Exploring the Basics of Web Maps
Phil White
Earth Sciences Librarian
Web maps are everywhere!
Let's define "web map"
Not paper!
...but not static.
Interactive!
Viewed in a web browser
A web map is not:
"GIS
on the Web"
A web map is:
"Slippy!"
A bit of history...
'96: Mapquest gives us a map over web service
'05: Google gives the world a "slippy map"
How did that map get so slippy?
Tiles:
A grid of images
20ish zoom levels
Images increase exponentially
Anatomy
Basemap
+
Feature Layers
Basemap
Point Layer
Line Layer
Polygon Layer
Data
Basemap:
map tiles
Typically provided, but can be created from scratch (that's another workshop)
Data
Features:
Varies... can be
- Spreadsheet
- Shapefile
- KML/KMZ
- GeoJson
- Web Map Service
How do I make a web map?!
EASY.
Let's do this.
Wrap Up.
*Acknowledgement: this Maptime Boston presentation inspired some of this presentation. It goes much deeper!