Maps and Apps
Addy PopeResearch and geodata service
EDINA
Photo: Addy Pope
EDINA
What do we do?
Flicker – Panda Evans http://www.flickr.com/photos/98216330@N00/239423934/
Digimap – a mini-revolution
Mocpages: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/135070
Digimap – the beginning
Digimap Carto Beta circa 1999
Digimap – Evolution
Digimap Roam – VectorMap Local
Know your users
Geoscience is in the minority. What does this tell you?
What do users actually want to do, or rather what do they want to avoid doing?
Digimap – Alternative representations
Alternative representations – 4 images of the same area with different styles applied.
Digimap – add your own data
Digimap Roam – 1:50 000 + Hillshade + GPX tracklog uploaded as annotation
So how do you improve interfaces?
Usability led interface design
USeD - JISC Research infrastructure programme - Usability/Learnability
Identify the problem
Select 1 data product from a choice of 16
Define area
Pick data tiles
Define delivery format
21
4
3
Stats: • 48,000+ Digimap users• 74,000 data requests*• 1,000,000 data tiles served*
* Based on Jan 2010 – Jan 2011
Know your users
http://used.blogs.edina.ac.uk/files/2011/09/USeD_Persona.pdf
Define the requirements
Iterative test cycle
Start
Persona
Tech/UserRec’s
Testing
Release
0
6
User Testing
Prototype Review
Revise
Implement
Be prepared to failNot everything will work. Part of experimenting with an interface is
working out what doesn’t work
Pic courtesy of Volvo Cars
Be prepared to failBut remember, you will still find users who simply just don’t get it.
Pic courtesy of Volvo Cars
Test it, test it, test it
http://used.blogs.edina.ac.uk/files/2011/09/USeD_Persona.pdf
Launch
Data Download beats the old version hands down as far as I‘m concerned. The rapidity with which you can select a map extent and download all of the relevant mapping data in one go is by far much better than the slow and more manual way things used to work. Top notch stuff.”
Lecturer at Northumbria University
But what about mobile?
Location based everything
Data collection has changed
Technology has made data capture easier, more affordable and quicker.
Beyond the classroom
Pic courtesy of Richard Allaway: http://www.flickr.com/photos/geographyalltheway_photos/5186209019/in/set-72157625415772442
Know your users….. again.
WHO?
Geographers?
Geoscience?
Everyone?
WHAT?
Navigate?
View maps?
Collect data?
WHERE?
UK or Abroad?
Rural or urban
3G network?
HOW?
Easy to use?
Platform?
Mapping – ok, but not great
OpenStreet Map
OS Opendata
Mapping for mobiles
80 cm
80 cm
135 screens
Scale Vs Screen
1:10k on A4
1:50k @ 1:20kon A4
Custom Mapping
StrategiVMD
PanoramaOSM
Natural England
We added another zoom level and the stack increased from 26Gb to 84Gb
Example Maps
Some example maps from Fieldtrip GB
Mapping Issues : Urban vs. Rural
MapServer Masking
Urban and rural areas have different needs,
rural areas would benefit from a wider
view / urban area might benefit from larger scale views.
How do you satisfy both from one
mapping stack?
Maps anywhere
Why save maps to the phone?
Data connection not always
available in rural areas
Streaming maps uses data
allowance
Maps load faster
http://ukmobilecoverage.co.uk/map/ee
Maps anywhere
Why save maps to the phone?
Fieldwork in rural areas
Streaming maps uses data allowance
Maps load faster
http://ukmobilecoverage.co.uk/map/ee
But now we have to consider:
Select an area
Prevent user mistaking selection map for
the actual map
Select zoom levels?
Communicate the size of the download
Integrate : Prevent the app streaming
maps to device that have been
downloaded
Maps anywhere
Preview Map: shows the detail of the mapping you will download
Zoom Levels: define the number of zoom levels you want to download
Capture the data you want
http://fieldtripgb.edina.ac.uk/authoring/
Create your own data collection form and deploy it to your phone
Understand the users
Promotes good research data management through consistent capture and helps reduce blunders
Post Capture
Easy Data Sharing: Sync to upload data Filter data by form name Visualise your data on a
basemap Edit collected data Export to kml, GeoJson,
csv, wms* Share maps through
Dropbox
PCAPI – How it works
PCAPIPersonal Cloud API
DropBox Flickr Google
Drive?Secure HE/FE?
Your Cloud Space
EDINA Services
Custom FormsRecord ViewerPublish RecordsAu
thor
ing
Tool
Fiel
dTrip
GB
What platforms?
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_operating_system
Hybrid app
EDINA App – Fieldtrip GB
http://fieldtripgb.blogs.edina.ac.uk/
Download maps and formsUpload captured data
Capture Data: basic capture forms and GPS tracking
Maps: View maps or save them for use offline
Citizen Science
• Get a new Dropbox account to share with your team• Download Fieldtrip GB to your devices1.Before you start• Log into the Authoring Tool• Create a custom form and save it2. Design your form• Get the team to log into the Dropbox account • Use Sync to get the form on their devices3. Share the form• Collect data using the form• Manually correct remote points or in urban canyons4. In the field• Connect to WiFi• Get the team Sync to upload the data5. Back indoors• Log into Authoring Tool• Filter by form name and edit points if needed6. Manage your data• Export to a KML file, GeoJSON, CSV or WMS• Map the points in Google Earth, OpenLayers or a GIS 7. View the results
Architecture
Service Architecture:• Apache web server • MapCache (Tile cache)• Python WSGI (PC API)• Citrix Netscaler load balancer• VSphere VMWare (SUN X4150
cluster)
Map Generation Architecture:• OpenStack private cloud • Apache Web Server• MapServer 6.2 • MapCache seeder• PostGIS
App Architecture:• Data storage outsourced• PhoneGap• OpenLayers
Why PhoneGap?• OpenLayers library more versatile• Easier to implement custom forms• Lower costs
Beginning, not the end
http://fieldtripgb.blogs.edina.ac.uk/