Guidelines on creating maps useable with the sonic kayak system

The mapping tool was originally created by Francesca Sargent at FoAM Kernow for the sonic bikes project for a workshop in London, and is actually the 3rd version of the sonic mapping tool! We also have used it for experimenting with visualising the citizen science data on the map, but that is turned off currently...

How it works:

When you are not logged in you see all the zones anyone has ever made, so the map is a mess. After logging in you only see the zones you have created.

As maps are per-user I create a brand new one for each event or map required, we can also share logins to edit the map that way. e.g. I'm currently working on "pre_clowance_test" with the same password.

1. Point browser to - sonicmap.fo.am
2. Register a user (or login as above). Irritatingly the email address when signing up is not used but can't be turned off, and needs to be unique - so use any old nonsense that looks like an email address e.g: [email protected]
3. Login with user details
4. Move map to the right place (we can set the default map centre)
5. Click the small hexagonal icon to the left ("Draw a polygon")
6. Click around zone, and finally on the first point again to finish
7. Click the "save zones" button on the top right of the map
8. Click on zone (either via popup on the shape or in the list on the right) and click "edit zone"
9. Give it a name (ghost/tags not used for kayaks system - yet) currently we need to have pre-set names to link the zones with sounds. You can also move the points to tweak the positioning here.
10. Repeat steps 5-9 to build a map
11. Click on export zones - this displays a text (JSON) map that can be copy-pasted into a file named map.json
12. Load .json file onto USB Stick (used on sonic kayak system) - save as map.json in the audiotest directory on the USB stick.
13. Once sound files are all 16 bit .wav files they can be loaded into the audiotest/audio/ directory on the USB stick.
14. In order for the correct sounds to be played at the same times , the puredata (.pd script needs to be updated).
15. Puredata needs to be installed to do this. The 'select' script should be opened.
16. Replace/add list of sound/polygon names to the 'select' box in the script.
17. Modify operator such as 1shot or loop to dictate how the sounds are played.

Notes

• One map for each user on the web interface.
• Ensure name of zones link to names of sound files.
• All sound files must be 16 bit .wav files. Other file types can be converted with Audacity.
• All sounds files should be of equal volume ~0.5Db? The amplify tool in Audacity can be used to do this.
• Don't use Windows to modify the USB stick - it can corrupt it. Linux only...