Interacting with the map

Side By Side

Side by side

WHAT Visually inspect and compare two scenarios spatially, temporally or quantitatively. WHY Comparing spatial-temporal data is a common analytical task to detect changes over time or identify patterns between variables. Providing two synchronized maps helps to see differences at a glance without the need to constantly swipe or toggle. WHEN The main advantage of Side-by-Side […]

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Maptip

MapTip

WHAT A MapTip is an informative message that appears when a user hovers the pointer over a feature, surface, or raster image. The purpose of a MapTip is to provide helpful content such as additional attributes, data, or images and therefore give users direct access to attribute information for that feature. WHY The map provides […]

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Visited Marker

Visited marker

WHAT The visited marker pattern uses markers symbolized to show users which marker has already been visited, helping them avoid revisiting the same info pop-up repeatedly. WHY A pattern that has been around since the early days of HTML is to change the color of hyperlinks that have been visited previously. This is considered a […]

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Small Multiples

Small multiples

WHAT Comparing changes, patterns or differences in data is difficult to impossible with interactive controls on a single map view. WHY Small Multiples is sometimes also called trellis maps or tile maps. It is a series of similar maps using the same size and scale, allowing them to be easily compared. Our brain is great […]

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Data Extract

Data extract

WHAT Extract geographic data for a specific region. WHY A common service for a spatial portal is to deliver data to a user. Data may be vector features (points, lines, polygons) or raster imagery. Data can be raw or processed and depending on the selected region encompass any combination of above, i.e. multiple layers. WHEN User needs to acquire […]

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Swipe

Swipe

WHAT Interactively reveal content by peeling back a layer to see the content underneath it. This method provides a temporary view of the data without the specified layer. WHY It is often useful to see how certain layers overlay other layers for the purpose of comparison. This comparison is important to make decisions based on visual cues. […]

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Info-Panel

Info panel

WHAT The info panel pattern provides for the display of long or interactive content that doesn’t fit into the small space of an info pop-up or that must not obstruct the map. WHY The info panel is, like its cousin the info pop-up, an important UI component to display information about an object on the […]

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Popup

Info pop-up

WHAT The info pop-up pattern employs the primary vehicle for accessing content and retrieving information about features on the map. The info pop-up, sometimes also called info window or just pop-up, is the most recognizable object of a map app but doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. WHY Builders tend to be content with the […]

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Call-out

Callout

WHAT It’s hard to clearly identify the point associated with its labels, multiple labels overlap because of their length, size, or nearby position, or only some features need to be highlighted. WHY GIS systems have elaborate labeling engines that can position and align labels according to their visibility and location but there are still many […]

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Rich Marker

Rich marker

WHAT The rich marker pattern extends simple markers on the map to show a key metric, performance indicator, or other important information. WHY Sometimes the color, size, or shape of a marker is not enough to depict the information a user is looking for. Although this information can be accessed through the info pop-up that […]

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