Autodesk 15606-011408-9320 - MAPGUIDE R6.3 CPU MODEL-UPG 4/5 MIN 2 CPUS INITL, MAPGUIDE User Manual

USER’S GUIDE

15505-010000-5020 July 2000

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Apple and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries

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Third Party Software Program Credits

This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/).

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction 9

Overview 10 Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide 10

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Key Features 10 Autodesk MapGuide Author Key Features 11 Autodesk MapGuide Server Key Features 12

What’s New in Release 5? 12

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Author 5? 13 What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Server 5? 14 What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer 5? 15

System Requirements 16

Autodesk MapGuide Author Requirements 16 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 Documentation 22 Third-Party Documentation 24 Autodesk MapGuide Web Site 24 Online Discussion Groups 25 Autodesk Developer Network 25

Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide 27

What Is Autodesk MapGuide? 28

Understanding Layers 28

How Autodesk MapGuide Works 29 How Autodesk MapGuide Components Work Together 30 Map Authoring Components 31

Autodesk MapGuide Author 31

Autodesk MapGuide Data Extensions 31

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader 31

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit 32

Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop 32

iii

Map Viewing Components 33

Web Browser 33 Autodesk MapGuide Viewer 33 Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension 34

Map Serving Components 34

Web Server 34 Autodesk MapGuide Server 34

Application Development Components 35

Client-Side Application Components 36

Server-Side Applications 38 What Is Autodesk MapGuide Application Development? 40 Overall Strategy 41

Phase One: Installation and Testing 41

Phase Two: Planning and Design 42

Phase Three: Implementation 43

Chapter 3 Designing Your System 45

Planning Your Directory Structure 46

Directory Structure Guidelines 46 Security 48

Using Windows NT or Windows 2000 Security 48

Using Web Server Security 48

Using Autodesk MapGuide Security 49 Architecture and Performance 51

Which MapAgent to Install 51

Using a Remote MapAgent 52

Using Multiple Servers 53

Additional Performance Considerations 57 Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment 59

Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server 63

Setting Up Your Server 64

Before You Install Autodesk MapGuide Server 64

Installing Microsoft Internet Information Server 66

Installing a Netscape Web Server 66

Testing Your Web Server 67

Setting Up the MapAgent 67

Installing a Report Engine 71

Configuring Autodesk MapGuide Server under a Different Account 71 Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview 71

Starting and Stopping the Server 72

Setting Autodesk MapGuide Server Properties 73

iv | Contents

Setting General Server Properties 74 Setting Up Your Data Sources 74

Managing Your Data Sources 75

Managing Server Security 76

Access Keys Versus User IDs and Passwords 76 Choosing the Best Security Method 77 Creating and Modifying Users and Groups 78 Assigning Users to the Authors Group 79 Creating and Modifying Access Keys 80 Restricting Access to Resources 81 Taking Data Sources Offline 82

Tracking Server Requests 83

Log Files 83 Usage Reports 84 Renaming Log Files 85 Rotating the Log Files 85 Customizing the Access Log 86 Customizing the Map Layer Access Log 86

Adding Geocoding Data 87

Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide 89

Basic Steps for Working with Data 90 Working with Spatial Data 90

Map Features 91 Creating a Spatial Data File 92

Working with Attribute Data 93

Linking Attribute Data to SDFs 93 Linking Attribute Data to Another Database 94 Preparing Attribute Data for Themes 94 Setting Up Your Attribute Database 95 Zoom Goto Data 96

Working with Raster Images 97

Raster Image File Formats 97 Tiled TIFFs 98 Raster Image Catalog Files 98 Georeference File Formats 100 Exporting from ER Mapper 104

Adding Raster Images to Your Map 104 Working with Symbols 104 Working with Other Types of Spatial Data 105

Spatial Data Providers 105

VISION* Theme Data 105

Contents | v

Chapter 6 Planning and Designing Maps 109

Planning the Data 110 Planning Layers 110 Designing the Map 112

About Coordinate Systems 112 About Coordinate Precision 113 Choosing a Coordinate System 113 Creating a Design Spreadsheet 114 General Guidelines 115

Information You Need from Your Autodesk MapGuide Server

Administrator 116

Chapter 7 Getting Familiar with Autodesk MapGuide Author 117

Installing Autodesk MapGuide Author 118 Starting Autodesk MapGuide Author 119

About Map Window Files (MWFs) 120

Introduction to the Program Window Layout 120

Using the Map Window Popup Menu 121

Using the Toolbar 123 Setting Preferences 125 Opening a Map 126 Moving Around on a Map 126

Zooming to a Location 128

Zooming to a US Street Address or ZIP Code 128

Using Bookmarks to Save the Current Map View 129 Using the Map Explorer 129

Using the Design Tab 130

Using the View tab 131

Changing the Width of the Map Explorer 132 Viewing Map Information 132 Measuring Distances 133 Selecting Map Features 134 Creating Buffers around Map Features 135 Printing a Map 135

vi | Contents

Chapter 8 Creating and Publishing a Map 137

Creating a New Map 138

Changing the File to Use for New Maps 138 Specifying a Coordinate System 138 Specifying a Password to Protect a Map 139 Creating and Modifying Zoom Goto Location Categories 140

Data Source Format for Zoom Goto Location Categories 140

The US Street Address Location Category 141 Customizing the Popup Menu 142 Working with Reports 142

Viewing a Report 143 Tracking User Access to a Map 144 Saving a Map 144 Publishing a Map 145

Chapter 9 Working with Map Layers 147

About Map Layers 148 Working with Map Layers in the Map Explorer 149

Creating a Vector Layer 150

Creating a Raster Layer 151

Creating a VISION* Theme Layer 152

Creating an AutoCAD DWG Layer 152

Creating a Layer Group 152 Specifying General Properties for Layers 153 Specifying Data Source Properties for Layers 153 Setting Style Properties for Layers 155

Setting Style Properties for Raster Layers 156

Specifying Display Ranges for Layer Styles 157

Specifying Map Layer Styles 158

Creating Themes 163

Specifying Layer Feature Labeling and Overposting 163 Specifying Security for Layers 164 Modifying Multiple Layers Simultaneously 165 Saving a Layer 165 Adding a Saved Layer to the Current Map 166 Rebuilding a Layer or Layer Group 166 Deleting a Layer or Layer Group 167

Glossary 169

Index 177

Contents | vii

viii

Introduction

This chapter provides you with general informa-

tion about Autodesk MapGuide

introduction to the new features in Release 5.

as well as an

In This Chapter



Overview



Key features of Autodesk MapGuide



What’s new in Release 5?

This chapter also includes an overview of how the

Autodesk MapGuide products work together, what

to do first, and where to go for more information.

This chapter may be helpful to:



All Autodesk MapGuide users



New Autodesk MapGuide users



System requirements



What’s the fastest way through this book?



Where to get more information

Overview

Autodesk MapGuide is a suite of products that allows you to create, publish, and display maps, drawings, designs, schematics, facilities management plans, and associated attribute data over the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet. Autodesk MapGuide create maps, and Autodesk MapGuide they view the maps on a web site. Autodesk MapGuide requests from both types of users and provides the data as specified by the map and as allowed by built-in security settings.

Author users access the data when they

Viewer users access the data when

Server handles

Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Key Features



Access to live, secured, vector and raster data



Versions available for Microsoft® Windows®, Apple® Macintosh®, and Sun

™

SPARCstation

™



Familiar browser interface



Full zoom/unzoom/pan functionality, including zooming to specific map features



Ability to measure distances between indicated points on a map



Print capability

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

http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidedocs

10 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Autodesk MapGuide Author Key Features



Accurate display of authored maps



Map and resource security control



Style display by scale



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



Multiple feature selection by list/radius/polygon



Map bookmarking



Point feature posting



Intelligent map caching



Support for multi-server connection



Buffer zone creation



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



Ability to link map features to web applications



Control over map width/scale



Ability to measure distances between indicated points on a map



Ability to copy to Windows Clipboard



Print capability

Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide | 11

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 extensions, allowing direct access to Oracle8i™ Spatial or VISION* databases



Serves intelligent, interactive maps and drawings to users who have installed an Autodesk MapGuide Viewer



Serves non-intelligent maps and drawings without requiring installation of an Autodesk MapGuide Viewer (requires Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension)

What’s New in Release 5?

Autodesk MapGuide Release 5 includes the new features described in the following sections. In addition to the changes listed here, Release 5 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 5, you cannot open the map in earlier releases of the program. Users of older Autodesk MapGuide Viewer versions can easily upgrade to Release 5 by downloading the new Viewer from the following location:

http://www.autodesk.com/mapguideviewerdownload

12 | Chapter 1 Introduction

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Author 5?

Map Explorer and Layer Groups

The new Map Explorer interface is designed to help you author maps with easy access to layer controls, reports, zoom goto definitions, and frequently used dialog boxes. You can now organize layers into layer groups, which appear in the Map Explorer and in the Viewer legend.

Continuous Panning and Zooming

Now, you can click the Pan toolbar button or the Zoom toolbar button just once, and then pan and zoom repeatedly without needing to click the button again.

Enhanced Printing

You can now use the entire page for printing a map, and you can control which elements print on the map. When you print a map, you can include a title, a legend, the map’s scale, a North arrow, the map’s URL, and the current date and time. Also, you can specify the scale of the map you want to print, or you can have Autodesk MapGuide automatically scale the map to fit the printed page.

Support for Multiline Text and Labels on Maps

Autodesk MapGuide Author now supports multiple lines of text in text map features and labels. This enhances the readability of the display.

Enhanced Symbol and Text Support

You now have greater control over the display of symbols and text. You can specify symbol and text sizes in ground units (such as miles) as well as screen units (such as inches), and you can have symbols with independent heights and widths. You can also control the symbol size and rotation, as well as the text alignment by specifying OLE DB table columns that contain these values.

Custom URL for Viewer Help

If you create help content for your customized Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, you can have the Viewer’s Help  Help Contents command go to the URL for your help file.

What’s New in Release 5? | 13

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Server 5?

Easy Installation

The new Autodesk MapGuide Server installation program eliminates the manual configuration of your server. Just follow the on-screen instructions to set up your server.

Support for OLE DB Providers

Autodesk MapGuide Server now serves point and text spatial data from any OLE DB provider rather than from ODBC data sources. Please note that the ODBC tab in the Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Properties dialog box has been replaced with the Data Sources tab.

Support for Data Extensions

Autodesk MapGuide Server now supports new Data Extensions, which enable Autodesk MapGuide to serve spatial and attribute data directly from a variety of traditional GIS, CAD, or relational spatial databases through the new SDP (spatial data provider) architecture. If you purchase a Data Extension for your specific data type, such as Oracle8i Spatial or VISION*, you do not need to convert data to SDF format before using it with Autodesk MapGuide. For information about these and additional forthcoming data extensions, contact your nearest authorized Autodesk reseller.

Support for Autodesk OnSite

Autodesk MapGuide Server now supports the Autodesk Onsite software, enabling users of mobile devices to view interactive maps and other data on handheld computers. For more information, see the Autodesk Onsite documentation.

Support for Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension

Autodesk MapGuide Server now supports Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension by serving maps in a raster format so that users are not required to install an Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. For more information, see the Autodesk MapGuide LiteView documentation.

14 | Chapter 1 Introduction

What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer 5?

Redlining

The Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API offers Viewer users the ability to digitize features or create redline notations on a new spatial data layer. For more information, see the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Continuous Panning and Zooming

Now, you can click the Pan toolbar button or the Zoom toolbar button just once, and then pan and zoom repeatedly without needing to click the button again.

Layer Groups

Layers can now be part of layer groups, which appear in the Viewer legend.

Help Available from the Toolbar

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer now includes a Help button on the toolbar for quick access to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Help or to a customized help URL.

Enhanced Printing

Improved API

The Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API has been improved to include full support for the Autodesk MapGuide Java line and fill styles, layer groups, and Spatial Data Provider (SDP) layers as well as printing enhancements. For complete information, refer to the Autodesk

MapGuide Viewer API Help.

™

edition Viewer, client redlining,

What’s New in Release 5? | 15

System Requirements

Following are the system requirements for using Autodesk MapGuide Server and Autodesk MapGuide Author.

Autodesk MapGuide Author Requirements

Autodesk MapGuide Author requires the following:



Microsoft Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000 Professional



Pentium-based PC



32 MB of RAM



Minimum 20 MB of free hard disk space



Super VGA or better video display



Mouse or compatible pointing device

In addition, we recommend the following:



Web browsers: Netscape Navigator® 4.0 or later or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later



Internet connection, if retrieving data from remote Autodesk MapGuide Servers

Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements

Autodesk MapGuide Server requires the following:



Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server with Service Pack 4, 5, or 6, or Microsoft Windows 2000 Server



Web server: Netscape Enterprise Server 3.5 or later, or Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0 or later (included with Windows 2000)



Web browser: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later



MDAC 2.1 Service Pack 2 or later (MDAC version 2.5 included with Autodesk MapGuide Server installation)



Pentium-based PC



128 MB of memory (192 MB if using multiple releases of Autodesk MapGuide Server on the same computer)



22 MB of free disk space (25 MB plus data files space recommended); 38 MB required during installation



Sufficient disk space for SDF, MWF, and raster image files



VGA or higher resolution video adapter

16 | Chapter 1 Introduction



Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device



OLE DB providers required for access to relational data sources that contain map data



TCP/IP network protocol installed on the Windows NT/2000 computer (TCP/IP provided on the Windows NT/2000 installation CD)



IP address assigned to the server computer

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Requirements

The three versions of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer (Plug-In, ActiveX Control, and Java edition) each require different configurations.

Autodesk MapGuide Plug-In Viewer Requirements



Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000 Professional



Minimum of a 486-based PC with 16 MB of memory



Mouse or compatible pointing device



Web browser: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later

Autodesk MapGuide ActiveX Control Viewer Requirements



Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000 Professional



Minimum of a 486-based PC with 16 MB of memory (24 MB required if using Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000)



Mouse or compatible pointing device



Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Java Edition Requirements



Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000 Professional



Minimum of a 486-based PC with 16 MB of memory (24 MB required if using Windows NT 4.0 or later and Microsoft Internet Explorer)



Mouse or compatible pointing device



Web browser: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, with MRJ 2.2

System Requirements | 17



Mac® OS 8.5 or 9



Apple Macintosh computer with 32 MB of memory (64 Mb or more recommended)



Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x, with MRJ 2.2 (Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 not supported)



Sun Solaris™ 2.6



Sun SPARCstation with 64 MB of memory



Web Browser: Netscape Navigator 4.5 or later

What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book?

This guide is designed for all 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 41 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, “Working with 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

18 | Chapter 1 Introduction

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.

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 extension to access VISION*, Oracle8i Spatial, DWG, or SHP data directly, the data engineer needs to convert vector data from other formats into SDF (spatial data file) files, uses Autodesk MapGuide and then provides those files to the server administrator. The data engineer might use AutoCAD Map to create spatial data, or use Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader to convert spatial data from other sources. Data engineers need to work with the map authors to determine what spatial data is needed for the maps, and then either create or acquire that data.

Raster Workshop to work with raster images,

Data engineers will find information they need in Chapter 5, “Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide” and Chapter 6, “Planning and Designing Maps.”

If you do not have the expertise to create or convert the data you need, go to http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidepartners for a list of data providers and data conversion firms.

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.

What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book? | 19

Map authors need to decide the type of maps to deliver:



Unintelligent maps with limited interactivity that do not require a Viewer installation (requires Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension).



Intelligent, highly interactive maps requiring a Viewer installation.



A combination of both types of maps, 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.

Server Administrator

The server administrator oversees the 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, Allaire ColdFusion and/or Active Server PagesÔ (ASP). Server Administrators need to maintain the Autodesk MapGuide Server using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

Server administrators will find information they need in Chapters 2, 3, and 4.

Webmast er

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 145.

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 JavaÔ, 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 Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit. A server-side application created with the SDF

20 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Component Toolkit can dynamically update SDF files 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 59), and in the Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide.

You can download the Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide free of charge, or you can order the printed copy from the product documentation page at:

http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidedocs

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:

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-hand or primary mouse but-

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, URLs (web addresses), and keys in the Windows Registry.

ton.

mouse.



Settings  Control Panel

What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book? | 21

Online Help Index

maps

Where to Get More Information

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 Help  Contents and click the Index tab in either Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

In addition to this guide, there are a number of helpful resources, both printed and online.

Autodesk MapGuide Documentation

Following is a list of all of the guides and help systems available with Autodesk MapGuide. To view or download any of these documents, go to http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidedocs.

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 Help  Contents, 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.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help

This help system contains references to the objects, properties, methods, and events of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. The API Help highlights differences between the three versions of the Viewer (ActiveX Control, Plug-In, Java edition), and it contains conceptual information about Viewer scripting topics.

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader Help

This help system documents the Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader commandline utility. It contains conceptual and reference information about SDF files, including parameters for converting from specific formats.

22 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit Help

This help system is provided with Autodesk MapGuide 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.

Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop Help

This help system is provided with Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop. It provides overall information as well as detailed descriptions of how to use the Raster Workshop to convert images to TIFF and tiled TIFF format, create raster image catalogs, and more.

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 also get a Microsoft Word version (MGViewerHelp.doc) of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Help from the root level of the Autodesk MapGuide Author and Viewer CD. The MGViewerHelp.doc file is useful if you want to print the entire help contents for Viewer users.

Autodesk MapGuide User’s Guide

This guide is included with Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Server. You can install a copy of this guide in Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) format when you install Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Author. To view the guide in PDF format, you need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available on the Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Server CDs in the following location:

\Acrobat Reader\Acrd4enu.exe

Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide

This guide, available for purchase or for download from the Autodesk MapGuide web site, includes information about developing Autodesk MapGuide applications.

Where to Get More Information | 23

Autodesk MapGuide ReadMe File

The ReadMe file for all of the Autodesk MapGuide products includes a list of installed files and directories for each of the Autodesk MapGuide products.

Third-Party Documentation

Many excellent third-party books are available. Your tastes may vary, but here are some that we found useful:



Cold Fusion 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.)



JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, 3rd Edition, by David Flanagan (O’Reilly and Associates)



Java in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition, by David Flanagan (O’Reilly and Associates)

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; 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 Help  Autodesk MapGuide Web Site.

24 | Chapter 1 Introduction

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 would help us to understand the issue. Providing this information will improve our ability to answer your question immediately.

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

Where to Get More Information | 25

Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

This chapter includes an overview of the Autodesk

MapGuide product suite, as well as information

about planning a strategy for using the Autodesk

MapGuide products.

This chapter may be especially helpful to:



Server administrators



Application developers



New Autodesk MapGuide users

In This Chapter



What is Autodesk MapGuide?



How Autodesk MapGuide components work together



Map authoring components



Map viewing components



Map serving components



Application development components



What is Autodesk MapGuide application development?



Overall strategy

What Is Autodesk MapGuide?

Before you use Autodesk MapGuide, you need to understand some basic concepts, 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 the 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. Or you could create 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.

Understanding Layers

A key feature of Autodesk MapGuide is the use of layers. Layers are like separate transparent sheets on which different spatial data is drawn. By separating data into different layers, you can work with your data more efficiently. For example, if you have a map displaying roads, rivers, and parks, you could organize the map into three layers for each of these types of features. Then, when you want to change the color of all of the rivers to blue, you would change the color for the rivers layer. This would redraw all of the rivers in blue, without affecting the colors of the parks and roads, which are on separate layers.

Layers are also useful for your users when they want to select specific data. For example, if you have highways and streets on individual map layers that overlap, and the user wants to select a highway, users can turn off the streets layer so that they can more easily select the highway without accidentally clicking a street instead.

28 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

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. The Viewer displays the map according to the MWF settings specified in Autodesk MapGuide Author.

A map displayed with Autodesk MapGuide Viewer

When you use either Autodesk MapGuide Author to create a map or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer to view a map, requests are made to Autodesk MapGuide Server to provide the required data in that map via the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet using the services of a web server and a web browser.

What Is Autodesk MapGuide? | 29

How Autodesk MapGuide Components Work To g e t h e r

The following diagram provides an overview of how the Autodesk MapGuide products work together.

Applications

Clients

Application Servers

Data Servers

Data

Utilities

Any Browser

Autodesk MapGuide

LiteView Extension

Servlet

Raster

Images

Raster

Workshop

Autodesk OnSite

Client

Autodesk OnSite

Servlet

GIS/CAD

Files

DWG SHP

VISION*

Cache

Java

Viewer

SDF Loader

ActiveX

Viewer

(Autodesk MapGuide Server/Web Server)

Data Extensions

VISION*

Plug-In

Viewer

Servers

Oracle8i

Spatial

ORACLE SDF MWF

SDF Com

Toolkit

Autodesk MapGuide

Author

30 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Map Authoring Components

This section describes the programs and data resources used to create a map.

Autodesk MapGuide Author

Autodesk MapGuide author allows you to create maps by setting up map window files (MWFs). You can then embed one or more MWF files (or create a link to them) in a web page. When a user opens that web page (or clicks the link in the web browser), Autodesk MapGuide Viewer appears and displays the map.

Autodesk MapGuide Data Extensions

Autodesk MapGuide data extensions enable Autodesk MapGuide to serve spatial and attribute data directly from a variety of traditional GIS, CAD, or relational spatial databases. When you use an Autodesk MapGuide data extension, you do not need to convert data to SDF format before using it with Autodesk MapGuide. You can purchase Autodesk MapGuide data extensions for VISION*, Oracle8i Spatial, and Autodesk DWG. For information about these and additional forthcoming data extensions, contact your nearest authorized Autodesk reseller. If you are not accessing spatial data through a data extension, you will need to convert your data into one of the supported formats.

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader is a command-line utility that converts spatial map data from a variety of formats into Spatial Data Files (SDFs), one of the native formats read by Autodesk MapGuide Server. Specifically, some of the formats that you can convert are AutoCAD Map MapInfo MID/MIF files, ESRI Arc/Info Coverage files, Intergraph DGN files, ArcView Shapefile files, and Atlas BNA files, as well as ASCII comma-delimited CSV files. The SDF Loader can convert the coordinates from their original coordinate system into latitude/longitude, but it cannot perform datum shifts—all data must be based on the same datum.

The SDF Loader can also generalize your map data if it will be displayed at smaller scales (zoomed out), which improves performance and reduces required storage space. The SDF Loader is distributed on the Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Server CDs. For more information, refer to Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader Help (SDFLOAD.HLP) located in the SDF Loader directory.

Map Authoring Components | 31

DWG and DXF files,

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit is a set of COM (Common Object Model) objects for reading and writing Spatial Data Files (SDF), Spatial Index Files (SIF), and Key Index Files (KIF), the native spatial data file formats of Autodesk MapGuide products.

You can access SDF Component Toolkit objects in development languages and environments such as C++, Visual Basic, VBA, VBScript, Java, JScript, ASP, CGI, and ColdFusion. Using these languages and environments, you can do the following:



Write applications that convert spatial data to SDF files.



Write applications that modify SDF files generated by AutoCAD Map, Autodesk World, or Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader.



Create server-side applications that read and modify existing SDF files. These applications can interact with client-side scripts, allowing for dynamic updates based on user input.

The SDF Component Toolkit is distributed on the Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Server CDs. For more information, refer to Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit Help (SDFCOMTK.HLP) located in the \Help directory under your SDF Com Toolkit directory.

Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop

Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop is a utility that allows you to optimize your raster images, which improves performance when they are accessed by Autodesk MapGuide. You can generate TIFF files and tiled TIFF files (tiled TIFF files improve performance) from standard image formats, create raster image catalog (RIC) files, and manipulate the images that are referenced by the RIC. You can then use the TIFF and RIC files with Autodesk MapGuide, or use the TIFF files with other Autodesk products that support raster images. The Raster Workshop is distributed on the Autodesk MapGuide Author CD. For more information, refer to Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop Help (RASTER.HLP) located in the Raster Workshop directory.

32 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Map Viewing Components

This section describes how your web browser works with Autodesk MapGuide Viewer to display maps.

Web Browser

A web browser is a client application that reads hypertext data in the form of HTML pages containing text, graphic, and programmatic content. Web pages are usually posted on the Internet, an intranet, or an extranet. An intranet uses internet technology, but is used internally by a company or other organization; information on an intranet is not available to outside users. An extranet extends an intranet to outside users who have been given access rights, such as customers who access a site with a password.

In addition to reading and displaying web pages, a web browser can also perform file transfers using file transfer protocol (FTP) and run helper programs such as Autodesk MapGuide Viewer.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer displays a map in your web browser when you open a web page that contains an embedded MWF or when you click a link to an MWF.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer is available in three versions:



A Plug-In for use with Netscape Navigator on Windows systems



An ActiveX Control for use with Microsoft Internet Explorer on Windows systems



A Java edition for use with Sun Solaris and Apple Macintosh systems. It can also be used on Windows, but we recommend that you use the PlugIn or ActiveX Control on Windows.

All are available for download free of charge from the Autodesk MapGuide web site (http://www.autodesk.com/mapguide).

Note If you want to distribute maps without requiring that users install one of the Viewers, you can do so using the Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension. For more information, see the next section and the Autodesk Mapguide LiteView documentation.

Map Viewing Components | 33

You can also write a stand-alone C++, Visual Basic, or Java application that hosts Autodesk MapGuide Viewer without a web browser. For details about supported platforms, see “Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment” on page 59.

Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension

Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension serves maps in a raster format, with limited interactivity, so that users are not required to install an Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. For more information, see the Autodesk Mapguide LiteView documentation.

Map Serving Components

This section describes the software components that process and serve data to the map.

Web Ser ve r

Online Help Index

web server

A web server is an application that runs on a host computer. In response to requests from other computers, the web server software processes and sends various types of files, such as web pages and map window files (MWFs). When a user requests map data, that request is received by the web server and passed to Autodesk MapGuide Server. Autodesk MapGuide supports two types of web servers: Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 and later through the standard CGI and ISAPI interfaces, and Netscape Enterprise Server 3.51 through the standard CGI and NSAPI interfaces.

Autodesk MapGuide Server

Autodesk MapGuide Server serves map data in response to requests from Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Viewer when a user is displaying a map in those programs.

When a request is made, Autodesk MapGuide Server reads the request to determine which data to provide, and then sends the data from the spatial data source, raster image file, or OLE DB data source according to the specifications made in the request. Autodesk MapGuide Server allows you to control access to the data sources by checking for passwords, user IDs, and other optional settings you specify.

34 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Autodesk MapGuide Server consists of three components: MapAgent, Server Service, and Server Admin.

MapAgent

The Autodesk MapGuide Server Agent (or MapAgent) is an interface between your web server and Autodesk MapGuide Server. It receives requests for map data from Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer via a web server. The Agent queues the requests as they are received and distributes them to Autodesk MapGuide Server. There are three different MapAgent files that you can use with Autodesk MapGuide Server; for more information, see “Which MapAgent to Install” on page 51.

Server Service

The Autodesk MapGuide Server Service is a Windows NT/2000 service that receives and processes the requests for map data distributed by the MapAgent, formats the data as requested by the map layer, and then sends the data back across the web to Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer.

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin gives you complete operational control over Autodesk MapGuide Server. You can set security, generate log files, configure data source directories and database access, integrate with your web server, and start and stop the server.

Application Development Components

This section describes the products and technologies used to create an Autodesk MapGuide application.

An Autodesk MapGuide application can be as simple as an HTML page that displays an embedded map window file (MWF), or it can be as complex as a CGI application, coded in C++, that modifies data files on the server and refreshes the browsers of everyone viewing the map. Usually it is something between the two, such as a map embedded in a web page that has buttons and other controls on it that interact with the map.

Application Development Components | 35

Example of an Autodesk MapGuide application

Autodesk MapGuide applications can be client-side or server-side. A client-side application runs in the user’s browser, using the processing power of the user’s (client) computer. It is typically an HTML page that hosts Autodesk MapGuide Viewer and contains code to access the objects of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. A server-side application runs on the server, and is typically used for generating custom map reports, generating dynamic HTML pages, and updating map resources such as databases, GIS, or CAD files. In most cases, applications are a combination of both client-side and server-side applications, but for the sake of simplicity, the following sections discuss the components as being one or the other.

Client-Side Application Components

Client-side applications run in the user’s browser. A client-side application is usually made up of the following components:



A web browser and an HTML page that hosts Autodesk MapGuide Viewer



An MWF that is read by Autodesk MapGuide Viewer and displayed as a map



Web browser scripts that access the APIs for the browser and Autodesk MapGuide Viewer

36 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

HTML Pages

Usually, a client-side application is an instance of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer that is displayed in an HTML page by means of the <EMBED>,

<OBJECT>, or <APPLET> tag. (<EMBED> is used for the Netscape Plug-In, <OBJECT> for the ActiveX Control, and <APPLET> for the Java edition.) The

HTML page might contain form elements (such as buttons and list boxes) and code that access the web browser API and the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API. You can also display the map full-screen (not embedded in an HTML page) by using the to the MWF. For more information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Web Browser Scripts

Autodesk MapGuide supports the following HTML scripting languages:



JavaScript. JavaScript is a full-featured scripting language that supports the Netscape Plug-In on the Windows platform and the Java edition on the Windows and Sun Solaris platforms.



JScript. JScript is Microsoft’s variant of the JavaScript language. It supports the ActiveX Control and Java edition for Internet Explorer on Windows platforms. Throughout this book, we will often refer to JScript and JavaScript collectively as JavaScript.

<A HREF> tag in an HTML page and creating a link



VBScript. VBScript is a Visual Basic-derived language that supports the ActiveX Control for Internet Explorer on Windows platforms.

You can use these scripting languages to access the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API and the Netscape and Internet Explorer browser APIs. The scripts can range from a single line to complex client-side map applications. For more information, see “Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment” on page 59, and refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer exposes an object-oriented programming interface (API) that gives you programmatic access to Autodesk MapGuide Viewer functionality. For example, you could create a redlining application that would give users the ability to digitize features and add notations to a map.

You can access the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API from a browser script or from a stand-alone application you create that hosts the Viewer. The API is available when you install any of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewers. For more information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Application Development Components | 37

Web Browser APIs

The Netscape and Internet Explorer APIs give you programmatic access to browser and document functionality. The APIs include a Document Object Model (DOM) that exposes the elements in an HTML page.

With the browser APIs, you could write a script that creates a new window or frame and then outputs HTML to it dynamically. You could also create HTML pages that change dynamically on user interaction. (This is called Dynamic HTML.)

Note The Document Object Models for Netscape and Internet Explorer vary somewhat. Therefore, when writing a single script for both browsers, be sure to test your script carefully in both browsers.

Stand-alone Applications

You can write a stand-alone C++, Visual Basic, or Java application that hosts Autodesk MapGuide Viewer without a web browser. For details about supported platforms, see “Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment” on page 59.

Server-Side Applications

Server-side applications run on the server (or host), creating or processing data and serving it to the client machine. A server-side application (also known as a server app) might be a counter that shows how many times a site has been visited, or it might be a database that builds and serves HTML pages dynamically. The Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension, used to display raster maps without a browser, is also an example of a server-side application.

In Autodesk MapGuide, server-side applications are typically used to generate and serve reports or to allow map data on the server to be updated by a user from his or her browser. Please note that these applications are typically a combination of client-side and server-side applications, but for the sake of simplicity, they are discussed here as server-side applications.

38 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Reports

You can design customized reports for your map. A report is an HTML page generated by a script you create using a third-party tool like ColdFusion by Allaire Corporation or Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP). Report scripts combine database queries and HTML tags to dynamically generate pages on the server. These pages are then sent to the browser as standard HTML. Because the design of the HTML page is specified as part of the report script, the author of the report controls the way the page displays in the browser.

In an Autodesk MapGuide Application, the report typically provides information about the selected map features or about a point the user specifies, depending on the settings the map author specified in the MWF. In some cases, database resources might be queried directly, bypassing the MWF completely. When a user views the report, Autodesk MapGuide Server sends the feature or point information to the report script, which extracts the appropriate content from a database and then displays an HTML page with the results in your web browser. Examples of reports might be demographic data for the specified layers or the latitude/longitude coordinate of the specified point. For more extensive information about reports, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide.

User-Updatable Map Resources

You can create server applications that give users the ability to update map resources from their browsers. These resources can be database map layers, attribute data associated with a feature, or even the SDFs themselves. Updating a database from the browser uses the same mechanisms as reports use.

For example, you could create a “crime watch” application. The application would include an HTML form where users could add map points representing crime incidents, as well as attribute data describing details of the incidents. Subsequent users could use the form to add their own comments to the database. In another example, you could create a redlining tool for surveyors. Using this tool, workers in the field could add polylines representing lot lines to the SDF files so that the changes would be visible to anyone else viewing the map. For more information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide.

Application Development Components | 39

What Is Autodesk MapGuide Application Development?

The Autodesk MapGuide application development process allows you to add Autodesk MapGuide functionality to your web site. The entire process includes writing the client-side and server-side code, as well as the steps involved in designing your Autodesk MapGuide project and server layout, setting up an Autodesk MapGuide Server and a web server, gathering your data, and creating your HTML pages.

There are eight main tasks involved in setting up your Autodesk MapGuide site and developing applications.

1 Familiarize yourself with GIS and the Autodesk MapGuide product

architecture.

2 Design your system, by deciding which web server to use, whether to use

multiple servers, the directory structure for your project, how you will implement security, and so on. Determine whether you will require users to install Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, or whether you want to use Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension to serve maps with limited interactivity.

3 Set up your server. This includes installing and configuring your web

server, installing Autodesk MapGuide Server, installing a reporting engine, setting up a development environment, and adding files to the server.

4 Decide on your data strategy and work with your data. You will need to

determine whether to use a data extension to access data directly or whether to convert your data. This includes creating spatial data, attribute data, raster images, symbols, Zoom Goto categories, and reports, and then adding this data to your map. It also includes optimizing the data you create and ensuring that you’re using the correct coordinate system and precision.

5 Create your maps using Autodesk MapGuide Author, and post them on

the server.

6 Add the maps to web pages, and develop client-side applications to

interact with the maps.

7 Develop report scripts that either display data for selected features on the

map or dynamically update the databases when the user clicks the map or enters information.

40 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

8 Optionally, use Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit to develop

applications that allow you to modify your spatial data files (SDFs) by editing, deleting, or adding geographic features from the browser.

Overall Strategy

Setting up Autodesk MapGuide and developing an application is much like cooking: rather than working on one task at a time, you need to work on several of them at once, going back and forth between the tasks as needed. This section uses this approach and outlines the best strategy for setting up Autodesk MapGuide and developing applications. The process includes three main phases: installation and testing, planning and design, and implementation.

The following sections describe these phases. For more information about the second phase, planning and design, see Chapter 3, “Designing Your System.”

Phase One: Installation and Testing

This phase involves installing and testing all of the components to make sure that your system is ready. You can take two approaches to this phase. The first approach is to read through Chapter 3, “Designing Your System,” to determine exactly how you want to set up your system before you install. The other approach is to do a basic installation to get an idea of how everything works together and make sure it all works properly, and then use that knowledge in Phase Two when you plan and design your complete Autodesk MapGuide application. In either case, the data and map layer you create in this phase should be very basic and for testing purposes only.

To install and test the components

1 Install your web server and web browser, and then type your web server

URL in the web browser to make sure that the browser is communicating with the web server.

2 Create OLE DB data sources for your attribute data, and then test them

with Access, Excel, or another database application to make sure that you can access the data through the OLE DB data source names you created. If you are not sure which attribute data you will be using yet, skip this step for now and return to it during Phase Three when you create your data.

Overall Strategy | 41

3 Install Autodesk MapGuide Server, and then type your Autodesk

MapGuide Server URL in the web browser to make sure that the browser is communicating with the Server.

4 Install Autodesk MapGuide Author, and then open tutorial.mwf to make

sure you can access the Internet through Autodesk MapGuide Author. If you will be using Autodesk MapGuide on an intranet only, skip this step.

5 If you are using a data extension to access data directly, install the data

extension as described in the data extension’s documentation. If you are not using a data extension, install Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader, and then convert one file to SDF file format.

6 In Autodesk MapGuide Author, create a new layer based on the SDF you

created in the previous step or based on the data you are accessing through a data extension.

7 If the layer links to an OLE DB data source, create the link and then test

the link by pausing the mouse over features on the layer to make sure the MapTips are displaying the feature names.

8 Save the MWF.

9 Create an HTML page that references the MWF and post it in the web

server directory.

10 Install the Autodesk MapGuide Viewers you will be supporting, and then

in your web browser, type the URL to the HTML page you created in the previous step to verify that the map loads in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer.

Phase Two: Planning and Design

This is a critical phase, during which you determine how you need your Autodesk MapGuide application to function and design it accordingly.

To plan and design your application

1 Determine your performance needs, and whether you should install mul-

tiple servers.

2 Determine which data you will need for the map, including what types of

reports and Zoom Goto categories you will need.

3 Decide how to design the layers. Ask yourself the following questions:



What name do you want to display in the legend for each layer?



What name do you want to use for each legend for programmatic access (that is, access through the Viewer API)?



Should users be able to select features on this layer?

42 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide



Do you want to display more or less data depending on the current scale? If so, create multiple layers of the same area that turn on and off at particular display ranges.



Will the data on this layer be used in any reports? If so, make a note to add this layer to the Report tab when you set up your reports.

4 Design your Autodesk MapGuide application. This involves determining

the following:



How will the user interact with Autodesk MapGuide Viewer and the web page? For example, will the user have to select features on the map, or will you add a list box to the web page that allows the user to select a map feature from the list?



Depending on which functionality you want to add to the web page, which Autodesk MapGuide functions do you need to use in order to provide this functionality?



Do you need to create other applications and scripts, such as CGI scripts? For example, if you want to allow the user to digitize points on the map and update the database with the new locations, you need to write a script to handle this.

Phase Three: Implementation

In Phase Three, you implement your Autodesk MapGuide application according to the plan you developed in Phase Two.

To implement your application

1 If you will be installing additional servers, do so now and test them as you

did in Phase One.

2 Create a skeleton of your application (without the MWF), creating place-

holders and pseudo-code for your features and functions.

3 If you are not using a data extension to access data directly, perform data

conversion, and then put the converted files in necessary locations. If you create any additional databases, go back to Phase One and create and test OLE DB data sources for each database you add.

4 Create the report scripts or applications that Autodesk MapGuide will use

to generate reports.

5 Create the Zoom Goto data.

6 Build the map according to your plan. This includes creating the layers,

and then adding the reports and Zoom Goto categories to the Map Window Properties dialog box.

Overall Strategy | 43

7 Add the MWF to the application skeleton, then test all layers, reports,

Zoom Goto categories, and so on.

8 Build the placeholder functions and test them.

44 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Designing Your System

This chapter covers topics that you need to take

into consideration before you set up your Autodesk

MapGuide Server, author your map, or develop

In This Chapter



Planning your directory structure



Security



Architecture and performance

your Autodesk MapGuide Viewer application. Read

this chapter to decide how you want to design your

system, what type of security you need, and what

type of Viewer and browser environment you want

to support before you install or configure any

software.

This chapter may be especially helpful to:



Server administrators



Application developers



Choosing a viewer/browser environment

Planning Your Directory Structure

The first step in designing your system is planning the structure of files and directories you will have on your server. For example, will you have all of your files under one main directory, or will you split them into project directories? Will you have all of your data in one directory to be used by all projects, or will you have a separate data directory for each project? Part of planning your directory structure comes from your own understanding of how many projects and how much data you have, and a major consideration is setting up the structure so that your files are secure.

Note This chapter assumes you are familiar with Windows NT/Windows 2000 and web server administration. If you are not, look up “Windows NT,” “Windows 2000,” and “web server” in the Autodesk MapGuide help index.

Directory Structure Guidelines

You will need to create a directory structure for any of the file types you use with Autodesk MapGuide. In some cases you will also have to create virtual directories that map to physical directories. Your main security strategy is to locate files above and below your web root directory and to create virtual directories when necessary.

Autodesk MapGuide includes a sample project called Sample_World, which is installed in a recommended directory structure, as shown in the following illustration.

Sample project with recommended directory structure.

46 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

This setup is designed for maximum portability and security as well as ease of maintenance. By setting up your projects in this way, you can easily move an entire project from one computer to another, as all of the necessary data is under the project directory. You can also add additional directories and subdirectories, as needed.

Use the following guidelines for setting up your directory structure.



Group your files into projects, with project directories. For instance, if you post two projects on your Autodesk MapGuide Server, create /project1 and

/project2 under your web root:

/web root/project1/ /web root/project2/



You must place HTML files under the web root. For instance:

/web root/project1/web/map1.html /web root/project2/web/map2.html



For security reasons, we recommend that you place data source files above the web root.



You need to place your MWFs, MLFs, report files, and server-side scripts in directories that have web server Execute permission. If you are running Microsoft Internet Information Server, and you want to give a directory Execute permissions, you must create a virtual directory that maps to it, regardless of whether that directory is under the root or not. For instructions on creating a virtual directory, refer to the documentation that came with your web server.



You can locate your MapAgent files anywhere on the server where they can be accessed by the web server software.

If you are running Internet Information Server, we recommend that you use the default directory that it provides for your MapAgent files. This way you do not need to create a virtual directory. If you choose to create a different directory for your MapAgent files, you must create a virtual directory that maps to that directory.

Netscape Enterprise Server does not create a default directory. If you use the NSAPI version of the MapAgent, you must enter a pointer in the Netscape configuration file that points to the MapAgent_NSAPI.dll file. Typically, the MapAgent_NSAPI.dll directory is:

C:/Program Files/Autodesk/MapGuideServer5/MapAgents

If you are going to use the CGI agent, you must create a CGI directory and create a mapping to that directory in the Netscape Administrator.

Planning Your Directory Structure | 47

Security

Security is an important consideration when setting up any kind of server application. With Autodesk MapGuide, you can implement security for your server computer at a number of different levels. There are three main methods for setting up security:



Using Windows NT or Windows 2000 Security

Use the Windows NT or Windows 2000 Administrator tools to set security for files and directories on the server computer.

Use your web server to set security for virtual directories. Plan your directory structure so that files requiring security are above the web root.

Use Autodesk MapGuide to set up user IDs and passwords, access keys, and passkeys to protect resources (such as SDFs and databases), maps, and map layers.

Online Help Index

Windows NT, security Windows 2000, security

Online Help Index

web server

security

We recommend that you review the security settings for all folders on your server and adjust them appropriately, depending on the files they contain. If your Autodesk MapGuide Server directories are on a drive that uses the file allocation table (FAT) file system, you do not need to set Windows permissions, because all users have access to all files and directories. If these directories are on a drive that uses a Windows NT File System (NTFS), you must set the appropriate permissions on these directories for each account intended to access these directories.

In addition to setting security for individual files and directories, you can also set security for all directories controlled by your web server. The next section discusses this approach.

Using Web Server Security

When you create a web publishing directory, you can set access permissions for the defined home directory or virtual directory and all of the directories below it. The World Wide Web (WWW) service provides the access permissions, which are in addition to the permissions provided by the NTFS file system. Note that ColdFusion template files (.cfm files) interact with the web server in a similar manner to a CGI scripting process, so any directory containing these files must also have Execute access.

48 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

The security considerations for your Autodesk MapGuide site are the same as those for any other web site that provides data. With that in mind, we recommend that you create an organized directory structure with permissions that appropriately protect the files on your Autodesk MapGuide-enabled web site.

In addition to the Windows NT/Windows 2000 and web server security methods just discussed, you can also use a variety of methods in Autodesk MapGuide Server to set up security.

Using Autodesk MapGuide Security

Autodesk MapGuide Server and Autodesk MapGuide Author provide you with the following methods for keeping your data resources and maps secure:



User IDs and passwords to control access to maps, map layers, and data sources



Access keys to control map layer access to data sources and map feature coordinate values



Passkeys to control Viewer API access to layer setup data and map feature coordinate values

You can use one or more of these methods depending on your security needs.

Online Help Index

passwords

setting for maps

Online Help Index

layers

restricting access

Controlling Access to Maps

In addition to controlling access to your map using the standard security features of your web server, you can add password protection to your maps through Autodesk MapGuide Author. Password protection prevents other Autodesk MapGuide Author users from opening a proprietary Internetpublished map and accessing the information stored in the MWF. You must enter the correct password each time you open a password-protected map.

If you have a public site, another way to add security to your MWFs is to store the MWFs on a server inside of your firewall and have the MapAgent and HTML files on a server outside of the firewall. For more information, see “Using a Remote MapAgent” on page 52 and “Firewalls” on page 69.

Controlling Map Layer Access to Data Sources

You can control access to data sources (resources) by assigning access keys to them using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. An access key is a unique string that can include a start and end date. To use a resource that has an access key assigned to it, the map author embeds the access key in the layer or Zoom Goto definition that will access that resource.

Security | 49

Each time a user attempts to access that map layer (such as by panning or zooming) or Zoom Goto definition, the access key is automatically sent to the server along with the request for the data. Autodesk MapGuide Server verifies the key and its start/end dates (if any) against the list of access keys assigned to that resource before providing the data. If the key is verified, Autodesk MapGuide Server loads the layer’s data; otherwise, the program displays a message indicating that access to the data is denied.

When assigning access keys to map layers, you need to coordinate with the person administering Autodesk MapGuide Server to make sure that the access key is properly assigned to the specific resource that provides data to that map layer. For more information, see “Creating and Modifying Access Keys” on page 80 and “Specifying Security for Layers” on page 164.

Controlling User Access to Resources

Online Help Index

resources

restricting access to

You can control which users can access resources (SDFs, raster image files, databases, and so on) by assigning user IDs and passwords to resources using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. Whenever Autodesk MapGuide Viewer or Autodesk MapGuide Author requests data from a resource, the user is prompted to enter a user ID and password. Autodesk MapGuide Server then verifies that this user ID and password has been assigned to the resource and provides the data.

Additionally, you can assign users to the Authors user group using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. When authors create maps, they can browse for available resources only if they are assigned to the Authors user group. This provides only a minimal level of security, because authors can still use a resource by typing its path, but they cannot browse for available resources without the recognized user ID and password that you specified in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. For more information, see “Creating and Modifying Users and Groups” on page 78.

Note Be sure to run Autodesk MapGuide Server and Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin under the same account (the System account or a user account). Otherwise, the resources you see in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin might not be the same resources that are available to Autodesk MapGuide Server. See “Config- uring Autodesk MapGuide Server under a Different Account” on page 71 for more information.

50 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Accessing Data from the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API

Map authors can control whether developers can access coordinate values and map layer setup data using the API getVertices() and getLayerSetup() methods. You control the security of this data from the Map Layer Properties dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Author. If you allow API access, you can also specify that the application must send a specific passkey first, which the application developer passes in with the unLock method. The developer can then use the getVertices() and getLayerSetup() methods to access the coordinate values and layer setup data. For more information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

We do not recommend hard coding the passkey in your HTML application script because users can always view the source code of an HTML page. One option is to prompt users for their user IDs and passwords when they attempt to view secured data and then authenticate the user ID and password against a database on your server.

Map authors can also control whether developers have access to the tracking ID using the getTrackingID() and setTrackingID() methods. You control the security of this data from the Map Window Properties dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Author.

Architecture and Performance

This section discusses the different server agents and distributed architectures that you can implement for your Autodesk MapGuide Server and how they affect performance. On installation, Autodesk MapGuide Server selects a map agent based on the web server it detects. You can, however, go back to the installation program and install a different map agent at any time.

Which MapAgent to Install

There are three types of Autodesk MapGuide Server agents (MapAgents) that you can install:



CGI This agent works on any type of web server and is easy to install. Therefore, if this is your first time building a web server, you might want to install the CGI agent instead of the ISAPI or NSAPI agents to avoid complications. However, you should note that CGI applications do not scale well on Windows NT/2000, meaning that they will not be able to take

Architecture and Performance | 51

advantage of multiple servers. If your server receives numerous client requests for Autodesk MapGuide, you will end up with many separate instances of the CGI agent communicating with Autodesk MapGuide Server. This can adversely affect your performance.



ISAPI The ISAPI (Internet Server Application Programming Interface) agent is an alternative to CGI. It is an API that extends the capabilities of Microsoft Internet Information Server. (If your web server is Netscape, use CGI or NSAPI instead.) The ISAPI agent is in the form of a DLL (Dynamic Link Library). The ISAPI DLL resides on the computer, so it is faster than the CGI agent. It is also fairly easy to install. However, you can install the ISAPI agent only on a Microsoft Internet Information Server.



NSAPI The NSAPI (Netscape Server API) agent is similar to the ISAPI agent except that it works on the Netscape Enterprise Server. Like ISAPI, it is faster than CGI, making it better for your server’s performance.

Using a Remote MapAgent

The Autodesk MapGuide MapAgent uses RPCs (remote procedure calls) to forward client requests for map data to Autodesk MapGuide Server. Because RPC calls can be made across a network, the MapAgent does not need to reside on the same computer as Autodesk MapGuide Server. This is useful for enhancing security, because it allows you to publish maps from your public server while keeping your data, Autodesk MapGuide Server, and the communication between them secure on your private internal LAN.

For example, you could have your web server, MapAgent, HTML files, and supporting files for the HTML files (such as bitmaps that appear in the web page, not within the map) all on a public server outside of the firewall or other Internet security mechanism you are using. Inside the firewall, you would have Autodesk MapGuide Server and your resources (databases, SDFs, and raster images that appear within the map). With this setup, not only is all of your data behind the firewall, but all communication between Autodesk MapGuide Server and your data takes place behind the firewall. This approach allows the whole world to use your maps, but it minimizes the possibility of hackers accessing your data files or taking advantage of the communication between Autodesk MapGuide Server and your databases. The only hole in the firewall is between the MapAgent and Autodesk MapGuide Server, and the data passed between them is only useful for display in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. For more information, see “Data File Placement” on page 57.

52 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

To use a remote MapAgent, you need to make sure the MapAgent can communicate to your Autodesk MapGuide Server through your firewall. For more information, see “Setting Up the MapAgent” on page 67.

Standardizing on UDP or TCP

Different versions of Windows use either UDP ports or TCP ports for RPC by default. When you use the MapAgent on a different computer from the Autodesk MapGuide Server, be sure that the computers are using compatible operating systems. Otherwise, if the Autodesk MapGuide MapAgent computer attempts to communicate with the Autodesk MapGuide Server computer using a different protocol, there will be a 30—45 second delay. At the end of the delay, an attempt will be made to connect with the alternate protocol. This delay will occur unless the last working protocol type (UDP or TCP) is cached by the operating system on the Autodesk MapGuide MapAgent computer.

Using Multiple Servers

Autodesk MapGuide Server is scalable, meaning that it has mechanisms built in to take advantage of multiple servers, which improves performance. Autodesk MapGuide Server can process multiple requests simultaneously, balance the load of requests across the available servers, and use data that is distributed across different servers. This section discusses how Autodesk MapGuide Server takes advantage of multiple servers and helps you determine which is the best strategy for you.

Understanding Multiple Simultaneous Server Requests

Autodesk MapGuide Server is a multi-threaded application, meaning that it can process multiple requests for data in parallel, as opposed to serially processing each request one after another. This means that instead of using one server to process a large request, or sending smaller requests one at a time, you can have multiple servers processing smaller requests all at the same time. You do this by setting up your map layers to use data from different Autodesk MapGuide Servers. Autodesk MapGuide Viewer will then send off requests for data from all of those layers in parallel, where they are processed all at the same time. Therefore, if you have three servers, processing time could be up to three times faster than using one server.

Architecture and Performance | 53

For example, in the following illustration, there are requests coming from layers 1 through 6. In this example, layers 1 and 3 make the requests to server A, layers 2 and 4 send the requests to server B, and layers 5 and 6 send the requests to server C. The requests to these servers go out all at the same time, so the servers process the requests simultaneously. Each server then sends its processed data back to the Viewer. The Viewer always draws layer 1 first, and then draws all of the rest of the layers simultaneously once it has received all of the data.

Autodesk

MapGuide

Viewer

request layers 1 & 3

request layers 2 & 4

request layers 5 & 6

return data

draw layer 1

draw layers 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6

Autodesk

MapGuide

Server A

Simultaneous request model

process request

return data

Autodesk

MapGuide

Server B

process request

return data

parallel process

serial process

Autodesk

MapGuide

Server C

process request

Distributed Data vs. Mirrored Systems

There are two approaches to using multiple servers: distributed data and mirrored systems. In the distributed data model, the servers contain different resource files so that the map data is distributed across the servers. In the mirrored model, you have multiple servers with identical setups and data so that the additional servers act as backups if the first server is busy or unavailable.

54 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

The distributed data model requires less maintenance than the mirrored systems model. However, this approach is not fault tolerant—if one Autodesk MapGuide Server goes down, map viewers cannot access the data on that server. The mirrored systems model is safer than the distributed data model because it does have fault tolerance, which provides a backup server so that the data is still available. However, mirrored systems can require more maintenance than distributed data systems if you need to update the servers.

The following diagrams illustrate the two different multiple server architectures. In the first diagram, notice that there are three web server computers, each with its own Autodesk MapGuide Server. Each contains different data. In this case, requests are distributed among the servers based solely on which data is requested; if repeated requests are made for the same data, only the server containing that data will be processing the requests. To make this model work, you must plan the placement of your data carefully so that requests are distributed equally among the servers.

raster data

Web Server 1

Map

Agent

MapGuide

Server 1

spatial

data...

Example of distributed data

Web Server 2

Map

Agent

MapGuide

Server 2

...more

spatial data...

Web Server 3

Map

Agent

MapGuide

Server 3

...still more

spatial data

OLE DB

Attribute Data

Architecture and Performance | 55

In the next diagram, a web server has a MapAgent that points to several Autodesk MapGuide Servers, each of which has exactly the same data as the others. In this case, requests made to this server will be distributed among the Autodesk MapGuide Servers based on their availability, so if one of the Autodesk MapGuide Servers is busy processing another request, the request will go to the next server.

Web Server 2

Map

Agent

MapGuide

Server 3

raster

data

spatial

data

attribute

data

raster

data

spatial

data

MapGuide

Server 1

attribute

data

MapGuide

Server 2

spatial

raster

data

attribute

data

Example of mirrored data

For maximum benefit, you can use a combination of the two approaches. For example, in the mirrored data illustration, Web Server 2 might be one of several web servers that is used only when requests are made for its particular data. However, when requests are made to Web Server 2, all requests it receives are distributed among three Autodesk MapGuide Servers for processing, each of which contains exactly the same data. Thus, in this example, several web servers use the distributed data model, and one of the distributed web servers also uses the mirrored data model to handle its individual requests.

Setting up Multiple Servers

If you choose to have multiple Autodesk MapGuide Servers on your network, you must configure their TCP/IP settings to operate correctly through your Internet connection configuration. Also, to maximize performance, be sure to set up your MapAgent for load balancing between the servers.

56 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Data File Placement

When using remote and/or multiple servers, it is important to know where to store your data so that the server(s) can access it. The following table describes whether each type of data needs to be available to the Autodesk MapGuide Server(s) or the web server. Note that the MapAgent does not need access to data files, as it simply relays whatever data is sent to it from the Autodesk MapGuide Server.

This type of data...

Map source data (SDFs, data accessed using a data extension, raster images, OLE DB data sources)

Raster images in web page (outside of map)

MWFs and MLFs Web server The web server processes these files; the

Must be available

Comments

to...

All Autodesk MapGuide Servers

Web server The web server processes these files

The Autodesk MapGuide Server(s) process the data, then send it to the MapAgent to be relayed to Autodesk MapGuide Author or Viewer.

because they are outside of the map. Therefore, the Autodesk MapGuide Server(s) do not need access to them.

Autodesk MapGuide Server(s) do not need access to them.

Additional Performance Considerations

In addition to using multiple servers, there are several ways in which you can improve performance. Keep the following tips in mind when setting up your site, authoring your maps, and preparing your data.

Site Configuration



Bandwidth is a critical factor. This includes internal and external bandwidth, as well as network traffic (particularly at peak hours on the Internet).



Your hardware has many factors that affect performance, including processor speed, memory, and disk space.

Architecture and Performance | 57

Map Authoring



Show only the layers that users really need. You can make the layers available but not visible when the user first displays the map, reducing the amount of data that needs to be processed when the map is first loaded.



Create static layers for small, frequently accessed data that does not need to be kept secure. Static layers are loaded only once; zooming in and out on the layer does not send requests to the server. For larger data sets, data that changes frequently, and data that needs to be kept secure, use dynamic layers instead.



Use the Display Ranges option and pyramid the data. This involves creating multiple layers that show the same data but at different resolutions. You might have one layer that displays very detailed data and appears only when the user is zoomed in close, a second layer that displays less detail and appears only when the user is zoomed out farther, and a third layer that shows very generalized data and displays only when the user is zoomed out quite far.

Data Preparation



For point and text layers, rather than creating an SDF for the points and linking it to a SQL table for the attribute data, consider storing the points in the SQL table as well and using that table as the source for the layer. Whenever you link an SDF to a SQL table, it takes longer to process than a layer based on just an SDF or a SQL table. This is not true of themes, however. When setting up a theme, it doesn’t matter whether the data source and theme source are the same SQL table, or the data source is an SDF and the theme source is a SQL table—performance will be the same in both cases.



If there are multiple theme categories for a layer, consider using separate layers that reference separate SDFs. If possible, you could also export the information in a SQL table to a comma-separated (CSV) file and import it into its own SDF, rather than including it as a theme category of a layer based on another SDF.



Generalize data as much as possible. This involves reducing the resolution of the data so that there is less data to process. You can generalize SDFs using Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader or Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit; you can sub-sample raster images using Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop. Note that generalization reduces the amount

58 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

of detail you will see when you zoom in, so you might want to create multiple layers of the same area using different resolutions for different display ranges. Also, data with complex shapes, such as parcel data, might not generalize well, because their boundaries might not line up properly afterwards.



Trim feature names if they are not used. You can use the /NULLNAME switch in Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader to do this. Also, use the /LINK switch to specify the URL column(s) only if you plan to use the URLs.



For raster images, use Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop to create uncompressed, sub-sampled, tiled TIFF files.

Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment

As you plan your Autodesk MapGuide application, there are four major components you need to consider:



Operating system—Will your users be running Windows, Mac OS, or Solaris to view maps?



Web browser—Will your users be running Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer? Or do you want to create a stand-alone application to run the Viewer, so that a browser is not necessary?



Autodesk MapGuide Viewer/Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension— Depending on which operating system and browser your users have, they will use the ActiveX Control, Plug-In, or Java edition. If all of your users are running the same operating system and browser (such as on a corporate intranet), you can develop your application for one Autodesk MapGuide Viewer. However, if your users all have different setups and thus use all of the Autodesk MapGuide Viewers, you will need to develop your application to handle all three. If you do not need the full interactivity of Autodesk MapGuide Viewer and you need complete cross-platform support, you can consider using Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension to deliver raster-based maps with limited interactivity.



Scripting language—Which language will you use to develop your application? Each Autodesk MapGuide Viewer is accessible from one or more specific languages.

Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment | 59

The following table is designed to help you consider each of these factors.

Components for Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment

Operating System

Windows

Browser Viewer Language

Internet Explorer ActiveX Control HTML, VBScript,

Jscript, Java

Internet Explorer Java edition HTML, JScript, Java

Netscape Navigator

Any browser that supports PNG file format

none (stand-alone application)

Plug-In HTML, JavaScript,

Java

Java edition HTML, JavaScript,

Java

LiteView Extension ColdFusion (CF),

Active Server Pages (ASP), Java Server Pages (JSP) or Perl

ActiveX Control Visual Basic, C++,

Java

Mac OS

Internet Explorer Java edition HTML, Java

Any browser that supports PNG file format

none (stand-alone application

60 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

LiteView Extension ColdFusion (CF),

Active Server Pages (ASP), Java Server Pages (JSP) or Perl

Java edition Java

Components for Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment (continued)

Operating

Browser Viewer Language

System

Solaris

Netscape Navigator

Any browser that supports PNG file format

none (stand-alone application)

Java edition HTML, JavaScript,

Java

LiteView Extension ColdFusion (CF),

Active Server Pages (ASP), Java Server Pages (JSP) or Perl

Java edition Java

ActiveX Control for Internet Explorer

The ActiveX Control works only within the Internet Explorer 4.01 and later browser for Windows. It exposes an API that is accessible from VBScript, JScript (Microsoft’s implementation of JavaScript), and Java. The ActiveX Control API is exposed through ActiveX/COM/Automation technology. If you develop an application only for the ActiveX Control version of the Viewer, users can access that application with Internet Explorer only; if someone tries to view your application with Netscape, it will fail. You can also write stand-alone applications for the ActiveX Control with Visual Basic or C++. In this case, no browser is required, as your stand-alone application takes the place of a browser.

Netscape Plug-In

The Plug-In version of the Viewer works within Netscape Navigator 4.5 and later for Windows. It exposes an API that is accessible from JavaScript and Java. The Plug-In Viewer API objects are exposed via Netscape LiveConnect technology.

If you develop an application only for the Plug-In version of the Viewer, users can access that application with Netscape only; if someone tries to view your application with Internet Explorer, it will fail.

Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment | 61

Java Edition

The Java edition works with certain combinations of both browsers on Windows, Mac OS, and Solaris (see previous table). It is accessible from JScript, JavaScript, and Java. Internet Explorer 4.01 (for Windows 98/95/NT/2000 and Mac OS 8.0 using MRJ 2.1) exposes the Java edition API through a combination of the Java bean and ActiveX/COM/Automation technology. Netscape Communicator 4.5 (for Windows 98/95/NT/2000 and Solaris 2.6) exposes the Java edition API through a combination of Java introspection and LiveConnect technology. The API classes are defined in the

com.autodesk.mgjava package, which is typically contained in the mgjavabean.exe file. All configurations expose the Java edition API to other

Java code if it has been compiled to directly instantiate MGMapApplet or MGMapComponent.

For more information, see “Implementing the Java Edition” in the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help.

Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension

Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension is a Java program that runs on the server side (a servlet). It converts an MWF file into a PNG image and returns it as an HTTP response to a request. It extends the capabilities of Autodesk MapGuide to quickly display maps as raster images in Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, or any other browser that supports the PNG image format. Application users do not have to download a plug-in to display the maps.

Third-party integrators can create a custom Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension viewer, using the sample application provided with the servlet as an example. For more information, see the Autodesk MapGuide LiteView Extension documentation.

62 | Chapter 3 Designing Your System

Assembling and Administering Your Server

In This Chapter

This chapter includes information about setting up

and administering your server. Before you begin,

please read Chapter 3, “Designing Your System,” to

help you decide how to set up your server security

and architecture.

This chapter may be especially helpful to:



Server administrators



Application developers



Setting up your server



Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin overview



Setting general server properties



Setting up your data sources



Managing server security



Tracking server requests



Adding geocoding data

Setting Up Your Server

To enable your computer to serve maps over the web, you must install and configure your web server software. Autodesk MapGuide Release 5 supports Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 and later and Netscape Enterprise 3.5 and later.

Before You Install Autodesk MapGuide Server

Before installing Autodesk MapGuide Server, be sure to do the following:

Log On with Administrative Rights

Before you install Autodesk MapGuide Server, log on to Windows as an administrator or as a user who has administrative privileges.

Verify Your System Requirements



If you are running Microsoft Windows NT, make sure that you have installed Service Pack 4 or later.



Make sure that you have Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.1 SP2 or later installed on your computer. MDAC 2.5 is included on the Autodesk MapGuide Server CD in the following location:

\MDAC2.5\MDAC_TYP.EXE)

The Autodesk MapGuide Server installation program requires that the Microsoft Install Engine (MSIE) be present on your computer. MSIE is included with Microsoft Windows 2000. If you do not have MSIE on your computer, the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation program will install the MSIE software for you. You will then need to restart your computer and manually restart the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation.

64 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Remove Autodesk MapGuide Server 4.1 for VISION*

If you have Autodesk MapGuide Server 4.1 for VISION* installed on your computer, follow these steps before installing Autodesk MapGuide Server Release 5.

1 Use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin to stop the Autodesk MapGuide

Server Service.

2 Close Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

3 Using the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel, uninstall Autodesk

MapGuide Server for VISION*.

Install Your Web Server Software

Install and configure the web server software, as described in “Installing Microsoft Internet Information Server” on page 66 and “Installing a Netscape Web Server” on page 66.

During the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation, you will be asked to select one or more map agents to install (see “Which MapAgent to Install” on page 51). If, during the installation, you select a map agent for which you have not yet installed a web server, you will need to perform the following steps after you finish installing Autodesk MapGuide Server:

1 Copy each map agent listed in the MapAgents Not Supported screen of the

Autodesk MapGuide Server installation from the <installation direc- tory>\MapAgent directory to a virtual directory for the web server.

2 Enable Scripting and Execute permissions for the virtual directory.

3 Configure the web server MIME type for MWF files.

This process varies with each new web server. Typically, you specify the content type as application/x-mwf and the file extension as .mwf (sometimes omitting the period).

Setting Up Your Server | 65

Installing Microsoft Internet Information Server

If you plan to run Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) on Windows NT, you need to install the Windows NT Option Pack 4.0. This is not necessary with Windows 2000 because IIS is included with Windows 2000.

To install the Option Pack

1 Install Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later.

2 Install Option Pack 4.0. When you install the Option Pack, select the

Upgrade Plus option and be sure to select Internet Information Service as a component to install.

Installing a Netscape Web Server

Before installing a Netscape web server, you must first have the following:



A Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 machine with Service Pack 4, 5, or 6 on it, or a Microsoft Windows 2000 Server machine.



Netscape Navigator installed on your machine. Either install Netscape Navigator from the Netscape Developer’s CD or download it from the web: http://www.netscape.com.



An entry in a DNS server. Make sure that the administrator of the DNS server in your network enters the computer on which you are installing Autodesk MapGuide Server into the domain.



A user account set up on the computer.

After you have met all of these criteria, you are ready to install the Netscape Enterprise Server software from the Netscape CD.

To install Netscape Enterprise Server

1 Insert the Netscape CD, and then follow the instructions on the screen to

start the installation.

2 The installation program prompts you to specify whether or not you want

to use LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). Because you do not need LDAP, leave the box unchecked and go on to the next dialog box.

3 When prompted for user information, enter the name and password of

the user you created in the User Manager.

4 The installer generates numbers for the administrator and web server

ports. Accept these defaults and write them down for future use.

66 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

5 Optionally, specify the default home directory for your web documents

instead of using the default content directory.

You should now be able to access the index.html file. If you cannot, refer to the Netscape Server documentation for troubleshooting tips.

Testing Your Web Server

You can test your web server by connecting to it from another computer on your network. Make sure that a default HTML file (such as index.html) is located in your server’s default document directory. Then, start a browser on a different computer and enter the server’s name in the browser URL window. You should be able to access the default HMTL file on your server from the other computer. If you cannot, refer to your web server documentation for troubleshooting tips.

Setting Up the MapAgent

Typically, to set up the MapAgent, you first decide which MapAgent you want to use (see “Which MapAgent to Install” on page 51) and then select that MapAgent during the Autodesk MapGuide Server installation process. However, if you want to use the MapAgent on a different computer from Autodesk MapGuide Server, or if you want to take advantage of load balancing for multiple servers, read the following sections for configuration information.

Setting Up a Remote MapAgent

The Autodesk MapGuide MapAgent uses DCOM to forward client requests for map data to the Autodesk MapGuide Server. DCOM is built upon the RPC (remote procedure calls) transport. Because DCOM calls can be made across a network, the MapAgent does not need to reside on the same computer as Autodesk MapGuide Server.

To configure the MapAgent to use a remote server

1 Run the Autodesk MapGuide Server Setup program on the machine where

you want to install the MapAgent.

2 In the Select Components panel, deselect the Server Service item, and

verify that the correct MapAgent is selected.

You will be prompted to enter the IP address for the Autodesk MapGuide Server machine. When the installation is complete, the MapAgent is ready to route requests to the remote Autodesk MapGuide Server.

Setting Up Your Server | 67

If necessary, you can move the MapAgent executable file to a different CGI script directory after you finish the installation. You can also change the remote Autodesk MapGuide Server’s IP address by manually editing the REG_SZ registry, as described in the following procedure.

Warning Whenever you edit your registry, be sure to use great caution. We recommend that you make a backup of your registry before you proceed.

To edit a remote server’s IP address

1 Run the Windows NT REGEDT32.EXE tool. You can do this by clicking the

Start button, choosing Run, and then typing REGEDT32 in the Open box.

We do not advise that you use the Windows NT tool REGEDIT.EXE, because currently it does not have a friendly interface for editing REG_SZ values.

2 In the Registry Editor, navigate to the key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\MapGuide Server Agent\5.0, and then double-click the REG_SZ value Mapserver_IP.

3 By default, the value is blank, which directs the MapAgent to the local

computer. To direct the MapAgent to Autodesk MapGuide Server on a remote computer, enter that computer’s IP address. If your Autodesk MapGuide Server’s IP address is assigned via DHCP, the IP will vary over time; in this case, enter the DNS host name of the Autodesk MapGuide Server instead of the IP address.

While you are editing the value for this key, you can also set up Autodesk MapGuide to take advantage of load balancing.

Configuring for Load Balancing

You can specify multiple Autodesk MapGuide Servers by entering each IP, or DNS host name, on a separate line in the REG_SZ value Mapserver_IP. The MapAgent will balance the processing requirements by distributing the map requests among the Autodesk MapGuide Servers specified in this value. Note that when you add IP addresses or DNS host names to this value, the local computer is no longer included by default, so you must also enter the IP or DNS host name of the local computer if you want the MapAgent to continue to use it along with the other servers specified.

68 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

If you are using the ISAPI or NSAPI version of the MapAgent, the requests are distributed to the servers in a rotating manner. If you are using the CGI version of the MapAgent, it has no persistent memory between requests, so it distributes the requests randomly among the servers.

You may also want to consider purchasing a third-party load-balancing solution such as Microsoft Windows NT Load Balancing Service (WLBS), F5 Networks’ 3DNS® Controller, or RADWARE’s Web Server Director™ (WSD) products.

Firewalls

When you use a remote MapAgent, you need to configure your firewall to permit DCOM penetration from the outside to the inside. First, you must limit the DCOM port range on the Autodesk MapGuide Server computer. By default, a DCOM server uses port 135 for handshaking and uses any port in the range of 1,024 through 65,535 to service the DCOM call. To limit the range of DCOM, you must again use REGEDT32.EXE.

Add the following three values to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Rpc\Internet (the Internet key does not exist by default, so you might need to create it):

Autodesk MapGuide Server RPC Values

Value Name Data Type Text

PortsInternetAvailable REG_SZ Y

UseInternetPorts REG_SZ Y

Ports REG_MULTI 6600-6610

The value in “Ports” specifies the range of ports on the server that are valid for use by RPC. (The value “6600-6610” is simply an example.) You can specify multiple ranges for availability by entering each range on a separate line. You will need to restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

Now that you have specified which ports are available for use by RPC (port 135 and the ports you specified in the “Ports” value), you must configure your firewall to allow the MapAgent computer to establish a connection with the Autodesk MapGuide Server computer on these ports.

Setting Up Your Server | 69

The following diagram provides a basic overview of how the MapAgent and Autodesk MapGuide Server communicate over the firewall.

RPC communication via firewall

Online Help Index

data source properties

For information about the configuration of your particular firewall, please consult the firewall’s documentation or your network administrator.

Warning This section does not address any security concerns regarding the configuration of your firewall. As with all changes to your firewall’s configuration, your network administrator should assess the risks that a change may bring.

If you set up more than one MapAgent (see “Using Multiple Servers” on page 53), be sure to specify the correct MapAgent when you set up the map layers. You do this on the Data Sources tab of the Map Layer Properties dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Author.

70 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Installing a Report Engine

If you will include reports in your maps, you need to install a reporting engine, such as ColdFusion or Active Server Pages. You can install ColdFusion Application Server from the Autodesk MapGuide Server CD. If your web server is on the computer where developers are going to work, install ColdFusion Studio there as well. For details about installing ColdFusion, refer to the ColdFusion documentation.

Configuring Autodesk MapGuide Server under a Different Account

The Autodesk MapGuide Server service runs under the default System account. However, if you have data sources on another computer that you want to serve from Autodesk MapGuide Server, you need to run them under a user account that has access to that computer. Follow these steps after installing Autodesk MapGuide Server.

To change the account for the Autodesk MapGuide Server service

1 In the Windows Control Panel, double-click Services.

2 In the Services window, select the Autodesk MapGuide Server service, and

click Startup.

3 In the Log On As area, select This Account, and then specify a user account

and password that has access to the data sources on the remote computer.

4 Click OK, and then close the Services window.

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview

You use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin to do the following tasks:



Start and stop the server



Set general server properties



Set up data sources



Manage server security



Track server requests and generate log files

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview | 71

Click to set properties for the server.

Click to start the server.

Click to stop the server.

To start Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin

1 From the Windows Start menu, choose ProgramsAutodesk MapGuide

Release 5.

2 In the Autodesk MapGuide Release 5 program group, click Autodesk

MapGuide Server Admin.

The Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin window appears.

Click for Autodesk MapGuide help.

The complete, step-by-step procedures for using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin are included in the online help. Choose Help  Contents, then refer to the topics listed under “Administering Your Autodesk MapGuide Server.”

Online Help Index

server

starting and stopping

Starting and Stopping the Server

You can start and stop the server using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. Starting the server brings it online so that is ready to accept and process requests. Stopping the server takes it offline so that it cannot accept or process requests.

For step-by-step instructions, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “server, starting and stopping.”

72 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Setting Autodesk MapGuide Server Properties

You use the Properties dialog box to control how the server operates.

To open the Properties dialog box

In Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin, choose Edit  Properties.

The Properties dialog box appears.

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

You use the six tabs in this dialog box to specify all of the properties for the Autodesk MapGuide Server. This chapter includes basic information about each tab. You can find complete, step-by-step procedures in the online help.

Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview | 73

Setting General Server Properties

Online Help Index

server

general properties

Setting Up Your Data Sources

On the General tab in the Properties dialog box, you can specify the following properties for Autodesk MapGuide Server:



Server administrator’s e-mail address



Maximum number of simultaneous requests to the server



Search path for raster image files



Autodesk MapGuide for VISION* configuration data source



Services that must start before starting Autodesk MapGuide Server

Autodesk MapGuide Server needs access to the data sources containing the spatial and attribute data for your maps. To communicate with these data sources, Autodesk MapGuide Server uses Microsoft’s OLE DB (Object Linking and Embedding Database) technology. OLE DB provides communication between client applications and a variety of database systems using components called data providers.

Autodesk MapGuide Server can access attribute data from any standard OLE DB data provider such as Microsoft Access, SQL Server, Oracle, or any ODBC data source (using the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers). In addition, Autodesk MapGuide Server can access spatial data from OLE DB Spatial Providers (SDPs), such as Autodesk MapGuide SDF, Autodesk VISION*, and Oracle8i Spatial, by using data extensions. These OLE DB providers enable direct access to the native data sources, which eliminates the need to convert your data before using it with Autodesk MapGuide.

The Autodesk MapGuide Data Extension for SDF is automatically installed when you install Autodesk MapGuide Server. You can purchase the following additional data extensions:



Autodesk MapGuide Data Extension for VISION*



Autodesk MapGuide Data Extension for Oracle8i Spatial



Autodesk MapGuide Data Extension for DWG



Autodesk MapGuide Data Extension for SHP

74 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

The following OLE DB providers are installed with MDAC 2.1 or later:



Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server



Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Oracle



Microsoft Jet 3.51 OLE DB Provider



Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC

MDAC 2.5 is included on the Autodesk MapGuide Server CD in the following location: \MDAC2.5\MDAC_TYP.EXE)

Tip If a native OLE DB provider is not available for your data source (for example, if you are using Lotus Notes), you can use the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers.

Managing Your Data Sources

Online Help Index

data sources

managing

Using Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin, you can view a list of your data sources, make data sources available or unavailable, create new data sources, rename existing data sources, delete data sources, and specify where the server looks for data sources. Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin also links to the Microsoft Data Link Properties dialog box where you can configure your data sources.

You use the Data Sources tab of the Properties dialog box to manage your data sources. For step-by-step instructions, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “data sources, managing.”

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

Setting Up Your Data Sources | 75

Managing Server Security

In addition to setting Windows permissions and using the access control tools provided with your web server to control access to individual maps (MWF files) at your site, you can add another level of security by using Autodesk MapGuide Server to control access to the resources (SDF files, raster image files, SQL data tables, and Zoom Goto Address definitions) used by these published maps. This means that you can set up Autodesk MapGuide Server to require additional authorization before providing resources requested by a map, even if a user has access to the map. You can do this in two ways:



Use access keys to provide time-sensitive, map-embedded, passive, transaction-based security.



Use user-group/password security to provide map-independent, active, session-based security.

Access Keys Versus User IDs and Passwords

Access keys are passwords that the author of a map embeds in the definition of the map layer. Each time the map layer requests map data, Autodesk MapGuide Server verifies the embedded access key against the list of valid access keys for the resource before fulfilling the request. Because this process takes place automatically and invisibly every time the map layer requests data, access keys are a convenient way to provide greater resource security with no impact on the user. Additionally, access keys can be preset to be valid for only a certain period of time, adding an additional level of control.

User passwords require the user to enter a valid user name and password at the first request of map data from Autodesk MapGuide Server. Just like the typical web server security model, the user name and password are required only once for each layer that uses the restricted resource, providing a high level of security without unnecessary impact on the user.

Together, access keys and user passwords provide a great deal of flexibility in solving security problems over a variety of Internet/intranet implementations.

76 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

The following table provides a summary of the differences between the two security methods.

Users/Groups/Passwords Access Keys

Time Period

End-User Interaction

Implementation

Authorization Frequency

Active until deleted. Preset time periods.

User must enter correct name and password.

Use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin to enter and maintain users, groups, and passwords.

Checked once per resource per layer request (until the user exits the current browser session).

No end-user interaction.

Use Autodesk MapGuide Author to enter access keys in MWFs; use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin to link access keys to resources at the server level.

Checked by Autodesk MapGuide Server for every layer request.

Choosing the Best Security Method

The following table offers recommendations about when each security method is most appropriate.

Goal Method

Provide MWF files for a certain group of users only.

Allow user of Autodesk MapGuide Author to change styles but not map content.

Use the security protection in your HTTP server to provide the MWF files to only a defined user group.

Use access keys. You may want to allow a specific group of map authors to change styles and display ranges without being able to create new layers or add layer files. In this case, you can protect your resources with access keys. When you save a layer to an MLF (Map Layer File), do not select the Include Access Key In Map Layer File option. If users want to add that layer to a map or create a new layer, they must enter the correct access key for the resource, or Autodesk MapGuide Server will not respond to a request for that resource.

Managing Server Security | 77

Goal (continued)Method (continued)

Limit access to confidential data to a specific list of users.

Provide secure access that can be disabled for a casual and changing group of users.

Allow users to create maps and to query Autodesk MapGuide Server for a list of the resources that are available to facilitate the setup of map layers.

Assign users to a group, and assign that group to the confidential resources, changing the passwords regularly.

Assign access keys to the resources. Access key security is transaction-based (every request requires authentication) and requires no client-side action. This makes it easier to allow distribution to casual or public user groups without requiring them to know and enter the name/password for every layer in a published map.

Add users to the group called Authors. All mem- bers of this group will have map authoring privileges and full access to map data resources.

To implement any or all of these techniques for controlling access to the map data resources at your site, you use Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin.

Creating and Modifying Users and Groups

Online Help Index

users and groups

In order to control access to resources, you set up users and groups using the Users/Groups tab of the Properties dialog box. To display the Properties dialog box, choose Edit  Properties. Then, click the Users/Groups tab.

78 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

First, you create users by specifying their names and passwords. Then, you create groups. Finally, you assign users to the groups as members. For stepby-step instructions, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “users and groups.”

Assigning Users to the Authors Group

Autodesk MapGuide Server contains a predefined group called Authors. When creating a map layer in Autodesk MapGuide Author, members of the Authors group can query Autodesk MapGuide Server for a list of the available data sources. Such queries elicit a prompt for a user name and password, which are validated against the Authors group list. Although a user can enter a data source’s full path name to include it in a map layer, it is much easier to be able to choose from a list of available resources.

Online Help Index

Authors user group

Warning Before Autodesk MapGuide Author users attempt to create map layers,

they must be assigned to the Authors group.

For step-by-step instructions on assigning users to the Authors group, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “Authors user group.”

Managing Server Security | 79

Creating and Modifying Access Keys

When you author maps, you can embed a hidden access key within each map layer or Zoom Goto definition. Then, each time a user attempts to access that map layer or Zoom Goto definition, the access key is automatically sent to the server along with the request for the data. Autodesk MapGuide Server then verifies that the access key is on the list of access keys assigned to that resource before providing the data.

For example, you could specify in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin that the text string FL1WMTD is an access key for the SDF file lakes.sdf. An author creating a map could then embed that string in a map layer that uses data from lakes.sdf. Then, whenever a user zooms in or out on the map or works with a feature on that layer, the Viewer sends the access key along with the request for data. This happens automatically without the user ever being aware of the access key or needing to enter any information. Autodesk MapGuide Server verifies that the access key is on the list of access keys assigned to the resource lakes.sdf in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin, and then provides the data. Thus, the map author needs to coordinate with the Autodesk MapGuide Server administrator to make sure that the access key the author enters in a map layer is properly assigned to the specific resource that provides data to that map layer.

Online Help Index

access keys

creating

Access keys are also useful for creating maps that are valid for only a specific period of time, as you can change the values of access keys and their start and end dates. Access keys also make it easy to stop serving data from a specific resource quickly. For step-by-step instructions on creating access keys, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “access keys, creating.”

You assign access keys using the Access Keys tab in the Properties dialog box. To display the Properties dialog box, choose Edit  Properties. Then, click the Access Keys tab.

80 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

Restricting Access to Resources

You can restrict access to your resources (data sources) by adding the resources to the Resources tab in the Properties dialog box. To display the Properties dialog box, choose Edit  Properties. Then, click the Resources tab.

Click for details about the options in this dialog box.

Managing Server Security | 81

The Resource tab lists any resources you have added to the server administrator. A resource can be a spatial data file (SDF), a raster image file, or a directory containing multiple SDF or raster image files. A resource can also be an OLE DB data source and all of its tables, one specific table in the data source, or it can be a Zoom Goto definition. Note that you add resources on this tab only if you wish to restrict access to those resources.

Warning When you run Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin, you are always logged in under a user account. If Autodesk MapGuide Server is running under the System account, it will not be able to access the User DSNs you can access in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin. In this case, you need to ensure that any DSNs you configure through the Admin are System DSNs. Otherwise, database resources will not be set up correctly. Likewise, if Autodesk MapGuide Server is running under a user account, be sure to log on to that same user account before running Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin so that the Server and Server Admin can access the same User DSNs.

Online Help Index

resources

adding

To change the access properties of a resource, you must first add the resource to the Resources tab of the Properties dialog box. For step-by-step instructions on adding resources, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “resources, adding.”

Taking Data Sources Offline

When you need to update or replace a data source, you must ensure that no users are accessing the data source. To do this, you need to take the data source offline. You can take only OLE DB and SDP data sources offline.

To take a data source offline

1 On the Data Sources tab, select the data source you want to disconnect.

Note that you cannot take a single table offline. The resource must be a data source.

82 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

2 Clear the Available check box.

Clear a check box to take a data source offline. Select the check box to put the data source back online.

When you take a data source offline, all current connections to the data source are removed and no new connections are allowed. Users cannot access the data source again until you put it back online by selecting the Available check box.

Keep in mind that taking a data source offline affects only the current server. If other servers have access to this data source, you must take the data source offline on each of those servers as well.

Tracking Server Requests

Online Help Index

log files

viewing

When Autodesk MapGuide Server is running, its status is displayed on the Autodesk Server Admin title bar, and the number of requests currently being processed is shown in parentheses. You can view additional usage information by displaying one of the log files or running a usage report.

Log Files

The following log files are available. For step-by-step instructions on viewing log files, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “log files, viewing.”

Tracking Server Requests | 83

Access Log

The access log file records all requests to Autodesk MapGuide Server and gives you an idea of the activity at your site. An access log record is created for each request as the request is completed. For information about customizing the access log file for map layer data requests, see “Customizing the Access Log” on page 86.

Error Log

The error log file records errors that occur during Autodesk MapGuide Server requests.

Tr a c e L o g

The trace log file records the details of each request to Autodesk MapGuide Server. Because any request can include data for several map layers, each record in the trace log displays the details of the request for each layer. Entries in the trace log are created as soon as a request comes in, before it is serviced.

Map Layer Access Log

Online Help Index

usage reports

viewing

The map layer access log records all requests to Autodesk MapGuide Server for each map layer. A map layer access log record is created for each request as the request is completed. For information about customizing the map layer access log, see “Customizing the Map Layer Access Log” on page 86.

Usage Reports

You can run usage reports to track Autodesk MapGuide Server usage. The Standard Usage and Mobile Device Usage reports display the number of unique Viewers for each day of the past twelve months, and the total number of unique Viewers for each month. The Summary Usage report displays the total number of bytes, requests, and users served each month. Like the viewer tracking log, these usage reports are not designed to provide absolute numbers—they can help you spot trends in usage. This helps you determine when you might need to improve performance as your number of users increases. For step-by-step instructions on viewing usage reports, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “usage reports, viewing.”

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Renaming Log Files

Online Help Index

log files

renaming

You can rename the access log, error log, and trace log using the Logging tab of the Properties dialog box. For step-by-step instructions, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “log files, renaming.”

Online Help Index

log files

rotating

Rotating the Log Files

For the access log, error log, and trace log, you can automatically create a new file for each log every day at midnight, allowing you to have a different log file every day. This is useful if you need to go back to check the information in the log files for a particular day.

To rotate the log files, you include a date format string in the log file names to indicate which date information will be used in the name of the log files. For a complete list of format codes you can use, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “log files, rotating.”

Tracking Server Requests | 85

Customizing the Access Log

Online Help Index

access log

customizing

Online Help Index

map layer access log

customizing

When a user sends a request to build map layer data in Autodesk MapGuide Author or the Viewer, the program sends a map layer data (MLData) request. Autodesk MapGuide Server site administrators can customize the information that is recorded in the access log file for MLData request types by modifying values in the Windows registry. The MLData values are in the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Autodesk MapGuide Server\5.0\Log\MLData\

For a complete list of parameters that you can use to customize the access log file, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “access log, customizing.”

Customizing the Map Layer Access Log

The map layer access log records all requests to Autodesk MapGuide Server for each map layer. Autodesk MapGuide Server site administrators can customize the information that is recorded in the map layer access log file by modifying values in the Windows registry. The map layer data values are in the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\Autodesk MapGuide Server\5.0\Log\MapLayerAccessLog\

For a complete list of parameters that you can use to customize the map layer access log file, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “map layer access log, customizing.”

86 | Chapter 4 Assembling and Administering Your Server

Adding Geocoding Data

Before you can enable zooming to a US street address or ZIP code, Autodesk MapGuide Server must have access to a geocoding database. When the user enters an address or ZIP code, Autodesk MapGuide finds that address and its corresponding coordinates in the database, and then zooms to that location on the map. For more information, see “Zoom Goto Address (Geocoding) Data” on page 96.

For information about obtaining a geocoding database, go to the Autodesk MapGuide data web site:

http://www.autodesk.com/mapguidedata

Online Help Index

geocoding database

After you have obtained the geocoding files, you need to set them up on the server so that Autodesk MapGuide Server can properly serve them to Autodesk MapGuide Author or Autodesk MapGuide Viewer.

Adding Geocoding Data | 87

Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

In This Chapter

This chapter discusses the basic steps for working

with data and includes information about the dif-

ferent kinds of data you can use with Autodesk

MapGuide.

This chapter may be especially helpful to:



Data engineers



Map authors



Basic steps for working with data



Working with spatial data



Working with attribute data



Working with raster images



Working with symbols



Working with other types of spatial data

Basic Steps for Working with Data

In order to gather or create data, and then add it to map layers, you need to follow these basic steps.

1 Determine the coordinate precision and coordinate system to use. See

“Designing the Map” on page 112 for more information.

2 Create spatial data files and add them to layers. See the next section,

“Working with Spatial Data,” and see “Specifying Data Source Properties for Layers” on page 153 for more information.

3 Create attribute data and link it to spatial data. See “Working with

Attribute Data” on page 93 for more information.

4 Create raster images and add them to layers. See “Working with Raster

Images” on page 97.

5 Create symbols and add them to layers. See “Working with Symbols” on

page 104 for more information.

6 Create Zoom Goto categories. See “Zoom Goto Data” on page 96 for more

information.

7 Create reports and add them to the map. See “Working with Reports” on

page 142 for more information.

This chapter is designed to give you an understanding of the different types of data you can use with Autodesk MapGuide, and how you create or procure the data. For information about using the data in map layers, see Chapter 9, “Working with Map Layers.”

Working with Spatial Data

Coordinates that represent the geographic features on a map are called spatial data. When you create a layer in a map, you specify which file contains the

spatial data to display on that layer.

Spatial data can be in a variety of formats. The native Autodesk MapGuide format is SDF. However, Autodesk MapGuide can read spatial data from other formats as well (such as Oracle 8i Spatial) if you have a data extension installed for that specific format. For more information, see “Working with Other Types of Spatial Data” on page 105. If you are creating a point or text layer, you can specify an OLE DB data source, such as a table that contains coordinates and text. For more information, see “Working with Attribute Data” on page 93.

90 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

Map Features

Map features are the geographic features that appear on a map. In Autodesk MapGuide, map features are points, such as fire hydrants and cities, polylines, such as rivers and roads, and polygons, such as lakes and land parcels. Each map feature has a name, an optional URL link, and geometric data specified by one or more coordinate pairs.

The files containing the spatial data can also contain compound map features such as polypolylines and polypolygons. Polypolylines are multiple polylines grouped as one to represent compound line features such as road networks and river systems. Polypolygons represent compound area features such as islands in a lake.

The following sections describe each of the types of map features you might have in your spatial data files.

Points

A point is single place on a map, such as a fire hydrant or a city. Every point corresponds to a single coordinate pair that locates the point’s symbol or text on the map. To use the points from a spatial data file in a map, you create a point layer.

Lines/Polylines/Polypolylines

A line represents a linear feature, such as a street, river, or sewer pipes. A polyline is simply a line with multiple segments, such as a winding road. A polypolyline is a single feature that includes two or more polylines; this is a convenient way to group related polylines into one map feature so that they can be selected or linked to a database as a single entity. The starting point and the ending point of each line segment in a line, polyline, or polypolyline each has a coordinate pair, so that a polyline with several line segments, for example, will have several coordinate pairs that define the polyline. Autodesk MapGuide treats lines, polylines, and polypolylines the same way—to use the lines, polylines, and polypolylines from a spatial data file in a map, you create a polyline layer.

Polygons/Polypolygons

A polygon represents a filled area on a map, such as a country or a lake. A polypolygon is a map feature consisting of two or more polygons, for example, a house with a detached garage. Although the polygons forming the house and the garage are not connected, you may still want to treat them

Working with Spatial Data | 91

as a single map feature. You can achieve this by making them both part of the same polypolygon. Each vertex on a polygon or polypolygon is a coordinate pair, and all of the coordinate pairs make up the polygon. Autodesk MapGuide treats polygons and polypolygons the same way—to use the polygons and polypolygons from a spatial data file in a map, you create a polygon layer.

Te x t

Also known as annotations in other applications, text features are blocks of text placed at specific coordinates on the map. Like points, each text feature has a single coordinate pair associated with it.

Creating a Spatial Data File

Typically, you use an application like AutoCAD Map to create your data, then export it to an Autodesk MapGuide SDF. If the application you are using does not support the SDF file format, you can use Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader, Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit, or AutoCAD Map to convert the data to SDF. Then, Autodesk MapGuide Server reads the SDF data and sends it to Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Viewer to be displayed.

When creating SDF files, you should use only one type of data in each SDF file, if possible. For example, an SDF might contain only points, lines/polylines, polygons, or annotations (text) from your AutoCAD Map data. This optimizes performance in Autodesk MapGuide.

Note When naming the SDF, make sure that the file name does not contain any of the following characters: double quote ("), asterisk (*), colon (:), slash (/), back slash (\), less than (<), greater than (>), question mark (?), pound sign (#), or vertical bar (|).

For points/symbols and text, you can store coordinates in a database instead of an SDF. You can update coordinates in a standard database application quite easily, and you can rotate, align, and size text based on fields in the database.

You should also be aware of the coordinate precision you will need (see “About Coordinate Precision” on page 113), and then choose the best conversion tool for your needs. The following sections explain the information you need to know about using each of the conversion applications.

92 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader

You can use the SDF Loader to convert several file formats as individual files, or you can create batch files to convert multiple files. The batch file can run the SDF Loader and any necessary third-party programs to convert the files. This is an efficient way to set up your source data and create your SDFs. For complete information, refer to the Autodesk MapGuide SDF Loader Help.

Autodesk MapGuide SDF Component Toolkit

You can use the SDF Component Toolkit and a programming language such as Visual Basic or C++ to create an application that works with SDFs. The SDF Component Toolkit provides powerful access to SDFs, including the ability to work with individual features within an SDF. This means that your program could convert individual features in the SDF rather than the whole file at once, so you have more control of your conversion than you do with the SDF Loader.

Working with Attribute Data

Attribute data is data that can be linked to the spatial data in maps to provide information about those spatial features to the user. Examples of attribute data are population, area, name, total sales, a URL link to a related web page, style data, and any other data you want to associate with a spatial feature. When you link attribute data to your spatial data, the data can be used in one of four ways: it can display the names of the features, it can be used to set the width (of symbols), height and rotation (of symbols and text), and alignment (of text), it can be used to create themes, or it can be used to generate reports. The following sections describe how to prepare and use your attribute data.

Linking Attribute Data to SDFs

To link the attribute data to the spatial data, you simply specify the OLE DB database table you want to use when setting up the layer. Autodesk MapGuide Author matches the records in the table to the spatial features in the SDF from which the layer was created by means of a key. A key is a string that uniquely identifies each spatial feature in the SDF and each record in the database. When a record in the attribute database and a spatial feature in the SDF have the same key, the record is linked to the spatial feature.

You can also use a database table for theme information. For example, you might have three sources of data: an SDF of coordinates that represent lakes,

Working with Attribute Data | 93

a secondary OLE DB database table containing the name and linked URL for each lake, and another OLE DB database table containing theme information, such as the size of each lake, water purity, and more. When you create the layer in the Map Layer Properties dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Author, you would specify the secondary table on the Data Sources tab, and specify the theme table from the Styles tab when adding a theme. Note that neither of the tables need to contain coordinates—they are linked to the polygons in the SDF only by their keys. For more information, see “Creating Themes” on page 163.

Online Help Index

troubleshooting

problems creating themes

To avoid potential conversion problems, be careful when creating the key field. Depending on the type of database, you might not be able to use the attribute data unless the key field in the database is exactly the same size as the key field in the SDF to which you are linking it. Some databases, when queried, will append the keys with blank space characters to make them the exact length you specified for the field, so the database keys will not match those in the SDF. For more information, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “troubleshooting, problems creating themes.”

Linking Attribute Data to Another Database

You can create point layers and text layers from OLE DB data sources instead of SDFs. For these layers, you can still use an OLE DB database table for creating themes. For example, if you are setting up a layer of cities, you might have two tables: one that contains basic information about each city, such as the key, coordinates, name, and a URL link, and a second table that contains data on which you want to create themes, such as the population, majority political party, and so on. The second table would also contain the same key values as the first table; Autodesk MapGuide uses these keys to assign the theme values in the second table to the corresponding cities in the first table.

Preparing Attribute Data for Themes

As mentioned in the previous sections, you can use the data in a linked attribute table as the basis for themes. Themes draw the map features on a layer according to particular values. For example, on a map layer that contains cities, you could use different symbols to represent cities that fall within different population ranges. Themes also help to differentiate features in a layer. For example, on a roads layer, you could draw interstate highways differently from city streets, even though they’re on the same layer.

94 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

When setting up your attribute data, you should consider whether you will be creating themes, and whether the data in the table lends itself easily to this task. For example, for a roads layer, do you already have a column that contains the text “Interstate” or “City Street” for each feature in the table? If so, it will be very simple to specify this column as the theme column and specify that if the column contains “Interstate”, the feature will be drawn as a thick yellow line, and if the column contains “City Street”, the features will be drawn as a thin black line. However, if you want your roads to be drawn in such a way as to show how heavy the traffic is, a column indicating whether it’s an interstate highway or city street will not be useful—you will need a column that indicates how much traffic each road has. You can then use this third column to specify how the roads are drawn to show traffic.

For example, you might create four theme categories: fewer than 200 cars per month, between 201 and 5,000, between 5,001 and 10,000, and greater than 10,000. You can then specify the display attributes separately for each of these categories, so that roads with the lightest traffic are drawn in thin black lines and roads with heaviest traffic are drawn in thick red lines, and so on.

If you are using point or text data, you need to consider which symbols you will want to use for each theme category. For more information, see “Working with Symbols” on page 104.

Setting Up Your Attribute Database

You need to take the following points into consideration when setting up your attribute database:



Before Autodesk MapGuide can use your databases, you must set them up and configure them as OLE DB data sources. See “Setting Up Your Data Sources” on page 74 for more information.



You can limit users’ access to data sources by setting up passwords for users or for groups or by assigning access keys to the resource.



When naming your attribute data sources, avoid using the ampersand (&) in the names of databases, tables, and columns. This character is unsupported in all names in Autodesk MapGuide, including SDF names, layer names, user names, access keys, tracking IDs, and passwords.



Make sure that the fields containing the coordinates, keys, names, and URLs are all in the same table, view, or query in the OLE DB data source. Your theme data can be located in a different table, but it must contain keys that match those in the source data.

Working with Attribute Data | 95



When setting up the layer, you can use a SQL Where clause to filter and customize the data. For example, if this layer will display cities, you could specify that the layer include only those cities with a population greater than 10,000. For more information see Chapter 9, “Working with Map Layers.”



When setting up a theme, the Theme Column text box will accept a simple expression in addition to the field.

Zoom Goto Data

You can use Zoom Goto categories to allow users to zoom in on specific features in the layer. There are two types of Zoom Goto data: Zoom Goto Location categories, and Zoom Goto Address data.

Zoom Goto Location Categories

A Zoom Goto category enables users to zoom in on a specific location that falls within the current category. For example, if you have a category called Airports, the user would be able to select from a list of airports and zoom to it on the map.

Features that need to be part of a Zoom Goto category must have their coordinates and category value entered into fields in an OLE DB data source. Unlike other types of attribute data, Zoom Goto categories do not require a feature key, so you do not need to include it in your Zoom Goto category database. For instance, if you have a polygon layer of parcels that you want users to be able to zoom to, you could store all of your parcel IDs and coordinate values in an OLE DB database. You could then use Autodesk MapGuide Author to create a Zoom Goto category called “parcels” with a SQL statement that retrieves coordinates from the database based on a parcel ID that is passed in. The Zoom Goto dialog box in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer would let users enter the ID of the parcel they want to zoom to, and the SQL statement would retrieve the coordinate values, enabling the Viewer to zoom to that feature.

Zoom Goto Address (Geocoding) Data

With a geocoding database installed on your server, map authors can add the Zoom Goto US Street Address category to their maps. Autodesk MapGuide Author comes with a predefined location category called “US Street Address.” When map authors activate this category, they access the geocoding database that you installed on your server (see “Adding Geocoding Data” on page 87).

96 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

When the category is in place, users can type an address or ZIP code and zoom directly to that location on the map. For more information, see “Creating and Modifying Zoom Goto Location Categories” on page 140.

Working with Raster Images

Raster images are pixel-based images, such as digital photographs (satellite images, for example). Raster images are very useful as background images underneath your vector data, for example, an aerial photograph of a city with a layer of streets overlaying it.

Autodesk MapGuide supports various raster image file formats. The following section contains a complete list of supported file formats.

Raster Image File Formats

The following table provides a brief description of the raster image file formats supported by Autodesk MapGuide Author and Autodesk MapGuide Server.

Format File

Extension

GIF .GIF Graphics Interchange Format (North America only)

TGA .TGA TrueVision Targa 2.0 Format

CALS .CAL CALS MIL-R-28002A Type 1 Format

PNG .PNG Portable Network Graphic

BMP .BMP Microsoft Windows Bitmap

JPEG .JPG, .JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group

TIFF .TIF, .TIFF Tagged Image File Format

GeoSPOT .BIL Band Interleaved (GeoSPOT, others)

Description

Note that GeoSPOT files need their associated color index files, which have a .CLR file extension. The CLR file should be in the same directory as the BIL file.

Working with Raster Images | 97

Tiled TIFFs

Because raster images can be quite large, they can slow down performance. To improve performance significantly, use tiled TIFF files. A tiled TIFF file allows Autodesk MapGuide to access only specific portions of the image. This greatly improves access speed, because Autodesk MapGuide Server does not need to load the entire image every time—just the specific portion requested. The difference in performance between using standard TIFF files and tiled TIFF files is dramatic. You can use Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop to generate tiled TIFFs from other raster file formats.

Raster Image Catalog Files

In addition to individual raster image files, Autodesk MapGuide supports raster image catalog (RIC) files. A RIC is a list of raster image files and their lower-left and upper-right coordinates. When creating a raster map layer, you can reference an individual raster image, in any of the supported formats shown on page 97, or in a RIC file. Each raster image file (whether an individual image or a RIC) must be accompanied by a georeferencing file, which provides additional information about how to position the raster image on the map.

When you access a layer that references a RIC file, Autodesk MapGuide Server scans through the RIC file to determine the images or portions of images that correspond to the area being viewed, and then sends only the data for that area. This greatly increases performance, as only the necessary data is stored in memory instead of the entire image.

It is important to keep in mind that the RIC file only determines which images might be visible. Georeferencing information for each individual raster image must still be available, as this information (not the information in the RIC file) is used to place them in the correct position on the map. Note that the raster image must be based on the same coordinate system as the rest of the data on the map, and it cannot be converted automatically if you change the coordinate system for the map.

If Autodesk MapGuide Server is running under the System account, please note the following:



All of the image files in the RIC must be on the same server as the RIC.



The RIC must reference the raster image files using relative paths. If you use a computer name in the path, Windows NT/2000 will not be able to recognize it.

98 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

Raster Image Catalog File Format

Raster image catalog files are ASCII, comma-delimited (CSV) files with the following format:

"<Name of the raster image file1>",<xMin>,<yMin>,<xMax>,<yMax> "<Name of the raster image file2>",<xMin>,<yMin>,<xMax>,<yMax> "<Name of the raster image file3>",<xMin>,<yMin>,<xMax>,<yMax> ... "<Name of the raster image filen>",<xMin>,<yMin>,<xMax>,<yMax>

Note that the names of the raster image files may not contain commas (,), and the quotation marks (“) around the raster image file names are optional. The names of the individual raster image files entered in the RIC may be specified using the full absolute path name, the path relative to the RIC file location, or only the file name itself. If only the file name of the raster image is specified, the search will start in the directory where the RIC is located before using the Raster Image Search Path (specified in Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin) to locate the file.

All images in a RIC must be of the same color depth (1, 8, 24, or 32 bits); combinations of different color depths are not supported. However, images of different resolutions are supported. For example, you could mix 1- and 2meter resolution data. Also, images in a RIC can be in different formats, such as TIFF, TGA, PNG, and so on.

Online Help Index

raster layers

creating

Images are processed in the same order in which they are listed in the RIC. Therefore, if two images overlap each other, the image specified later in the list will cover the image specified earlier in the list. When you create a layer, you can specify a transparent background for bitonal images, so bottom images can show through the background area of the top image. For detailed information about creating a raster layer, choose Help  Contents, click the Index tab, and look up “raster layers, creating.”

The extents (outer boundary) of each raster image must be specified using the xMin, yMin, xMax, and yMax parameters. These parameters specify the center or middle position of the lower-left and upper-right pixels of the image (as opposed to the corners of the pixel), and they must be specified in the same coordinate system as that used by the map and any other images in the RIC. Autodesk MapGuide Server uses the extent parameters to quickly determine if an image is within the viewing area without having to open the georeference file associated with each raster image.

Working with Raster Images | 99

Generating Raster Image Catalog Files

The simplest way to generate raster image catalog (RIC) files is to use Autodesk MapGuide Raster Workshop, a utility available from the Autodesk MapGuide Author CD. You can use this utility to create a RIC, add raster image files to it, sub-sample and merge the files, and more.

You can also generate RICs manually by using an ASCII text editor or by exporting the data in CSV format from a database. However, in many cases the extents of the raster image file may not be readily available. For example, ESRI world files use the coordinates of one corner and the width of each pixel. You would have to open the image itself to determine how many pixels it contained, and then calculate the extents for each image.

Another way to generate a RIC manually is to use Autodesk MapGuide Author to obtain the coordinates of the image extents. First, display each image on a layer, and then zoom to opposite corners of the image (lower-left and upper-right), reading the coordinates from the status bar. These coordinates indicate the extents of the image. They do not have to be exact, only greater than the extents of the actual image. The extents in the RIC are used only to determine if an image might be visible. The georeferencing information from each image will be used to georeference the image within the tiled suite.

Georeference File Formats

A georeference file indicates how to place a raster image on a map. Autodesk MapGuide Author supports four georeference file formats: ESRI world files, MapInfo tab files, GeoTIFF files, and header files.

ESRI World File

An ESRI world file is an ASCII text file that uses the following format:

Format Example

<x dimension of a pixel> 2.0

<x rotation factor> 0.0

<y rotation factor> 0.0

100 | Chapter 5 Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide

Autodesk 15606-011408-9320 - MAPGUIDE R6.3 CPU MODEL-UPG 4/5 MIN 2 CPUS INITL, MAPGUIDE User Manual

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