What is LuciadMap ? Is LuciadMap yet another Map Viewer ? Is LuciadMap an application server for geographical data ? Is LuciadMap a geographical data analysis tool ? Is LuciadMap slow? After all, it is Java.

Development Issues. Is LuciadMap multi-platform ? What development environments can I use ? How can I customize LuciadMap ? Can we exchange or extend LuciadMap with other 3rd party products ?

What kind of data can LuciadMap handle ? Can LuciadMap handle multiple datums ? I have data in two different grid systems. Do I have to convert one or the other before I can use LuciadMap ? I have 3D polyline data (longitude-latitude-height) with an additional temporal component. Can LuciadMap shapes handle that? I have my own file format of geographical data. Do I need to convert it to another format before I can use LuciadMap? Can LuciadMap handle large rasters ?

Can ... ? Does ... ? Does LuciadMap have a powerful spatial data engine ? Can LuciadMap perform spatial queries ? Can LuciadMap move maps dynamically ? Can LuciadMap display moving objects ?

LuciadMap and networking. Is a LuciadMap applet not too large to download and run over the Internet ? Does LuciadMap employ advanced raster compression to reduce bandwidth ?

Is LuciadMap™ yet another Map Viewer ?
LuciadMap™ is not a Viewer. It is an object-oriented Application Programming Interface (API) to develop mapping applications and applets. So, LuciadMap™ can be used to build a Viewer. In fact, LuciadMap™ comes with source code examples of how you can build your own viewer.
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Is LuciadMap™ an application server for geographical data ?
LuciadMap™ is not an application server. However, LuciadMap™ is suited to develop an application server. For example, a LuciadMap™ servlet could resolve a spatial query, retrieve the information from a spatial database, perform the necessary transformations and present the result in whatever format required by client software.
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Is LuciadMap™ a geographical data analysis tool ?
No, LuciadMap™ is not an analysis tool, but it provides you with the building blocks to build spatial analysis functionality in your application. In addition, the results of your analysis can be displayed in any way you want by customizing choropleth and icon painters or by building your own painters.
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Is LuciadMap™ slow? After all, it is Java.
LuciadMap™ is fast. One of the design goals of the LuciadMap™ API was to satisfy the real-time performance requirements of operational display systems. The designers of the LuciadMap™ API have squeezed the maximum performance out of Java.

LuciadMap™ interactive applications are perceived to have the same response as GIS systems employing C or C++. In fact, complex operations such as raster warping are implemented so efficiently that they can be performed dynamically in any LuciadMap™ application. LuciadMap™ has been used successfully to develop an air-track display that updates up to 1000 air tracks per second on an Intel Pentium II 400MHz while still being able to perform panning and zooming.
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Is LuciadMap™ multi-platform ?
LuciadMap™ API is written entirely in the Java(TM) programming language. LuciadMap™ applications are write-once-run-everywhere. LuciadMap™ applications will run on any platform equipped with a Java Virtual Machine. The developers of LuciadMap™ test the API on Sun Solaris 7, Linux Redhat 6.0, Windows 95, 98, and NT. LuciadMap™ applets run inside IE 4.0 or higher and Netscape Communicator 4.0 or higher without a plugin.
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What development environments can I use ?
LuciadMap™ is a JavaBean compliant API that supports both JDK 1.1.x and Java 2. As a result any JavaBean compliant integrated development environment can be used if you want to take advantage of the automated introspection of the LuciadMap™ Bean components during development. Examples are Inprise JBuilder, Symantec Visual Café and IBM Visual Age for Java. You can also use the standard Java JDK 1.1.5 or higher.
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How can I customize LuciadMap™ ?
Firstly, every LuciadMap™ component is a JavaBean that typically has a number of properties. These components can be customized at design-time and at run-time by setting their properties to the appropriate values. Secondly, LuciadMap™'s API is based on Java interfaces. As a result, you can literally replace and extend every component of the API.
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Can we exchange or extend LuciadMap™ with other 3rd party products ?
LuciadMap™ is built for exactly doing this. LuciadMap™ does not enforce a proprietary data format and does not require a particular spatial data engine. Instead, LuciadMap™'s purpose is to embed GIS functionality in (existing) systems using whatever data format and data server is required or is already used by the system.

Furthermore, LuciadMap™ lets you use the Java Windowing Component API of choice. All GUI's make use of component factories. You can define your own component factory and use your favorite component API. LuciadMap™ comes with two factories: one that uses the basic AWT component API and one that uses the Java Swing API.
Finally, LuciadMap™'s 2D Graphics engine can be replaced by other 3rd party graphics engines.
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Can LuciadMap™ handle multiple datums ?
Yes. LuciadMap™ has a Java interface for geodetic datums. LuciadMap™ has an implementation of a geodetic datum based on a seven parameter transformation between an ellipsoid and a reference datum. LuciadMap™ comes with two geodetic datum factories. One is defined by NIMA, the other by JPL, which define most geodetic datums used in the countries and regions of the world.
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I have data in two different grid systems. Do I have to convert one or the other before I can use LuciadMap™ ?
No. With LuciadMap™, data referenced differently can be viewed on an integrated map without a prior transformation. All coordinate transformations are done dynamically by the LuciadMap™ application. This is not only true for vector data, but also for raster data.
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I have 3D polyline data (longitude-latitude-height) with an additional temporal component. Can LuciadMap™ shapes handle that ?
LuciadMap™ handles this in an elegant way. LuciadMap™ shapes such as polylines and polygons are based on points. A LuciadMap™ point has at least three coordinates.
However, a LuciadMap™ point can be extended with a fourth temporal coordinate (and in general with n-coordinates). This extension is still a point and thus usable as a basis for polylines, polygons, etc. As a result, the powerful painters and editors available for the LuciadMap™ shapes remain valid independently of the number of coordinates of the component points.
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I have my own file format of geographical data. Do I need to convert it to another format before I can use LuciadMap™ ?
No. LuciadMap™ does not enforce a proprietary data format. LuciadMap™ uses decoders to retrieve data and encoders to store data in a persistent data store. As such, LuciadMap™ uses the data store formats 'as is' and as a result, there is no need to batch process your data. If you implement a decoder that can read your files and produce model objects, the rest of the LuciadMap™ classes become transparent to your format.
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Does LuciadMap™ have a powerful spatial data engine ?
LuciadMap™ does not depend on any particular spatial data engine. LuciadMap™ is open to use any spatial data handler and any data storage. It currently has an interface to the relational model of Oracle 8i Spatial and it has been used successfully in combination with relational databases.
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Can LuciadMap™ perform spatial queries ?
LuciadMap™ supports 2D binary topological operations between two shapes: INTERACT, INSIDE, CONTAIN, and INTERSECT. These operations can be performed in a Cartesian plane and on the ellipsoidal model of the earth. LuciadMap™ provides an interface definition for the full implementation of the Egenhofer 9-intersection model or any subset thereof.
The topological operations form the basis for spatial queries. In an indexed model, such as a quadtree model, an object is indexed by a shape. These objects can be selected based on spatial relationships, such as 'find all objects whose shape interact a given polygon'. Buffering can be achieved by constructing a contour around a polyline at a given distance and by querying all objects whose shape lies within that contour.
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Can move maps dynamically ?
Yes! There are two ways to move the map. The first one corresponds to a pan-operation achieved by a translation operation. The second one corresponds to a change of projection parameters of the view. For a display that uses an azimuthal projection (orthographic, stereographic or gnomonic), moving the map is achieved by changing the projection origin and keeping the origin centered in the view.
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Can LuciadMap™ display moving objects ?
Yes! LuciadMap™ has been used to build air track displays. Such an application reads multiple real-time data links and displays labeled tracks in different map layers. The position of these tracks is updated every second and displayed flicker-free in a map component.
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Is a LuciadMap™ applet not too large to download and run over the Internet ?
It depends. If you would build a comprehensive GIS containing most of the functionality that LuciadMap™ provides you with, you probably will end up with a 1MB applet. However, this is normally not the type of applet you would build. Instead, you will typically build an applet that satisfies specific requirements and hence that implements specific functionality such as the demo applets on this web site. Such applets have a footprint between 350 and 450 KB.
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Does LuciadMap™ employ advanced raster compression to reduce bandwidth ?
LuciadMap™ does not come with its own raster format or compression technique. Instead, it uses existing standard raster formats and compression. Currently, LuciadMap™ has raster decoders for GeoTIFF, including PackBits and CCITT 3 compression, JPEG and GIF. A future release of LuciadMap™ will include decoders for wavelet raster compression such as MrSID.
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