This software offers a heat map tile server that is compatible with Google Maps, enabling users to visualize data in a more comprehensive manner using color-coded maps.
One of the standout features of Gheat is its ability to work with the JavaScript API provided by Google Maps. This API provides a range of tools for working with maps and markers, but it is limited when it comes to visualizing large amounts of data. Gheat solves this problem by layering additional tilesets on top of the base map tileset, enabling you to create heatmaps that accurately reflect your data.
Gheat is a standalone web application that runs under the Aspen web server. It uses a SQLite database to store data, with each data point being uniquely timestamped and identified. You can modify the data in the database using a bundled script that runs from the command line. This script reads data from a CSV file and updates the database accordingly.
When it comes to generating tiles, Gheat is optimized for performance. It only generates tiles containing data when they are requested, and it stores these tiles on the filesystem for future use. If no data relevant to a tile has changed since it was last generated, then the image is served straight from the filesystem, saving considerable processing time. Additionally, Gheat pre-creates empty tiles for all zoom levels, saving disk space and ensuring that your maps load quickly.
While Gheat is not suitable for real-time applications, it performs exceptionally well when your dataset evolves on a weekly or daily basis. Ultimately, Gheat provides a powerful solution for visualizing large amounts of data on Google Maps, making it an essential tool for anyone working with data-driven applications. Best of all, Gheat is provided and licensed under the terms of the MIT License, making it accessible to anyone.
Version 0.2: N/A