Goal:
Web application that allows students to upload images, movies, and comments to a Flex application that displays all information on a local Google Map. Users should be able to ‘sketch’ paths, routes, buildings as well as adding comments, movies etc. to locations.
Application should be locally hosted using simple PHP and MySQL.
Idea:
- Use Google’s Flex API to create a web application that has full Google map functionality (see Google’s FlexDeveloper’s Guide) that on startup goes to the local Google Map.
- Add simple sketching capability to allow multiple, moderated users to sketch routes, important locations, walks etc
- Add basic information to Riccarton map (e.g. building outlines, paths, department info on zoom and mouse over).
- Add basic information to local area map (e.g. bus routes, airport, bus station etc.)
- Add PHP/MySQL interface to allow users to add and store images, sketches, movies and comments to map locations
- Add Flickr referencing using geotagging
Skills required
Flex application so programming skills required.
Inspiration:
- Google myMaps provides a nice idea of the basics of the interface (I’ve added the routes and polygons highlighting our building and its carparks below). But imagine that this was a Flash app. to which we could add various animations, comment lists, wkiki, and mouseovers etc. and that it was linked to our own mySQL database. Local students could add movies, routes, places of interest, comments etc. (ok, so local pubs, shops, clubs would be more interesting…..)View Click here for larger map
- Google’s Flex demos and Developer’s Guides show you how to get a simple Flex app. talking to Google maps (it took me about an hour to get something going).