[OSM-dev] openstreet map and wms

[Artem Pavlenko]

On 18 Jun 2007, at 21:17, Frederik Ramm wrote:

> Hi,
>
>> Mapnik has got WMS 1.1.1/1.3.0 implemented in Python since 0.3.  
>> You can project vector data on fly, specify layers etc.
>
> Does that mean we could offer full WMS capabilites and are not  
> doing it only because we don't have a suitable machine to host it?

Yes, you're right. We could try, but I don't think current OSM setup  
would be sufficient. It is not a coincidence GYM are using tiles and  
not WMS.
>
>> Anyone can setup basic WMS using planet.osm/osm2pgsql/postgis/ 
>> mapnik in no time. But why? Using 'tiles' is by far better (more  
>> scalable) way to deliver base maps on the web.
>
> If you're happy with the one projection that we offer, and if you  
> want base maps for the web, then yes. But if you're a GIS guy  
> creating maps somewhere, you will want to import your base map in  
> the projection you need, maybe even with some layers selected and  
> some deselected. That's obviously far superior to having just one  
> base map, in a limited number of zoom levels, with layers and  
> projection selected by the renderer (and not you).

Don't forget that WMS is a pretty 'dumb' protocol. If you're GIS kind  
of guy you're after vectors, surely.
I think (smart?) GIS guy more likely to do something like this:

1. curl http://www.openstreetmap.org/api/.../map?bbox=...,..,.., |  
osm2pgsql - | pgsql gis
2. connect your favorite GIS to postgreql
Or even download whole planet.

>
> As faw as I am aware, you can have this flexibility currently only  
> if you install Mapnik yourself and tune the styles to your needs.  
> This is, again obviously, something that 95% of people who might  
> want to access a WMS service cannot do.
>

No sure, I understand you here. You can write some 'glue' code in  
Python to allow users to use their own personal styles/maps.
Also, I'd say 95% of people might never heard about WMS :)

> It would be very cool and a giant step ahead of our "competitors"  
> if we could offer a full WMS base map.
>
> Of course tiles are easier to do but they offer only a fraction of  
> what a proper WMS service would.
>

Hmm... I don't think WMS offers enough to even bother, to be honest.  
On the other hand WMS-T( or WMS-C) is a new proposed standard and  
it's exactly what we're doing right now - serving tiles.

Cheers,
Artem

> Bye
> Frederik
>
> -- 
> Frederik Ramm  ##  eMail frederik at remote.org  ##  N49°00.09' E008° 
> 23.33'
>

Artem Pavlenko
http://mapnik.org



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