In The Desert
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Desert Maps
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Desert Map
Wikimapia Maps
How to get the most out of them!
Most of the time you look at map systems to find an area, mountain, wash, building, or a road. Now we have terrain, satellite, and hybrid maps available to us. And we even have Google with it's earth map to fly to a location or view it in 3D in some areas. If you join Google Earth for a small payment you can even upload your GPS tracks onto the satellite maps.
Now we have Wikimapia Maps (powered by Google). The map is easier to use then Maps.google and has a few advantages. You can easily switch from roads, to terrain, to Google, Google satellite, Google hybrid, Wikimapia Classic and a few others. We're going to show the advantages and a really neat option when using the Wikimapia Classic Map.
If you just came here from the Desert Map page then you've probably seen what happens when you mouse over the Wikimapia Map. Different areas become highlighted and show a name. If you click on these highlighted areas, a pop-up opens with information - and in some cases photographs of the particular map feature your looking at. Here's an EXAMPLE. Close this example map page to return to this page.
To show you how to use the Wiki Map we'll use the Picacho Gold Mine area in the link above. When you were looking at the map you probably noticed that there were two boxes over the Gold Mine area. The smaller one was just a square, and the bigger box showed the outline of the mine giving you a better idea of where the mine is and how big it is. This is relatively easy to accomplish if you follow these simple instructions. You can help to locate a lot of different places and features on the Wiki map and can use them to show friends where these are on a satellite map. The smaller square box is what you start with when you first start adding to the map -- as your number of additions to the maps grow you'll have more options available ( this didn't take long ), then you'll be able to put in complicated shapes to show exact locations of features on the map. Once you have it added, all you need to do is copy the URL in your browser and send it to someone. Here's how to add your own features to the map .....
If you didn't notice before the Map Type is in the drop down box for the different types of maps available and Login is where you login, sign up, go the forum, blog, or measure distance. Sign up and don't forget your sign in and password.
Now that you've signed in and after you find the place on the map that you want to add a feature -- either drop down the Edit Map tab or click on Add a Place ( Yellow Arrow ). Once you do you'll see that your mouse now has a little red box that you can drag around the map. Find your starting point and double click and then drag the red box. Keep doing this to complete your enclosed area. You'll find it easy to move your mouse to one of the existing lines (don't hold down the left button on the mouse) and then pick up the yellow line again to enlarge the area. This will take a little practice, but it's easy to do and if you don't like what you did, go to the bottom of the map page and click Cancel to start over.
When you first start out you won't be able to make complicated features like the one below, but in a short time they will allow it. You just need to add a few to get started. You can see here where I picked the long yellow side line to expand the area for the feature (Picacho Gold Mine).
Okay it's done and I've made a few changes to get the desired areas encompased for the mine. Now you have to go to the bottom of the page and click on save to save your outline and name this feature. This is also where you add a description. They ask that you to keep it short, 3 lines or less. Use your own judgement here.
When your looking at the different map styles you'll find that the only one that allows you to add a feature is the Wikimapia Classic. Make sure your looking at that map style before you attempt this.
This is the pop-up that someone sees when they click on the feature you installed on the Wiki map. The one you fill out is similar with a title and then an area for the description. Don't try to add a photo now -- it won't work! See below for more on that option.
Now you've added your text description (and maybe a link to a site) and you've saved it. It's now available to the masses on the Internet. Close this pop-up with the little red X in the upper right. Now you want to add a photo. Double click on the feature you installed on the map and the pop-up box will open again (the one you just finished) If you don't do it this way it won't work. You have to go back to add a photo. Drop down the Menu tab -- in the capture below. Then click on Add/manage photos and it'll open a small window where you can Browse (look for the photo on your computer) and get the photo and upload it to Wikimapia.
This is the finished product. When it is initially opened only the thumbnail is showing, but a click on it reveales a larger image like the one pictured below. That's it, you've added a feature to a very popular satellite map system, that thousands can see. Give it a try!
Content including photographs are Copyright © 2011 - Don & Linda Gilmore
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