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Autodesk MapGuide Studio - Evaluation Version Expired

Having now installed a number of MapGuide Enterprise and Studio applications, I came across a bit of an installation problem.

It appears that when installing Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise as a "Registered Installation" (not an Evaluation installation), see below...

Then installing the network license manager and obtaining the relevant network license file for the customer installation, occasionally 60 days later the following message appears when attempting to connect to your MapGuide Server from MapGuide Studio...

And, of course, your customers MapGuide Server and therefore applications are no longer accessible!

The following Technical Solution on the Autodesk Support site provides some good information with respect to the problem...

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/item?siteID=123112&id=10707697&linkID=9242178

However, I found it a little confusing!

The bottom line is, I never installed as an Evaluation Installation in the first place, so why the problem? anyway the guide to the resolve the issue works.

You will need to modify your "serverconfig.ini" file, located in
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MapGuideEnterprise2009\Server\Bin" on your MapGuide Server.
Locate the following entries under the "General Properties" section in the file and add the following details...

The path to your network license file
LicenseServerPath = C:\Program Files\Autodesk Network License Manager\License\license.lic

The serial number of your software
SerialNumber = xxx-xxxxxxxx
(replace the x's with your serial number)

Restart the MapGuide Server and all should be up and running again.

MapGuide Open Source 2.0.0 has been released

The MapGuide Open Source project team has announced the release of MapGuide Open Source 2.0.0.

Release notes: http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/wiki/Release/2.0/Notes.

Documentation: http://mapguide.osgeo.org/documentation.html

Downloads: http://mapguide.osgeo.org/download

Among the many enhancements, the main feature in this release is the integration of Fusion; a flexible, extensible templating system that provides the ability to separate application presentation from its functional components. The replacement of FastCGI with the more proven ISAPI and Apache mod technologies.

The 2.0 milestone page contains the complete list of new features: http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/milestone/2.0

NZ Government Agencies are encouraged to assess open source software

Here's a recent and interesting blog posting by Ian Tidy... which reminds us of a policy with respect to open source alternative software for NZ Government Agencies, thanks Ian...

http://iantidy.blogspot.com/2008/02/nz-government-and-open-source.html

To quote the e.govt website http://www.e.govt.nz/ ....

NZ Government Agencies are encouraged to assess open source software alternatives (where these exist) alongside commercial software, and should choose based on cost, functionality, interoperability, and security.

Legal Issues: Guide published May 2006

The State Services Commission has prepared a guide, to assist New Zealand government departments in assessing and mitigating the legal risks of using open source software. More information

Briefing to the Minister: March 2003

The Minister for State Services was originally briefed on the potential for the use of open source software within government, and any associated risks or limitations, in March 2003. More information

This policy with respect to open source alternative software for NZ Government Agencies has been in place for some time and whilst it refers generally to all software, I have certainly seen an increase in activity and interest in Open Source alternatives in the field of GIS.

MapGuide Open Source is one such solution and an application that I have been working with since its release. Prior to MapGuide going open source, I had been working with Autodesk MapGuide since Release 3.0 in 1998.

MapGuide Open Source 1.0.1 was released to the open source community in 2006, and generated a huge amount of interest and activity in MapGuide based GIS solutions.

MapGuide Open Source is currently at release 1.2.0 with release 2.0.0 not looking to far away (currently at Release Candidate 4, at the time of this posting).

For further information see... http://mapguide.osgeo.org/

If you are interested in finding out more about MapGuide Open Source please feel free to email me.

MapGuide Open Source 2.0.0 Release Candidate 3 now available

The MapGuide Open Source project team has made MapGuide Open Source 2.0.0 Release Candidate 3 available.

Release notes: http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/wiki/Release/2.0/Notes.

Documentation: http://mapguide.osgeo.org/documentation.html

Downloads: http://mapguide.osgeo.org/download

The main features in this release are integration of the Fusion framework, replacement of FastCGI with ISAPI and Apache mod and numerous bug fixes.

The 2.0 milestone page for the complete list of new features: http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/milestone/2.0

MapGuide Open Source 2.0.0 Release Candidate 1 released

The MapGuide Open Source project team has made MapGuide Open Source 2.0.0 Release Candidate 1 available.

Release notes: http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/wiki/Release/2.0/Notes.

Documentation: http://mapguide.osgeo.org/documentation.html

Downloads: http://mapguide.osgeo.org/download

The main features in this release are integration of the Fusion framework, replacement of FastCGI with ISAPI and Apache mod and numerous bug fixes.

The 2.0 milestone page for the complete list of new features: http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/milestone/2.0

Summary of Features...

• Fusion
• Replace FastCGI with ISAPI and Apache module
• JSON format responses
• Raster with elevation data stylization
• More support for custom symbols
• API: Obtain User, Group, Role information from MapGuide session id
• API: convenience methods for selection
• API: Coordinate system API cleanup
• API: Improve performance of EnumerateResources
• API: Return provider capabilities information
• Add capability to return selection as an overlay
• Include layer name in WMS GetFeatureInfo response
• Switch from GD to AGG renderer

Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise Layer Legend Issue

When creating a themed layer in MapGuide, where the theme contains more than 8 values, MapGuide's default behaviour is to show a shortened summary of the themed legend.

Note: I have obscured some of the legend text intentionally

Example: The first layer shown below has 17 items, the second layer has only 7...

As you can see the first layer is collapsed, showing only the first and last items, whilst the second layer shows all items.

You can expand the summarised layer legend, however, the resulting legend is not that useful...

To expand the legend, right-click over the layer and select "Show Long Theme"

The result... where are my icons!

(about as much use as an ash-tray on a motor-bike!)

Anyway, here's a fix for you, not a fix to correct the above behaviour, but a method to change MapGuide's default behaviour to display a full legend by default, which in turn brings back all those missing legend icons...

Locate the "legend.js" file, you will find it here...

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MapGuideEnterprise2008\WebServerExtensions\www\viewerfiles

Open it for editing, and find the function ScaleRangeItem

Change the value for...

this.showlongtheme = false;
to
this.showlongtheme = true;

Save the file, and the result is...

MapGuide Open Source 1.2.0 Released

The MapGuide Open Source project team has announced the release of MapGuide Open Source 1.2.0.
Please see the release notes and milestones page for further information about the release.

Project Announcements
http://mapguide.osgeo.org/taxonomy/term/1

Release Notes
http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/wiki/Release/1.2/Notes

Milestones
http://trac.osgeo.org/mapguide/milestone/1.2