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Dynamic Map Layers

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May 14, 2013
1:32 pm

subbob

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April 2, 2013

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This post is related to Creating & Updating Map of Portal Destinations

What is the underlying format of the layers for the dynamic map?

Are they XML files? flat files? database?

I know the res layer was disabled due to adverse impacts on server performance.

I think the addition of a static set of destination points should not produce the same adverse effects.

It would be very useful if veterans could visualize the ship, rail and airship destinations on the world's main map.

If technically feasible, this could be accomplished with the existing Markers layer. As far as I can tell, that layer only includes one market, for Vetropolis.

If this proposal receives owner and moderator support, I am volunteering to assist and/or lead the development for a locations based layer.

May 14, 2013
3:32 pm

meatbawllz

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If this is similar to the Vetropolis Layer in the map, as far as server performance, this is something I wholeheartedly agree with. However, each time we add a new portal ship some of Hannahbrian's time will be spent adding it, so that needs to be taken into consideration. Although initially static, it will surely have additions fairly regularly.

Founder and owner of VeteranCraft. "He who says he can, and he who says he can't, are both usually right." -Confucious

May 14, 2013
5:44 pm

frelling

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Ideally, I fully support the idea, and yes Dynmap could accomplish this through markers. But as Meat already hit upon, while nice, its a potential maintenance nightmare. The last thing any of our staff wants to deal with is with someone getting antsy because their marker isn't showing up on the map.

Apart from that, I have a true love-hate relationship with Dynmap; but I'll skip over that lest this web server runs out of disk space storing my dissertation, except for "the less it does, the better it is and the happier I am" Laugh . In short, dynmap really should be its own application running in a separate JVM. I tried that about a year ago, but got no support from its developers, so that notion is currently filed under my "when I have absolutely nothing to do and can't sleep" list.

That is not to say, that I wouldn't welcome user contributed content that could be put on either wiki. Many moons ago, Pherian created some wonderful concepts of higher-level maps. Someone with a skill set in HTML5/SVG could easily create a "dynamic" map that served up more than just markers, while leaving dynmap to its core duties.

Frankly, I have already given this some consideration toward our current Vetropolis layer. Not discounting what Hannahbrian did, for the most its just a cluster of icons that make no sense until one zooms in to the appropriate resolution. This could easily be done with a static map on the wiki/lore wiki assisted with hyperlink link signs throughout the city. Obviously, the loss would be that players would not see their position, but even that could be overcome with dynamic links.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experiences of others, are also remarkable for their disinclination to do so. - D. Adams

May 15, 2013
8:57 am

frelling

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The more I thought of user-contributed content, the more I like it. Could be a potential money maker (i.e. Shillings), where various "map makers" get paid to include specific locations.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experiences of others, are also remarkable for their disinclination to do so. - D. Adams