Letterboxing USA - Yahoo Groups Archive

Tiger Maps/JDW

2 messages in this thread | Started on 1999-03-19

[L-USA] Re: Tiger Maps/JDW

From: Daniel Servatius (elf@pclink.com) | Date: 1999-03-19 00:43:56 UTC-06:00
jdewolf@mail.icrsurvey.com wrote:
> Well, I know & love maps, but don't know much, or anything, about
> the Tiger server (other than it's from the Census Bureau), but
> I would love the opportunity to get involved in this aspect.
> let me know if I can be of assistance. I'd love to learn more
> about it and to have the opportunity to contribute to the group
> effort in this way.

That's really kind of you John, to offer to help. I noticed you
have already explored the Tiger Map Server by coming up with a map
for 1000 Oaks. What follows is slightly technical, but I'm going
to risk boring a few people because it may also interest a few
others. If you look to this link for Map marks in California
http://www.pclink.com/elf/camarks.txt
you will find this text there:

#tms-marker
#CA
#http://tiger.census.gov/cgi-bin/mapsurfer?lat=37.2&lon=-120&murl=http://www.pclink.com/elf/camarks.txt&wid=10&ht=10&off=counties,majroads,places,water,miscellt=22
-122.13935,37.39920:purple4:Bol Park(3)
-118.92,34.115:purple4:CircleX

The # sign means the line of text is for information only.
You see a Tiger map link on the 3rd line (less the # sign).
Within it is a reference to the very text file you are viewing
which contains lats. & longs. for points in California.
The web link here brings up the state map for California,
but you could revise this web link to include say, the
Western seaboard from Seattle down to San Diego. The same
points will still show up in the proper location on the map
even though neiboring states have been inlcuded on the map.
Or the map could be narrowed down to a region and the points
will then show up there (if the region covers the area the
points are located in). Whatever points are listed in this
file will show up on whatever map is generated when the web
link references this file. In theory we could have all the
points in the country listed in one file. I haven't tried
this but the effect would be that any point then that is
anywhere would show up on whatever map is generated within
our boundaries as long as the area of the map being generated
covers the area where the point is located.

How's that? Just enough to get you (or anyone else) interested?
Its really neat actually, the way this Tiger server works.
It is a very well designed system with people like us
in mind.

Dan'l

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[L-USA] Re: Tiger Maps/JDW

From: Steven Stary (kurrwic@yahoo.com) | Date: 1999-03-19 16:32:59 UTC-08:00
Dan'l
I'd also like to help out with the mapping if I can. I'm no web guru,
but I like maps in general, be they electronic, USGS topographical, or
marine depth charts.

It would be very well if we could have all our markers nationwide on
one Tiger Map file, but I think that what is also needed is some idea
of where the boxes are on the plain state maps. (The ones you get
when you click on an inviting grey state on the main page.) Those
maps have that state's boxes, but not the ones in bordering states.
For instance, the Wisconsin map could easily indicate the presence of
Rachel's letterbox in Evanston, IL or your Twin Cities letterboxes.
For a letterboxer in Milwaukee or Eau Claire, they might be more
willing to make the trip to a closer neighboring state than all the
way up to my area.

Steven
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