Overview
This map application has three main functional frames. The center frame contains the map display and has built in zoom and pan controls. The left hand frame contains individual tabs that provide interactive tools and layer control for customization, as well as the results of map identify events (information about features and links to extended data). Another tab, titled "Search", contains functions to create a thematic map based on county-level coal production data. The bar to the right of the map contains a duplicate set of tools used to interact with the map, so that these functions can be accessed while other tabs are being viewed. The map and information frame dimensions can be adjusted by placing the cursor at the boundary between them until a double arrow appears and dragging the border in the desired direction.
The map was designed to display at fixed scales using preformatted and cached basemap configurations. This greatly speeds the drawing of the map while zooming and panning, but limits the scales and associated extents that can be viewed. It was determined that redraw speed was more important than customization for this application.
The Tools Tab
Tools for interacting with the map have two main functions: 1) controlling the scale and extent of the map, and 2) getting information about features on the map. Zoom tools (in
and out
) change the scale of the map when a rectangle is drawn on the map by holding down the left mouse button while dragging diagonally across the screen. The Pan tool
moves the map in any compass direction while maintaining the same scale. These same functions can be accomplished using the controls within the map frame. Drag the slider bar in the upper left hand corner up or down to change scales, and click an arrow at the corners or sides of the map to move it in that direction.
The KYMAPS
tool provides access to other Internet maps and databases in the state of Kentucky. The tool displays a table of information sources categorized by theme. Clicking on a title causes a new browser window to open the desired site zoomed to the same extent as the current Energy Infrastructure Map. Links to databases return records that fall within the user’s map extent. Many of these sites are maintained by other organizations, and KGS has no control over their format or content.
The Identify Coordinates tool
returns the coordinate value of a map location when the user clicks on the map. The default coordinate projection is Kentucky State Plane, Single Zone, and latitude/longitude can be displayed as well.
The identify tool provides additional information about features on the map in the ID Results tab. Select the point tool
and click the left mouse button near a site of interest. The focus will switch to the ID Results
tab for viewing the information about the features.
The Print Map tool
is for printing the map in either a pdf format, or to a new web page that displays the map image, and is formatted for a printer. When the tool is clicked, a dialogue appears which gives some options for printing: a title, legend inclusion, and format.
The Layers Tab
This tab contains an explanation of symbols used on the map and allows users to determine which features to show on the map. To turn off a layer, uncheck the green checkmark. Some features have scale dependency assigned so that they do not display above certain scales. At any given scale, visible layers are show in a normal font, while hidden layers are shown in a light gray font. Scale dependency has also been applied to basemap layers, such as streams, roads, and municipal areas (users cannot control these layers). More detailed basemap information will become visible as the map is zoomed to larger scales.
Users can also view information and download data for most of the features in the "Customize Map" section of this tab. Click the blue info icon
to view a detailed description of the data layer, with links to information sources. Click the green arrow folder icon
to download a .zip file containing a spreadsheet and accompanying ESRI shapefile of the statewide data for the layer.
ID Results Tab
The ID Results tab contains bars for each potential theme that can be expanded to show additional information. When an ID tool is used this tab opens and the first identified layer expands to display selected site records. Most data displays are longer than the allowed space, so a scroll bar is provided to view the entire record. Double clicking a single entry in a results listing will highlight the feature on the map in a green color. Some ID results tables contain links to other websites for detailed information maintained by another organization. Because the ID tools can encompass many different kinds of sites, each theme bar must be individually expanded to view its results. Each theme’s bar includes a link to a help file that describes the source and methodology for obtaining the data.
Search Tab
The Search Tab is for database search functions to prepare summaries that can be displayed on a map base. Currently, only one function is available—viewing coal production data by county. To use this function, zoom to the statewide extent, select the type of mine production from the first pull down menu, select the type of year range to use and enter the values for the years. Finally, click Build Map to view the classified county map. To use a different color palette, select a new base color from the pull down menu. To remove the classified map and return to viewing coal infrastructure sites, click the Clear Map button on the Search tab or the Clear Graphics tool on the toolbar.
