Cool Blue’s Robert Bates was a presenter at the Atlanta Drupal Users Group (ADUG) in January on the topic of Advanced use of OpenLayers.  With previous experience working with Esri to develop plotting solutions for their GIS system, Rob was able to review basic GIS concepts, OpenLayers as a GIS Interface, and the integration with Drupal 6.x using the "OpenLayers for Drupal" module.

Rob reviewed a few basic concepts that are necessary to understand OpenLayers architecture including:

• Layers – Vector and Raster
• Base Maps vs. Overlays
• Mapping Projections
• Controls
• Styles
• Behaviors  

OpenLayers for Drupal provides ease of use for simple mapping, and powerful hooks for more advanced control of layers, maps and styles.  For more information on OpenLayers and how Cool Blue can help with your mapping needs, please contact us.