[meteorite-list] Simple mapping software? (A little OT)

From: mexicodoug <mexicodoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:18:26 -0600
Message-ID: <00dc01c85419$c7fef6b0$4001a8c0_at_MICASA>

Super! Nice and useful improvements for the US in the MetSoc-USGS
interactive database, and as a footnote I see that Wold meteorite that lit a
fire under the English is safely landed and the rest history...One of these
days we'll be meteorite hunting off the crystal clear and resolved images of
the USGS website from the comfort of our computer screens at this rate of
emprovement!

Meanwhile back on the farm, this woodpecker is typing away and just changed
this sample meteorite map using the DIY Map software of the UK/Ireland/IOM
added some lame meteorite icons (kinda liked the yellow ball icons better,
though), and some serious clickable links to every fall that transport you
to the correct USGS-MetSoc page - and of course pulled Wold Cottage out of
the Sea: Click here to see how it shaped up:
http://www.glorietamountain.com

Best wishes,
Doug


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Grossman" <jgrossman at usgs.gov>
To: "mexicodoug" <mexicodoug at aol.com>; "Meteorite List"
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 6:13 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Simple mapping software? (A little OT)


> There was a bug on the MetBull database site that reported longitudes
> between 0 and 1 degree west as "negative east" longitudes. Wold Cottage
> was one. It is fixed. Good catch.
>
> Also, I modified the little google maps applet in the database to allow
> you to use USGS topo maps and aerial photos as the map base. Look up the
> detailed information for a specific meteorite and click on View Google Map
> to see this. (Only applicable in the US, where these base maps are
> available.)
>
> jeff
>
> At 06:04 PM 1/10/2008, mexicodoug wrote:
>>Hi Mark, Marco, and others who enjoyed the Parker Bros. Napoleonic "Risk"
>>game as kids*,
>>
>>Been playing around with this "DIY Map" software (macromedia based) since
>>Mark first posted. I think I like the Meteorite bulletin - USGS Google
>>Earth interface better, and would encourage you to check into the features
>>of Google Earth allowing you to do 'kewl' stuff.
>>
>>But this DIY Map would do the trick for putting your collection on-line
>>impressively, or taking the results in screen capture stills. The reason
>>Wold Cottage is in the Sea is because I used the coordinates of the
>>USGS-MB site, and Wold is incorrectly listed as an eastern longitude on
>>that site (Dr. Grossman...sorry to bother you if you could change that to
>>west).
>>
>>The Map is zoomable, lat/lon coordinate friendly and icon friendly for a
>>cute meteorite for example and changes tone as you mouse over.
>>
>>http://www.glorietamountain.com/
>>
>>I made an example for the list's viewing pleasure with all of the
>>witnessed falls recorded in the UK and Ireland (link above). I colored
>>the countries, put a yellow dot at the coordinates of each witnessed fall,
>>and furthermore sized the dot based on the TKW. A sort of recovered
>>meteorite population density concept for anyone who wants to cruise to
>>Great Britian on holiday and pick up a few meteorites laying around. When
>>you scroll over the dot I made it say the location and the fall year. I
>>made it clickable so cursoring over the individual countries identifies
>>the country, and clicking on them zooms in on the country. You can take
>>over the whole world nicely with you meteorite collection, but the
>>UK/Ireland was enough for me this afternoon.
>>
>>My attempt was quick and I'm not a programmer, so if I dedicated more time
>>it could have had all kinds of bells and whistles into this, like cursor
>>over the world and have a link on each dot opening the MB-USGS database
>>page, my pictures, cutie meteorite icons, etc. Or I could have done it to
>>help IMCA members worldwide hook up with the masses ... just kidding.
>>http://www.glorietamountain.com/
>>
>>Just it is a terribly unfriendly interface - but it works superbly and is
>>extremely powerful, not to mention it's generously free for all kinds of
>>use. Lets you color countries and puts lots of things in them and can do
>>coordinates and the zooming/interactive functions are great. Note the
>>maps can even be resized. Price is right - free...and if you want to
>>invest the time in cutting, pasting and configuring the files as required,
>>it really is powerful and results are very professional and multilevel
>>(states, countries, regions). Also can manages lat/lon to some degree if
>>you have the patience to figure it out looks like you will be rewarded
>>with great results.
>>
>>http://drupal.org/project/diymap
>>
>>Other than this sort of software, if you want to do better than Excel, MS
>>Access (with Microsoft Offie professional) makes real professional
>>databases where you can link pictures and all kinds of customized queries
>>(it is a great tool for real estate listings and photo employee
>>databases).
>>
>>Best wishes, Doug
>>* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_(game)
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Marco Langbroek"
>><marco.langbroek at wanadoo.nl>
>>To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>>Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 7:51 AM
>>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Simple mapping software? (A little OT)
>>
>>
>>>Hi Mark,
>>>
>>>Browse around a bit on http://www.sourceforge.net which is a well known
>>>large repository of open source software for all kinds of things. There
>>>is certainly mapping software on there (search with keywords like "map"
>>>and/or "gps" I suggest).
>>>
>>>- Marco
>>>
>>>-----
>>>Dr Marco Langbroek
>>>Dutch Meteor Society (DMS)
>>>
>>>e-mail: meteorites at dmsweb.org
>>>DMS website: http://www.dmsweb.org
>>>private website: http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek
>>>-----
>>>
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>>
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>
> Dr. Jeffrey N. Grossman phone: (703) 648-6184
> US Geological Survey fax: (703) 648-6383
> 954 National Center
> Reston, VA 20192, USA
>
>
>
Received on Fri 11 Jan 2008 01:18:26 AM PST