automatically placing dots on a map

[AndyTilia]

Hi,

I have received helpful tips from people at this site, so: Thank you!

What I'm working on now is this: Each record has a map (as bound object image) and coordinates describing its location on the map. I'd like to be able to -- in a form -- place a dot on the image according to the coordinates. I figure that the dot is an image of its own and if I could only control its location on the map image???

Does it sound like it would work? Any suggestions?? Thanks in advance--

Andy

 

[JoeMiller]

Microsoft MapPoint 2002 does exactly that and a whole lot more and it can connect to just about any data source. It's the replacement for Streets&Trips, and an all around amazing program.

Joe Miller
joe.miller@flotech.net

 

[MichaelRed]

Joe,

Is Map POint 2002 a part of VB? Is it an add in? I do not find it in the help system for Ms. Access (or VB)?

MichaelRed
mred@att.net

There is never time to do it right but there is always time to do it over

 

[JoeMiller]

It's a brand new product from MS that I got for free when I went to a seminar, so I'm not really sure how much it costs. There is an evaluation version if you want to check it out.

Here's the web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/mappoint/default.htm

Joe Miller
joe.miller@flotech.net

 

[MichaelRed]

Just 'wondering' how to integrate this with Ms. Access. would AndyTili be able to use it in his db app to mark the maps? Would they need to be linked to Map Point and some info sent to Map Point to mark the location and then have Ms. Access retrieve the marked map for display?

MichaelRed
mred@att.net

There is never time to do it right but there is always time to do it over

 

[JoeMiller]

Two ways..

The program supplies the map and the dots, all you have to do is feed it data in some format that it can graph, zip codes, town names, states, regions, etc.. accompanied by quantities, sales dollars, counts, whatever he's mapping.

Method 1: In Access - There's an ActiveX control that ships with it that you can place in Access on reports, forms, etc... The ActiveX control can be fed data for inclusion on displays to the user.

Method 2: In MapPoint - The program allows you to link to a db source and set a whole bunch of options to produce the spot map. The specification can then be saved to a file and opened up in MapPoint when needed. The data link is maintained and data is refreshed (and the dots redrawn) by pressing F9 (a la Excel).

Joe Miller
joe.miller@flotech.net

 

[MichaelRed]

Sounds pretty good. I'll look for an opportunity to apply it.

MichaelRed
mred@att.net

There is never time to do it right but there is always time to do it over

 

[AndyTilia]

Thanks for the suggestion--I just checked out MapPoint at microsoft's website and it looks pretty neat. The problem with applying it to my mapping task is that I need to work with my own maps. I'm cataloguing shipwreck data so I have some images of coastal areas that I want to stick "pins" into according to the record's location.

Any other ideas?

Andy

 

[MichaelRed]

Check for the capability to import various file types into MapPoint. If it supports your file type, just import them them into MapPoint If there are additioal concerns, you may also be able to then re-export them to your prefered type.

For most of the world, you can get charts with known shipwrecks marked. They are not really expensive. If you live in a costal area, check with your local SCUBA shop, if they don't actually carry them, thet should at least know where to purchase them I'm pretty sure I have (long away and far ago) obtained some from the Coast Guard, but there were others which were cheaper.

MichaelRed
mred@att.net

There is never time to do it right but there is always time to do it over

 

[JoeMiller]

Another rudimentary idea that you would have to develop, take the map, section it off into a grid and give it coordinates that somehow match with your shipwreck coordinates. Lay textboxes in the same grid over the map and use code to place an X in the textbox in the general area of the shipwreck. I don't know if this is possible for ya, it wouldn't be EXTREMELY accurate but it's something. Joe Miller
joe.miller@flotech.net