customisatable portable mapping and navigational system.
Mapperz will review when activated.

The SDK has been written by techinical people and it does show. They say you are required some basic knowledge of html & javascript.
Mapperz would say you are required to be at an intermediate level for javascript, html,css and de-bugging.
Note: The Software Aptana 1.5 is required to do serious work in the Ovi Apps SDK.

Nokia have the resources they just need to apply it a little stronger.
Web Documentation would be also helpful - like many other mapping apis available.

So the answer to their blog
"OviSDK+you=Ovi Apps for Everyone"
http://blog.ovi.com/2009/09/03/ovi-sdk-you-ovi-apps-for-everyone/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ovi-sdk-you-ovi-apps-for-everyone

is no currently and unfortunately (hope this changes)

Action please
Nokia need people with basic programming - to read their documentation and highlight areas of explanation.

Ovi Maps Player API stongest competitor is going to be Google Map API (v3) There are some interesting features coming to it in the coming weeks, stay tuned.

When these teething issues have been ironed out then they will have a competitive product.
There is no indication whether the Navigation API will require a licence.
Currently Nokia Ovi Map users require a daily,weekly,monthly or yearly licence to use Navigational Features, if you make an app with it - does everyone require a seperate licence.
If they do it will be a stumbling block for a promising feature.

Flood Warnings Mapped - Environment Agency

Flood Warnings Mapped - Environment Agency




The Environment Agency are now mapping flood warning locations to a fairly high degree of accuracy. A step in the right direction and giving the public access to this information is way forward.


The main page now gives a overall summary for England and Wales.

Categories are:

• Severe Flood Warning
• Flood Warning
• Flood Watch
• All Clear

Clicking or searching on town/postcode will launch the mapping window where the user can pan and zoom around and see areas which show the actual location with a digitized polygon as the warning area. The mapping seems faster and clearer than a few years ago. Will be very useful when the floods come back. The site is update frequently and serves it's purpose well.

Yet to see a 'Severe Flood Warning' on the map.
You would think a flood warning to be yellow and severe to be red wouldn't you and an all clear be green?


http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/31618.aspx

Embed Ask City Maps

Embed Ask City Maps

Ask City map now allows you to embed the maps into your blog/website similar to Google Maps.




Though 'Ask' has a clever function not seen before - searching within a polygon.

This map was to find Bourne Ultimatum films showing in cinemas in Greater London

How is this function achieved?
Draw a Polygon of the search area. (used the M25 as boundary)

Then when the polygon is completed (double click to close)
a little search magnifying glass appears.



Clearly the Ask help is not updated with this

There is a some way to go, only a few results where returned. Looks like the bounding box was (map extent) was used rather than the actual polygon.
But a good step in the geographical spatial search method.

Real spatial searches in 'Search Engines' and web based maps? Maybe very soon.
A quick fast method would be to send the centre coordinates with a radius distance and use a spatial database (postgres is extremely powerful and fast at this) to return all the locations based on the search terms to give the user the first ten.
*postgres can do this in milliseconds.

Google Map Editor - in Alpha (A GIS)

Stefan Blanke has been working on a very sophisticated Google Map Editor


The screenshot does not do the 'Editor' justice as there are many editing functions hidden in the tabs.

The Map Editor use a very up-to-date version of the Google Map API (version 2.68 to the coders)
The includes creating Polygon though not implement (maybe version 2.69 needed)
Very Good work though.

To see editing polygons using that 2.69 version pop over to ESA.
Very good Example of Editing Live on Google Maps.


So how long before Google Maps becomes 'GOOGLE GIS API'?
At this rate "Early 2007"

Another High End Database (Oracle XE) potential is Oracle XE and Google Maps (though we haven't actually seen the map and data working yet - pre Alpha?)