Dear all,
Thanks for your large efforts to allow GIS maps **display** into wikipedia's articles. There is also an on going efforts to allow GIS maps **edition & storage** for wikipedia's usage, and so for encyclopedic maps.
GIS EDITING advancement : Sharemap.org took the initiative to create a GoogleMap-like for Wikipedia. A system (Sharemap.org) where wiki mapmakers can create, edit, store their encyclopedic maps. This in a centralized GIS way with standardized icons, designed for Wikipedia. Maps such the "Battle of Watterloo", "Birth rate in the US", "Japanese topography", etc will be possible. Translate a map will only involve the translation of the labels layers making translations easier (= more languages) compare to commons. The GIS maps will be downloadable in SVG/JPEG format too. This stage is already largely working.
GIS EDITING need SUPPORT : for inclusion in wikipedia Secondly, the project wish to allow inclusion of its maps within wikipedia articles. Your knowledge will be appreciate. Languages used being :
1. *ActionScript 3* with Flex framework for visual editor 2. *Java* for site management and map and content repository 3. *JavaScript* for SVG rendering code
Jakub, the programmer, may tell you more if interested. (I'm a map maker).
GIS EDITING need SUPPORT : to connect to the WM foundation : Sharemap.org is also looking for contacts, programmers, scholarships to solidify or actively support this project and associate it with the wikimedia foundation. The project is opensource (CC-BY-SA 3.0), willfully a wikipedia friendly license.
Please, who is interested for more information ? Who may I contact for further collaboration with Wikipedia/Media ?
Best wishes ! -- Hugo Lopez
On 16/02/12 18:17, FR Lopez Hugo wrote:
Dear all,
Thanks for your large efforts to allow GIS maps **display** into wikipedia's articles. There is also an on going efforts to allow GIS maps **edition & storage** for wikipedia's usage, and so for encyclopedic maps.
(...)
GIS EDITING need SUPPORT : for inclusion in wikipedia Secondly, the project wish to allow inclusion of its maps within wikipedia articles. Your knowledge will be appreciate. Languages used being :
1. *ActionScript 3* with Flex framework for visual editor 2. *Java* for site management and map and content repository 3. *JavaScript* for SVG rendering codeJakub, the programmer, may tell you more if interested. (I'm a map maker).
You are requiring Flash and Java support? You won't get much support for embedding that into Wikipedia (specially Flash, does it at least work with eg. Gnash?).
W dniu 2/18/12 6:00 PM, Platonides pisze:
You are requiring Flash and Java support? You won't get much support for embedding that into Wikipedia (specially Flash, does it at least work with eg. Gnash?).
Thanks Platonides, you asked very good question.
Wikipedia long standing policy was to use content only in open formats. Even if Flex framework is now fully open source (Apache) then Flash Runtime is still owned by Adobe.
But this is not an issue - ShareMap goal is not to integrate any Java or Flash content to wikipedia.
With ShareMap user can create interactive maps in SVG format. SVG file that is fully open format compatible with HTML5 and natively supported by all modern browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer). Animated SVG files are supported on both desktops and mobile devices (Smartphones, Tablets).
At current moment it is possible to add animated SVG maps to Wikimedia. But like all SVG files they are presented on article in rendered form as PNG without any interactivity. To view fully functional version user has to click once to go to Wiki Commons page and click again to view SVG in browser. It is not a surprise that almost nobody do that.
Rendering SVG to PNG made sense 5 years ago when browser does not supports natively SVG. But as I mentioned before today it is not longer problem <svg> tag allows direct embedding SVG content inside HTML web pages.
How author can currently add animation to article ... by adding animated GIF - terrible.
One word about ShareMap map designer - current editor is created with Flash 10 and Flex framework, ShareMap team does not think that it is feasible to convert project to older version of flash (that can be run with Gnash) or to HTML5 app. About year ago same discussion about technology was performed within Open Street Map project - their web map editor Potlach was earlier designed in old Flash and it was possible to run it in Gnash. But the development was reached limits of old Flash and they decided to use use Flex inside Potlach 2. The dillemma was very simple - create map web editor that requires proprietary Adobe Flash Player or don't create anyone [1][2]. But editor is important for 500 Wikipedia map creators not 5000000 map consumers.
In short summary about ShareMap technologies: 1. Map design is performed in Flash application 2. Map embedding as interactive SVG (or in future maybe HTML5 Canvas with WebGL 3D support).
What we need from Wikipedia Community: 1. Quick adaptation of direct SVG embedding inside Wikipedia (MediaWiki engine) 2. Help from volunteers in testing, evaluating and development. 3. Help with infrastructure, currently we are working on servers that we can you use for Creative Commons things, because we use them also for commercial project, but I think that in future it may be feasible to run special instance of ShareMap environment on Wikimedia infrastructure and dedicated for creation map for wikipedia.
Regards and waiting for further questions J.K.
[1]http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Potlatch [2] http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Potlatch_2
This is a very, very cool project.
Thank you for sharing, Hugo and Jakub.
On Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 6:26 PM, ShareMap contact@sharemap.org wrote:
- Map embedding as interactive SVG (or in future maybe HTML5 Canvas with
WebGL 3D support).
This is how you do it at sharemap.org now? Do you have examples of different implementations of this?
What we need from Wikipedia Community:
- Quick adaptation of direct SVG embedding inside Wikipedia (MediaWiki
engine) 2. Help from volunteers in testing, evaluating and development.
< 3. Help with infrastructure ... to run special instance of ShareMap environment
on Wikimedia infrastructure and dedicated for creation [of] map for wikipedia.
Can you set up a wiki page that describes in a bit mor detail what each of these would involve?
1. What is still needed here? 2. Where can volunteers sign up? 3. What might the system requirements be?
You also mentioned wanting support for scholarships or internships for people to help work on the project. You can submit a specific proposal for this or for infrastructure, for grant funding from the Wikimedia Foundation:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants
You may also be able to get support directly from local Wikimedia chapters, though the process there is not as clear (just write to them individually). The largest chapter is Wikimedia Deutschland (wikimedia.de), where there is a very active mapping community.
Sam.
On 20/02/12 06:20, Samuel Klein wrote:
This is a very, very cool project.
Thank you for sharing, Hugo and Jakub.
On Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 6:26 PM, ShareMap contact@sharemap.org wrote:
- Map embedding as interactive SVG (or in future maybe HTML5 Canvas with
WebGL 3D support).
This is how you do it at sharemap.org now? Do you have examples of different implementations of this?
No. They are showing the content in Flash by default (with no fallback in case it isn't available, even).
Thanks Samuel for comments, currently ShareMap maps can be viewed in 3 ways
1. As interactive map (using flash), user can click markers view images/videos 2. As static SVG file (using SVG rendition built in modern browser) 3. As static JPEG (that can be viewed on virtually any graphic browser)
That the current state of published version, in our internal development version we are evaluating other map rendition scenarios - both HTML5 compliant, one of them may be potential rendition engine for Wikipedia
1. HTML5 interactive rendition (similar to Google Maps, OpenLayers)
We are evaluation two ways of implementation - Leaflet (good compatibility, possible performance problems, more lightweight than OpenLayers) and creating custom Canvas based component (worst compatibility, better performance)
-PROS * Will work flawlessly on mobile devices * Technological purity (important in Wikipedia integration) * Possibility of using 3D in future using WebGL (already possible in flash)
-CONS * Not very important on desktop, because 97% of users has Flash (based on site first visit statistics) - in this case limited time of ShareMap developers can be spend in better way * Compatibility problem of canvas solution * Worst performance with large datasets of vector data than Flash
2. Interactive SVG renditions that can be flawlessly embedded inside normal HTML page
-PROS * Possibility of creating interactive animated maps that does not have any external dependencies. Atomic files can be saved on disk, stored at Wiki Commons. User only need modern browser to view i older browser SVG plugin can be installed * User can modify map without using ShareMap - just by editing JavaScript and shapes inside SVG
-CONS * Not very good adoption of SVG in browsers on older Android mobile devices (smaller problem on Android 3/4) * Embedding video in SVG is not straightforward * In some scenarios performance problem
I hope that in two weeks we will be able to show some mock up demonstration of integration ShareMap with sample Wikipedia article. I be very happy to receive feedback from members of this mailing list.
In the meanwhile ShareMap team is working on implementing last missing features in ShareMap editor (which is in Flash and we have no plans to move it to other technology)
1. Map animation with dates time line (for historical mapping)
2. Map calibration mechanism to trace Public Domain raster maps (ie. topographic and historical) (this modules utilizes GDAL library server side)
3. Tool for designing interactive map boxes - legend, info bubbles etc.
Regards J.K.
W dniu 2/20/12 6:20 AM, Samuel Klein pisze:
This is a very, very cool project.
Thank you for sharing, Hugo and Jakub.
On Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 6:26 PM, ShareMapcontact@sharemap.org wrote:
- Map embedding as interactive SVG (or in future maybe HTML5 Canvas with
WebGL 3D support).
This is how you do it at sharemap.org now? Do you have examples of different implementations of this?
What we need from Wikipedia Community:
- Quick adaptation of direct SVG embedding inside Wikipedia (MediaWiki
engine) 2. Help from volunteers in testing, evaluating and development.
< 3. Help with infrastructure ... to run special instance of ShareMap environment
on Wikimedia infrastructure and dedicated for creation [of] map for wikipedia.
Can you set up a wiki page that describes in a bit mor detail what each of these would involve?
- What is still needed here?
- Where can volunteers sign up?
- What might the system requirements be?
You also mentioned wanting support for scholarships or internships for people to help work on the project. You can submit a specific proposal for this or for infrastructure, for grant funding from the Wikimedia Foundation:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants
You may also be able to get support directly from local Wikimedia chapters, though the process there is not as clear (just write to them individually). The largest chapter is Wikimedia Deutschland (wikimedia.de), where there is a very active mapping community.
Sam.
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