Map functionality
When viewing an essay, clicking the map in the Charlie Window sends a large display of the map into the Alpha Window (the main content pane). By default, the map image when first viewed includes red shading indicating what is visible in the photo that is displayed in the Bravo Window (upper right). This layered image consists of the base map image (plain map) with a transparent PNG image on top with the shading.
Map layers
The user can also toggle display options on the map to see different contextual information for the entire map. The above animated .gif demonstrates how the map layers can be toggled on and viewed together.
The Station Points, Narrated Landmarks, Additional Reference Points, Trails, View Angles, and Composite Viewshed links toggle on/off transparent PNGs that layer atop the base map. Toggling and hovering is powered by custom-written JavaScript. The map is zoomable, i.e., the map image and its layers can be enlarged for better readability.
Layers can be viewed individually or multiple at a time. In the above screenshot, all layer options are toggled on.
Navigating the site via the map
When the Composite Viewshed is toggled on, dark purple areas are clickable through an image map (an HTML feature that makes different parts of a single image clickable). When an area is clicked, animated arrows slide toward the area from the Station Points, the locations where other photographs were taken. This animation is powered by the Raphaël JavaScript library. (The Bravo and Delta Windows remain unchanged when an area is clicked.)Similarly, when Narrated Landmarks are toggled on, landmark names (text in an image) are clickable through an image map. When an area is clicked, animated arrows slide toward the area from the locations where other photographs were taken (Station Points). In addition, the Bravo Window is populated with photos of the landmark in question and the Delta Window displays a preview of an essay that is about or mentions the landmark.
When Station Points are toggled on, numbered circles appear on the map. When the user clicks on a Station Point, the corresponding photograph in the slide navigation (at the top of the page) is highlighted, so an interested user can click on the slide. The Bravo Window is populated with the photo in question and the Delta Window displays a preview of an essay that is about or mentions the slide photo.
When Trails is toggled on, trail names in bold denote clickability. When a trail is clicked, the Bravo Window is populated with photos of the trail and the Delta Window is populated with a preview of an essay about or mentioning the trail.
Map term glossary, taken directly from the help icon on the website:
- Station Points: Peabody's standing location for each photograph
- Narrated Landmarks: Click on these to access essays about the landmarks
- Trails: Click on select trails to access essays
- View Angles: Depicts heading and L&R edges of each photo
- Crimson Viewsheds: Cartographic rendering of territory visible in a single photograph
- Composite Viewshed: All viewsheds turned on at once. Darker purple indicates a higher number of appearances that area made in the slideshow
