ClearMaps: A Mapping Framework for Data Visualization

---

Værktøjer til at fremstille tematiske kort ...
/Sik

---

Tools to help you create thematic maps ...
/Sik

Quote

---

Despite the recent explosion of web based cartography tools, making effective maps for data visualization remains a challenge. While tools like Google Maps are great for helping navigate the world they are often poorly suited for thematic mapping, as many features like roads and cities only get in the way of telling compelling stories with data. In fact, even the distance between places can be a distraction – who cares how far away Alaska is when the goal is to make a simple comparison between US states?

To help overcome some of the limitations with existing mapping tools Sunlight Lab is releasing ClearMaps, an ActionScript framework for interactive cartographic visualization. In addition to giving designers and developers more control over presentation the project aims to address some of the common technical challenges faced when building interactive, data driven maps for the web. ClearMaps is designed as a lightweight, flexible set of tools for building complex data visualizations. It is a framework not a plug-and-play component (though it could be a starting point for those wishing to make reusable tools).

---

Read more: http://sunlightlabs.com/blog/2010/clearmaps-mapping-framework/

---

Get JavaScript Access to Google’s Flash Maps API

---

Google Flash ...
/Sik

---

Flash the Google map ... Will we ever see a SilverLight API for GM ;-) ?
/Sik

Quote

---

Adam DuVander

When you want animated maps or zippier feedback than Google’s JavaScript mapping API can provide, you can use the Flash Maps API. Yes, even Google acknowledges that its popular, full-featured platform can’t do everything. Using the Flash API used to mean you needed to know Flash. Now, you can get the benefit, but still program in JavaScript.

Web developer Nianwei Liu has released a wrapper API for Flash Maps, called Map Bridge:

“The concept is very simple: programing a flash component with JavaScript, similar to what you do with GStreetViewPanorama. This library exposes all core classes in the Flash API and packages them in an easy to use way.”

The code then becomes quite similar to the standard Google Maps API, as well as other mapping platforms. A map is attached to a DOM element via JavaScript. An included library takes over to insert the map in its place, only instead of loading tiles via JavaScript, it calls Flash functions.

An example within the announcement post shows driving directions with an animated fly-over. Like Liu’s mention of Street View, this shows why Flash can be useful for mapping. Even the geniuses that originally created Google Maps can’t get an experience as smooth as what Flash provides.

The highly technical and curious will appreciate that Map Bridge is open sourced. Like other mapping wrapper APIs, such as Mapstraction, you can alter and contribute to the codebase. Or, just find out how it works. Perhaps other API providers will learn from Map Bridge, making Flash APIs accessible to more developers by including JavaScript wrappers. [...]

---

Read more: http://blog.programmableweb.com/2009/12/17/get-javascript-access-to-googles-flash-maps-api/

---