PowerShell.Map

Interactive 2D/3D map visualization for PowerShell using MapLibre GL JS and OpenStreetMap. Although usable standalone, this module is primarily designed for Claude Desktop integration via the PowerShell.MCP module, enabling AI-powered map visualization.

What's New in v1.0.1

Two major features have been added since v1.0.0:

• 🎮 3D Map Visualization - Interactive 3D terrain and building views with dynamic camera controls (Pitch, Bearing)
• 📝 Rich Marker Descriptions - Click markers to display detailed multi-line information, perfect for AI-powered context delivery

Additional improvements:

• Enhanced animation with configurable duration
• Stateful design - camera position and 3D mode preserved across commands
• Upgraded from Leaflet.js to MapLibre GL JS for better 3D performance

Features

• Interactive 2D/3D Map Display: View locations on OpenStreetMap with optional 3D terrain and buildings
• Rich Marker Information: Click markers to display detailed descriptions with multi-line text and emoji support
• Route Visualization: Display routes between two locations with turn-by-turn directions
• Animated Tours: Create animated tours that visit multiple locations sequentially
• Geocoding: Convert place names to coordinates using Nominatim
• Reverse Geocoding: Convert coordinates to place names
• Multiple Markers: Display multiple markers with custom colors, labels, and descriptions
• Stateful Camera: Pitch, bearing, and 3D mode preserved across commands
• CSV Pipeline Support: Import location data from CSV files

Installation

Install-Module-Name PowerShell.Map

Quick Start

Display a Single Location

Show-OpenStreetMap Tokyo

Display with 3D Terrain

Show-OpenStreetMap"Mount Fuji"-Enable3D -Zoom 11-Pitch 60

Display with Description (NEW in v1.0.1)

Show-OpenStreetMap"Eiffel Tower"-Description "🗼 Eiffel Tower`nHeight: 330m`nBuilt: 1889`nEntry: €28"

Display Multiple Locations

Show-OpenStreetMap Paris, London, Berlin

Show a Route

Show-OpenStreetMapRoute-From Paris -To London

Create an Animated Tour

Start-OpenStreetMapTour Paris, London, Berlin, Amsterdam -Duration 2.5-PauseTime 5

Core Cmdlets

• Show-OpenStreetMap: Display one or more locations on an interactive 2D/3D map
• Show-OpenStreetMapRoute: Display a route between two locations
• Start-OpenStreetMapTour: Create an animated tour visiting multiple locations

Examples

Using Coordinates

Show-OpenStreetMap-Location "48.8584,2.2945"-Zoom 15

3D Visualization (NEW in v1.0.1)

# Mount Everest with 3D terrainShow-OpenStreetMap"27.9881,86.9250"-Enable3D -Zoom 11-Pitch 70-Bearing 45# New York cityscape with 3D buildingsShow-OpenStreetMap"Empire State Building"-Enable3D -Zoom 16-Pitch 60

Structured Locations with Rich Descriptions (NEW in v1.0.1)

$landmarks=@(
@{ Location="Eiffel Tower"Description="🗼 Eiffel Tower`nHeight: 330m (1,083 ft)`nBuilt: 1889`nEntry: €28 summit`nHours: 9:00-00:45`nBest: Sunset or night"Label="Tour Eiffel"Color="red"
},@{ Location="Louvre Museum"Description="🎨 Louvre Museum`nWorld's largest art museum`nOpened: 1793`nEntry: €17`nHours: 9:00-18:00`nClosed: Tuesdays"Label="Musée du Louvre"Color="blue"
},@{
Location="Arc de Triomphe"Description="🏛️ Arc de Triomphe`nHeight: 50m`nBuilt: 1836`nEntry: €13`nHours: 10:00-23:00`nBest: Sunset from top"Label="Arc de Triomphe"Color="orange"
}
)
Show-OpenStreetMap-Locations $landmarks-Enable3D -Zoom 13-Pitch 50

Historical Tour Example with Descriptions

# WWII D-Day landing beaches with detailed information$beaches=@(
@{ Location="Utah Beach, France"; Label="Utah Beach"; Color="green"Description="🏖️ Utah Beach`nLanding: June 6, 1944, 6:30 AM`nForces: US 4th Infantry Division`nCasualties: ~200`nSuccess: Lightest casualties of D-Day" },@{ Location="Omaha Beach, France"; Label="Omaha Beach"; Color="red"Description="🏖️ Omaha Beach`nLanding: June 6, 1944, 6:30 AM`nForces: US 1st & 29th Infantry`nCasualties: ~2,000`nDifficulty: Bloodiest landing" },@{ Location="Gold Beach, France"; Label="Gold Beach"; Color="gold"Description="🏖️ Gold Beach`nLanding: June 6, 1944, 7:25 AM`nForces: British 50th Infantry`nCasualties: ~1,000`nObjective: Link with Omaha" },@{ Location="Juno Beach, France"; Label="Juno Beach"; Color="blue"Description="🏖️ Juno Beach`nLanding: June 6, 1944, 7:45 AM`nForces: Canadian 3rd Infantry`nCasualties: ~1,000`nProgress: Deepest advance of D-Day" },@{ Location="Sword Beach, France"; Label="Sword Beach"; Color="navy"Description="🏖️ Sword Beach`nLanding: June 6, 1944, 7:25 AM`nForces: British 3rd Infantry`nCasualties: ~700`nObjective: Link with British airborne" }
)
Show-OpenStreetMap-Locations $beaches-Enable3D -Zoom 10-Pitch 45Start-OpenStreetMapTour-Locations $beaches-Duration 2.0-PauseTime 8-Enable3D -Pitch 50

Custom Colors and Animation

Show-OpenStreetMap"Big Ben"-Duration 2-Zoom 15

CSV Pipeline

# CSV format: Location,Description,Color,LabelImport-Csv locations.csv |Show-OpenStreetMap

Stateful Camera Control

# Set 3D view onceShow-OpenStreetMap"Grand Canyon"-Enable3D -Pitch 60-Bearing 45# Subsequent commands preserve 3D stateShow-OpenStreetMap"Yosemite"# Still in 3D mode with Pitch 60# Reset to top-down viewShow-OpenStreetMap"Yellowstone"-Pitch 0-Bearing 0# Disable 3D explicitlyShow-OpenStreetMap"Death Valley"-Disable3D

3D Features

3D Terrain

• Data Source: AWS Terrarium RGB tiles
• Coverage: Global elevation data
• Exaggeration: Dynamic scaling from 0.3x (urban) to 2.0x (mountains)
• Best Use: Mountain ranges, valleys, coastal areas

3D Buildings

• Availability: Zoom level 14+ in supported areas
• Data Source: OpenStreetMap building footprints with height data
• Best Use: City centers, downtown areas, skyscrapers

Camera Controls

• Pitch: 0° (top-down) to 85° (almost horizontal)
• Bearing: 0-360° (North=0, East=90, South=180, West=270)
• Duration: 0-10 seconds for smooth transitions
• Browser Controls: 3D toggle button and camera reset available in UI

Claude Desktop Integration (AI-Powered)

PowerShell.Map integrates with Claude Desktop via PowerShell.MCP, enabling natural language map visualization.

Setup

1. Install PowerShell.MCP:

Install-Module PowerShell.MCP

2. Configure Claude Desktop to use PowerShell.MCP (see PowerShell.MCP documentation)

Usage

Once configured, simply ask Claude:

• "Show me a 3D tour of famous landmarks in Paris with detailed information"
• "Create a route from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace"
• "Display the Alps mountain range in 3D"
• "Show me the Normandy D-Day beaches with historical details for each"
• "Plan a tour of Italian Renaissance cities with descriptions"

Claude will automatically:

• Research location details
• Create rich descriptions with relevant information
• Generate maps with appropriate 3D settings
• Organize tours in logical sequences

Example: AI-Generated Historical Map

User: "Show me the major battles of World War I on the Western Front with details"

Claude creates:

• Chronological markers (1914-1918)
• Detailed battle information (dates, forces, casualties, outcomes)
• 3D terrain showing strategic geography
• Animated tour following the timeline
• Clickable descriptions for each battle

Links

• PowerShell.MCP on PowerShell Gallery
• PowerShell.MCP on GitHub

Requirements

• PowerShell: 7.2 or later
• Platform: Windows 10/11
• Internet: Required for OpenStreetMap tiles and geocoding
• Browser: Modern browser with WebGL support (Chrome, Edge, Firefox)

Technical Details

• Map Engine: MapLibre GL JS (upgraded from Leaflet.js in v1.0.0)
• 3D Terrain: AWS Terrarium RGB elevation tiles
• 3D Buildings: OpenStreetMap building data with height tags
• Geocoding: Nominatim API (rate limit: 1 request/second)
• Server: Local HTTP server on http://localhost:8765/
• Projection: Web Mercator (EPSG:3857)

Performance Tips

• Large Datasets: Use -Duration 0 to disable animation for instant rendering
• 3D Mode: Disable 3D (-Disable3D) if performance is slow on older hardware
• Geocoding: Cache results to avoid repeated API calls
• Zoom Level: Use appropriate zoom (8-10 for regions, 15+ for landmarks)
• Multiple Markers: Consider grouping nearby locations to reduce clutter

Troubleshooting

Map doesn't open

• Check if port 8765 is available
• Try closing and reopening PowerShell
• Verify internet connection
• Check Windows Firewall settings

3D not working

• Ensure browser supports WebGL
• Check zoom level (3D buildings require zoom 14+)
• Try updating your browser
• Verify graphics drivers are up to date

Geocoding fails

• Verify internet connection
• Check Nominatim API status at https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/
• Respect rate limit (1 request/second)
• Use coordinates directly if name lookup fails

Description not showing

• Click directly on the marker (not the label)
• Ensure Description parameter was provided
• Check browser console for errors

Version History

v1.0.1 (Current)

• Added 3D terrain and building visualization
• Added Description parameter for rich marker information
• Upgraded from Leaflet.js to MapLibre GL JS
• Added stateful camera controls (Pitch, Bearing)
• Enhanced animation with Duration parameter
• Improved error handling and performance

v1.0.0

• Initial release
• Basic 2D map display
• Route visualization
• Animated tours
• Geocoding support
• CSV pipeline support

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Links

• GitHub Repository
• PowerShell Gallery
• Issue Tracker
• Changelog

Credits

• MapLibre GL JS: https://maplibre.org/
• OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/
• Nominatim: https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/
• AWS Terrain Tiles: https://registry.opendata.aws/terrain-tiles/

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.