Iphone App from an SMR

[BAJR]

I saw the news item on the forum about ArchaeoNews for iPhones, iPads etc, and I just wanted to let you know that we've also got an app that allows users to view our SMR data using these mobile devices.

The link for the app is at http://gis.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/mapsiOS/mapSMR.htm, while further details are available on the news page of our website, http://www.wosas.net/news.html.

The obvious advantage of this is that it allows people who are out and about to navigate to a particular site using the GPS function (assuming they can get a signal, not always guaranteed in the remoter parts of Argyll!).

Martin from WoSAS

[vulpes]

and also assuming that the coordinates in the SMR are correct!

[vulpes]

but seriously, interesting development. Does the etc include non-Apple products?

[BAJR]

Got a reply..

I've contacted Stewart McCall, who deals with our online GIS. He said that the app does work with Android phones, though the panning function is a bit flaky, so he's not yet happy to promote it for other operating systems at this stage. He's looking to do some further development for Android over the next couple of weeks, however, so the situation should improve.

As regards site points potentially being incorrect, I'd pretty much guarantee that there will be some among the 40,000-plus that aren't bang on - the dataset is just too big to be certain that there aren't transcription or data input errors in it. However, if people are using the app while out and about, they can email me details of any that are incorrect, and I can update them, thereby improving the record for future users.

[vulpes]

Good answer and good to hear that the app is not serving to further strengthen Apple Corps inexplicable marketing based monopoly at the expense of Android offerings from the likes of HTC and Samsung.

As for the other point, yes, I've also found that making HER data more widely available does result in a flurry of corrections.

Does anyone know if something similar to this is proposed for Canmore or the Heritage Gateway?

[BAJR]

something similar to this is proposed for Canmore

I have been talking about this, and this may be on the cards ..

[Grumblestiltskin]

Martin,

that is fantastic, might be the push I need to buy an iphone. That would be great for walkovers and site visits! I notice that the SAMs for the whole of Scotland are on there too. Is there any way to get the listed buildings too? Have you spoken to Canmore about putting there stuff on this?

[BAJR]

Hello again,

I noticed that there have been some further questions raised in relation to the iPhone app. As regards making Listed Building data available, this wouldn't be a problem from a technical perspective, as like the scheduled monument data, it would come from Historic Scotland. We decided not to put it on because we're an SMR rather than an HER, so deal mainly with archaeological matters. We generally leave listed building issues to the Conservation Officers in our member Councils (unless there's also an archaeological issue raised by the proposal - the listed building's a castle, or sits in the core of a historic settlement, for example). We included the scheduling data because it seemed the simplest way to highlight those sites benefiting from this type of statutory protection.

Currently, the scheduled monuments layer doesn't draw live from Historic Scotland, though this would be a reasonably straightforward change to make. It may be that we will incorporate listed buildings (and other HS datasets like Properties in Care, Inventory Designed Landscapes, World Heritage Sites etc) as web services in the future.

In terms of incorporating Canmore data, this would again be technically possible, though we'd probably wait until the Royal Commission is in a position to provide this as a web service, as this would be much more efficient than the periodic data exchange system that currently operates. Obviously, a reciprocal arrangement could also operate, where our data would be made available as a web service through the eventual successor to the PASTMAP website.

Given that I can't post to the forum directly, and have to pass everything to you to post on my behalf, it may be better if any other questions are sent directly to me. My contact details are on our website, http://www.wosas.net.

Cheers,

Martin