Map Functions Overview

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This interactive map offers five core features:

1. Explore the Map

   • Explore the map using OpenStreetMap or switch to other base layers via the top-right selector.
   • Tip: Hold the Shift Key and draw a rectangle to zoom into a specific area — even when layers have been loaded on the map.

2. Search Tools

   • Search by Coordinates: Enter latitude and longitude to find the corresponding place name.
   • Search by Place Name: Enter a location name to retrieve its coordinates.
   • Click Search: Click anywhere on the map to get both coordinates and place name.
     • You enable and disable this function by the checkbox Use Click Search.
     • When click searching is enabled, the cursor consists of a hand with an index finger, for the exact location of a place.
   • Tip 1: Single-click a location for search. Double-click to zoom in.
   • Tip 2: Single-clicking adds a marker and fills the search fields with respective information.
     • Use the Clear button to remove both information and marker.
     • Uncheck (and recheck) the Use Click Search to remove only the marker.
   • Tip 3: Uncheck Use Click Search to disable marker placement, and use clicks for zooming only.

3. Map Areas

   • Load map area files from the Map Areas dropdown list.
   • Supported formats: .geojson, .topojson, .kml and well-structured .json.
   • For administrators:
     • Upload your Map Areas files to the default folder map_areas/ on the server.
     • Include a JSON file, index.json, listing the file names:

       [
           "world_100.geojson",
           "world_200.geojson",
           "..."
       ]

     • The select element Map Areas on the top of this page is then automatically updated to include those files as options.
   • Tip: Choose the first option from the dropdown menu to remove all loaded map areas.

4. Map Places

   • Loads files with places over map locations, such as the places mentioned in Pausanias' Description of Greece in 10 books, or (travelling) routes, with lines and eventually marked places.
   • Supports the following file formats: .geojson, .topojson, .kml, .gpx, .csv, and simple .json:

     Simple JSON File:
     [
       {
         "BookID" : "1.1.1",
         "Place" : "Ἀθηναίοις",
         "Links" : "...",
         "Lat" : "37.971687",
         "Lon" : "23.726464",
         "Description" : "..."
       },
       {...}
     ]
     

     CSV File:
     BookID,Place,Links,Lat,Lon,Type,Description
     1.1.1,Ἀθηναίοις,"...",37.971687,23.726464,"..."
     ...
     

     .
   • Detection of Coordinate Field Names is flexible and case insensitive. CSV and JSON files can contain any of the following alternatives:
     • lat/lon, Lat/Lon or LAT/LON
     • lat/lng. Lat/Lng or LAT/LNG
     • latitude/longitude, Latitude/Longitude, or LATITUDE/LONGITUDE
   • For administrators:
     • Upload files with Map Places to the default folder map_places/ on the server.
     • Include an index.json file listing chosen file names.
     • The select element Map Places on the top of this page is then automatically updated to include those files as options.
   • Tip: Choose the first option from the dropdown menu to remove all loaded files with map places.

5. User's Local File Loader

   • Use the folder icon to load local files directly from your device.
   • Loacal Loader supports all file formats and structures mentioned above.

Some other Features and functions

• Zooming
  • The map is automatically zooming to the boundaries (places or areas) of the first loaded file.
  • Subsequent loading of files does not change zooming - to enable comparisons.
  • To zoom the map to the bounderies of a file, click any time on the z button at the left of its name, within the Loaded Files panel.
• Stacking Areas and Places
  • Check the Stack checkbox to allow multiple map areas and places from different files, loaded from the server or from your local device, to overlay each other.
  • You can see all loaded files in the Loaded Files panel.
  • Clicking on their respective checkbox separately toggles their visibility.
  • Click on the button to instantly remove all loaded files from the map and reset zooming.
• Information Popups
  • Clicking on map layers (place markers and areas) displays, if available, a popup with sanitized information, usually in terms of Key: Value.
  • URLs in popups are automatically converted to links, which open in a new tab.
  • Tip: Check and uncheck any time Show Properties to enable and disable popup information when clicking on map layers - clicking will then zoom instead.
• Supported Geometry Types:
  • Full support for types: Point, MultiPoint, LineString, MultiLineString, Polygon and MultiPolygon
  • Partial Support for GeometryCollection:
    • If all geometries are Polygon, they are merged into a single MultiPolygon.
    • Mixed geometry types are split into individual features with shared properties.

You can use each function independently, or use them together:

• Use Click Search can be kept active in all occasions, both with Map Places and Map Areas.
• You can load multiple Map Areas and Map Places, both from select lists and from local files.
• Where Map Places or Areas intersect, the last loaded layer gets priority regarding popups and hovering.
• When Show Properties is enabled, Use Click Search is automatically disabled within Map Areas. To re-enable Click Searching inside those areas, uncheck Show Properties.