This help page explains how to interact with the map. It is assumed here that the reader has a general familiarity with computers and the use of a mouse.

Interaction with the map is achieved through the use of tools on the toolbar.

The toolbar is shown vertically down the left-hand-side of the map and it contains a number of tools. Each tool is identified by a small icon shown on the toolbar. The use of each tool is described on this page.

The term click, it is meant a single quick press-and-release of the left-hand button on the mouse.

The term drag refers to an action whereby the mouse is clicked but, instead of releasing the mouse button, it is held depressed while the mouse cursor is moved across the surface of the map. The action is completed by releasing the mouse button. The result is usually to draw a rectangle on the map that will serve some purpose such as defining a new map extent for a zoom.

The active theme is the one (if any) set by the map control panel (see ) radio buttons (circular dots that indicate a user choice).

The following toolbar items perform their associated actions as soon as they are clicked on with the mouse

Toggle the legend on/off. The user will be able to choose to view the legend or the map control panel (that allows them to turn layers on and off)

Toggle the overview map (the small map that appears in the top, left corner of the main map)

Set the map extent to its fullest extent

Go back to the previous map extent

Unselect selected features (see select tools below)

Print the map and legend (further optional input may be needed to define the map hardcopy title)

 

The following items, once clicked, place the mouse cursor in a particular mode. That is to say, to use the tool, further interaction with the map will be required. The nature of this interaction is explained here. The mouse cursor remains in this mode until another tool is clicked on.

Zoom in (either click and the map will be zoomed and centred on the clicked point OR drag a rectangle to redefine the map extent)

Zoom out (as with zoom in)

Pan (drag the mouse to recentre the map)

Click on a map feature of the active theme to link to a page containing source information about that feature

Select features of the active theme by dragging an enclosing rectangle

Select features of the active theme by defining a touching line or enclosing polygon

Click on a feature of the active layer to obtain information about that feature

 

The following tools switch on a facility that requires the user to input some text using the keyboard. This is usually to provide a search string to query map features that have associated information matching that search string.

Do a simple search for a text string associated with the active theme

Build a text query to highlight specific features of the active map