Creating a map

This application uses Google Drive to store and share your application data. The information you see on the map is stored in a row on a specially formatted Google Sheets document. To create a map from scratch, simply open the map in a web browser. If you haven't accessed the map before, the following dialog box should appear: Simply type the name of your new map in the box labeled map name and press save. A dialog box will appear asking where in your Google Drive account you wish to store the new file. You can store you sheet wherever you wish. Once you have selected where you wish to save your document, press save.

Loading a map.

To load an existing map, simply click on the white bar at the top of the page and select the load map option from the dropdown on the left hand side of screen. A popup box should appear.

Adding data to the map

There are three different types of data which are supported by the app. Markers are simple points (think pins on a paper), layers are complex vector or tiled imagery files and maps are other google sheets created using the app which contain their own layers and markers. For example, a layer row might be load satellite imagery from Google maps, custom Mapbox tiles, a vector overlay created in ArcGIS or a geoJSON or KML file representing historical boundaries. Examples [A simple map with markers](http://52.3.57.12:8000/#?c=41.1022:-81.2644:9&m=1RmvW_6Ib5qPOuUJOp1saNkiwC2YDG2i4umYvlV1G4jg&o=4 /))

Adding points to a map

Once you have selected or created a map (see above subsections for instructions on how to load or create a map), you can add markers to a map you have permission) to edit by clicking on the white bar at the top of the app and selecting the "add marker" option from the drop down menu on the left hand side of screen. In the panel which appears, you'll see two options: "get position from address" or get position from map". The first option (get position from address), allows you search for the latitude and longitude of a location (using a process known as "Geocoding)"), while the second option (get position from map) creates a marker at the current center of the map. If you already know the latitude and longitude of the location you wish to add a marker at, you can select either option and manually enter the appropriate values into the latitude and longitude fields. By default, the map uses the EPSG: 4326 coordinate system). Thus, coordinates from Google Maps will not render properly. However, Google Earth and Open Street Map coordinates will be displayed fine. You can specify the coordinate system for a marker point in Google Sheets by entering the EPSG value into the the format column.

Adding layers to a map