User Tools
Table of Contents
Serval Maps Data Manipulator
The Serval Maps Data Manipulator is a Java based application that is designed to undertake a variety of tasks on the data that is created by the Serval Maps application. The current version of the application provides a command line interface for interacting with the application. A graphical user interface, using windows buttons etc, is currently in development.
The current version of the application is focused on converting the binary files used by the Serval Maps application into KML applications. The tasks that the application that can be undertaken are:
- Convert location information into KML
- Merge a number of files containing location information into a single file
- Merge a number of files containing point of interest information into a single file
- Convert point of interest information into KML
The KML files that are generated by the application are tested for compatibility with Google Earth. Development and testing of the application is being undertaken in a Mac OSX environment. We'd welcome people to test the KML with other applications, and testing the application in other environment.
The source code for the application is available via GitHub.
Using the CLI
Using the command line interface involves specifying a combination of 6 command line options which are:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| filter | when merging files, those beginning with this text will be processed |
| input | the path to the input file or directory |
| output | the path to the output file |
| style | options for styling the placemarks in the KML file |
| task | the identifier for the task to undertake |
| verbose | a flag to indicate verbose output |
The current available tasks are:
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| binloctokml | convert a binary location file into a KML file |
| binloctokml2 | convert a binary location file into a KML file and include time information |
| mergebinloc | merge a series of binary location files into a single file |
| mergebinpoi | merge a series of binary point of interest files into a single file |
| binpoitokml | convert a binary point of interest file into a KML file |
| kmlindex | create an index KML file that links to a number of KML files in a directory (assumes the index and other KML files will be in the same directory) |
The style argument takes style information as a series of comma separated key and value pairs. The keys and values are:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
| colour | the colour used to style a line in the KML colour format |
| width | the width of the line |
| icon | the URL to the icon used for point of interest placemarks |
The icon value can also be one of three default options
| Value | Description | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| default-poi | the default point of interest icon |  |
| default-peer-location | the default icon used for a peer location placemark |  |
| default-self-location | the default icon used for the users location |  |
Example Commands
Merge a series of binary point of interest files, all starting with '5551234' into a single file with verbose output:
java -jar ServalMapDataMan.jar -input ./data/ -output ./output/merged.smapp -filter 5551234 -task mergebinpoi -verbose
Create a KML file from a GPS trace stored in a binary location file. The placemarks in the KML file will be styled blue and include time information:
java -jar ServalMapDataMan.jar -input ./output/5550357-merged.smapl -output ./output/output2.kml -task binloctokml2 -style colour=FFbd6a27,width=5
Create a KML file from a binary point of interest file using the default POI marker:
java -jar ServalMapDataMan.jar -input ./output/merged.smapp -output output/output.kml -task binpoitokml -style icon=default-poi -verbose
