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What Is Autodesk MapGuide?, How Autodesk MapGuide Works

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Page 30 highlights

What Is Autodesk MapGuide? Before you use Autodesk MapGuide, you need to understand some basic concepts, including how to use the Autodesk MapGuide product suite as a whole, and how to access your Autodesk MapGuide® Server and data resources. Autodesk MapGuide is a geographic information system (GIS). Unlike a typical map or drawing, which shows only spatial data such as roads, cities, and country borders, a GIS links attribute data, such as population statistics, to spatial data. This link between the map data and the attribute data makes a GIS very powerful, because it allows you to use data in a whole new way. For example, you could create a map of restaurants that allows users to zoom in to an area of interest, click a restaurant, and then view that restaurant's menu, pricing information, phone number, and address. Another example would be creating a map of all power transformers in an area, so that your technicians could quickly generate a report of all customers affected by a particular transformer when it goes out of service. You could also create a facilities map of your company, including information about personnel in each office, such as telephone extension, title, department, and so on. Keep in mind that when you use Autodesk MapGuide, you are not limited to using geographically projected maps-you can also use drawings, floor plans, schematics, or others kinds of spatial data. How Autodesk MapGuide Works To create an interactive map or drawing, you use Autodesk MapGuide® Author to combine resource data, such as spatial data (spatial data files and raster image files) and attribute data (from databases) in a Map Window File (MWF). The MWF contains the complete specifications of how the map will look and function. To publish the map, you copy the MWF file to a location where the Web server can access it. Web page authors can then embed the file in their Web pages or create links to it. To view the map, users can install Autodesk MapGuide Viewer free of charge. When the user opens a Web page that contains an MWF file or clicks a link to an MWF file, the Web browser automatically loads Autodesk MapGuide® Viewer to display the map. 30 | Chapter 2 Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

Section	Page
User’sGuide	1
Contents	3
Introduction	9
Overview	10
Key Features of Autodesk MapGuide	10
Autodesk MapGuide Author Key Features	10
Autodesk MapGuide Server Key Features	11
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Key Features	11
What’s New in Release 6?	12
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit	12
Symbol Manager	13
Support for Autodesk DWG	13
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Author?	14
XML Support	14
Enhanced Symbol and Symbol Library Support	14
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Server?	14
Improved Load Balancing	14
Improved MapAgent Error Messaging	14
Support for ECW and MrSID Raster File Formats	15
What’s New in Autodesk MapGuide Viewer 6?	15
Support for Map Redraw Operations	15
System Requirements	15
Autodesk MapGuide Author Requirements	15
Autodesk MapGuide Server Requirements	16
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Requirements	17
Autodesk MapGuide ActiveX Control Viewer Requirements	17
Autodesk MapGuide Plug-In Viewer Requirements	17
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer, Java Edition Requirements	17
What’s the Fastest Way Through This Book?	18
I’m just getting started with Autodesk MapGuide.	18
I already have Autodesk MapGuide up and running.	18
I just want to know what tasks to do for my job.	18
Conventions Used in This Manual	21
Where to Get More Information	22
Viewing PDFs	22
Reusing PDF Text	22
Autodesk MapGuide User Documentation	22
Autodesk MapGuide Help	22
Autodesk MapGuide User’s Guide	23
Symbol Manager Help	23
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Help	23
SDF Loader Help	23
Raster Workshop Help	23
LiteView Servlet Administrator’s Guide	24
Provider for SHP Guide	24
Provider for Oracle Spatial	24
Autodesk MapGuide ReadMe File	24
Autodesk MapGuide Developer Documentation	25
Autodesk MapGuide Developer’s Guide	25
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API Help	25
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Developer’s Guide	25
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Help	25
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit Sample Application Help	26
SDF Component Toolkit Help	26
LiteView Developer’s Guide	26
LiteView Sample Application Help	26
Third-Party Documentation	26
Autodesk MapGuide Web Site	27
Online Discussion Groups	27
Autodesk Developer Network	28
Understanding Autodesk MapGuide	29
What Is Autodesk MapGuide?	30
How Autodesk MapGuide Works	30
How Autodesk MapGuide Products Work Together	31
Map Authoring Products	32
Autodesk MapGuide Author	32
Dynamic Authoring Toolkit	33
Symbol Manager	33
SDF Loader	33
SDF Component Toolkit	34
Raster Workshop	34
Map Viewing Products	35
Web Browser	35
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer	35
LiteView	36
Map Serving Products	36
Web Server	36
Autodesk MapGuide Server	36
MapAgent	37
Server Service	37
Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin	37
Autodesk MapGuide Data Providers	37
Developing Applications with Autodesk MapGuide	38
Client-Side Application Components	39
HTML Pages	39
Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API	40
Web Browser APIs	40
Stand-Alone Applications	40
Server-Side Applications	41
Reports	41
User-Updatable Map Resources	42
What Is Autodesk MapGuide Application Development?	42
Overall Strategy	43
Phase One: Installation and Testing	43
Phase Two: Planning and Design	45
Phase Three: Implementation	46
Designing Your System	47
Planning Your Directory Structure	48
Directory Structure Guidelines	48
Group files into projects with project directories	49
Place files under a virtual directory	49
Place files in directories that have Execute permission	49
Strategically locate MapAgent files	50
Security	50
Using Windows NT or Windows 2000 Security	51
Using Web Server Security	51
Using Autodesk MapGuide Security	51
Controlling Access to Maps	52
Controlling Map Layer Access to Data Sources	52
Controlling User Access to Resources	53
Accessing Data from the Autodesk MapGuide Viewer API	53
Architecture and Performance	54
Which MapAgent to Install	54
Using a Remote MapAgent	55
Standardizing on UDP or TCP	55
Using Multiple Servers	56
Understanding Multiple Simultaneous Server Requests	56
MapAgents and Server Ranking	57
Distributed Data vs. Mirrored Systems	58
Setting Up Multiple Servers	60
Data File Placement	61
Additional Performance Considerations	61
Site Configuration	61
Map Authoring	62
Data Preparation	62
Choosing a Viewer/Browser Environment	63
Assembling and Administering Your Server	67
Setting Up Your Servers	68
Before You Install Autodesk MapGuide Server	68
Log On with Administrative Rights	68
Verify Your System Requirements	68
Remove Autodesk MapGuide Server 4.1 for VISION*	69
Install Your Web Server Software	69
Installing Microsoft Internet Information Server	70
Installing Netscape Web Server	70
Testing Your Web Server	71
Setting Up the MapAgent	71
Setting Up a Remote MapAgent	71
Configuring for Load Balancing	72
Firewalls	73
Installing a Report Engine	75
Configuring Autodesk MapGuide Server under a Different Account	75
Autodesk MapGuide Server Admin Overview	75
Starting and Stopping the Server	76
Setting General Server Properties	77
Setting Up Your Data Sources	78
Data Providers	79
Managing Your Data Sources	79
Managing Server Security	80
Access Keys Versus User IDs and Passwords	81
Choosing the Best Security Method	82
Creating and Modifying Users and Groups	83
Assigning Users to the Authors Group	83
Creating and Modifying Access Keys	84
Restricting Access to Resources	85
Taking Data Sources Offline	87
Tracking Server Requests	88
Access Log File	88
Error Log File	88
Trace Log File	88
Map Layer Access Log File	89
Usage Reports	89
Renaming Log Files	89
Rotating Log Files	90
Customizing the Access Log	90
Customizing the Map Layer Access Log	91
Adding Geocoding Data	91
Working with Data in Autodesk MapGuide	93
Basic Steps for Working with Data	94
Working with Spatial Data	94
Map Features	95
Points	95
Lines/Polylines/Polypolylines	95
Polygons/Polypolygons	96
Text	96
Creating a Spatial Data File	96
SDF Loader	97
SDF Component Toolkit	97
Working with Attribute Data	97
Linking Attribute Data to Spatial Data Files	98
Linking Attribute Data to Another Database	98
Preparing Attribute Data for Themes	99
Setting Up Your Attribute Database	99
Setting Zoom Goto Data	100
Zoom Goto Location Categories	100
Zoom Goto Address (Geocoding) Data	101
Working with Raster Images	101
Raster Image File Formats	101
Efficient Raster Formats	102
Tiled TIFFs	102
ECW Files	102
MrSID Files	102
Raster Image Catalog Files	103
Raster Image Catalog File Format	103
Generating Raster Image Catalog Files	104
Georeference File Formats	105
ESRI World File	105
MapInfo Tab File	106
Example	106
GeoTIFF	107
Header File	107
Example	107
Exporting from ER Mapper	108
Adding Raster Images to Your Map	108
Working with Symbols	109
Symbol Manager	110
Point Layers and the Point Layer Symbol Manager	111
Redline Layers and the API Symbol Manager	112
Working with Other Types of Spatial Data	112
Autodesk GIS Design Server Theme Data	112
Using URL Links	113
Parsing Map Feature Keys	113
Planning and Designing Maps	115
Planning the Data	116
Planning Layers	116
Designing the Map	118
About Coordinate Systems	118
About Coordinate Precision	119
Choosing a Coordinate System	119
Creating a Design Spreadsheet	120
General Guidelines	121
Information You Need from Your Server Administrator	122
Getting Familiar with Autodesk MapGuide Author	123
Installing Autodesk MapGuide Author	124
Starting Autodesk MapGuide Author	125
About Map Window Files and Map Window XML Files	126
Introduction to the Program Window Layout	127
Using the Map Window Popup Menu	127
Using the Toolbar	130
Setting Preferences	132
Opening a Map	132
Moving Around on a Map	133
Zooming to a Location	134
Zooming to a U.S. Street Address or ZIP Code	134
Using Bookmarks to Save the Current Map View	135
Using the Map Explorer	135
Using the Design Tab	136
Using the View Tab	137
Changing the Width of the Map Explorer	138
Viewing Map Information	138
Measuring Distances	139
Selecting Map Features	140
Creating Buffers Around Map Features	141
Printing a Map	142
Creating and Publishing aMap	143
Creating a New Map	144
Changing the File to Use for New Maps	144
Specifying a Coordinate System	144
Specifying a Password to Protect a Map	145
Creating and Modifying Zoom Goto Location Categories	146
Data Source Formats for Zoom Goto Location Categories	147
The US Street Address Location Category	148
Customizing the Popup Menu	148
Working with Reports	149
Viewing a Report	150
Tracking User Access to a Map	150
Saving a Map	150
Publishing a Map	151
Working with Map Layers	153
About Map Layers	154
Working with Map Layers in the Map Explorer	155
Creating a Vector Layer	156
Creating a Raster Layer	157
Creating an Autodesk GIS Design Server Theme Layer	158
Creating an Autodesk DWG Layer	158
Creating a Layer Group	159
Specifying General Properties for Layers	159
Specifying Data Source Properties for Layers	160
Setting Style Properties for Layers	162
Setting Style Properties for Raster Layers	163
Specifying Display Ranges for Layer Styles	164
Specifying Map Layer Styles	165
Specifying Size Units for Text and Point Layers	166
Setting Display Styles for Point Layers	167
Setting Display Styles for Text Layers	168
Setting Display Styles for Polyline Layers	169
Setting Display Styles for Polygon Layers	170
Setting Display Styles for DWG Layers	171
Creating Themes	172
Specifying Layer Feature Labeling and Overposting	172
Specifying Security for Layers	173
Modifying Multiple Layers Simultaneously	174
Saving a Layer	174
Adding a Saved Layer to the Current Map	175
Rebuilding a Layer or Layer Group	175
Deleting a Layer or Layer Group	176
Glossary	177
Index	189
Symbols	189
A	189
B	191
C	191
D	192
E	193
F	193
G	193
H	194
I	194
J	194
K	194
L	194
M	195
N	197
O	198
P	198
Q	199
R	199
S	200
T	202
U	202
V	202
W	202
X	203

Match case Limit results 1 per page

Chapter 2

Understanding Autodesk MapGuide

What Is Autodesk MapGuide?

Before you use Autodesk MapGuide, you need to understand some basic

concepts, including how to use the Autodesk MapGuide product suite as a

whole, and how to access your Autodesk MapGuide

Server and data

resources.

Autodesk MapGuide is a geographic information system (GIS). Unlike a

typical map or drawing, which shows only spatial data such as roads, cities,

and country borders, a GIS links attribute data, such as population statistics,

to spatial data. This link between the map data and the attribute data makes

a GIS very powerful, because it allows you to use data in a whole new way.

For example, you could create a map of restaurants that allows users to zoom

in to an area of interest, click a restaurant, and then view that restaurant

’

menu, pricing information, phone number, and address. Another example

would be creating a map of all power transformers in an area, so that your

technicians could quickly generate a report of all customers affected by a

particular transformer when it goes out of service. You could also create a

facilities map of your company, including information about personnel in

each office, such as telephone extension, title, department, and so on.

Keep in mind that when you use Autodesk MapGuide, you are not limited to

using geographically projected maps

—

you can also use drawings, floor plans,

schematics, or others kinds of spatial data.

How Autodesk MapGuide Works

To create an interactive map or drawing, you use Autodesk MapGuide

Author to combine resource data, such as spatial data (spatial data files and

raster image files) and attribute data (from databases) in a Map Window File

(MWF). The MWF contains the complete specifications of how the map will

look and function.

To publish the map, you copy the MWF file to a location where the Web

server can access it. Web page authors can then embed the file in their Web

pages or create links to it. To view the map, users can install Autodesk

MapGuide Viewer free of charge. When the user opens a Web page that

contains an MWF file or clicks a link to an MWF file, the Web browser auto-

matically loads Autodesk MapGuide

Viewer to display the map.