Autodesk 15606-011408-9330 - MAPGUIDE R6.3 SITE LIC-UPG R6, 15606-011408-9008 - MAPGUIDE R6.3 NAMED-100U PK, MapGuide 6 User Manual
Autodesk MapGuide® Release 6
User’s Guide
15306-010000-5000 October 2001
Copyright © 2001 Autodesk, Inc.
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Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Autodesk MapGuide Author Key Features . . . . . . . . 10
Autodesk MapGuide Server Key Features . . . . . . . . 11
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Key Features . . . . . . . . 11
What’s New in Release 6? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Symbol Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Support for Autodesk DWG . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Author? . . . . . . . 14
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Server? . . . . . . . 14
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer 6? . . . . . . 15
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Autodesk MapGuide Author Requirements. . . . . . . . 15
Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements . . . . . . . . 16
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Requirements . . . . . . . . 17
What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book? . . . . . . . . . 18
Conventions Used in This Manual . . . . . . . . . . 21
Where to Get More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Autodesk MapGuide User Documentation . . . . . . . . 22
Autodesk MapGuide Developer Documentation . . . . . . 25
Third-Party Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Autodesk MapGuide Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Online Discussion Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Autodesk Developer Network . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide . . . . . . . . . 29
What Is Autodesk MapGuide?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
How Autodesk MapGuide Works . . . . . . . . . . . 30
How Autodesk MapGuide Products Work Together . . . . . . . 31
Map Authoring Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Autodesk MapGuide Author . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Symbol Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
SDF Loader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
iii
SDF Component Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Raster Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Map Viewing Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Web Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
LiteView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Map Serving Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Autodesk MapGuide Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Autodesk MapGuide Data Providers . . . . . . . . . . 37
Developing Applications with Autodesk MapGuide . . . . . . . 38
Client-Side Application Components . . . . . . . . . 39
Server-Side Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
What Is Autodesk MapGuide Application Development? . . . . . 42
Overall Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Phase One: Installation and Testing . . . . . . . . . . 43
Phase Two: Planning and Design . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Phase Three: Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Chapter 3 Designing Your System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Planning Your Directory Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Directory Structure Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Using Windows NT or Windows 2000 Security . . . . . . 51
Using Web Server Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Using Autodesk MapGuide Security . . . . . . . . . . 51
Architecture and Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Which MapAgent to Install . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Using a Remote MapAgent . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Using Multiple Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Additional Performance Considerations . . . . . . . . 61
Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment . . . . . . . . . . 63
Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server . . . . . . . 67
Setting Up Your Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Before You Install Autodesk MapGuide Server . . . . . . . 68
Installing Microsoft Internet Information Server . . . . . . 70
Installing Netscape Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Testing Your Web Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Setting Up the MapAgent . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Installing a Report Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Configuring Autodesk MapGuide Server under a Different Account 75
Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview . . . . . . . . . 75
iv | Contents
Starting and Stopping the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Setting General Server Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Setting Up Your Data Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Data Providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Managing Your Data Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Managing Server Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Access Keys Versus User IDs and Passwords . . . . . . . . 81
Choosing the Best Security Method . . . . . . . . . . 82
Creating and Modifying Users and Groups . . . . . . . . 83
Assigning Users to the Authors Group . . . . . . . . . . 83
Creating and Modifying Access Keys . . . . . . . . . . 84
Restricting Access to Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Taking Data Sources Offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Tracking Server Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Usage Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Renaming Log Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Rotating Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Customizing the Access Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Customizing the Map Layer Access Log . . . . . . . . . 91
Adding Geocoding Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide . . . . . . . 93
Basic Steps for Working with Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Working with Spatial Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Map Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Creating a Spatial Data File . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Working with Attribute Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Linking Attribute Data to Spatial Data Files . . . . . . . . 98
Linking Attribute Data to Another Database . . . . . . . . 98
Preparing Attribute Data for Themes . . . . . . . . . . 99
Setting Up Your Attribute Database. . . . . . . . . . . 99
Setting Zoom Goto Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Working with Raster Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Raster Image File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Efficient Raster Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Raster Image Catalog Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Georeference File Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Exporting from ER Mapper . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Adding Raster Images to Your Map . . . . . . . . . . 108
Working with Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Symbol Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Point Layers and the Point Layer Symbol Manager . . . . . 111
Redline Layers and the API Symbol Manager. . . . . . . 112
Contents | v
Working with Other Types of Spatial Data. . . . . . . . . . 112
Autodesk GIS Design Server Theme Data . . . . . . . . 112
Chapter 6 Planning and Designing Maps . . . . . . . . . . 115
Planning the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Planning Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Designing the Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
About Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
About Coordinate Precision . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Choosing a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Creating a Design Spreadsheet. . . . . . . . . . . . 120
General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Information You Need from Your Server Administrator . . . . . 122
Chapter 7 Getting Familiar with Autodesk MapGuide Author . . . . 123
Installing Autodesk MapGuide Author . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Starting Autodesk MapGuide Author . . . . . . . . . . . 125
About Map Window Files and Map Window XML Files. . . . 126
Introduction to the Program Window Layout. . . . . . . . . 127
Using the Map Window Popup Menu . . . . . . . . . 127
Using the Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Setting Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Opening a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Moving Around on a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Zooming to a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Zooming to a U.S. Street Address or ZIP Code . . . . . . . 134
Using Bookmarks to Save the Current Map View . . . . . . 135
Using the Map Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Using the Design Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Using the View Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Changing the Width of the Map Explorer . . . . . . . . 138
Viewing Map Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Measuring Distances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Selecting Map Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Creating Buffers Around Map Features . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Printing a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
vi | Contents
Chapter 8 Creating and Publishing a Map . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Creating a New Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Changing the File to Use for New Maps . . . . . . . . 144
Specifying a Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Specifying a Password to Protect a Map . . . . . . . . . . 145
Creating and Modifying Zoom Goto Location Categories . . . . 146
Data Source Formats for Zoom Goto Location Categories . . . 147
The US Street Address Location Category . . . . . . . . 148
Customizing the Popup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Working with Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Viewing a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Tracking User Access to a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Saving a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Publishing a Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Chapter 9 Working with Map Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
About Map Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Working with Map Layers in the Map Explorer . . . . . . . . 155
Creating a Vector Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Creating a Raster Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Creating an Autodesk GIS Design Server Theme Layer . . . . 158
Creating an Autodesk DWG Layer . . . . . . . . . . 158
Creating a Layer Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Specifying General Properties for Layers . . . . . . . . . . 159
Specifying Data Source Properties for Layers . . . . . . . . . 160
Setting Style Properties for Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Setting Style Properties for Raster Layers . . . . . . . . 163
Specifying Display Ranges for Layer Styles . . . . . . . 164
Specifying Map Layer Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Creating Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Specifying Layer Feature Labeling and Overposting . . . . 172
Specifying Security for Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Modifying Multiple Layers Simultaneously . . . . . . . . . 174
Saving a Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Adding a Saved Layer to the Current Map . . . . . . . . . 175
Rebuilding a Layer or Layer Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Deleting a Layer or Layer Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Contents | vii
viii
Introduction
1
This chapter provides you with general information about
®
Autodesk MapGuide
new features in this release. This chapter also includes an
overview of how the Autodesk MapGuide products work
together, suggestions for using this guide in the most effi-
cient way, and where to go for more information.
This chapter may be helpful to:
All Autodesk MapGuide users
New Autodesk MapGuide users
as well as an introduction to the
In this chapter
Overview
Key features of Autodesk
MapGuide
What’s new in Release 6?
System requirements
What’s the fastest way
through this book?
Where to get more
information
9
Overview
Autodesk MapGuide is a suite of products that enable the distribution of
geographic information systems, digital design data, and related applications
over a network. Autodesk MapGuide allows you to deploy applications that
create, modify, and display information, including maps, drawings, designs,
schematics, and associated attribute data, over the Internet, an intranet, or
an extranet.
®
Autodesk MapGuide
Author users integrate data to define the appearance
and functions of maps, and Autodesk MapGuide® Viewer users access the
data when they view and interact with maps from a Web browser. Autodesk
®
MapGuide
Server responds to information requests generated by users as
they interact with the application.
Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide
Autodesk MapGuide Author Key Features
Ability to open maps and save maps in XML format
Map and resource security control
Thematic map settings and symbology
Complete layer setup and definition, including support for layer groups
Multiple Document Interface (MDI) support
Global property settings, including projection information and map
extents
Interactive Map Explorer for creating and updating maps, drawings,
designs, and schematics
Full zoom/unzoom/pan functionality, including zooming to specific
features
Point feature posting
Intelligent map caching
Support for multi-server connection
Arbitrary X,Y coordinate system support for CAD designs, drawings, or
schematics
Support for both vector and raster data types, overlaid, georeferenced, or
not georeferenced
10 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Ability to link map features to Web applications
Control over map width/scale
Autodesk MapGuide Server Key Features
Integrates easily with existing Web sites
Easy to configure and manage
Scalable, multi-threaded architecture
Standard CGI interface for Netscape® Internet servers and Microsoft®
Internet Information Server
Custom NSAPI interface for Netscape Internet servers
Custom ISAPI interface for Microsoft Internet Information Server
GUI-based Server administration and monitoring utility
Comprehensive access, trace, error, and tracking logs
Built-in security access restriction controls
Support for data providers, allowing direct access to Oracle® Spatial, SHP,
and Autodesk® GIS Design Server databases
Serves interactive maps and drawings to users who have installed
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer
Serves maps and drawings with limited interactivity, without requiring
installation of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer (requires Autodesk MapGuide®
LiteView)
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Key Features
Access to dynamic, secure vector and raster data
Versions available for Microsoft Windows®, Apple® Macintosh®, and
Sun™SPARCstation
Familiar browser interface
Full zooming and panning functionality, including zooming to specific
map features
Ability to measure distances between indicated points on a map
Style display by scale
Multiple feature selection by list/radius/polygon
Map bookmarking
Buffer zone creation
Ability to copy to Windows Clipboard
Print capability
™
Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide | 11
Note This guide does not include instructions for using Autodesk MapGuide
Viewer. For information about using Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, refer to the
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Help included with the Viewer and available from the
Autodesk MapGuide documentation page at the following Web site:
http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidedocs
What’s New in Release 6?
Autodesk MapGuide includes the new features described in the following
sections. In addition to the changes listed here, this release includes
enhancements to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. For details, refer to the
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.
Warning After you open and save a map in Autodesk MapGuide Author
Release 6, you cannot open the map in earlier releases of the program. To view
maps created in Autodesk MapGuide Author Release 6, users can easily upgrade
to Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Release 6 by downloading the new Viewer from
the following Web site:
http://www.autodesk.com/mapguideviewerdownload
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit
The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit (DAT) is a new product offered within the
Autodesk MapGuide product suite and designed to significantly increase the
flexibility of Autodesk MapGuide application development. This toolkit is
used for supporting applications that incorporate dynamic map authoring,
including the programmatic generation and composition of new maps or the
modification of existing maps and their properties. The Dynamic Authoring
Toolkit enables programmatic creation or modification of MWF files quickly,
without requiring the use of Autodesk MapGuide Author.
The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit serves as a conversion component, allowing
for translation between binary map file formats, MWF (Map Window Files)
and MLF (Map Layer Files), and its XML map file format, MWX (Map
Window XML File). The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit cannot modify MWF,
MLF, or MWX files. You will need to use a third-party XML tool to programatically alter and validate XML files. Autodesk MapGuide Author can now open
and save MWX files.
12 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Using a variety of XML parsing tools and development techniques, you can
dynamically generate new maps as well as modify existing maps and their
properties that were initially set using Autodesk MapGuide Author—all
during application run-time. For example, using the MSXML DOM object,
you could reset map layer definition properties by modifying the MWX file
directly. Alternatively, you could generate a new map (MWX) from scratch
by simply generating XML files or by combining XML elements from several
maps stored as MWX files.
The Dynamic Authoring Toolkit is implemented as an in-process COM DLL,
named MGDAT.dll, and can be used in any development environment that
supports COM automation.
For complete information about the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit, refer to the
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Developer’s Guide.
Symbol Manager
Now, you can create your own symbol (SMB) files that include many
different file formats, including bitmap and DIB graphics, and TrueType
fonts. You can set up libraries of symbol files based on a theme or on the
frequency with which you use certain symbols.
Support for Autodesk DWG
This release of Autodesk MapGuide includes the capability to serve design or
map data stored in Autodesk drawing (DWG) format. Autodesk DWG design
file format is a worldwide standard across vertical industries, such as architectural design, and facilities planning and maintenance. In the previous
release, a data extension supported Autodesk DWG. This release incorporates
all the features of the DWG data extension into Autodesk MapGuide and
includes additional features for layer filtering, creating MapTips and reports,
hyperlinking features on DWG layers to Web sites, and accessing data both
in an Autodesk Map object data table and an external database using an
Autodesk Map database link table.
What’s New in Release 6? | 13
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Author?
XML Support
Autodesk MapGuide now supports a new XML representation of an MWF
file: Map Window XML Files (MWXs), significantly increasing application
development flexibility. In Autodesk MapGuide Author, you can open and
modify maps saved in MWX format. With the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit,
you can convert files between MWF, MLF, and MWX formats. You use thirdparty XML tools to modify the MWX files. See “Dynamic Authoring Toolkit”
on page 12 for an overview of the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit.
Enhanced Symbol and Symbol Library Support
Now, you can incorporate numerous file formats, including bitmaps and
TrueType fonts, into map layers. Using Autodesk MapGuide Author, you can
modify the transparency of symbols you apply to both point layers and
redline layers. You can also include both bitmap images and vector graphics
in the same symbol file.
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Server?
Improved Load Balancing
Changes to the MapAgent files improve load balancing between servers. All
MapAgents now distribute requests evenly between the available servers,
even at low load. MapAgents rank the available servers into an ordered list,
starting with the best candidate to process the request. If a server fails to
generate a response either because it is offline, or because it doesn’t understand the request, the MapAgent tries the next server in the list until it gets
a successful response, or until there are no more servers to try. In previous
Autodesk MapGuide Server releases, MapAgents returned an error as soon as
they encountered it.
Improved MapAgent Error Messaging
When working with multiple servers, Autodesk MapAgent now tells you
which server is unable to process a client request without revealing the
server’s IP address but by displaying its order number in the list of servers in
the registry file.
14 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Support for ECW and MrSID Raster File Formats
Autodesk MapGuide Server enables you to access Enhanced Compressed
Wavelet (ECW) images and Multi-Resolution Seamless Image Database
(MrSID) version 1.6 images.
ECW and MrSID images already contain georeferencing information so you
don’t need to use Raster Workshop when working with them.
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer 6?
Support for Map Redraw Operations
New API methods enable developers to control how frequently and under
what conditions a map displayed in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer redraws.
Also, new map redrawing functionality removes the flash that was visible
when a map displayed in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer redraws.
System Requirements
Following are the system requirements for using Autodesk MapGuide
Author, Autodesk MapGuide Server, and Autodesk MapGuide Viewers.
Autodesk MapGuide Author Requirements
Autodesk MapGuide Author requires the following:
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack
4 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional
Pentium-based PC
32 MB of RAM
16 MB of free hard disk space
Super VGA or better video display
Mouse or compatible pointing device
System Requirements | 15
Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements
Autodesk MapGuide Server requires the following:
Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 Server with Service Pack 4 or later, with one
of the following Web servers:
Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0
Netscape Enterprise Server 3.6 with Service Pack 3
iPlanet Web Server Enterprise 4.1 with Service Pack 8
Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 2 or later, running Microsoft
Internet Information Server 5.0
Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC):
MDAC 2.5 with Service Pack 1
MDAC 2.5 is included on the Autodesk MapGuide product CD in the
following location: \MDAC2.5\MDAC_TYP.EXE
MDAC 2.6 RTM with Microsoft Jet 4.0 with Service Pack 5
Pentium-based PC
128 MB of memory
85 MB of free disk space (plus additional space for your data)
Help Index
data sources
about OLE DB
VGA or higher resolution video adapter
Mouse or compatible pointing device
OLE DB providers required for access to relational data sources that contain map data. For a list of supported OLE DB providers, choose
HelpContents, click the Index tab, and look up “data sources, about
OLE DB.”
TCP/IP network protocol installed on the Windows NT/2000 computer
(TCP/IP provided on the Windows NT/2000 installation CD)
16 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Requirements
The three versions of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer (ActiveX Control, Plug-In,
and Java™ Edition) each require different configurations.
Autodesk MapGuide ActiveX Control Viewer
Requirements
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack
4 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional
486 or Pentium-based PC with 16 MB of memory (24 MB required if using
Windows NT 4.0)
Mouse or compatible pointing device
Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x
Autodesk MapGuide Plug-In Viewer Requirements
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack
4 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional
486 or Pentium-based PC with 16 MB of memory (24 MB required if using
Windows NT 4.0)
Mouse or compatible pointing device
Web browser: Netscape Navigator® 4.x
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition Requirements
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack
4 or later, or Windows 2000 Professional
486 or Pentium-based PC with 16 MB of memory (24 MB required if
using Windows NT 4.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer)
Mouse or compatible pointing device
Web browser: Netscape Navigator 4.7, or Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.x
Mac® OS 9.1
Apple Macintosh computer with 32 MB of memory (64 MB or more
recommended)
Mouse or compatible pointing device
Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x with Java VM MRJ 2.2.4.
System Requirements | 17
Sun Solaris™ 2.6 or 2.8
Sun SPARCstation with 64 MB of memory
Mouse or compatible pointing device
Web browser: Netscape Navigator 4.7
What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book?
This guide is designed for all the different stages of Autodesk MapGuide
development and for different kinds of Autodesk MapGuide users. To determine which parts of this guide you should read, review the following
information.
I’m just getting started with Autodesk MapGuide.
Read the rest of this chapter to determine the types of people you will need
to work on your project and the skills they will need, and where to go for
more information. Then, follow the steps in “Overall Strategy” on page 43
for information about how to set up Autodesk MapGuide and develop applications that interact with it. Depending on your role in Autodesk MapGuide
projects, you can then decide which chapters to read.
I already have Autodesk MapGuide up and running.
If you already have data that you are using, read Chapter 5, “Work in g w it h
Data in Autodesk MapGuide,” for information about how to optimize your
data to improve performance. If you want to evaluate how well you have set
up your project, whether to use multiple servers instead of a single server,
and other system design considerations, read Chapter 3, “Designing Your
System.” Finally, read “Where to Get More Information” on page 22 for
information that is beyond the scope of this guide.
I just want to know what tasks to do for my job.
Depending on your role, you will need to perform different tasks from other
people working on the project with you. The scope of implementing
Autodesk MapGuide can vary widely. In some cases, one or two people can
create and post a map. In others, several contributors work together to create
an Autodesk MapGuide Web site. The following list explains the possible
roles involved in an Autodesk MapGuide implementation and describes the
tasks and skills required of each role.
18 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Note that one person might perform more than one of these roles, or you
might divide the responsibilities of a single role among several people. If you
are a project manager trying to determine whom you need to hire, or a developer trying to determine what training you need, information in this section
can help you plan for your next Autodesk MapGuide implementation.
Data Engineer
The data engineer is responsible for gathering and managing all spatial data
resources, such as vector mapping data and raster images, as well as attribute
data, such as tables of population and other demographic information that
is linked to the spatial data. If you will not be using a data provider to directly
access Autodesk GIS Design Server, Oracle Spatial, or SHP data, the data engineer converts vector data from other formats into Spatial Data (SDF) files,
uses Raster Workshop to work with raster images, and then provides those
files to the server administrator. The data engineer might use Autodesk Map
to create spatial data, or use SDF Loader to convert spatial data from other
sources. Data engineers need to work with map authors to determine what
spatial data is needed for the maps, and then either create or acquire that
data.
Data engineers will find information they need in Chapter 5, “Wor king w ith
Data in Autodesk MapGuide,” and Chapter 6, “Planning and Designing
Maps.”
Map Author
The map author uses the resources provided by the data engineer to create
maps in Autodesk MapGuide Author. Map authors need to be familiar with
coordinate systems, and with GIS or CAD in general. They should have a
good understanding of what information to show in the map and how to
display information cartographically. They will work closely with the data
engineer to get the data that they need. They will also work with the server
administrator to make sure they are given authoring privileges and have
access to the data through the server.
Map authors need to decide the type of maps to deliver:
Maps and drawings with limited interactivity that do not require an
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer installation (requires LiteView)
Highly interactive maps and drawings requiring a Viewer installation
A combination of both types of maps and drawings, offering limited
maps initially, with the opportunity to install a Viewer for increased
interactivity
Map authors will find information they need in Chapters 5 through 9.
What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book? | 19
Server Administrator
The server administrator oversees Autodesk MapGuide Server and the
Windows NT Server or Windows 2000 Server computer on which it runs. This
person is responsible for setting up the server architecture, security (password
access and access keys), network connections, database access, and search
paths for data sources and image files. The server administrator also installs
the Web server, Autodesk MapGuide Server, and MapAgent software, as well
as OLE DB providers, geocoding data and, in some cases, Macromedia
®
ColdFusion
and/or Active Server Pages (ASP). Server administrators need
to maintain Autodesk MapGuide Server using Autodesk MapGuide Server
Admin.
Server administrators will find information they need in Chapters 2, 3, and 4.
Web mas te r
The Webmaster is responsible for all Web site content, including HTMLembedded maps. Webmasters need to be able to build and maintain a Web
site. The Webmaster will work with the application developer when creating
a map-enabled Web site that extends the functionality of Autodesk
MapGuide Viewer. Webmasters will find information they need in
“Publishing a Map” on page 151.
Application Developer
The application developer uses programming skills to build custom Autodesk
MapGuide Viewer applications and server-side scripts and reports. Application developers need to be able to perform the following tasks:
Create HTML pages with embedded Java, JavaScript, JScript, or VBScript
code that accesses the objects of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. For
example, you might create an HTML form containing a button that turns
a layer on and off, or a drop-down list that selects map features.
Create custom reports with ColdFusion, Active Server Pages, or another
third-party application.
In some cases, create server-side applications with the SDF Component
Toolkit. A server-side application created with the SDF Component Toolkit can dynamically update SDFs posted on an Autodesk MapGuide Server.
For example, you could create an application that lets users add polygon
lot lines to a map from their local browser.
Application developers should be very familiar with Autodesk MapGuide and
will find information they need in Chapter 2, “Understanding Autodesk
MapGuide,” Chapter 3, “Designing Your System,” (with particular attention
to “Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment” on page 63).
20 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Conventions Used in This Manual
The following table describes conventions used in this manual:
This word or phrase... Indicates this...
Choose Edit Properties Click the Edit menu, and then choose Properties from
the Edit menu. If three levels of menus are shown, it
means that there is a secondary or submenu.
For example, the text:
Help Index
maps
Click Start
indicates that when you click the Settings menu item in
the Start menu, a submenu appears, from which you
choose Control Panel.
the <Netscape home>
\<Computer name>\config
directory
Click Press and release the left or primary mouse button.
Right-click Press and release the right or secondary mouse button.
Drag Hold down the mouse button while you move the
Text in italics indicates directories, file names, and keys
in the Windows Registry.
mouse.
Settings Control Panel
Note When you see text in the left margin of this guide with the heading “Help
Index” as shown to the left of this paragraph, this indicates that there is additional, related information in the Autodesk MapGuide Help, which is available
when you choose HelpContents and click the Index tab in either Autodesk
MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.
What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book? | 21
Where to Get More Information
In addition to this guide, there are a number of helpful resources, both
printed and online. To download any of these documents, go to
http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidedocs. Most of the user documentation
from the Autodesk Web site is in Portable Document Format (PDF).
Viewing PDFs
To view guides in PDF format, you need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader,
which is available on the Autodesk MapGuide product CD in the following
location:
\AcrobatReader\ar500enu.exe
Reusing PDF Text
You can copy text from this PDF file and paste it into another application.
For example, you may want to copy code samples for use in your own work.
To copy text from a PDF file
1 Click the Text Select tool on the Acrobat Reader toolbar.
2 Drag to select the text you want to copy.
3 Right-click and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
The text is copied to the Clipboard.
Autodesk MapGuide User Documentation
Following is a list of all of the guides and Help systems available for Autodesk
MapGuide users.
Autodesk MapGuide Help
This Help system provided with Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk
MapGuide Server includes general information about using Autodesk
MapGuide products, specific step-by-step procedures, and reference information. You can access the Help by choosing HelpContents, by clicking the
Help button on the toolbar, or by clicking the Help button in any Autodesk
MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin dialog box.
22 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Autodesk MapGuide User’s Guide
This printed guide is included in the Autodesk MapGuide product package.
You can also install this guide in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format from the
Autodesk MapGuide Documentation installer on the Autodesk MapGuide
CD. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing Products
Autodesk MapGuide Release 6 Documentation Autodesk MapGuide
User’s Guide.
Symbol Manager Help
This Help system is included in the Autodesk MapGuide Help and includes
general information about working with symbols and symbol (SMB) files. To
access the Symbol Manager Help, choose HelpContentsCreating and
Publishing MapsUsing Symbol Manager, or click the Help button in any
Symbol Manager dialog box.
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Help
This Help system is provided with Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. It includes
information about using Autodesk MapGuide Viewer but does not include
information for developers. You can access this Help file from the Autodesk
MapGuide Viewer popup menu by choosing HelpContentsor by
clicking the Help button on the main toolbar.
SDF Loader Help
This Help system documents the SDF Loader command-line utility. It
contains conceptual and reference information about SDFs, including
parameters for converting from specific formats. You can access this Help
system from the Start menu by choosing Products Autodesk MapGuide
Release 6 Documentation SDF Loader Help.
Raster Workshop Help
This Help system is provided with Raster Workshop. It provides overall information as well as detailed descriptions of how to use Raster Workshop to
convert images to TIFF and tiled TIFF format, create raster image catalogs,
and more. To access this Help, click Help on either tab of the Raster Workshop main window.
Where to Get More Information | 23
LiteView Servlet Administrator’s Guide
This guide, which is installed with the Autodesk MapGuide LiteView servlet,
contains information to help server administrators set up and maintain the
LiteView servlet environment. You can access this guide from the Start menu
by choosing Programs Autodesk MapGuide Release 6 LiteView Servlet
Administrator’s Guide.
Provider for SHP Guide
This guide is installed with the Autodesk MapGuide Provider for SHP and is
written both for system administrators who need to configure the product
and for users who need to work with it. You can access this guide from the
Start menu by choosing Programs Autodesk MapGuide Release 6 Documentation Provider for SHP Guide.
Provider for Oracle Spatial
This guide is installed with the Autodesk MapGuide Provider for Oracle
Spatial and is written both for system administrators who need to configure
the product and for users who need to work with it. You can access this guide
from the Start menu by choosing Programs Autodesk MapGuide Release 6
Documentation Provider for Oracle Spatial Guide.
Autodesk MapGuide ReadMe File
The ReadMe file for all of the Autodesk MapGuide products includes a list of
known issues or late-breaking information that was not included in other
guides or Help files. You can access this file by going to
\\Program Files\Autodesk\MapGuideDocumentation6
and opening MGReadme.htm.
24 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Autodesk MapGuide Developer Documentation
Following is a list of the guides and Help systems available for Autodesk
MapGuide developers.
Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide
This printed guide includes information about developing Autodesk
MapGuide applications and is included in the Autodesk MapGuide product
package. You can also install this guide in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format from
the Autodesk MapGuide Documentation installer on the Autodesk
MapGuide CD. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing
Programs Autodesk MapGuide Release 6 Documentation Autodesk
MapGuide Developer’s Guide.
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help
This Help system is a complete reference to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer
API objects, properties, methods, and events. You install this Help system
from the Autodesk MapGuide Documentation installer on the Autodesk
MapGuide CD. You can access this Help system from the Start menu by
choosing Programs Autodesk MapGuide Release 6 Documentation
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Developer’s Guide
This guide, which is installed with the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit, includes
information about working programatically with maps using eXtensible
Markup Language (XML) format. You can access this guide from the Start
menu by choosing Programs Autodesk MapGuide Release 6 Documentation Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Developer’s Guide.
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Help
This Help file, which is installed with the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit,
provides context-sensitive Help for Dynamic Authoring Toolkit objects when
you develop applications in Visual Basic or in another visual environment.
You can access this Help system from the Start menu by choosing Products
Autodesk MapGuide Release 6 Documentation Dynamic Authoring
Toolki t He lp.
Where to Get More Information | 25
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Sample Application Help
These HTML files, which are installed with the Dynamic Authoring Toolkit,
describe four sample applications that demonstrate the functionality of the
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit.
SDF Component Toolkit Help
This Help system is provided with the SDF Component Toolkit. The SDF
Component Object Model is of interest to advanced application developers,
who will want to refer to the list of objects, properties, and methods. You can
access this Help file from the Start menu by choosing Programs Autodesk
MapGuide Release 6 Documentation SDF Component Toolkit Help.
LiteView Developer’s Guide
This guide, which is installed with Autodesk MapGuide LiteView,
includes information about developing applications for Autodesk MapGuide
LiteView. You can access this guide from the Start menu by choosing
Programs Autodesk MapGuide Release 6 LiteView Developer’s Guide.
LiteView Sample Application Help
These HTML files, which are included with Autodesk MapGuide LiteView,
demonstrate the functionality of LiteView.
Third-Party Documentation
Many excellent third-party books are available. Your tastes may vary, but here
are some that we found useful:
ColdFusion Web Application Construction Kit, by Ben Forta et al. (Que
Corporation)
Programming Active Server Pages, by Scot Hillier and Daniel Mezick
(Microsoft Press)
HTML Sourcebook, 4th Edition, by Ian S. Graham (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)
The Java Class Libraries, Second Edition: Volume 1 and Volume 2, by Patrick
Chan and Rosanna Lee (Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.)
JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 3rd Edition, by David Flanagan (O’Reilly
and Associates)
Java in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition, by David Flanagan (O’Reilly and Associates)
26 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Additionally, there are many books that discuss GIS, its history, and its applications. Because these books vary in scope, quality, and price, you should
take the time to browse through them in your bookstore and select the one
that suits your needs. One title you might try is Principles of Geographical
Information Systems by Peter A. Burrough and Rachael A. McDonnell (Oxford
University Press).
Autodesk MapGuide Web Site
To get late-breaking information about the Autodesk MapGuide products, or
for links to technical notes and white papers that discuss various topics, go
to the Autodesk MapGuide Web site: http://www.autodesk.com/mapguide.
There is also a link to the online Autodesk MapGuide demos, which walk you
through the process of using sample applications. Many of the demos use
JavaScript to access the Viewer API, and you might find it useful to view the
HTML source used in these examples.
Tip From Autodesk MapGuide Author, you can go directly to the Autodesk
MapGuide Web site by choosing HelpAutodesk MapGuide Web Site.
Online Discussion Groups
The Autodesk online discussion groups, located at
http://www.autodesk.com/discussion, are open forums for Autodesk
customers, partners, or anyone with an interest in Autodesk’s products. You
can post information or questions, answer other members’ questions, or just
browse messages to gather information and learn tips and tricks from other
users. Your questions will be answered by other discussion group members or
Autodesk staff.
For best results when posting a question, please be sure to provide as much
information about the situation as possible. This includes your hardware
configuration (how many servers, how much RAM, etc.), your operating
system, the release number of the specific product, what steps you took
immediately prior to the problem, the exact error message that was
displayed, and any other information that will help us to understand the
issue. Providing this information will improve our ability to answer your
question immediately.
Where to Get More Information | 27
Autodesk Developer Network
Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) is a developer-support organization that
provides its members with services including the following:
A quarterly CD containing Autodesk products, documentation, and
sample code
Technical training
Direct, comprehensive technical support
Marketing support
Developer consulting services
Access to private newsgroups
ADN membership is open to experienced professional software developers
who develop products and services that interface or integrate with Autodesk
products. For more information about membership requirements and fees,
go to the Autodesk developers Web site at:
http://www.autodesk.com/developers
28 | Chapter 1 Introduction
Understanding Autodesk
MapGuide
2
This chapter includes an overview of the Autodesk
®
MapGuide
planning a strategy for using the Autodesk MapGuide
products.
This chapter may be especially helpful to:
Server administrators
Application developers
New Autodesk MapGuide users
product suite, as well as information about
In this chapter
What is Autodesk
MapGuide?
How Autodesk MapGuide
components work together
Map authoring products
Map viewing products
Map serving products
Developing applications
with Autodesk MapGuide
What is Autodesk MapGuide
application development?
Overall strategy
29
What Is Autodesk MapGuide?
Before you use Autodesk MapGuide, you need to understand some basic
concepts, including how to use the Autodesk MapGuide product suite as a
whole, and how to access your Autodesk MapGuide® Server and data
resources.
Autodesk MapGuide is a geographic information system (GIS). Unlike a
typical map or drawing, which shows only spatial data such as roads, cities,
and country borders, a GIS links attribute data, such as population statistics,
to spatial data. This link between the map data and the attribute data makes
a GIS very powerful, because it allows you to use data in a whole new way.
For example, you could create a map of restaurants that allows users to zoom
in to an area of interest, click a restaurant, and then view that restaurant’s
menu, pricing information, phone number, and address. Another example
would be creating a map of all power transformers in an area, so that your
technicians could quickly generate a report of all customers affected by a
particular transformer when it goes out of service. You could also create a
facilities map of your company, including information about personnel in
each office, such as telephone extension, title, department, and so on.
Keep in mind that when you use Autodesk MapGuide, you are not limited to
using geographically projected maps—you can also use drawings, floor plans,
schematics, or others kinds of spatial data.
How Autodesk MapGuide Works
To create an interactive map or drawing, you use Autodesk MapGuide®
Author to combine resource data, such as spatial data (spatial data files and
raster image files) and attribute data (from databases) in a Map Window File
(MWF). The MWF contains the complete specifications of how the map will
look and function.
To publish the map, you copy the MWF file to a location where the Web
server can access it. Web page authors can then embed the file in their Web
pages or create links to it. To view the map, users can install Autodesk
MapGuide Viewer free of charge. When the user opens a Web page that
contains an MWF file or clicks a link to an MWF file, the Web browser automatically loads Autodesk MapGuide
®
Viewer to display the map.
30 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide
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