Using the Maps Functionality

How to:

Reference:

This section describes how to use maps with the custom functionality provided by Information Builders. You can select multiple markers on maps at run time and drill down to WebFOCUS procedures filtered by the marker locations selected.

Note: For Google and Bing maps, the functions in this section can be accessed by right-clicking on a map during run time. To access the same functions for ESRI JavaScript API maps you must click on the Tools button at the top of the map during run time.

There are several ways of selecting markers, such as:

Note: Selected markers are indicated by the Selected Marker Image that you supply on the map Properties window. For more information about the map Properties window, see Properties Window for Maps.


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Procedure: How to Use Manual Selection in the Map

Manual selection is the act of clicking on one or more individual markers in succession.

  1. To initiate a manual selection, click on a marker while pressing and holding the Ctrl key from your keyboard.
  2. To clear a selected marker, press and hold the Ctrl key and click the marker again.
  3. To make selections without the risk of clearing a marker, press and hold the Shift key rather than the Ctrl Key.

    Note: The Shift key does not clear the selected markers.

For example, the image below shows a map with three markers, as indicated by a red, green, and blue marker.

When the green and blue markers are selected, they become purple markers, as shown in the following image.


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Procedure: How to Use Shape Selection in the Maps

Shape selection is the act of clicking in a specific location on the map and then drawing an area with the mouse on the map to form a shape. This shape enables you to select all markers within the drawn area. The map provides various selector shapes to choose from.

Tip: The shape selection options are available from the right-click context menu on Google and Bing maps and through the Tools menu for ESRI JavaScript API maps. You may also customize these options from the map Properties window.

  1. To initiate a shape selection, right-click anywhere on the map or click the Tools button if you are using an ESRI JavaScript API map.

    The Tools menu appears, as shown in the image below.

    You may create a new polygon shape, change the polygon settings, show or hide markers from a layer, and refresh a layer.

  2. To create a shape selection, select an option from the New Polygon menu, left-click and drag your mouse from the shape selection point on the map.

    Note: The method by which selections are made depends on the selector shape used. For details, see How to Create Polygons in the Map Output.

    The shape selector is created with the selected markers, and a Tooltip indicating the details of the shape selector, as shown in the example image below.

  3. To clear the markers in the shape selection, unselect Select Markers from the Update Polygon menu.

    Note: Selecting Clear Selection clears all of the selected markers from the map.

  4. To remove the shape selection from the map, select Remove from the Update Polygon menu.

    Note: Selecting Remove Polygons removes all the shape selectors from the map.

  5. Optionally, to reposition any of the selector shapes to a different location on the map:
    • Pause the mouse over the center of the selector shape to be repositioned.
    • Left-click and drag from the middle of the shape to the new location.

    The selector shape is repositioned over the new location.


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Procedure: How to Use Combination Selection in Maps

Combination selection is the act of using both the manual selection method and the shape selection method separately, or in coordination with one another, to make marker selections. Multiple selections can be made by using any of the above procedures prior to drilling down to WebFOCUS procedures.


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Procedure: How to Show and Hide Markers in Maps

All layer marker groups are visible in a map by default. You may edit the visibility option to hide the markers in a map at run time.

  1. To edit the visibility option from the map output:
    • Right-click anywhere on the map if you are using a Google or Bing map or click the Tools button for ESRI JavaScript API maps.

      The menu appears.

    • Select the layer name from the Layer menu.

      Note: The layer name is the unique name for the layer created in the Map Properties dialog box. For more information about the layer options, see Properties and Settings Dialog Box for Maps.

    • From the unique name layer menu, you may select the markers to hide from the selected layer. In the image below, the greenicon markers from Layer1 will be hidden in the map.

    The selected markers are not visible on the map, as shown in the image below.

    Tip: To show all marker groups from all layers on the map, select Show All from the Layers menu.

  2. To edit the visibility option from the Properties and settings dialog box:
    • From the HTML Composer with a map created, go to the Properties and settings dialog box.
    • Click the Visible option so that it does not have a check mark in the box next to it.

    Note: Only layers have a visibility option on the Properties and settings dialog box. You may hide individual markers from a layer in the map output, as described in the first step of this procedure.

    When you run the map, all of the layer markers are not visible.


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Procedure: How to Refresh the Map Output

You may refresh the map output on demand or by setting up an automatic refresh at a timed interval.

  1. To refresh a map on demand:
    • From the map output, right-click anywhere on the map or click the Tools button if you are using an ESRI JavaScript API map.

      The menu appears.

    • To refresh all layers on the map, select Refresh All from the Layers menu.

    • To refresh individual layers on a map, select Refresh Layer from the layer name of the Layer menu.

    Note: The layer name is the unique name for the layer created in the Map Properties dialog box. For more information about the layer options, see Properties and Settings Dialog Box for Maps.

  2. To automatically refresh the map output at a timed interval:
    • From the HTML Composer with a map created, go to the Properties and settings dialog box.
    • Select the refresh time, in seconds, by using the Refresh (Seconds) option.

      Note: The default refresh time is set to 0 seconds, which indicates that the automatic refresh is disabled. The minimum automatic refresh time is 60 seconds.

    • Close the Properties and settings dialog box.

    Refresh is not applicable to markers in the Marker Groups.

    The source for the layer refreshes on the map at the set timed interval.


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Procedure: How to Create Polygons in the Map Output

The available shape selections from the New Polygon menu are Freehand, N-sided Polygon, Rectangle, Bullseye Fixed, and Bullseye Freehand. For details about bullseye charts, see How to Create Bullseye Charts in the Map Output.

Note: Polygons created when using ESRI maps are unable to be moved, copied, or resized.

  1. Create a freehand polygon.

    A freehand polygon shows the selector shape as a series of lines that you mark at specific points on the map.

    • For Google and Bing maps, right-click anywhere on the map and select Freehand from the New Polygon menu. For ESRI JavaScript API maps, click the Tools button and select Freehand from the New Polygon menu.

      A cross is indicated on the map.

    • Left-click to indicate the starting point and create the crosshair on the map.
    • Drag and release to drag a line from one point to the next. Repeat left-click, drag, and release. These clicks will represent the corners of the shape to be drawn.
    • When you close the connector lines, the selected markers are indicated within the polygon shape, as shown in the image below.

      Note: You can also use the Freehand Close option to close the polygon. The Freehand Close option is found in the New Polygon menu. This option is unavailable unless you are using the Freehand option. The Freehand Close options is best used on an iPad device.

  2. Create an N-sided polygon.

    An n-sided polygon shows the selector shape as a continuous line you draw around the markers to be selected. N-sided indicates that you can select the number of sides for the polygon.

    Note: The default polygon is a circle.

    • For Google and Bing maps, right-click anywhere on the map and select N-sided Polygon from the New Polygon menu. For ESRI JavaScript API maps, click the Tools button and select N-sided Polygon from the New Polygon menu.

      A cross is indicated on the map.

    • Left-click to indicate the starting point and create the crosshair on the map.
    • Drag the crosshair to a different point on the map and around the markers to be selected.
    • Left-click to close the polygon. The selected markers are indicated within the polygon shape, as shown in the image below.

    To change the number of sides for the polygon:

    • Select Number of Sides from the Polygon Settings menu.

      Note: The default polygon is a 12-sided polygon. You may change the number of sides for a polygon by using the Polygon Settings menu on the map.

    • Select the number of sides you wish to create. Options are 6 sided, 8 sided, 12 sided, 16 sided, or Circle (this is the default), as shown in the image below.

      Optionally, you may select to Show Tooltips for the polygons on the map.

    • Select N-sided Polygon from the New Polygon menu and click and drag the object on the map.

      The polygon shape has the number of sides that you indicated from the Polygon Settings.

  3. Create a rectangle.
    • For Google and Bing maps, right-click anywhere on the map and select Rectangle from the New Polygon menu. For ESRI JavaScript API maps, click the Tools button and then select Rectangle from the New Polygon menu.

      A cross is indicated on the map.

    • Left-click to indicate the starting point and create the crosshair on the map.
    • Drag the crosshair to a different point on the map and around the markers to be selected.
    • Left-click to close the polygon. The selected markers are indicated within the rectangle shape, as shown in the image below.


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Procedure: How to Create Bullseye Charts in the Map Output

You may create a fixed or freehand bullseye chart in the map output. A bullseye chart is used to show radius distance from a location using three rings of increasing size. The bullseye options are available from the New Polygon context menu on the map.

Note: You may customize the ring and radius options of the bullseye chart from the Map Properties dialog box. For more details, see Properties Window for Maps.

  1. Create a fixed bullseye chart.

    A fixed bullseye chart applies a predetermined size at the selected location.

    • For Google and Bing maps, right-click anywhere on the map and select Bullseye: Fixed from the New Polygon menu. For ESRI JavaScript API maps, click the Tools button and select Bullseye: Fixed from the New Polygon menu.

      A cross is indicated on the map.

    • Left-click to insert the fixed bullseye chart in the map.

      The bullseye chart is inserted in the selected location with a randomly generated color.

    • Optionally, you may drag the bullseye to another point on the map. The selected markers and Tooltip for the bullseye chart are indicated.
  2. Create a freehand bullseye chart.

    A freehand bullseye chart enables you to create the size and location of the initial bullseye chart.

    • For Google and Bing maps, right-click anywhere on the map and select Bullseye: Freehand from the New Polygon menu. For ESRI JavaScript API maps, click the Tools button and select Bullseye: Freehand from the New Polygon menu.

      A cross is indicated on the map.

    • Left-click to insert the freehand bullseye chart in the map.
    • Drag the bullseye chart to the desired size and release the mouse.

      The bullseye chart is inserted in the selected location with a randomly generated color.

    • Optionally, you may drag the bullseye to another point on the map. The selected markers, and Tooltip for the bullseye chart are indicated, as shown in the image below.

  3. Resize the bullseye chart.
    • Select the bullseye chart. Right-click if you are using a Google or Bing map, and choose Resize from the Update Polygon menu. For ESRI JavaScript API maps, click the Tools button and choose Resize from the Update Polygon menu.

      A white box appears in the center of the bullseye and on the outer ring.

    • Left-click and drag the box to the desired location.
    • Release the mouse to resize the bullseye.

    Optionally, you may select Freehand resize to manually resize the bullseye chart.


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Reference: Clearing and Removing Shape Selectors on Maps

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Reference: Running Maps Against a Secured Server

Whenever maps are run against a secured server (SSL configuration), the user is prompted with a message for display of secured and unsecured content on the HTML page. This message originates from map provider and is shown because they establish a link to an unsecured server to present the map.

For Internet Explorer® 7, the message appears as follows.

For Internet Explorer 8, the message appears as follows.


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Reference: Enabling Actions for Shape Selectors on Maps

When actions are enabled from the map Properties window, you may Copy, Delete, Move, and Resize the polygon shape selectors on the map.

All action options are selected by default. For more information about enabling these options, see Properties Window for Maps.


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