plot ns1 to Google maps

dwakeman · 05-11-2005

For those that don't have Microsoft MapPoint or something similar, I'm going to create a new map plotting Perl app that would allow you to create a map from your ns1 file(s) and create maps based on Google Maps.

For now I'm thinking about a web interface where you would select the ns1 file from your local computer, choose a few options (like SSID's on/off, point options etc), then submit.

It would return with a png file with your points on a Google map.

Right now I have this working in a script. Here is a small sample created using 20 random access points. The script connects to my database, grabs the AP data, then goes to Google maps to create the map:

http://www.perldev.org/wireless/wpg-wifi2.png

That has the SSID option on, red (stop)/green (go) for WEP On/Off. Another version that was created with all the AP's I have (~3700) is here (Warning: 900KB):

http://www.perldev.org/wireless/wpg-wifi.png

To connect to my db, grab all points and draw the map through google, it takes about 3 seconds to create the png (p2 266, 192mb ram linux box). I don't think that would be too bad if I automated that for the web. But for some people with many more AP's, it might be better to simply create a static png file (or have a faster webserver

).

Some of the things I would like to be able to do is:
* Create an interactive map ala Google with pushpin data you could turn/on off, and map scrolling
* Satellite maps!

Any thoughts?

streaker69 · 05-11-2005

Something similar to this?

http://www.hcs-pa.com/wardrive/USGS....06:25:a2:87:60

dwakeman · 05-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by streaker69

Something similar to this?

http://www.hcs-pa.com/wardrive/USGS....06:25:a2:87:60

Yeah! That's awesome!

I see that you are using the terraserver maps, and I really like that hover feature for the full AP info. Wicked feature.

I had to use Google since it supports Canadia.

Does it have the ability to plot more than one point per image? Or do you use a different method for that?

streaker69 · 05-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwakeman

Yeah! That's awesome!

I see that you are using the terraserver maps, and I really like that hover feature for the full AP info. Wicked feature.

I had to use Google since it supports Canadia.

Does it have the ability to plot more than one point per image? Or do you use a different method for that?

I've never figured out how to plot more than one point per map. So in my own Warddrive website that I keep all my stuff in, I can click on any AP in the list and it will show it's location on the map. You can play with the drop down boxes to zoom in and out and to change the format of the map. I just threw that together last summer in a couple of hours once I found I could use the Terraserver maps.

renderman · 05-11-2005

You might want to also poke at http://mygmaps.com/mygmaps.cgi/ for ways to do this as well.

dwakeman · 05-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by renderman

You might want to also poke at http://mygmaps.com/mygmaps.cgi/ for ways to do this as well.

Oh my! Thanks for the link, looks great!

nashr · 05-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by renderman

You might want to also poke at http://mygmaps.com/mygmaps.cgi/ for ways to do this as well.

Ah man, I was trying to find that link. I came across it last week. Nice work.

dwakeman, I love you man! No, I don't want your Bud Light, but I envy your Perl skills!

Thanks! I look forward to checking this out when I have a few spare minutes.

dwakeman · 05-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by nashr

Ah man, I was trying to find that link. I came across it last week. Nice work.

dwakeman, I love you man! No, I don't want your Bud Light, but I envy your Perl skills!

Thanks! I look forward to checking this out when I have a few spare minutes.

Oh man this is going to ruin my life. So many ideas!! I have to stay focused, but at least now I have a Google Maps localizer thanks to that link renderman posted.

Man this is going to give great flexibility and sexyness.

PS: nobody in Canada drinks Bud Light, or Bud.

nashr · 05-11-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwakeman

PS: nobody in Canada drinks Bud Light, or Bud.

I don't blame you at all. I don't touch that weasel-piss either. I go for some of this. I like their Fred Red Ale, and their Stonewall Stout will knock your socks off. I like it better then Guinness.

cyphz0r · 05-11-2005

One thing to note about the google maps stuff is that it sometimes will stall on large files.

I was working on making it so that my MySQL DB could be plotted using gmaps, well the file that gets generated would never load due to the script processing too long and then killing IE or FF, so I put that on the back burner. I even had it set to LIMIT 10 or so in the MySQL statement and it wouldn't finish!

dwakeman · 05-12-2005

Ok, I haven't had much time to play around with things, but try this:

http://www.perldev.org/wireless/gmaps/iframes.html

A pretty simple XML file controls your map size and points. Simply create that file, pass it to the Google Maps Localizer, and voila! Pan & Zoom with road and satellite maps!

I have had a chance to really customize the bookmarklets (the little pop-up window things), but there is some pretty cool stuff you can do.

Anyhow, more to come.

dwakeman · 05-13-2005

Well I did get this working. I pass my ns1 file to a script that creates a Google Maps formatted XML, then loads it on a webpage using the Google Maps Localizer (link above).

I tried this with a 1300 AP ns1 file, and it creates a 430KB XML document.

It runs like ass however (on my laptop anyhow - 1ghz, 1gb ram, apache, mod_perl, firefox).

Here are two screenshots.

http://www.perldev.org/wireless/gmaps/mapData.jpg
Road and Data map with WEP/No-WEP points and bookmarklet data.

http://www.perldev.org/wireless/gmaps/mapSat.jpg
Same thing but with the satellite map as the background.

This would be ok if you wanted to map out a small sampling of points, but for something larger it really slows things down (and like cyphz0r already mentioned, sometimes it times out).

t0ny · 05-16-2005

Thats cool, I wanted to do that with gmaps but I can't code much I have capule tunnel syndrome. So you want to share the code to convert ns1 to gmaps xml?

dwakeman · 05-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by t0ny

Thats cool, I wanted to do that with gmaps but I can't code much I have capule tunnel syndrome. So you want to share the code to convert ns1 to gmaps xml?

Uh sure. It's fairly crude but here you go.

TehNrd · 05-17-2005

This looks very promising, keep up the good work.

05-11-2005	#1 (permalink)
dwakeman perlmonk Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: canadia Posts: 57	plot ns1 to Google maps For those that don't have Microsoft MapPoint or something similar, I'm going to create a new map plotting Perl app that would allow you to create a map from your ns1 file(s) and create maps based on Google Maps. For now I'm thinking about a web interface where you would select the ns1 file from your local computer, choose a few options (like SSID's on/off, point options etc), then submit. It would return with a png file with your points on a Google map. Right now I have this working in a script. Here is a small sample created using 20 random access points. The script connects to my database, grabs the AP data, then goes to Google maps to create the map: http://www.perldev.org/wireless/wpg-wifi2.png That has the SSID option on, red (stop)/green (go) for WEP On/Off. Another version that was created with all the AP's I have (~3700) is here (Warning: 900KB): http://www.perldev.org/wireless/wpg-wifi.png To connect to my db, grab all points and draw the map through google, it takes about 3 seconds to create the png (p2 266, 192mb ram linux box). I don't think that would be too bad if I automated that for the web. But for some people with many more AP's, it might be better to simply create a static png file (or have a faster webserver ). Some of the things I would like to be able to do is: * Create an interactive map ala Google with pushpin data you could turn/on off, and map scrolling * Satellite maps! Any thoughts?

05-11-2005	#2 (permalink)
streaker69 Psychic Amish Stumbler Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Virginville, BlueBall, Bird In Hand, Intercourse, Paradise, PA Posts: 12,315	Something similar to this? http://www.hcs-pa.com/wardrive/USGS....06:25:a2:87:60 __________________ Treat your gun like your genitals, only whip it out when it's absolutely necessary.

05-11-2005	#5 (permalink)
renderman Drunken Stumbler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Anywhere but Utah Posts: 1,888	You might want to also poke at http://mygmaps.com/mygmaps.cgi/ for ways to do this as well. __________________ Never drink anything larger than your head! Scaramental Wine Taster for the Church Of WiFi Buy our books! "I reject your reality, and substitute my own!" – Adam Savage CoWF WPA Hash Tables

05-11-2005	#10 (permalink)
cyphz0r Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 91	One thing to note about the google maps stuff is that it sometimes will stall on large files. I was working on making it so that my MySQL DB could be plotted using gmaps, well the file that gets generated would never load due to the script processing too long and then killing IE or FF, so I put that on the back burner. I even had it set to LIMIT 10 or so in the MySQL statement and it wouldn't finish! __________________ My WiFi Site

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05-12-2005	#11 (permalink)
dwakeman perlmonk Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: canadia Posts: 57	Ok, I haven't had much time to play around with things, but try this: http://www.perldev.org/wireless/gmaps/iframes.html A pretty simple XML file controls your map size and points. Simply create that file, pass it to the Google Maps Localizer, and voila! Pan & Zoom with road and satellite maps! I have had a chance to really customize the bookmarklets (the little pop-up window things), but there is some pretty cool stuff you can do. Anyhow, more to come.

05-13-2005	#12 (permalink)
dwakeman perlmonk Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: canadia Posts: 57	Well I did get this working. I pass my ns1 file to a script that creates a Google Maps formatted XML, then loads it on a webpage using the Google Maps Localizer (link above). I tried this with a 1300 AP ns1 file, and it creates a 430KB XML document. It runs like ass however (on my laptop anyhow - 1ghz, 1gb ram, apache, mod_perl, firefox). Here are two screenshots. http://www.perldev.org/wireless/gmaps/mapData.jpg Road and Data map with WEP/No-WEP points and bookmarklet data. http://www.perldev.org/wireless/gmaps/mapSat.jpg Same thing but with the satellite map as the background. This would be ok if you wanted to map out a small sampling of points, but for something larger it really slows things down (and like cyphz0r already mentioned, sometimes it times out).

05-16-2005	#13 (permalink)
t0ny Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 3	Thats cool, I wanted to do that with gmaps but I can't code much I have capule tunnel syndrome. So you want to share the code to convert ns1 to gmaps xml?

05-17-2005	#15 (permalink)
TehNrd Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 5	This looks very promising, keep up the good work.