Google-maps like site, can it be done with flash?

[AlonPerel]

Hi,

I have something I want to do, but I have no idea how to do it - I asked around and was told it's flash action script stuff, so here I am.

Here's what I want to do:

1)take a map of the streets of a certian place.
2)go there, take pictures of restaurants in the area, etc etc...
3)on the map, put "markers" of the restaurants and what not
4)make said markers from step 3 "clickable" which links to a page of pictures and information about the specific thing.

More or less like that.

With what would I be doing it? What would I be needing to learn? I have basic HTML knowledge, and some programming knowledge.

Thanks.

Edit:

If possible, make it so that a user can move a red "dot" across the street on the map, and as the dot progresses the street, pictures are shown in another window(same page) of the street.

[ASWC]

All that is possible but with just html knowledge it's gonna be difficult probably even impossible.

[AlonPerel]

All that is possible but with just html knowledge it's gonna be difficult probably even impossible.

Oh, but I am willing to spend the time learning new things - the thing is(the reason of my post) - I just don't know WHAT to learn! I'm inexperienced in everything to do with web-development - as such, I don't quite know where to start.

Basically, what would be the shortest path to the things I want to do? I was told Flash, but is that so?

[ASWC]

There are a lot of ressources available concerning AJAX and google maps. So you might want to go ahead and start learning AJAX which BTW will be very usefull in web developement. AJAX is just javascript with the ability to connect to server side and retreive data on the fly. Now if you are more interested in Flash technology then Flex might be the best for google map style application but of course Flash can do it too.

[evride]

check out UMAP and find a webservice that gives you the coordinates of a street address. with you map you can use zoom and go to a location and put markers on the map and whole lot of other stuff. the picture stuff you have to figure out yourself.

[asf8]

check out UMAP and find a webservice that gives you the coordinates of a street address. with you map you can use zoom and go to a location and put markers on the map and whole lot of other stuff. the picture stuff you have to figure out yourself.

[Q] Can Umap etc... using google, yahoo, microsoft, maps be used for commercial purposes? I alsways get so confused with all their terms/usage :p

[evride]

well, taking a look at the EULA, there was no mention of commercial use so i assume its ok. its most likely free because they use content from another company. they do sell other components too and use the same EULA and they wouldnt restrict commercial use on a paid component.

see for yourself
http://www.afcomponents.com/EULA/

[asf8]

well, taking a look at the EULA, there was no mention of commercial use so i assume its ok. its most likely free because they use content from another company. they do sell other components too and use the same EULA and they wouldnt restrict commercial use on a paid component.

see for yourself
http://www.afcomponents.com/EULA/

Sure but then read the google maps, yahoo maps, microsoft maps, etc.. EULA's Without their services the compnent is null.

Anyway, I remember some time ago looking into it and to me it was quite confusing (but most legal is right).

[ASWC]

Let's face it, somebody has to make money out of it! it takes so much ressources and money to put these maps together, I would surprise me if you don't have something to pay on a commercial use...

[evride]

dude, yahoo has its own yahoo maps api that they allow you to use Yahoo maps in your flash project with. google and microsoft offer map apis for AJAX pages. are they making money off of it? no. maybe indirect tho. idk. like i said earlier, my guess is that afcomponents made the component and then microsoft or google told them, "yo, you cant make money off of our service" and so now its free.

there are free custom classes out there. why are they free? because they believe in sharing.


and ASWC:
Let's face it, somebody has to make money out of it! it takes so much ressources and money to put these maps together, I would surprise me if you don't have something to pay on a commercial use...

they are using microsoft maps. they didnt pay for satellite companies to take pictures. its just a simple component using other people's content.

[asf8]

Yeah who knows, seems like a layered legal mess to me. I know when I looked into it it seemed really confusing. But yeah when you start thinking of the legal pyramid - NASA/Satellite Companies/API Companies/Blah/Blah/Blah.... it gets confusing.

Maybe its not that confusing I dont know? What would really suck however is to use Flash and one of these API's make a sweet app, then have someone knock on your door, drain your bank account and close your doors ;-)

This is what the creator of FlashEarth says about it all...
http://www.flashearth.com/

Flash Earth

Can I license/use Flash Earth on my website?
Flash Earth is not available for commercial or private use other than via the website at www.flashearth.com. Flash Earth started as a project to see if Google Maps could be made better using Flash, and it ended up exceeding my own expectations, but it is still only designed as an experiment and not as a fully-fledged mapping application.

Although it is capable of accessing imagery from various mapping websites, that's as far as the implementation goes. Currently there's no way to extend or adapt or add any useful data or marker points to the Flash Earth map — it's really more of a proof of concept than anything else.

Also, Flash Earth has not been formally endorsed by any of the imagery providers (Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! etc.) as it conflicts with their Terms of Use which states that the imagery should only by accessed via their official API, and not by any other means (which Flash Earth has done).

If you want to use a Flash-based map on your website then I'd recommend using Yahoo! Maps API or Google Maps API if you're happy to go with a JavaScript map instead. Both APIs are much more exhaustive, extensible and adaptable for your needs than Flash Earth is. Other open source options include worldKit, OpenStreetMap, OpenLayers or the experimental (but not Google-endorsed) Google Maps Flash component.

But he does mention some OpenSource API's ;-)

Anyway was just curious...

[flashfireworkz]

hehe well a looooot of stuff u have to learn before u can get anywhere near what u want to do, the shortest path to getting it done? hire someone who is already proficient in flash.wanna do it yourself? go the rough road