Frequently Asked Questions ›

There is no special software to install on your server. You just to have to host the files we send you on your server and change the database credentials (server, database name, user and password) in a configuration file.

AreaSelector minimum requirements are ... just a web server, anyone. The system consists on a set of Flash files and XML feeds, that can be just plain XML files if you don’t make changes in the data very often.

If you do make changes to the data or want to use a database for any other reason, then of course a database on the server (or on a different one) is required. You will also need a scripting language to query the database, like PHP, .NET, ColdFusion, etc.

• A web server exposed as 'localhost'.
• PHP 5 or higher.
• MySQL 4 or higher.
• A database management tool for importing the sample database (e.g. Navicat).

If you don’t fulfill these requirements, don’t worry, as you can also find this evaluation online here.

Besides those, which happen to come standard with any web server, nothing else is needed.

The disk space needed for the maps themselves depends on the product. For example, an AreaSelector US States will require some 200KB in all. The largest standard AreaSelector is US Zip Codes, which takes around 50MB. In any case, not a problem for today’s hard disks.

If you do fulfill the requirements and want to install this evaluation pack, we strongly encourage you to follow the Installation Guide for a quick and easy process.

Flashmaps currently offers the following AreaSelector evaluation packs:

• World Continents and Countries
• USA States
• USA Counties
• USA Zip-Code Areas

All of these evaluation packs are available for PHP/MySQL, ASP.NET/MS SQL Server and plain HTML/XML.

We also offer evaluation packs for DB Mapper (our street-level mapping solution) and DynamicLocator (our solution for ski resorts, golf courses, large floorplans, etc.)

We are here to help. On this page’s header you’ll find how to contact us and request your evaluation pack.

As this evaluation pack includes interaction with a MySQL database through PHP dynamic pages, you cannot open this evaluation pack directly from your hard drive. You will need to import the sample database into your MySQL and setup a virtual directory in your local web server, as explained in the section Installation Guide.

If you don’t have a local web server or don’t feel like installing this evaluation pack at this point, you can always check it online here.

This evaluation pack is only authorized to run on ‘localhost’. If you need to install it on an online server to show your client or for any other reason, please contact us using the information displayed at the header of this page.

AreaSelector's customizability is one of its most appreciated features. We provide you with everything you need to make it look like an extension of your website.

We provide you with the following Flash source files:

• The icon library Flash source file. It contains the markers to indicate locations on the map, like your branches, points of sale, etc. You can change the existing icons or to add new ones if you want.
• Toolbar Flash source file. The toolbar is the main user interface. It contains the buttons, the frame (if any), etc. You can always change all of these at your convenience.
• Container Flash source file. In some projects we are required to build custom functionalities within the map. We implement them in a parent Flash file that contains the map. You may also change this item whenever you want.
• Pop-ups and tooltips Flash source files. Normally, when the user hovers over an area or marker, the map displays a little tooltip with basic information about it. And, when the user clicks on that area or marker, it displays a larger popup with full information, links, images, videos, etc. Both the tooltips and the pop-ups are Flash movieclips you can change at any time, not only cosmetically, but also adding new fields, etc.

We also provide you with other things you can edit to perfectly customize your Areaselector:

• Configuration files. You can set inside these how you want to color code the areas, what icons to use as markers, what to do when the user hovers over an object or clicks on it, show/hide area names or abbreviations…. there are a ton of things available to you. But don’t panic, we will initially configure them all for you, following your instructions. Afterwards you will be able to change any of those on yourself at any time.
• XML feed scripts. The PHP, .NET or whatever other scripting files that query the database and return to the map the corresponding XML feeds.

All these files put you in full control of your project’s look and feel. But let us explain what you won’t receive, and why you shouldn’t be worried about it:

• Maps source files. In fact they do not exist. The map Flash binary files (.swf) are created directly from our spatial databases by our backoffice systems. They are not simple graphics, as inside they contain variables that georeference them, so they perfectly match one to another. Anyway, as you have full control on their colors and effects (shadow, bevel, etc.), you really don’t need to edit them.
• Geospatial engine source files. The core of AreaSelector is its geospatial engine, that is responsible for putting everything in place accurately, load/unload the maps for each level, pulling the data from the XML feeds, etc. There are several thousand hours of geospatial engineering condensed into these files. We are very happy to put all that knowledge at your service but, as we’re sure you understand, we cannot share the source files.

If you don’t feel 100% comfortable with this policy, please contact anyone of our client services reps. at 1-866-392-0071 and ask them to show you real project examples, and explain how customizable AreaSelector actually is.

AreaSelector color codes each area according to its category. In this evaluation pack, the categories are the state population ranges. You can change one category’s color in the database by editing column category_color inside as_ranges table.

You would probably like to know that this data is managed by the following page flashmaps/themes/basic/area_categories.php. Feel free to review this page and see how the categories XML output is formatted.

AreaSelector POIs are icons on the map representing any kind of locations, like your offices, or the cities in this evaluation pack. In this eval, the icons are simple dots, but you can modify them anyway you want.

You can change the area and POI pop-ups by editing them in Flash. For example, in this sample, the popup displayed when you click on a POI is flashmaps/popups/basic/city_info.fla. If you need to add a new field to the popup, there are three steps you must follow:

• Include the new data in the XML output. Find the page that queries the database and returns the XML feed for the popup and make it include the new field you want in the popup. In this evaluation pack, the page that returns the XML that feeds the city popup is flashmaps/popups/basic/city_info.php.
• Create the new fields in the popup. The easiest way to do so is to duplicate one of the existing fields in Flash, move it to its proper location and then change its instance name. In this evaluation pack, do so in flashmaps/popups/basic/city_info.fla.
• Populate the new field in the popup with the corresponding XML attribute. Also in Flash, open actions window by pressing F9 and go to line 35 in the layer named ‘main’. In there you will see how each of the attributes in the XML is sent to the corresponding text box. Duplicate any of those lines and change the name of the new XML attribute and the new textbox instance.

In order to render the POI icons as fast as possible, AreaSelector provides an icon library you can use to create new or change the existing ones: fmASMap/fmASIconLibrary.fla.

For a step-by-step guide to change or create new POI icons, please read section 5.2 Insert or modify an icon in the library in Flashmaps AreaSelector Developer’s Guide.

Areas and POIs (Points Of Interest, the markers) are live objects in AreaSelector. This behavior, as what happens with area colors or POI icons, depend on their respective categories. You can setup actions to be launched when you hover over an area or POI, or when you click on it. Actions can be:

• Poping up a Flash movieclip on top of the map, like the team information window that you get when you click on a dot in this evaluation pack.
• Calling a Javascript function, sending it the object’s ID.
• Calling another web page (in the current browser window or in a new one), sending it the object’s ID.

You can add an action when clicking a POI in fmASMap/theme/poi_categories.xml, adding an <action> node inside the corresponding category. For more details, read section 1.3.4. POIs (Points Of Interest) in Flashmaps AreaSelector Developer’s Guide.

You can add an action when clicking on an area in fmASMap/theme/area_categories.php, adding an <action> node inside the corresponding category. For more details, read section 1.3.4. POIs (Points Of Interest) in Flashmaps AreaSelector Developer’s Guide.

You can change the look of state abbreviations by editing the node inside in fmASMap/fmASEngine.xml, which looks like this:

<text id="label" filterId="none" fontName="Tahoma" fontSize="10" fontBold="no" fontItalic="no" fontAlign="center" fontColor="0x000000" />