OpenMap - Open Systems Mapping Technology

OpenMap is an open source toolkit for handling spatial information in Java applications. If you need to display data on geographical maps and want flexibility to deal with different coordinate systems and map projections, then OpenMap is well worth exploring.

Before you launch into working with OpenMap, you'll no doubt want to explore the OpenMap API documentation. I also highly recommend reading through the Developer Hints prior to writing any OpenMap code.

OpenMap Resources

OpenMap is still actively developed by people at BBN. Don Dietrick is the public face of OpenMap, and maintains responsibility for bug fixes, new feature development and OpenMap releases. Don also does a fantastic job of answering queries posted on the OpenMap mailing list. The mailing list is the gathering place for the OpenMap community, and the archives contain a wealth of OpenMap knowledge. If you've got any questions, have a search through the archive first; it's highly likely that someone else has come against a similar problem in the past.

GIS Data

OpenMap has native support for ESRI Shapefiles. Within OpenMap, shapefiles are commonly used to display maps and other geographical data.

The shapefile (.shp) format is a spatial data format, developed by the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). A shapefile stores nontopological geometry and attribute information for the spatial features in a data set. The geometry for a feature is stored as a shape comprising a set of vector coordinates.

Shapefiles support point, line and area features, with attributes held in a dBASE format file.

The ESRI Shapefile Technical Description is the definitive reference for understanding and working with Shapefiles.

On the OpenMap site, there is a small collection of public domain GIS data, including some shapefiles, that can be used with OpenMap.

In Australia, Geoscience Australia offers a wide selection of GIS Data (much of it available in the shapefile format) which can be used with OpenMap.

Andrew Lampert's experience with OpenMap

As part of the CSIRO Wedgetail Project (DFDMSA) funded by Boeing, I have worked as the lead developer for designing and implementing a task-sensitive Graphical User Interface for Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) air combat operators. This has involved extensive use of the OpenMap toolkit for displaying, analysing and manipulating geographical information, especially track feeds from a simulated tracker, also developed as part of the project.

Related Links

• OpenMap grew out of the MATT Project (Mapping Analysis Tool for Transportation), originally developed for the US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM).
• Open GIS Consortium