IMF Locator Module

Download a pdf on the Locator Module here.

The Locator module extends the Internet Mapping Framework for ESRI ArcIMS to allow access to your geographic datastore via a set of accessible textual web pages.  Using these tools organisations can quickly and easily produce a website that allows users to search for local amenities and services and produce detailed reports for their area of interest.

The Locator module consists of the following components:

• Gazetteer search
• Find my nearest function
• Area Profile reports

Benefits

• Maximise access to the information held in your spatial data store.  The Locator module allows organisations to easily provide an alternative method of accessing this information via a set of text based web pages.

• Produce detailed area profile reports incorporating data from multiple map layers.

• Simple integration with other systems.  The Locator module has been designed to easily link with other corporate systems like CRM and planning portals.  For example, profile reports can be run by simply providing an X,Y co-ordinate as part of a URL. Likewise it is easy to build in dynamically created links from the maps and reports to e.g. your planning applications.

• The Locator module with IMF can help local government meet e-government priority outcomes (http://www.localegov.gov.uk/). For example:

  • G5 Public access to corporate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapbased data presentation of
    property-related information;
  • G14 GIS-based presentation of information on roadworks in the local area, including contact details and updated daily;
  • R15 Public e-consultation facilities for new proposals on traffic management (e.g. controlled parking zones (CPZs), traffic calming schemes), including publication of consultation survey results.
  • G20 Conformance with level AA of W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) standards on website accessibility (see http://www.w3.org/WAI); All the Locator module pages are AA compliant.
  • G21 Compliance with Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF), including the Government Metadata Standard (e- GMS);

• The Locator Module can be used to publish an interactive local development plan. The profile reports in combination with IMF make it simple to give public access to proposed and adopted local development plan maps and policies. This means there is no need for publishing many pdfs, images and inset maps. Users can easily query the plan via a map interface or e.g. an address. In addition updates to the plan are much easier to manage. This can help organizations meet guidelines as outlined in the Local Development Framework (LDF) (http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1143846   http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1115311947782.html ) and help meet Pendleton criteria (http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1143846)

• Use of IMF architecture.  The Locator module has been designed to work off existing IMF configuration files and sites.  This means there is no duplication of effort in terms of implementing the system.  For example, only the fields specified in your layer configuration file will appear in your end reports.

Case Study

Moray Council have recently implemented the Locator module on their development plan IMF site.  This allows users to view the local plan and produce detailed drill down reports that include information from a number of map layers and the local plan policy documentation.

You can find out more about this application at:
http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_43376.html
http://webmap.moray.gov.uk/imf/imf.jsp?site=developmentplan

Find out more

You can find out more on Locator Module by downloading a pdf on it here. Prices are available here.