Interactive Map Help

Below are a list of commonly asked questions and answers that will help you use the mapping service.

The map service did not draw correctly. How do I refresh the page?

Sometimes when exploring the map, the map does not draw or update the new view correctly. Press the function button F5 on your keyboard located in the middle section of the upper row. Then wait until the map refreshes and draws correctly.

How do I use the pan tool?

This tool works much like your hand moving a piece of paper across a table top. The pan tool moves the map display in the direction that you drag the mouse. For example, if you are looking at the state of Wyoming and you want to change the map display to see more of Montana, you should click the northern part of the map and drag it to the south. The map will redraw to show a more northern extent.

How do the zoom tools work?

The zoom tools (magnify icon) essentially resize the map display. This is the basic yet fundamentally difficult concept of map scale. The zoom in tool will redraw the selected area to show a smaller area but more detail. The zoom out tool will resize the map to display a larger area but less detail. To use this tool, click on the desired zoom tool in the toolbar (upper right). Click on the map display and drag a box around the area you wish to see more or less detail. The map will redraw the selected area to fit within the map display. For example, if you want to zoom into the Seattle area, click on the zoom in tool, click on the map display northwest of Seattle, and draw a box around Seattle. The display will will show a map with an extent equal to the box that you drew. Conversely, if you then wanted to see the entire state of Washington, click on the zoom out tool, draw a smaller box in the center of the map display, and the map will redraw to show roughly the state of Washington.

What does full map extent mean?

The full extent tool (globe with magnifier) will redraw the map display to the original scale and area. This tool is especially helpful after zooming into a small location.

How do I use the measure tools?

The measure tools include calculating length, area of a polygon, and the geographic coordinates of a single point. The measure tools can be customized to show you the desired units of length and area. For example, to find out how far it is from Billings, MT to Casper, WY, click on the measure tool, click on the line symbol, click on Billings, MT and draw a line to Casper, WY either a straight line or along a highway. Double click to end the line. The measure tool dialog box will show the segment length and the total length. The default length unit is in miles. To change this to meters, kilometers, or feet, Click on the blue down arrow and choose the desired unit. The length value will be automatically updated. Use the area tool to measure polygons.

Why do certain data layers draw on top of others?

The Table of Contents (TOC) controls the way the data in the map frame draw. The first data layers in the TOC list will draw last, and the last layers in the list will draw first. This is referred to as drawing order. In general, the TOC list will be organized with points at the top, then lines, then polygons. The TOC is organized this way so that points and lines will draw on top of polygons and not be covered by polygon data.

How do I use the identify tool?

The identify tool provides you with detailed information for individual map features. To use this tool, click on a feature in the map frame, like a CO2 point source. A new dialog box will automatically appear and will show the name of the top most feature. Click the gray down arrow to see all of the attributes for that feature. Often, there are more than one feature located in the map frame where the identify tool has been clicked. Hover over the name of the top feature and click on the dark gray down arrow button to see a list of other features that have been selected. Then you can select any of the features from the list to see their detailed attributes. You can also add any of the identify records to the Results tab by simply clicking the blue link at the bottom of the dialog box "Add to Results". The feature will be highlighted in the map frame. You can un-highlight the feature by un-checking the name in the Results tab.

If you need more detailed help, visit ESRI's Web Mapping Application help page.