User:ShareMap/Principles and goals

Static schematic maps and interactive maps at once. I observed my behavior - when I see on wikipedia or travel blog schematic map and I am interested in it I try to recreate such route on Google Maps to get more details about surrounding areas etc. It takes time. For example look at Pony Express map - it took long time for me to recreate Pony Express trail based on this historical map. On commons page you can click ShareMap link to navigate and zoom same route on interactive map. This part of project is ready and can be used on wikipedia

Creation of map animations, there is no good tool to create educational map animations in simple manner. The problem with wikipedia is that there is no good animation standard that can be used. Flash is not allowed on wikipedia as closed standard, PNG animations are obsolete and HTML5 animation are still at early phase. Example of such animation - creation of roman roads netword, timeframe 1000 years. (not ready yet)

Overlaying topographic and allowing user to georeference interesting points and recreate map in vector format. For example if user want to create wikiarticle - Quseir narrow gauge mining railways this map will be very useful for him. (work in progress, will be completed soon)

ShareMap page is and will remain free for those who wants to publish on Creative Commons license
ShareMap page eventually may introduce paid service for people who wants to develop maps and embeed into their pages on proptriery license.
ShareMap page eventually may introduce ads on pages (but not on maps!) to handle server costs
ShareMap page will include donation option.
ShareMapLib which is core of ShareMap service can be licensed to be used in commercial projects (and now this is main source of revenue that finaces free section)

We are working on mechanism that will allow runtime importing tracks and shapes from OSM
ShareMap goal is not designed to be global mapping solution like OSM, however in the future it may be used to create complete OSM-like maps for historical data. At some point maybe Mapnik renderer will be used. Currently I am working on creation map of Warsaw street plan for year 1939, (basing on printed plan) (Warsaw was completly destroyed during WWII so street grid is totally different today) - overlaying street old grid on top of new grid (rendered by OSM) seeems to be interesting.
ShareMap can be used to things unsuitable for OSM - historical map, animated maps. For examaple we thing that if you are going to create now dismatled New York defunct tramway network map, ShareMap will be suitable tool.

Natural Earth is amazing data source of gis data on public domain license
SHP files it is rather difficault for begginers -
Some data from NE is already imported to ShareMap library (country borders in two scales)
In future more data will be imported - rivers, lakes

You are right that currently there are few graphical functions - the software is still in beta

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