MapLink Pro Developer’s Guide
This guide covers all MapLink Pro SDKs - describing their facilities, how to integrate them, and how to get the most from them. It applies to Windows C++ and .NET development unless otherwise noted.
Download MapLink Developer’s Guide PDF
Getting Started
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Overview, glossary, and training options |
| MapLink SDK Components and Concepts | The full SDK family - Core, OpenGL, Tracks, Terrain, 3D Earth, Editor, and more |
| Basic MapLink Applications | Application architecture, Document/View model, error handling, interaction modes |
Development Setup
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| MapLink and your Development Environment | Visual Studio configuration, library naming, headers, Unicode support |
| Deployment of End User Application | Runtime DLLs, config files, and distribution requirements |
| Samples | Sample applications included with MapLink Pro |
Walkthroughs
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Walkthrough 1 - Your First MapLink Application | MFC SDI app that loads and displays a MapLink map |
| Walkthrough 2 - Modifying the Visible Area | Zoom, pan, grab, and mouse wheel interaction |
| Walkthrough 3 - Adding a Simple Vector Overlay | Creating and displaying vector geometry on a map |
Core SDK
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Geometry and Overlays | Entities, polylines, polygons, symbols, text, ellipses, and collections |
| More Features of the Core SDK | Feature rendering, coordinate systems, data layers, and surface options |
| Unicode | Unicode support, fonts, geometry, filenames, and FAQ |
SDK Reference
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| OpenGL Drawing Surface | Hardware-accelerated rendering as a drop-in replacement for GDI/X11 surfaces |
| Direct Import SDK | Runtime ingestion of geospatial formats without pre-processing |
| Tracks SDK | Real-time display of moving objects with history trails |
| Dynamic Overlays with the DDO SDK | Fully custom animated overlays via TSLDisplayObject |
| Terrain SDK | Elevation data, viewshed analysis, contouring, and cross-sections |
| MapLink 3D Earth SDK | Globe-based 3D rendering using osgEarth integration |
| Editor SDK | Interactive vector overlay creation and editing |
| Geopackage SDK | Reading and display of OGC GeoPackage files |
| OWSContext SDK | Reading and display of OWSContext documents |
| MapLink OGC Services SDK | WMS and WPS server plug-in development |
| Spatial SDK | Spatial operations and map update island management |
| GML SDK | Reading and writing GML application schemas and instance data |
| .NET SDKs | C# and VB.NET wrappers with walkthroughs |
Advanced Topics
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Floating Point | Floating-point configuration requirements |
| Other SDKs | Additional SDK coverage |
| Threading | Thread safety rules, known issues, and threading options |