Interested in learning how to setup a web mapping program

[Mark Blackmore]

Hello!

I'm a GIS Technician working in Vancouver, and I would love to learn more about web mapping tools. I have downloaded the latest version of Mapserver but I'm have some difficulty in setting it up. I have limited knowledge of web development (when I graduated from University web mapping was still in its infancy). I'm wondering if anyone out there can provide some user friendly guidlines or training in using Open source GIS. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Mark Blackmore

[Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)]

On 14-May-09, at 2:26 PM, Mark Blackmore wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I'm a GIS Technician working in Vancouver, and I would love to  
> learn more about web mapping tools. I have downloaded the latest  
> version of Mapserver but I'm have some difficulty in setting it up.  
> I have limited knowledge of web development (when I graduated from  
> University web mapping was still in its infancy). I'm wondering if  
> anyone out there can provide some user friendly guidlines or  
> training in using Open source GIS. Your help is greatly  
> appreciated. Thank you for your time.
>
> Mark Blackmore

Hi Mark, greetings from the Interior (aka Way Up There).  There are  
quite a few resources scattered around.  If you have a few loonies to  
spend, you might find my book useful [1] - it touches on most of the  
aspect of needing to get MapServer up and running.

Okay, sales pitch over.. Where are you getting stuck?  One approach I  
recommend (and wrote about) is using what used to be called MapServer  
for Windows. [2]  Are you using this package?  It is going to  
eventually be superceded by OSGeo For Windows package,[3] but I think  
both still work.

They both come with Apache web server preconfigured for your use.  
You can also install some sample MapServer applications and use those  
as starting points.

If you are using Linux, there are other options I can tell you about.[4]

Hope these give you a bit of direction.  More of us can probably help  
you as you move along and tell a bit more about how far you made it  
so far.  But in the meantime you may also want to search the OSGeo  
curriculum database to find courses that might help. [5]

I, along with a couple other power users, give a workshop each year  
at the FOSS4G conference event.[6]  It has an online workshop guide  
that might help you.  I also come to Vancouver every month or two.  
If there was interest in a MapServer Basics workshop I could help  
with that.

Best wishes,
Tyler

[1] http://oreilly.com/catalog/webmapping - Web Mapping Illustrated
[2] http://maptools.org/ms4w - MS4W packages
[3] http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/ - OSGeo4W installer
[4] http://www.maptools.org/fgs/ - FOSS GIS Suite for Linux installer
[5] http://www.osgeo.org/educational_content - search for course  
material
[6] http://conference.osgeo.org/index.php/foss4g/2008/paper/view/24 -  
Workshop material
_______________________________________________
OSGeo-BC mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/osgeo-bc

[Gerry James-2]

On 14-May-09, at 2:26 PM, Mark Blackmore wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I'm a GIS Technician working in Vancouver, and I would love to learn
> more about web mapping tools. I have downloaded the latest version of
> Mapserver but I'm have some difficulty in setting it up.
> I have limited knowledge of web development (when I graduated from
> University web mapping was still in its infancy). I'm wondering if
> anyone out there can provide some user friendly guidlines or training
> in using Open source GIS. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you
> for your time.
>
> Mark Blackmore

Mark, I am not sure how much you would like to spend to learn about web
mapping but there is a company out of Seattle that is offering training in
OS web mapping.  Karsten Venneman has a lot of experience with web mapping
and has presented these sorts of classes on a number of occasions.  You
might want to check it out. http://www.terragis.net/gis-classes/os-web-gis/

Cheers
Gerry
_________________________________________
Gerry James, B.Sc., GISP  
President/Lead Consultant
*****************************************
Carteryx Geomatics Consultants Inc.
Spatial Intelligence for a Changing World
www.carteryx.com
_________________________________________
 
 
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Mark Blackmore
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 2:26 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [OSGeo BC] Interested in learning how to setup a web mapping
program

Hello!

I'm a GIS Technician working in Vancouver, and I would love to learn more
about web mapping tools. I have downloaded the latest version of Mapserver
but I'm have some difficulty in setting it up. I have limited knowledge of
web development (when I graduated from University web mapping was still in
its infancy). I'm wondering if anyone out there can provide some user
friendly guidlines or training in using Open source GIS. Your help is
greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Mark Blackmore

________________________________________
Yahoo! Canada Toolbar : Search from anywhere on the web and bookmark your
favourite sites. Download it now!

_______________________________________________
OSGeo-BC mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/osgeo-bc

[Mark Blackmore]

Tyler - Thanks for getting back to me I really appreciate it. I've been meaning to purchase your book as it looks like a great guide in getting Mapserver up and running. My situation is this, I've downloaded Mapserver (not the latest version, it was about 5 months ago I think, so maybe the second latest) for windows, now I'm just trying figure out where I program the output imagery. Ie what file do I use to tell the program where my shapefiles are and how the map will look. If I can get to this stage then I'm sure I can go from there. I really appreciate your help on this and thank you for sending me those links, they look like they will come in handy. If you are ever in Vancouver perhaps we could meet up and go for a coffee and talk about some of the projects we both are working on. I would also like to attend one of your workshops so please keep me in the loop. Have a great long weekend!

Mark

--- On Thu, 5/14/09, Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo) <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo) <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [OSGeo BC] Interested in learning how to setup a web mapping program
To: "OSGeo Local Chapter, British Columbia, Canada" <[hidden email]>
Received: Thursday, May 14, 2009, 9:59 PM

On 14-May-09, at 2:26 PM, Mark Blackmore wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I'm a GIS Technician working in Vancouver, and I would love to learn more about web mapping tools. I have downloaded the latest version of Mapserver but I'm have some difficulty in setting it up. I have limited knowledge of web development (when I graduated from University web mapping was still in its infancy). I'm wondering if anyone out there can provide some user friendly guidlines or training in using Open source GIS. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
>
> Mark Blackmore

Hi Mark, greetings from the Interior (aka Way Up There).  There are quite a few resources scattered around.  If you have a few loonies to spend, you might find my book useful [1] - it touches on most of the aspect of needing to get MapServer up and running.

Okay, sales pitch over.. Where are you getting stuck?  One approach I recommend (and wrote about) is using what used to be called MapServer for Windows. [2]  Are you using this package?  It is going to eventually be superceded by OSGeo For Windows package,[3] but I think both still work.

They both come with Apache web server preconfigured for your use.  You can also install some sample MapServer applications and use those as starting points.

If you are using Linux, there are other options I can tell you about.[4]

Hope these give you a bit of direction.  More of us can probably help you as you move along and tell a bit more about how far you made it so far.  But in the meantime you may also want to search the OSGeo curriculum database to find courses that might help. [5]

I, along with a couple other power users, give a workshop each year at the FOSS4G conference event.[6]  It has an online workshop guide that might help you.  I also come to Vancouver every month or two.  If there was interest in a MapServer Basics workshop I could help with that.

Best wishes,
Tyler

[1] http://oreilly.com/catalog/webmapping - Web Mapping Illustrated
[2] http://maptools.org/ms4w - MS4W packages
[3] http://trac.osgeo.org/osgeo4w/ - OSGeo4W installer
[4] http://www.maptools.org/fgs/ - FOSS GIS Suite for Linux installer
[5] http://www.osgeo.org/educational_content - search for course material
[6] http://conference.osgeo.org/index.php/foss4g/2008/paper/view/24 - Workshop material
_______________________________________________
OSGeo-BC mailing list
OSGeo-BC@...
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/osgeo-bc

[Mark Blackmore]

Gerry - thanks for getting back to me, this course looks very good. Not sure if I'll be able to attend though as I am working full time. However their website looks like its filled with a lot of relevant information. Thanks again and have a great long weekend!

Mark

--- On Thu, 5/14/09, Gerry James <[hidden email]> wrote:

From: Gerry James <[hidden email]>
Subject: RE: [OSGeo BC] Interested in learning how to setup a web mapping program
To: "'OSGeo Local Chapter, British Columbia, Canada'" <[hidden email]>
Received: Thursday, May 14, 2009, 10:13 PM

On 14-May-09, at 2:26 PM, Mark Blackmore wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I'm a GIS Technician working in Vancouver, and I would love to learn
> more about web mapping tools. I have downloaded the latest version of
> Mapserver but I'm have some difficulty in setting it up.
> I have limited knowledge of web development (when I graduated from
> University web mapping was still in its infancy). I'm wondering if
> anyone out there can provide some user friendly guidlines or training
> in using Open source GIS. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you
> for your time.
>
> Mark Blackmore

Mark, I am not sure how much you would like to spend to learn about web
mapping but there is a company out of Seattle that is offering training in
OS web mapping.  Karsten Venneman has a lot of experience with web mapping
and has presented these sorts of classes on a number of occasions.  You
might want to check it out. http://www.terragis.net/gis-classes/os-web-gis/

Cheers
Gerry
_________________________________________
Gerry James, B.Sc., GISP  
President/Lead Consultant
*****************************************
Carteryx Geomatics Consultants Inc.
Spatial Intelligence for a Changing World
www.carteryx.com
_________________________________________
 
 
From: osgeo-bc-bounces@...
[mailto:osgeo-bc-bounces@...] On Behalf Of Mark Blackmore
Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 2:26 PM
To: osgeo-bc@...
Subject: [OSGeo BC] Interested in learning how to setup a web mapping
program

Hello!

I'm a GIS Technician working in Vancouver, and I would love to learn more
about web mapping tools. I have downloaded the latest version of Mapserver
but I'm have some difficulty in setting it up. I have limited knowledge of
web development (when I graduated from University web mapping was still in
its infancy). I'm wondering if anyone out there can provide some user
friendly guidlines or training in using Open source GIS. Your help is
greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Mark Blackmore

________________________________________
Yahoo! Canada Toolbar : Search from anywhere on the web and bookmark your
favourite sites. Download it now!

_______________________________________________
OSGeo-BC mailing list
OSGeo-BC@...
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/osgeo-bc

---

Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of Flickr!
_______________________________________________
OSGeo-BC mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/osgeo-bc