How does mapping work in Yellowfin?
11 November, 2013
*This is what is currently supported in Yellowfin 6.3
We can't all be map geeks like Russell Crowe, so hopefully the following post helps explain how geo data can be used to draw maps in Yellowfin.
There are a few different maps that are supported, and different maps require different data, so it's important to match up the correct map with the data you currently have.
For a link of all map types and tutorials please see the following wiki:Maps
There are effectively 4 types of data which can be used create maps:
Latitude / Longitude points
This type of data is used with Google Maps, as is used to draw 'points' against matching result sets.
Exaple of lat/long :[code]
45.500000 -73.580000
[/code]
Geopoint data
This type can be used with GIS Google Maps, GIS maps, GIS heat maps & GIS bubble maps
What is a GeoPoint?
A GeoPoint is really just a just the point where the lat/long points meet. So this can be stored in a single DB column.
If you would like to use this type of data, though do not currently have this stored in your DB, you can easily use a calculated field to create a GeoPoint within YF. Once you have a GeoPoint, you need to make sure that the YF view knows it's a Geopoint, if YF does not recognize the data type as being geo data you will need to apply the WKT converter.
Example of a GeoPoint : [code]
POINT(47.480000 15.720000) [/code]
Geopolygon data
This type can be used with GIS Google Maps, GIS maps, GIS heat maps & GIS bubble maps
What is a Geopolygon?
A Geopolygon is actually a shape drawn by the Geopoints, so it could outline an entire area, rather than a single point.
If you would like to use this data, you will need to have the points stored in your database. As with a Geopoint, if YF does not recognize the data type as being geo data you will need to apply the WKT converter.
Example of a GeoPolygon:
[code]MULTIPOLYGON(((113.20549774169922 -26.144729614257812, 113.14910125732422 -26.098899841308594, 113.12249755859375 -26.018890380859375, 112.95580291748047 -25.79138946533203, 112.9083023071289 -25.564...[/code]
Post codes/Area codes
If you only have post codes or some form of area code, you will need to use a Raster Map . This type of map allows you to match values with certain parts of an image.
A very good example of this can be in the wiki link above.
Now that you know what map you can create with your data, it's time to talk about WMS layers......
What are WMS layers?
These are layers/images of information you can put over your geo data (These are not supported with Google Maps or Raster Maps). An example could be adding a city names & mountain topography layers.
Web Mapping Services connections are not hosted by YF, you will need to find your own server and connect to it, as there are many different ones online, free & paid. It may take some trial and error to find one that matches what you're trying to achieve.
This should cover the basics of mapping in Yellowfin. The links below may also provide some useful information:
-How to drill-down & drill-through on maps
-What WMS Version & SRS do I choose?
-If I don't have a layer, can I still create a GIS map?
We can't all be map geeks like Russell Crowe, so hopefully the following post helps explain how geo data can be used to draw maps in Yellowfin.
There are a few different maps that are supported, and different maps require different data, so it's important to match up the correct map with the data you currently have.
For a link of all map types and tutorials please see the following wiki:Maps
There are effectively 4 types of data which can be used create maps:
Latitude / Longitude points
This type of data is used with Google Maps, as is used to draw 'points' against matching result sets.
Exaple of lat/long :[code]
45.500000 -73.580000
[/code]
Geopoint data
This type can be used with GIS Google Maps, GIS maps, GIS heat maps & GIS bubble maps
What is a GeoPoint?
A GeoPoint is really just a just the point where the lat/long points meet. So this can be stored in a single DB column.
If you would like to use this type of data, though do not currently have this stored in your DB, you can easily use a calculated field to create a GeoPoint within YF. Once you have a GeoPoint, you need to make sure that the YF view knows it's a Geopoint, if YF does not recognize the data type as being geo data you will need to apply the WKT converter.
Example of a GeoPoint : [code]
POINT(47.480000 15.720000) [/code]
Geopolygon data
This type can be used with GIS Google Maps, GIS maps, GIS heat maps & GIS bubble maps
What is a Geopolygon?
A Geopolygon is actually a shape drawn by the Geopoints, so it could outline an entire area, rather than a single point.
If you would like to use this data, you will need to have the points stored in your database. As with a Geopoint, if YF does not recognize the data type as being geo data you will need to apply the WKT converter.
Example of a GeoPolygon:
[code]MULTIPOLYGON(((113.20549774169922 -26.144729614257812, 113.14910125732422 -26.098899841308594, 113.12249755859375 -26.018890380859375, 112.95580291748047 -25.79138946533203, 112.9083023071289 -25.564...[/code]
Post codes/Area codes
If you only have post codes or some form of area code, you will need to use a Raster Map . This type of map allows you to match values with certain parts of an image.
A very good example of this can be in the wiki link above.
Now that you know what map you can create with your data, it's time to talk about WMS layers......
What are WMS layers?
These are layers/images of information you can put over your geo data (These are not supported with Google Maps or Raster Maps). An example could be adding a city names & mountain topography layers.
Web Mapping Services connections are not hosted by YF, you will need to find your own server and connect to it, as there are many different ones online, free & paid. It may take some trial and error to find one that matches what you're trying to achieve.
This should cover the basics of mapping in Yellowfin. The links below may also provide some useful information:
-How to drill-down & drill-through on maps
-What WMS Version & SRS do I choose?
-If I don't have a layer, can I still create a GIS map?