MapBlast is a web based map and directions provider.

Here is some information from EricJohanson on how the MapBlast URL scheme works.

It's pretty easy to get it to plot upto about 25-50 'spots'. Much more than that, and you run into limitations in HTTP.

Here is the basic format:

[seems not be valid anymore]

The CT is the center of the image. The 20000 is the zoom level; not quite sure how it works.

Each spot you can represent with a IC=; the format is as follows:

Finally, the W & H is the width & height of the image you want.

I'm sure there are more tricks you can do, but this is about all I know so far.

If you figure out what the 'zoom' level represents, it would be very helpfull.

LarsAronsson writes ...

In Europe, where we use the metric system for everything, maps are marked with a scale like 1:20000 meaning 1 meter on the map is 20000 meters in real life, or 10 cm on the map is 2000 m real. If your screen is 100 dpi (almost true for most screens), this is pretty much what the MapBlast 20000 scale gives you. 1 mile = 1609 meters real life = 0.08 m on your screen = 3.15 inches or 315 pixels.

The scale 100000 is good for an overview of a city. 20000 is good for seeing every street and block.

I use these maps on my Swedish wiki, e.g. http://susning.nu/Sunnyvale where if you click "redigera..." at the bottom of the page, you can see the use of the "map:" rule that I have added to WikiToHTML() in the UseModWiki source (exactly the CT argument to MapBlast). Also try the "andra platser i närheten" link under the map for a "geo search"!

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