MapViewer 1.0 Final Beta 
- Documentation 
 

Contents:

1. This Version
2. Making Your Own MultiMediaMaps
3. Viewing Your MultiMediaMaps
4. Putting Your MultiMediaMap Online
5. Bugs and Suggestions
 
 

1. This Version

This is a fully functioning final beta of MapViewer version 1.0. Please report any bugs you may find (See: Bugs and Suggestions)

To see an example of a MultiMediaMap visit the MMM Homepage. To automatically receive news about the next version of MapViewer please register by sending your name and email address to a.h.j@usa.net

You are hereby granted permission to use and distribute this software and its documentation for NON-COMMERCIAL purposes. ALLAN JAENICKE MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THE SUITABILITY OF THE SOFTWARE, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES SUFFERED BY LICENSEE AS A RESULT OF USING OR
DISTRIBUTING THIS SOFTWARE
 
 

2. Making Your Own MultiMediaMaps

To start making your own MMMaps all you need is a digital camera (or a regular camera and a scanner), the MapViewer applet and a text editor. I am planning a 'MapMaker' application, but it is not available yet.
 

Step 1: Taking pictures

You have to take sequences of pictures for each path and branch you want in your MMMap (A path connects to junctions and the branches connect the ends of the paths meeting in a junction).

Example:

All the lines represent an independent sequence of images.In a junction as shown above, the branches must connect all paths. In praxis all you need to do is to take enough pictures so that the transition between the two paths will be as smooth as possible.

Start out by drawing a map representing all the paths that you want in your map. Remember to indicate if a path is 'one way' only or both way. Name all your paths on the map.

Example:


 

You must also decide on some Starting Points. These will be the points your user can choose to start from when viewing your map. A starting point is a regular path, but it must be treated a bit different (see: Step 2: Putting it together) Now your are ready to take some pictures!
 
 

Step 2: Putting it together

Transfer the pictures to your computer and convert them to the '.jpg' format. The pictures must be 300*200 pixels and should be no larger than approx.5 kb (This can be achieved by setting the compression level of the jpg image to 75%). Copy all the pictures into folders named as you decided in your drawing. All picture folders must be under \Images\.

Example:

c:\MyMap\Images\parkroad\ 
c:\MyMap\Images\shop-myhouse\

All the images in a branch originating from a path must also be copied into the paths' folder. A folder consists of the path images and the images in all the branches that originate from it.

Starting Points must be put into a folder with the name you want to appear in the Menu of the MapViewer applet.
If you want a Starting Point at the shop junction as shown above, name the folder 'Shop', 'Super Market' or...

Example:

c:\MyMap\Images\Shop\
 

All the images must now be renamed according to the name of the path/branch and the number it has in the sequence. Say you have stored 5 images in the path 'sunroad' and it has to branches, one to the west (left) and one north (straight ahead). You could name them as follows:

c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\sunroad0.jpg
c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\sunroad1.jpg
c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\sunroad2.jpg
c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\sunroad3.jpg
c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\sunroad4.jpg

c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\branchwest0.jpg
c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\branchwest1.jpg
c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\branchwest2.jpg

c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\branchnorth0.jpg
c\MyMap\Images\sunroad\branchnorth1.jpg

 

Step 4: Editing pathfile.txt

Inside each path folder there must be a pathfile. This is a simple text file containing information about the path and its branches. The pathfile has a specific format which you must follow, and it must be named 'pathfile.txt':

[Name of Path Images ]
[Number of Images in Path Sequence]
[Number of Branches]
[Name of Branch 1]
[Number of Images in Branch 1 Sequence]
[Location of Path which this Branch 1 leads to]
[Direction of Branch 1]
.
.
[Name of Branch N]
[Number of Images in Branch N Sequence]
[Location of Path which this Branch N leads to]
[Direction of Branch N] (N, NE, E, SE, S, SV, V or NV)

Example:  (c:\MyMap\Images\sunroad\pathfile.txt)

sunroad
5
2
branchwest
3
Images/parkroad/
V
branchnorth
2
Images/shop-myhouse/
N
 
 

Step 5: Editing mapfile.txt

When all the folders and images are prepared you need to edit the mapfile. The mapfile contains information about the map as a whole, and must be located in the same directory as the web page in which the MapViewer applet is, e.g. 'c:\MyMap\mapfile.txt' .

Draw up a matrix showing all junctions first. In the matrix you should not if two junctions intersect by writing down the name of the path connecting them. If two junctions are not connected you should write 'NULL'.

Example:


 
 

Now you can edit the mapfile. The format is as follows:

[Name of Map]
[Number of Junctions in Map]
[Number of Start Points]
[Number of End Points]
[Name of Junction 1]
[Is it a Start Point]
[Is it an End Point]
[Name of Junction 2]
[Is it a Start Point]
[Is it an End Point]
.
.
[Name of Junction N]
[Is it a Start Point]
[Is it an End Point]
[Location of Path Connecting Junction 1 and Junction 1] (Directory Name or NULL)
[Location of Path Connecting Junction 1 and Junction 2]
[Location of Path Connecting Junction 1 and Junction 3]
.
.
[Location of Path Connecting Junction 2 and Junction 1]
[Location of Path Connecting Junction 2 and Junction 2]
.
.
[Location of Path Connecting Junction N and Junction N]
 

Example:

My New MultiMedia Map
2
1
1
Shop
true
false
Home
false
true
NULL
Images/shop-myhouse/
Images/myhouse-shop/
NULL
 

NOTE: Above 'Shop' has been selected as a Start Point. You will therefore need a folder named 'Shop' with images for this start point (See: Putting Your MultiMediaMap Online).

 

3. Viewing Your MultiMediaMap

To view your map you need to either put it online and view it with your browser, or install Sun's Appletviewer (available at http://java.sun.com).
 
 

4. Putting Your MultiMediaMap Online

Include the applet in a web page. The applet tag needs to look like this:

<APPLET
  CODEBASE  = "Java"
  CODE     = "MapViewer.class"
  NAME     = "MapViewer"
  WIDTH    = 120
  HEIGHT   = 70
  HSPACE   = 0
  VSPACE   = 0
  ALIGN    = Middle
>

Transfer the page onto your web server, saving it in the folder where you want you map. Transfer the mapfile into the same folder, and then all the transfer all the path folders into an 'Images/' in the directory of your map. At last transfer all the applet classes into a folder named 'Java'. It should look something like this:

/MyMap/YourWebPage.html               (Web page with applet tag)
/MyMap/mapfile.txt
/MyMap/Java/                                      (All applet classes in this folder)
/MYMap/Images/Shop/                         (All images belonging to 'Shop' Start Point) 
/MyMap/Images/myhouse-shop/           (All images belonging to 'myhouse-shop' path)
/MyMap/Images/shop-myhouse/           (All images belonging to 'shop-myhouse' path)
.
.
 
 

5. Bugs and Suggestions

Please report any bugs and send any suggestions to me.

Email: a.h.j@usa.net