Adding a WMS Server
What is OGC WMS?
What is OGC WMS? WMS (Web Mapping Service) servers provide georeferenced images over the internet using the OGC WMS protocol (http://www.opengeospatial.org). There are literally hundreds of services available today that provide a wide variety of information useful to geoscientists. Each service will have a catalog of one or more visible layers organized in a hierarchical view from the URL of the service. WMS servers also provide limited metadata about both the servers and the layers of information that they host.
Adding a WMS Server to Dapple
- To add a new server you first need to find the URL. For example, a site like http://www.skylab-mobilesystems.com/en/wms_serverlist.html provides a list of known WMS servers. To determine a WMS server URL, right-mouse click over one of the server references and select "Properties…". The Properties dialog will show the Address (URL) of the link.
- In Dapple on the File menu, click Add a WMS Server. The Add a WMS Server dialog is displayed.
- Enter the server URL in the text box provided. For example, the link to "Atlas of Canada" has the following URL property:
http://132.156.10.87/cgi-bin/atlaswms_en?REQUEST=GetCapabilities
Note: There are many WMS servers, not all are actually functioning, or meet the WMS specification. You will need to test servers of interest to determine availability or usefulness for you. For Dapple to be able to see a WMS layer, the WMS service must support creation of images in WGS 84 or in a GRS-80 based geocentric datum.
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