I didn't go into how this is being implemented, but we are using Postgres/PostGIS and MapServer. The map that users define is implemented using OpenLayers. NB once the user selects a map, they may get a choice: they will always be able to see the original map as a stand alone image, complete with marginalia, and sometimes they will also be able to look at the area of that map within a geo-referenced and re-projected mosaic. The latter also uses OpenLayers while the former uses the IIPimage viewer.
H
Humphrey Southall,
Reader/Director GB Historical GIS,
Department of Geography,
Buckingham Building,
University of Portsmouth,
PORTSMOUTH PO1 3HE
Historical GIS team: 023 9284 2500
Mobile: 07595 600 331
>>> "Cooper, Alexander P R" <[log in to unmask]> 12/02/09 5:09 PM >>>
I don't have exact answers, but this is very much akin to spatial database searches on bounding boxes. It would probably be very worth while taking your question to groups involved in creating spatial databases. Oracle, obviously - but being a commercial organization they may regard their algorithms as commercial secrets. Otherwise, the developers of Open-Source projects such as PostGIS, and also web mapping solutions like Geoserver.
Good luck; it sound like an interesting project! I'd suggest that you should also make it 3 dimensional in nature - two horizontal dimensions and time. A map of the same area but 200 years away from your period of interest should score lower than one which matches.
Paul Cooper
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