Services for creating interactive maps. How to create your own map for satellite navigation Creating maps in Google

In this part I will talk about the very first stage of creating a map. - setting up the "site". We will talk about creating objects and events in the following parts, but here I will tell you how to create an empty map, how to make your own copy of a ready-made map, and how to import individual objects from other maps into your own. There are two ways to create a chronomap - “from scratch” or “copying”. Creating a map is a rather labor-intensive process, and I try to simplify it. Copying a finished map can be useful in following cases:



• You want to make a different version of an existing map. With other descriptions, other accents, change some objects. Changing a copy is usually much easier than doing everything from scratch.


• You want to make a map of other events, but in a close time interval. For example, after the "Civil War in Russia" I will want to make "The First world war". Most background objects (countries, cities, railways) will match. There is no need to apply them again, you can copy them existing map, remove unnecessary ones, add a new one and save with a different name.
• You just want to experiment with a finished map. You can play with your separate copy as much as you like. In addition to copying the entire map, you can copy individual objects from map to map. For example, rivers and mountains have changed little throughout human history (although there are exceptions). I don't want to re-apply them on every map. They can be imported from another map. Below I will tell you how.

Creating a new map

First, about how to create from scratch. To create a chronomap from scratch, you need to click on the “create chronomap” button on home page and fill in the required fields:



• Name of the card. Here, I think, everything is clear.


• Description and picture for the list of cards on the main page. Your map will not be displayed in the general list of maps on the main page until the “Published” checkbox is checked in the settings (which I will discuss below).


• Time step and time frame of the map (start date and end date). Time on the map is discrete. You can choose a minimum step - day, month or year, depending on how detailed you want to describe the events. The step is common for the entire map; in the current implementation, it is impossible to make part of the map in detail and part not. Unlike all other parameters, the step cannot be changed after the map is created.


• Map type - satellite image or modern map(modern countries and cities). A satellite image is more suitable for describing historical events; a map is more suitable for describing modern events. The user can always switch to another type (switch in the upper right corner of the map).


• Unknown area. If in the period of history you chose, not all of it was known to humanity earth's surface, you can enable this setting. Then the Map will be covered with a black area, in the middle of which there will be a light window that can be configured. You can configure this window to change as map events progress. (maps of the Great Geographical Discoveries may be based on this). The user can disable this area (icon in the lower right corner of the map).


• Editors - If you want to fill out the map collectively, enter through "," the names of the users you want to open editing (they must be registered). The card will appear in their “My Cards” window.

When creating a card, the system will prompt you to log in or register (if you have not registered yet). A link to the map will appear in your "My maps" section. All parameters can be changed in the "map settings" section (except for the time step).

In addition, in this section you can add options:



• “Published” - after this the map will appear in the list on the main page and will be available for viewing by users.


• “Editing is open” - any registered user can edit the map, not just editors. The history of map changes is saved and you can roll back to the previous version. Rights settings, card deletion, deletion latest version only available to editors.

Copying a card

Now I’ll tell you how to copy the finished map. To do this you need:



1. Go to the desired map

 

2. Click on the “save a copy” icon on the bottom panel.


3. Log in or register (if you have not registered yet).


4. Enter name new card and click "save".

An independent copy of the map will be created that only you can edit. Editing rights can also be configured in the "chronomap settings".

Importing objects

"Import objects" allows you to copy individual objects from other maps, so as not to create the same thing again every time. To import you need:



1. Login to your card


2. Go to editing mode (the "edit" button in the lower right corner).


3. Click on the “import objects” icon on the bottom panel.


4. Select one of the ready-made maps and click the "Show" button. A list of features on this map will be displayed.


5. Select the required objects by checkboxes and click the "Add" button under the list.


6. Copies of objects will be added to your map. After this, do not forget to save your map to the server.

Next time I'll talk about adding your own objects to the map.

Want to create your own Google Maps of all the wonderful cities you've visited? Or maybe you want to create your own map with annotations that will show convenient driving directions to your business or home? Or maybe you have clients in different parts of the world and you would like to display their reviews on a Google map.

These are just a few of the many possible scenarios that may lead you to build your own maps. Let's now look at some of the best online tools that allow you to easily create your own maps in the browser without requiring any coding knowledge.

How to make a Google Maps map

One of the most simple ways for creating custom cards, do it through the site itself Google Maps. Open maps.google.com and click Create a map under My Places. Next, find a location, or enter coordinates manually, and save them to a custom map. Repeat this step until all places are added to the Google map.

Later you can change the style of individual pins, add text descriptions interesting places, photos and videos - these will be displayed when the user clicks on your label or flag.

You can also use the “My Places” option in Google Maps to create a map of directions. In this case, select the "draw line" tool and move it along the desired route. Double click to complete the drawing.

How to create more accurate route maps

If you have a smartphone, you can also use GPS apps, like My Tracks for Android, which can record your location at different times and then create a complete route from those points. Once at your starting point, press the Start button on your phone. Once you've reached your destination, stop recording and the app will export your route as a Google Map.

Another option for drawing a movement map is QuikMaps. The program converts Google Maps into an image, and you can draw directions on the map just as you would draw by hand on any canvas. Once you've sketched out your route, export it as a KML file that can be imported into Google Maps or Google Earth for sharing.

Creating Google Maps from Excel Sheets

One small inconvenience with using the Google Maps tool is that the service does not allow you to enter points in bulk. Yes, there are options to import KML and GeoRSS files, but how do you create these files?

Use BatchGeo, an interactive tool where you can import location data from a spreadsheet and mark those addresses on a Google map. You can copy and paste street addresses or latitude and longitude coordinates and BatchGeo will display them all after decoding. This is a useful tool, but you cannot export the map using a free account.

How to Add Animation to Your Google Maps

You may have seen flight tracking maps, where several images of an aircraft are moving along different trajectories on one Google map. If you would like to have something similar for your own Google Map, take a look at the Animaps service.

With Animaps, you can quickly create animated markers that move along a predefined path above the map. You can have multiple markers on one map and their respective playback speed can also be adjusted.

Custom Google Maps for Advanced Users

Advanced users can create their own Google Maps by simply changing a few parameters in the maps URL. API (Static Maps API) of static maps has full list settings supported by Google Maps, as well as several examples. The big advantage of using maps is that you can change them quite quickly and easily insert them into web pages without using IFRAMES or JavaScript.

Maps are a great way to tell how an event unfolded on the ground. If your story has a route or key points in different places, or features a specific area, show it all on a map. The advantage of maps is that they are visual, and with the help interactive services also multifunctional. Using cards you can:

• build a route
• measure distance
• estimate the scale
• see any street through the eyes of a passerby
• find out information about a real object
• determine location (both your own and others)
• identify and compare characteristics of regions

Maps from Google and Yandex

Two basic and most popular services - Google Maps And Yandex maps. They are quite simple, but their functionality will be enough to briefly describe the route, illustrate the location or distance, and also demonstrate the traffic situation.

You can build your own map by customizing the design, adding layers, labels, and images. Interactive maps from Google and Yandex can be used on your website or application.

You can read about how to do this here:
- Google Maps API
- Yandex Maps API

2. 2 GIS specializes in accurate data about organizations that can be found on the map. Read the instructions to find out how you can use the 2GIS widget on your website. If you want to make a name for yourself through this service, try 2GIS for business with a set of tools for promotion. Useful feature: you can embed a map that will show establishments in a specified region, sorted by category.

3. ZeeMaps offers tools for adding large amounts of information and analyzing it on a map. to understand how to customize the map and add new layers and elements to it.

4. There are a huge number of tools for data visualization ArcGIS . They are designed primarily for professionals, so they only have a paid subscription. But opportunities for data analytics and development of new interactive maps almost limitless.

5. CartoDB also has a rich set of tools for data visualization. You can see in the gallery that the maps turn out to be very dynamic and informative. Learn to make these.

6. Scribble Maps It is distinguished by the ability to download maps in a variety of formats.

7. A service that allows you to create entire stories from cards - StoryMap JS. Create a route and add text, photos or videos to each point on the map. Eg, in this project you can find out how the Olympic torch moved during the Sochi relay.

You can use your own maps or photos by uploading them in image format and adding descriptive dots on them. A convenient feature of StoryMap JS: the service can automatically assemble a map from the latest 20 photos on Instagram. All you have to do is edit it if necessary.

8. It boasts a similar function Tripline. In addition to Instagram, it integrates with Foursquare, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook and other services.

9. Historical map from GeaCron might be useful for a history project.

10 and 11. If you are talking about the weather, then feel free to embed Windy - a beautiful weather globe with a good set of tools. For industry professionals there is also Planet OS.

The winter cold outside the window and drifts on the roads are not very pleasing to lovers of active recreation and tourism, but they provide enough time to finally sort out pictures, routes and impressions from past hikes. Therefore, now is the time best time to write reports about your adventures and develop routes for the future. Of course, all travelers know and actively use the excellent Google Maps service for these purposes. However, the list of map services does not end there, and in this article you will learn about worthy alternative tools for creating, publishing and analyzing custom maps.

What sets Scribble Maps online service apart from many of its competitors is that this service is perfect for both beginners and cartography experts. Its simplicity and functionality make Scribble Maps one of the most popular mapping applications in education and science. The service offers users a wide range of capabilities, including marking maps, measuring distances, importing data in KML format, importing tabular data, applying custom labels, text, images and much more.

Open Street Map

The Open Street Map (OSM) service professes the same principles that formed the basis for the creation of the world famous Wikipedia. All the information here was collected through the efforts of tens of thousands of volunteers who provide the project with data from personal GPS trackers, aerial photography, video recordings, satellite images and street panoramas. While the accuracy of this data varies greatly by region, it is safe to say that OSM contains more detailed and up-to-date information than Google Maps for some areas.

The map editing function is available to all registered users. You can export data from your GPS device, draw routes manually, place markers, mark interesting and memorable places, give descriptions and comments. It is possible to export maps in OpenStreetMap XML format or as an image (PNG, JPEG, SVG, PD), and you can also get HTML code for inserting into any website.

Build-A-Map

Although Build-A-Map comes across as a little frivolous with its big, flashy icons, it's still a mature tool for creating maps and diagrams. The source of cartographic information here is Google Maps, on top of which the user can create his own layers and apply the necessary data to them.

The Build-A-Map service allows you to add not only banal marks and tracks, but also text labels, circles, polygonal shapes, lightboxes with photographs, plot routes, and so on. To all this, you can add weather information, Google Places points, and pictures from the Panoramio photo hosting site. The map obtained in this way can be saved in the service storage and shown a link to it, or you can receive a code for embedding in a web page.

Tripline

The Tripline service is unlikely to be able to help in developing a route for serious travel, but it is simply ideal for creating a multimedia presentation about the roads traveled. In its work, the service combines three components: a track of your route, photos and musical accompaniment, best representing the spirit of your adventure.

By combining all this together, the service will generate a spectacular story about your impressions, during which the viewer will move around the map along the route you took and see photographs linked to the shooting location. All this accompanied by wonderful music, of course. Having spent one effort after your trip on creating such an interactive report, you can paste it onto your page or blog, send it to all your relatives and publish it on social networks.

ZeeMaps

ZeeMaps provides users with a fast and easy way to create and share interactive maps of the world. With its help, you can visualize tracks in KML, KMZ or GeoRSS formats on the map, add your marks and comments. Distinctive feature This service is able to work with tabular data. So, if you have a table with the coordinates of the necessary points or, for example, the residential addresses of your clients, then you can feed this data to ZeeMaps, and it will accurately plot them on the map.

All cards are stored on the service’s servers and can be accessed at any time using a unique link. In addition, it is possible to print the map, save it as an image and receive an html code for embedding in a website or blog.

TripGeo

This service is interesting because it allows you not only to plot a track on a map, but also to see what it will look like in reality. TripGeo uses data from Google Maps and Google Street View and combines them into one interface, allowing you to take a virtual trip along your chosen route.

You will need to indicate the start and finish point, as well as the desired method of transportation (car, bicycle, foot). In addition, you should specify a few more parameters regarding rendering speed and image scale, after which TripGeo will select the optimal trajectory for you and immediately create a special widget in which the lower part will display the map, and the upper part will display the map. real view this place. All you have to do is click on the Play button and go on a journey.

The TripGeo service can serve well not only when preparing a trip, allowing you to more accurately find out information about the area, but also if you need a detailed explanation, for example to city guests, of driving directions. Now you don’t have to explain over the phone the signs of the street you need to turn onto, you simply send a link to the route created in TripGeo, and the person will definitely get to their destination.

The QuickMaps service lives up to its name: you can make a map here as quickly as possible. To do this, you don’t even need to register - just come up with a name for the card, short description and you can get down to business.

Although at first glance it may seem that there are not so many tools here, in fact everything you need is present. You can mark tracks with straight lines or free-hand drawing, make text notes, import KML or GPX files from the Web and upload them from your computer. And in terms of various markers, QuickMaps can give a head start to much more serious services.

Map constructor (Yandex)

This service is part of the Yandex.Maps project and, of course, draws information from there. In many cases, especially when it comes to the territory of Ukraine or Russia, this data may be even more accurate and detailed than that of foreign competitors. The map constructor allows you to plot a route, measure distances, draw polygons, and place points on the map area you need. Markers here can only be of one type, but each can be accompanied by a number and a comment that will appear when you click on the point.

You can save the finished map and immediately receive a code to insert into your website or blog. The service's capabilities are best suited for creating interactive maps that demonstrate, for example, the location of your company or store, a travel route, or a meeting point for a public event.

Animaps

As the creators of the service hint to us in its name, it is used to create animated maps. With its help, you can create a real multimedia presentation, where routes will be drawn according to the scenario you specify, markers will appear and disappear, and photographs and even videos will be shown at the right points. To evaluate the capabilities of the service, it is best to look at one of the maps created by it.

The main feature of this service is that you can use it to fairly accurately display not only the events that happened to you along the way, but also the time dynamics of the trip. Thus, Animaps is probably the most suitable service for creating an interactive report, after viewing which everyone will receive comprehensive information about your trip.

Bing Maps

The Bing Maps mapping service has long been somewhat in the shadow of its main competitor. And it was completely in vain - after the beginning of the friendship between Microsoft and Nokia, this service began to use data from Nokia Maps, which has always been distinguished by good coverage and excellent detail.

Within Bing Maps, the user receives only the minimum functions necessary to build a map, namely placing markers, drawing tracks and polygons with various types of lines, adding photos and comments.

To demonstrate the finished map, you need to save it, after which you can receive a direct link to the map and a code for embedding into any web page.

Conclusion

In this article, we looked at ten services designed for creating, editing and publishing custom maps. They all have their own features and different functionality, so choosing the best one greatly depends on the tasks you face. If you just need to make a driving map for the site, then the easiest and most convenient way is to use the Map Constructor from Yandex or QuickMaps. If you need to make an informative report about your trip, it is better to pay attention to Tripline and Animaps, which allow you not only to attach photos and videos to the track, but also wrap it all in an effective package. Well, for really serious work with maps, you should use Scribble Maps or Open Street Map, which have very rich functionality.

Long gone are the days when it was enough to indicate your address and phone number on the contact page. Today, any company that values ​​its customers must place a location map next to the address. This is very convenient, including from a UX point of view. Create simple map You can get directions using the Yandex.Maps or Google Map constructor. But sometimes you need something more complex - for example, a map may be needed for a presentation or to create infographics. In this case, you can use special online tools to create custom maps. Some of these tools allow you to create interactive maps that can present information in a user-friendly way. FreelanceToday brings you 10 free map making tools.

The Animaps service expands the functionality of Google Maps, allowing you to create maps with animated markers. Markers move around the map, showing, for example, the route of movement. A very useful service for creating interactive infographics. Using Animaps, you can create a whole story about an event, accompanying it with text blocks and illustrations.

Easy to use, Scribble Maps has a variety of tools to create almost any kind of map. You can make a regular route map, but at the same time, the service can be useful for designers who would like to create colorful infographics. Scribble Maps allows you to add text, images, draw and color various geometric figures, place markers and much more. If you need infographics based on a map, you can’t think of a better tool. The finished map can be posted on a website, on a blog, or sent to a client by saving it in PDF format.

The creators of the MapTiler service made sure that user-created maps are displayed on any device. MapTiler is one of the most convenient applications for preparing tiles using the Google Maps API. Unfortunately, the free version of the program has very limited functionality, with which you can create only the simplest maps.

HeatmapTool is the best online tool for creating highly accurate heat maps. With this map you can quickly visualize data using different colors. The service allows you to control the radius, scaling and opacity of heat spots. Information can be updated in real time. Why was this service created? Primarily for visual display of any statistical data in a pre-selected region. You can make quite complex maps, for example, using the service you can show cellular network coverage, population density in the country and much more. The service is very powerful; it can be used to quickly process even very large volumes of statistical data.

After purchasing Nokia, Microsoft significantly improved its mapping service Bing Maps. Nokia maps have always been highly detailed and have good coverage, so you don't have to worry about accuracy. The functionality of the service cannot boast of variety, but there are quite enough tracks, markers and geometric shapes to create a fairly informative map. It is also possible to add images and text comments. After finishing the work, you need to save the result, after which Bing Maps will generate a link and code for embedding the map on the site.

The friendly user interface of the Click2Map service will help you quickly and easily create interactive maps of any level of complexity. The powerful functionality of the service will allow you to create professional maps in the shortest possible time. Using a large set of icons, you can personalize the map if you need to talk about a specific area of ​​activity. Thematic markers will allow users to easily navigate the map. Markers can also be used to determine the location of a specific point. The marker supports various types of content - text, images, HTML code. To gain access to all the features of the service, you will have to sign up for a paid subscription, but if you register a free account, you can create maps with a limited number of markers, a maximum of 10.

The ZeeMaps mapping service makes it easy to create, publish and share interactive maps. The service is based on Google Map and with its help you can create even very complex map with a lot of data. Statistics can be imported from Excel, Access, MS Outlook and other programs. There are no restrictions on the number of markers; information can be changed at any time according to the user's wishes. You can add pictures, text, audio files, and videos from YouTube to markers.

The UMapper application allows you to create embedded flash maps. UMapper's visual editor is intuitive and allows you to add markers, draw shapes, and add interactive elements to your map. The service takes cartographic data from Microsoft Virtual Earth, Google, Yahoo, OpenStreet, which makes it truly universal. You can even make money using the application - if the created card receives 50 thousand views in a month, the service will transfer $12.50 to the user’s account. The disadvantages of UMapper include a watermark that appears on the map when using free version and displaying embedded advertisements on the map.

GmapGis is a simple online application for drawing on Google maps. You can place markers, measure the distance between two points on the map, draw lines and geometric shapes. All functionality is presented at the top of the page, so there will be no problems using the service - everything is very clear. The result can be saved as a file or as a link. While using GmapGIS, a problem may occur - the user cannot draw a line or draw a figure. In this case, the developers recommend closing and opening the browser again. After this, you will have full access to all functionality.