[MUD-Dev] Re: MAPPING: Creating a bitmaped graphic from map coordinates

[Vadim Tkachenko <vt#freehold,crocodile.org>]

J C Lawrence wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 22 Apr 1998 17:17:06 -0700
> John Bertoglio<alexb#internetcds,com> wrote:
> 
[skipped]
> 
> First thought: I'd suggest dynamically generating .GIF's of the map
> (perhaps even a single large .GIF covering the entire world), and then
> exporting from that a sub-.GIF to the client for the segment he's
> interested in.  The .GIF format is widely documetned, quite simple,
> and has extensive libraries available for its manipulation.

Don't you have to have a license to be able to produce the GIF files?
I'm currently working on a map project which invokes heavy imaging, and
GIF was rejected for that reason (I remember VERY high figures, like
flat $80K/year for using it).

>  PNG is another (quite likely better) format.  JPEG would seem problemic.

TIFF is good, as I remember, but its advantage of being flexible is also
a disadvantage at the same time - it's too damn difficult to implement,
unless you implement a limited subset. But, also, it supports tiling,
which may be useful from a MUD standpoint.

> J C Lawrence

-- 
Still alive and smile stays on,
Vadim Tkachenko <vt#freehold,crocodile.org>
--
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-- 
MUD-Dev: Advancing an unrealised future.