Animated 2d Map Desktop Widget

Question

I need to animate some vector icons smoothly moving about a 2d map. I have time-lat/lng pairs forming tracks. Down the road I would really like to be able to convey various GIS data like topography and roads on the map along with my smoothly animated icons.

Any suggestions on what to use? I find things like Quantum GIS but it seems geared to generating static maps. I've tried messing around with KML but I cannot find any way to make things move smoothly: marker icons clearly bounce along the waypoints even when I space them very closely.

EDIT: clarified I'm interested in a desktop widget

Answer 1

Animation options are limited in GIS as far as I am aware. ESRI's ArcObjects could be used to create animations - see this chapter in the online help:

http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfm?TopicName=An_overview_of_animation

and these examples (however none have vectors moving around):

http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfm?TopicName=Sample_animation_videos

ESRI software is expensive to purchase, and users would also need the software if you wanted to provide more than an exported video.

You are probably best working with WPF (is this widget for Windows?), Silverlight, or Flash. ESRI have a Silverlight example here:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/showcase/GIS_Silverlight.aspx

There is also the following collection of WPF classes for the OpenSource SharpMap:

http://wpfsharpmapcontrols.codeplex.com/

However it seems very much in beta at this stage.

Alternatively it may be easier to use GIS software solely to provide a background image, and do all the animation elsewhere.

Answer 2

I would say, try this animation code for Google Earth; however, try emailing the osgeo or qgis userlists and they'll guide you