Map Tools
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About the Layers
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Getting Started with Interactive Mapping

The main window of Bartow Interactive Maps is divided into four areas: Map Tools, the Map, Search Links,

and Results Area.

Map Tools help the user navigate and perform specific tasks within the Map. The Results Area is where selected

features are listed and the user can find the details of those features. The Search Links area displays search results

and helps the user proceed quickly to needed information; and Map links that provide the map legend (and allow

the user to turn layers on or off).

The largest and most visible portion of the Internet Mapping interface is the Map, which is where most of the

user interaction with the map will take place. The operation of the Map is controlled primarily by the map tools

toolbar on the left side of the screen.

The panel below the Map servers two purposes. Initially, the panel displays information concerning the operation

of the currently active map tool.  For some controls, such as the feature identify and measure tools, additional

options will be available on this panel. This panel also doubles as a display for searches and buffer results.

The type of information displayed by the panel can be toggled by clicking the button at the bottom of the

map tools toolbar labeled 'Change Bottom Panel Mode''.

The panel on the right of the right of the screen the Results Area serves a variety of purposes. By default, it displays a content template that has an explanation of the purpose of the site, and a brief summary on some of some of the functionality of the site. The second function of the Results Area is to serve as a control that toggles the display of various tools. This control panel can be set by clicking the 'Mapping' link or the 'Search' link at the top of the panel. The Results Area contents will then be replaced by either a series of buttons to activate control panels for various enabled tools, or show a list of available queries defined for the application. Included under the 'Mapping' link will be the option to view the Display Manager and view the Map Legend.

The Display Manager lists the layers in the Map Resource. The layers are displayed in a defined order, when the Display Manager is first displayed a group named 'Mapping Themes' is present. It contains all of the layers in the map resource. Each map layer has a checkbox indicating the visibility of the layer on the map. Change the state of these checkboxes will determine whether they are drawn or not in future map operations. Since there can be a considerable amount of layers in a given map, the map image is not redrawn automatically, but can be redrawn by clicking the 'Update Map' button at the bottom of the Display Manager or by using any of the buttons on the map tools toolbar.

Using Selections in the Application

• Make Identify Features tool active by selecting it from the Map Tools toolbar
• Choose the Map Layer to be identified from the Active Tool on the bottom right side of the application (Fig 1)
• Zoom to an area on the map containing the feature to be selected
• Click on the inside or on the feature to be identified
  

Fig 1

Notice that a green polygon is now drawn around the feature and the right-side panel has changed to a selection attribute display mode. Field labels are displayed in the left column, and the corresponding data in the right column. By clicking the 'Zoom to selected map feature' above the selection attribute display, the map will change extents and zoom to the perimeter of the selected polygon.

The Selection Index displays a table of all the selectable themes and the features selected for each of them. The ID field,  in blue under the Theme Heading,  is used to represent the individual features in the index. Clicking on the ID field, will display the attribute data for the selection. Three other options are available for each selected feature: Print, Zoom To and Clear, represented by icons at the right of the row. The print function will print the attribute data. The zoom function will update the map by zooming to the perimeter of the selected feature. The Clear function will deselect the feature, removing it from index and removing the highlight on the map. Additionally, each theme heading in the Selection Index has the option to simultaneously clear all selected features on the theme.

Buffer from Point

In the application, set the 'Buffer Features' map tool active. The bottom panel will switch to the control options for the Buffer Features tool below.

Similar to the Selection tool, the Buffer tool has a pull-down list of all bufferable layers. The Buffer also has a second option, Radius, which determines how far from the point that the user clicks on the map the buffer will extend. After setting the buffer theme and radius, click on the map to create a new buffer. When the buffer results are returned, the bottom panel will switch modes and display the result data that was returned from the buffer. The buffer Area will be displayed along with the buffer on the Map Image. Clicking the 'clear' button on the buffer options control panel will clear the buffer on the map.

Buffer from Selection

Use the Identify Features tool to select one of the polygon features as in the selection instructions. When the selection results are displayed, click on the 'Selection Options' link at the top of the selection panel.

As with the buffer from point tool, a Target Theme and Distance are required to create a buffer. The source of the buffer area is different, however. Instead of interactively clicking on the map to specify a point to represent the center of a buffered area, the perimeter of the entire selected feature will be used as the source for the buffer. The buffer can be cleared with either the 'Clear Buffer' button in the selection options panel or with the 'Clear' button in the buffer tools options.

Instructions for Some Common Searches

To perform a search select the Search link on the top right-side of the application, this will display a search menu and list the search's that can be performed.   By selecting a particular search a dialog appears allowing you to enter the search parameters and perform the search. Results will be displayed on the bottom center panel, replacing the map tool options panel in the same way that the buffer results did. Clicking on one of the blue links will make the map automatically zoom to and select the match feature in the map data.

 The 'Zoom To' function changes the map view extent to display all query records within a search result. These map features are also highlighted when displayed on the map. As an example, a user may perform search for parcels owned by 'Bob Smith'. In the search results, the user would click on the 'Zoom To' button at the bottom of the results list; the map will then zoom to the overall view extent of those features and highlight all matching records.