* Map usages

[AdrianBruce]

Right now I have absolutely no domestic time to upgrade to v6 - but that doesn't stop me thinking about it. One of the major aspects is obviously Maps and Places.

I have been attempting to follow some of the threads about the limitations of the "internal" FH Geocoding. I shall only say that if the answer to the question is putting more of the Address into the Place, as I've seen suggested, then for me it's the wrong question. Which may mean using Mike's plug-in more. However - I have a more fundamental (and possibly dumb!) question - how can I use the maps that get produced either internally or via the plug-in?

So far as I can see, the internal mapping system gives a pictorial representation for use within the application. That's fine, a picture is worth a thousand words, etc. What I'd really, really like would be to put my people's events on a layer over the top of a map containing parish boundaries, such as Family Search's "England & Wales Jurisdictions 1851" on http://maps.familysearch.org/#layer Would I be sadly right in assuming there's no known way to stack layers from different maps like that?

Perhaps more realistically I'd like to understand how maps could be used in, for want of a better term, documents. Obviously I could screen-shot a map and paste it in - it'd be dead, but it's a useful picture. What about a link to a live map? In particular - is it possible to link to a live map from a Wordpress.com blog without using any Wordpress upgrades? My objections to paid-for upgrades is not financial - rather it's that when I shuffle off this mortal coil then my credit card dies also and so does the extra functionality of the blog. I want a blog that lasts.

Maybe dumb questions but I guess summed up by - why maps?

[tatewise]

Map Layers
I suspect it would be very difficult if not impossible to get map markers to appear on anything other than the provided modern maps. This is because the maps & markers are created by an Internet service from Latitude & Longitude values plus popup text. In the case of my Plugin that is a Google Maps Internet service, which displays a map very similar to the Google Maps you can access via any browser. It supports pan & zoom and even Street View, and for that to work Google has to be in full control of the map components. So for any other map to work it would have to synchronise not only on Latitude & Longitude but also pan & zoom.

Live Maps
My Plugin creates HTML map files that can be uploaded to a website and viewed by anyone who knows their web address. So I guess they could be included in blogs. As an example see My Grandfather's Map that has lots of clickable links and full Google Maps options. (BTW: That is the only map on this FH tree at the moment, and some of the plots need correcting, but it gives an idea of the possibilities.)

[Valkrider]

Mike

Just FYI no map is displayed in Firefox but it is in Chrome. It may have something to do with this file missing.

http://www.users.freenetname.co.uk/~mik ... ytebox.css

[arishmell]

I can see Mike's map very nicely in Firefox 35.0, and click on the links. Very impressive! I shall need another three lifetimes to get to grips with all these new advances AND sort out the family tree at the same time.

[Valkrider]

That is the version of Firefox I am running and even resetting Firefox to it's default settings does not display the map. Most odd.

[AdrianBruce]

Thanks Mike - the example map gives me something concrete to understand and think about - however, looking at the HTML source, I am unsure how much of that I can get into a Wordpress.com blog - there is an option to show the HTML but I have a suspicion that not everything is accessible. And I think I did once try altering some HTML that was accessible only for it to be ignored. The system is, after all, designed to protect you from your own folly. But at least this gives me something to think about and play with.

I have found references to Google Maps and Wordpress but so far they all seem to need Wordpress plug-ins / upgrades, which, as I said above, I have rejected as too temporary. (Unless anyone knows different!)

Interesting what you say about the FamilySearch maps and using modern maps as a basis. The FS Maps are, I just checked, from Google. They have an option (not a layer, per se) to show First Edition(?) 1 inch Ordnance maps so they must have been synced at suitable points to the modern foundation.

Adrian

[LornaCraig]

Valkrider,
I too am using Firefox 35.0 and can see the map.
(Using Windows 7, 64 bit)

[tatewise]

Colin, I have corrected the script statement, but it should make no difference as that script is not used by the map web page.
I am using Firefox 34.0.5.
Is your Firefox setup still in default mode where ActiveX/JavaScript is often inhibited, but is needed for FH web pages? See http://www.enable-javascript.com/ for solution.

Arishmell, virtually all that you see there is produced by the standard FH Publish > Create a Website Wizard and my Improve Website or CD DVD HTML Plugin, with all files uploaded to a website, or alternatively a CD/DVD can be produced.
See how_to:make_family_tree|> Make a Family Tree CD/DVD or Website and links:index|> Member Web Sites for inspiration.

Adrian, the size of the HTML depends largely on how many Facts and Markers there are, but a few CSS and JavaScript files are also needed. I assumed you could just put a hyperlink in the blog to a web page, just as I did above in this thread.

I will investigate the FamilySearch Google OS Maps, but of course they do not cover the whole world in the way standard Google Maps do, and may not support the geocode marker plotting.

[AdrianBruce]

... I assumed you could just put a hyperlink in the blog to a web page, just as I did above in this thread.....

Yes, shifting the clever stuff elsewhere and out of the Wordpress blog is one option - except I presume it ends up with the same financial issue - the separate web pages die with my credit card. (Mind you - I need to actually write the stuff first!)

Adrian

[tatewise]

According to http://en.wordpress.com/features/ you get a Blog and 3GB of web space for FREE, so no credit card needed!

The only condition is that the web space address involves WordPress.com rather than your own domain name, but to support a Blog that is unimportant.

I have not investigated the details, but it should also be possible to create a [kb]|[/kb] just like the FHUG using one of the free Wiki packages. Having dug a bit deeper it seems that KB Wiki are only supported in WordPress.org.

[Valkrider]

Mike

Running 35.0. JS enabled or I wouldn't be able to run or develop any websites that I am responsible for. Very odd indeed. Win 7 64Bit too. Some more investigation needed.

Running Firefox Developer Edition v35.0a2 displays the map fine. Curiouser and curiouser.

**********************************
Problem found one of my addon's for Firefox was preventing it running. Now disabled and the map displays fine. A useful exercise for me and a red herring for Mike

[TonyF]

When I first tried Grandfather's map I did not get the map (using Chrome) but now it is fine.

One curiosity: the marriage to Florence is being plotted just west of the junction of the A5 and the M1 instead of Middlesex! I have not had time to check others.

Tony

[gsward]

The "free" wordpress.com site does not allow you to install any plugins, so it is only suitable for a basic site using themes that are available on wordpress.com. If you want to go further with WordPress you need a hosted package with WordPress included.

You might be able to make some progress and certainly learn how it all works on a totally free account from a few providers like (just one of several options) x10hosting.com, but there are strings like you need to log onto your account at least once a month.

If you start something on one WordPress platform you can usually export the content and import to a new host later.

[tatewise]

gsward: What constitutes a plugin in this WordPress context?

The map web pages are not what I would call a plugin, but a simple XHTML script with CSS and JavaScript files.

TonyF: I originally said some of the plots were incorrect, becasue it was a quick run of the Plugin without checking the plots, and I know some of the Address & Place data is not suitable for geocoding.

[AdrianBruce]

.... The map web pages are not what I would call a plugin, but a simple XHTML script with CSS and JavaScript files.....

The perils of terminology. The free Wordpress.com blog (which I have already) is limited in its capabilities. In order to provide a robust platform for blogging, you are cut off from most of the fancier HTML stuff that is not needed for writing text. I am fairly certain that Javascript and CSS are not available to the basic free package.

I think CSS might well be available on the otherwise free Wordpress.com blog if you purchase an upgrade, but then your nice looking text dies with your credit card. I think you'd need to have your own site and install Wordpress yourself to use Javascript.

[tatewise]

The more I look at the free WordPress.com features I understand what you mean and its restrictions.
Thus almost any Internet website space is likely to cost something.
However, you could commit your HTML maps to a CD/DVD and any PC will display them in any browser.

[jeemo]

Why not try a Freepages site from Rootsweb (http://accounts.rootsweb.ancestry.com/i ... eagree.htm). It won't "die with your credit card" and allows the use of CSS and Javascript. I've been using it for about 10 years with absolutely no problems.

[AdrianBruce]

John - interesting - didn't realise those sites still worked. It may be a thing to explore - to see if I could get maps loaded on such a site, linked from the WordPress blog. Not sure how clunky the arrangement would be but I'm not yet sure how I want to to use such a beast.

I have found this http://en.support.wordpress.com/google- ... custom-map relating to embedding a Custom Google Map into a WordPress.com blog but I have yet to understand the contents of the link. The current target of the link to the Google Maps Engine doesn't seem to be what the instructions expect - nor do the instructions seem to look like Mike's Google based maps either. I may be missing something.......

Adrian

[AdrianBruce]

... The current target of the link to the Google Maps Engine doesn't seem to be what the instructions expect ....

Looks at first sight like the link to use is https://www.google.com/maps/d/ to Google's New "My Maps".

Adrian

[tatewise]

Adrian, those Shared Google Maps will work but with constraints.
You have to position & edit all the lines and markers by hand.
You can use the search bar to find places and add markers, but no auto-geocoding!
When complete there are no hyperlinks to a family tree or vice versa as in my Plugin maps.

I have investigated the Family Search "England & Wales Jurisdictions 1851" maps, which as you say are from Google.
However, I have found no easy option to incorporate them into the Google Geocoding Service Maps.
There is a way of registering alternative maps, but it is very involved as described in:
https://developers.google.com/maps/docu ... peRegistry
which goes on to explain about map types, coordinates, tiles, and projections.

[AdrianBruce]

... but with constraints.....

That was my initial impression also.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Leaflet looks promising, for anyone willing to investigate: http://leafletjs.com/. I'm lucky -- the CMS I use (Drupal) is an almost-entirely free software ecosystem and will let me integrate maps via Leaflet pretty painlessly (if I'm willing to enter the data manually).