Tonight I implemented KML overlay support in aprs.fi, which have been requested by some users. You can now place any KML file on top of the real-time map, which opens up a great number of possible applications and mash-ups. The feature is used by adding a 'kml' URL parameter to any real-time map view. Please note that the URL must be encoded properly (/ becomes %2F, : becomes %3A).
For example, here's a simple polygon example made by Google, the Pentagon with a Pentagon-shaped overlay: http://aprs.fi/?lat=38.8720&lng=-77.0570&z=15&kml=http%3A%2F%2Fhe.fi%2Fmisc%2Fpentagon.kml (see the KML file: pentagon.kml)
Here's a KMZ file generated by the Export tool of aprs.fi, stored on another server and overlaid back to aprs.fi: http://aprs.fi/?kml=http%3A%2F%2Fhe.fi%2Fmisc%2Ftest.kmz&lat=60.2326&lng=24.8364&z=12
An external KML file can be used to highlight areas of interest (such as SAR search areas), projecting high-altitude balloon track forecasts, and displaying live data generated by other web services with KML output features. The opportunities should generate lots of fun.
The news of https://aprs.fi/ - new features and interesting attractions found in the APRS and AIS worlds.
Showing posts with label api. Show all posts
Showing posts with label api. Show all posts
Monday, October 18, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
API URLs changed
The aprs.fi API URLs have been updated. They all now point to http://api.aprs.fi/api/get instead of aprs.fi.
If you have written an application using the API, you need to upgrade it to use the new links. The old URLs pointing to aprs.fi will stop working in December 2010. This change has been made to make it possible to move the API code to another server or web service process set, if necessary.
Thank you, and happy API hacking!
If you have written an application using the API, you need to upgrade it to use the new links. The old URLs pointing to aprs.fi will stop working in December 2010. This change has been made to make it possible to move the API code to another server or web service process set, if necessary.
Thank you, and happy API hacking!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Easy map links with labels, dynamic AIS site list, linking enhancements and API terms updated
You can now easily create a link to a position with a label. Right-click a spot on the map, select Add marker to create a temporary marker, drag the marker to the correct spot if it's not there yet, click the marker to open the info balloon, and click on Link to this position. At this point you can edit the label - the shown link will be updated to contain the label (with the correct URL encoding for special and international characters).
Multiple temporary markers are also supported, if you want to mark spots in the map. They only live in the memory of your browser, and are lost as soon as the map view is reloaded or the browser is closed.
The real-time map loading is now much faster by several seconds, or even tens of seconds in some cases. The speed-up was accomplished by not really initialising the date browsing menu before it's actually clicked and opened. The downside is that it now always shows the current and previous year, even if there is no data available for the previous year.
The AIS sites list is now generated automatically. There is a bug in there, causing some stations to not show up in the list. Still investigating that one.
When linking to a callsign, you can now add a parameter others=1 to show other stations, too.
When linking to coordinates, you can now specify a label, which will cause a marker to be shown at the coordinates, and a pop-up balloon showing the label to open.
The API terms have been updated, and a new FAQ item in the end describes the conditions for downloading data from aprs.fi.
Multiple temporary markers are also supported, if you want to mark spots in the map. They only live in the memory of your browser, and are lost as soon as the map view is reloaded or the browser is closed.
The real-time map loading is now much faster by several seconds, or even tens of seconds in some cases. The speed-up was accomplished by not really initialising the date browsing menu before it's actually clicked and opened. The downside is that it now always shows the current and previous year, even if there is no data available for the previous year.
The AIS sites list is now generated automatically. There is a bug in there, causing some stations to not show up in the list. Still investigating that one.
When linking to a callsign, you can now add a parameter others=1 to show other stations, too.
When linking to coordinates, you can now specify a label, which will cause a marker to be shown at the coordinates, and a pop-up balloon showing the label to open.
The API terms have been updated, and a new FAQ item in the end describes the conditions for downloading data from aprs.fi.
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