mapzoom

This package can be used to put clickable, zoomable, maps on the web. For an example of an online map that uses this software, see The software in this distribution takes an existing image, slices it into panels at various levels of magnification. This is done once when the map is created. Then, a CGI script lets the user pan and zoom from panel to panel. The map images must be provided as GIF files, and can be created through various means, for example with drawing software such as Adobe Illustrator, or from a GIS database using software such as ArcInfo/ArcView. Because this system is based on static panels, rather than images dynamically generated from a GIS database, it does not give the user infinite control over the area shown, layers shown, and so on. If you want to create maps dynamically from GIS data, the mapserver project is a good alternative.

However, one advantage to using static images is that you have more control over what they look like, and the system responds faster for the user.

This package allows you to make certain regions clickable as links to other web pages. It adjusts the clickable regions on each panel automatically. Clickable regions can be created from points, lines, or polygons in a GIS shapefile.


November 19, 2004