New at MP2K Magazine - 8/22/2003
We are
now less than a month away from the official release of MapPoint 2004.
For many of us who originally anticipated a late summer or mid-August release
(see last issue) it seemed like this day would never arrive. There's been
some posts in the forums outlining the new features, presumably in violation
of the non-disclosure agreement. Be assured, as soon as we're allowed to
share details we will. Expect a special issue in conjunction with Directions
Magazine on September 16th.
|
|
|
This month we are featuring an article from Nico Bontenbal who shares a technique
for obtaining the starting point of a route by examining the pixels of the
map image using Windows API calls. The technique is not perfect and Nico
is hoping for some feedback and collaboration with other programmers to refine
the technique. The approach, using Windows API calls to iteratively analyze
the map image, is novel and should have many other applications besides determining
the starting point of a route. Serious GIS/MapPoint developers would do well
to add the technique to their arsenal of programming tricks. A second article
this month shows how to automate MapPoint from a Perl script using the Win32::OLE
module.
Finally, take a look at the editorial calendar at the end of this
newsletter. If you've been wanting to submit an article but waiting for the
right time or looking for a topic, use the calendar to gel some ideas.
Contents
- articles
- news
- extras
advertisement
|
Working with pushpins in MapPoint?
Get the MapPoint 2002 Pushpin Tool for just $75. The latest features include
the ability to export lat/lon coordinates of pushpins to Excel and advanced
find Pushpin functionality. Read more and purchase the tool here or go directly
to paypal.
|
|
Articles
Finding the Starting Point of a Route
Nico Bontenbal shares
a method for determining the starting point of a route by examining the
pixels in the map image using Window API calls.
"For some time I have tried to find
a way to determine the coordinates of the starting point of route segments.
I want to be able to send these coordinates to my basic Garmin GPS. I've
written code that sends the points of a polyline to my GPS, but I always
have to trace a route by hand because MapPoint only returns the middle of
a route segment and not the start."
Read the full article, only on MP2K Magazine.
|
|
|
Automating MapPoint with Perl
This article shows
how to access the MapPoint API from Perl using the Win32::OLE module. Topics
include basic Perl syntax, how to call MapPoint methods, and how to set
MapPoint API properties.
"One of the Perl modules is a library
for calling programs via Windows OLE. Windows applications including Microsoft
Office and MapPoint can be accessed programmatically and controlled from
Perl."
|
|
|
Target: Microsoft
From the Economist. It's been a nasty
couple of weeks for corporate network managers and home users alike as a
slew of viruses and worms have made rounds attacking vulnerabilities in Windows
computers.
Protect your computer by regularly updating your system via Microsoft's Windows
Update accessible by going to Tools | Windows Update from within Microsoft's
Internet Explorer.
|
|
|
News
Wireless carriers currently offer services that
allow information to be "pushed" to your phone or accessed from your phone
such as weather, stock quotes, news, traffic, and sports updates. With web
services, phones now have the potential to actually consume useful services.
Locarta 2020i® Vehicle Tracking System
Locarta Technologies, Inc. introduces
the Locarta 2020i® vehicle tracking system. Using the latest in vehicle
location technology, Locarta's solution for the emerging field of Automated
Vehicle Location utilizes the Global Positioning System, Geographic Information
Systems, and Nextel's wireless iDEN network.
Web Services Enter the Mainstream
Because Web services allow
different systems to talk to each other, making decisions and transactions
based solely on machine communication, humans must be smarter than the
machines. In short, we must know when to interfere.
MarketPoint Rolls Out Yamaha Geomarketing Solution
After a thorough pilot study
in France, MarketPoint and Yamaha Motor Europe are
implementing a pan-European Geomarketing solution based on Microsoft MapPoint
European edition. In effect, this is the first roll-out of its kind to use
all-standard tools (such as Microsoft Excel, Access) to facilitate a spatial
analysis of the market.
MP 2004 Release Schedule
More discussion on the upcoming
release of MapPoint 2004. The release is scheduled to be available on September
16th.
Extras
Write
for us! A description of a recent solution or project you've worked on, an
innovative code sample, a tutorial, all submissions are welcome and will
be reviewed and edited for publication. Become an MP2Kmag Author.
|