How to Create a Map and More using OptiMap

Publishing dynamic maps with OptiMap is a simple process. It can be performed by any individual or team who knows how to access their data, and who knows how to publish a web page.

• Create map templates (appearance files) You can create these templates, which are called appearance files, using Corda Builder. Corda Builder is an easy-to-use graphical design tool.
• Upload your appearance files to the Corda Server The Corda server is an application that can run on just about any computer. It dynamically combines data and appearance files into web-publishable images.
• Identify the data that you want to map You will need to identify the data source (a file or a database query), as well as the template (appearance file) that should be used to show the data.
• Build a web page that connects your data to an appearance file You can build the web page using one of a variety of web technologies, such as ASP, JSP, PHP, PERL, ColdFusion,.NET, or just straight HTML.
  Don't worry. This is not a complicated task. Corda Server provides a simple API that allows you to accomplish this task with just a few lines of code.
• Publish this web page on your web server Anybody who can view pages on your web server can then see OptiMap maps.

For more details on OptiMap architecture, click here.

What if I Don't Know Anything About Data or Web Pages?

Even if you don't know anything about data or web technologies, with the help of our Quick Start guides you should be able to get a simple map in a web page in less than fifteen minutes.

For more advanced maps, someone in your organization likely has the necessary skills. In fact, in many organizations the process of publishing a Corda Server map is subdivided into different tasks, each of which can be performed by different types of people with different skills.

For example, you might have a graphic designer who creates a template for your map, a data analyst who identifies the data that needs to be mapped, and a web developer who builds an application or web page that displays the map. Additionally, you might have an administrator who sets up and maintains Corda Server.

Of course, in simple Corda Server deployments, a single person may perform several or all of these tasks. The web developer might also be the administrator. The data analyst might double up as a graphic designer. In any case, the process of creating a map remains the same.