Quick Reference HELP for the Dobbin Menu

The Full Dobbin Menu shows all the available features. We recommend that first time users start by using the Easy Menu Option at the top of the Main Menu. The Easy Menu steers you towards the features you need to use and gives you help on the way.

Full Menu Commands:-

Build a Map -

(GenOSMap) Generates a web map page from up to FIVE GPX file layers produced by Memory Map or other GPS/GIS Software and saves your map project.

Your Maps -

Lists your maps with links to display them

Your GPX Files-

Enables you to Download, Edit or Delete any gpx file you have uploaded.

Your Photos -

Uploads your photos for display on an item (track or waypoint/mark) on your map.
You may also list your photos and view them and also delete them..

Your MMO Files -

Enables you to Upload Memory Map mmo files for safe keeping, and also download or delete uploaded files.

Create Index Marker -

Provides a quick and automatic way to produce an index map page for you map(s)

View and Copy Maps -

This enables you to copy all the map files for a public map (Directory "Public") into your own workspace. Files copied are the finished map file (trk) and the component gpx files form which it is generated. Also copied is the .hdr file that defines the map componets and headings. Once in your own workspace you can download the gpx files to your own PC for your own use.

Import from Dobbin (or Ridemaps if you are logged on to Dobbin)

Enables you to import/copy maps (dependent upon privilege) from Dobbin to Ridemaps or vice versa

 

QUICK START -

Prepare your maps on Memory Map

• Use Memory Map to plot a track and with markers if required.
• Export or save your work as GPX file.

Load to Web (Build a Map)

• Click "Build a Map"
• Select your GPX file as layer 1
• Select the colour for the tracks on that layer when displayed on the web map
• Add further Layers if required
• Click Process Files

On the next page

• Verify/Specify a short name for your map/project (preferably without spaces)
• Enter the Web Page Title, Web Page Heading and Web Page Heading Text
• You will see that the centre of your map and the zoom level have automatically been specified.
• You can adjust these if necessary.
• Click Write Map

• This generates a Map File (trk file) with the name you specified and loads it to your username map set.
• It also saves the Web Page titles, Map Centre and Zoom to a project file of the same name.
• When you specify that name again this heading data is automatically recalled - it can of course be amended as necessary.

Click on the given link to display your map, or select Map LIst to see all your maps.

ADVANCED FEATURES AVAILABLE FOR PREPARING YOUR MAPS

When preparing your maps using Memory Map (or other Software) you may:

• insert web links (to other web pages)
• insert photos
• display text in Bold
• insert new lines
• individually colour a track or segment
• specify symbols for markers in the marker text

Quick Web Links

To insert a html web link in your text (applies to all text , onyour map flags, route text and in web page map heading)

• simply write ~link text@https://www.link.htm~ where link text is text displayed and www.link.htm is the URL to call.
• this automatically gets converted into link text
• further, to link to another map write ~link text@@mapname~

To Insert a Photo

• simply write ~text heading$photoname.jpg~
• the photo from your photo directory is displayed headed by text heading.
• the photo must be loaded to your "photos" directory - Just use upload photo.

To Display Text in BOLD

• simply enclose your text with asterisks ie *Your text*

To Insert a New Line

• write <br> which is standard html
• or write vertical bar eg first line|next line

To individually Colour a Track Segment

• A colour parameter of the form "^colour" where colour is green,red,blue,cyan,yellow,magenta or purple or dashn. (n 1,2,3 or 4). The parameter itself (with a space before and after) will not appear in the track's name.
• eg "^green This is a Green Track" or "This is a ^red red track ". The colour parameter overrides the default colour for the layer.
• If you have specified colours for individual tracks in this manner, you can over ride and force the default colour for each layer. Just tick the force colour default box.
• Aslo with the new vesrion of Memory Map you can colour your tracks on Memory Map and the colour will be transferred with the exported GPX to the reslultant web map but you do need to select the approriate radio button option on Build a Map.

 

To specify the symbol for a marker via parameter in Name

• If the system you are using to write your gpx track file does not write symbols to the gpx file (Some web plotting programs do not). you may specify the symbol name in the marker name in a similar as for colour (above).
• eg "^Warning This is a warning Marker" or "This is parking Marker ^Parking"
• Also using ^WP1 to ^WP20 will display numbered waypoint flag. This parameter option overrides any other symbol specified.
• New! Any Name starting with 1. to 50. (full stop is essential) is similarly displayed with a numbered waypoint flag.
• See below for available symbols.

When generating your web maps using Build a Map:-

Automatic Save of Map Project

• Parameters for your Map/Project are automatically saved and recalled when you specify an exsiting map name.
• You can adjust the parameters on the second screen.
• You do have to browse for your project gpx layer files (and upload) each time you generate the map. A reminder of the gpx file names is shown if you click Find Existing Details. This option may not work on older browsers.
• Please note that Map/Project name is case sensitive.

Map Parameters

• The centre of the displayed map is automatically calculated. You can adjust it if required.
• The zoom level is automatically calculated to best show all your route and mark details. You can adjust it if required.
• You can choose a default colour for all the tracks in each layer. You can also specify the colour of an individual track (see below).
• For each colour you can choose the pen width, and the opacity. These are saved with your map/project.
• You can also choose to use dashed lines and specify up to 4 differnent styles.
• You can choose whether to have a Search Box on your map that will zoom to a place or post code

 

More Features:-

Labelling Paths

By default a green marker is put on each path segment. On clicking the marker you get information about the segment. You can choose not to have paths labelled in this way by unchecking the box on the first page of Build a Map.

Reporting Option on Paths

With each label above you can have a report button so that people can automatically send you information on the path.

You specify that a report option appears for every path on "Layer".

For each layer you can specify whether the report is for a trail, bridleway or ridden path. (Different questions are asked). The Trail option is more general and can apply to any route.

Alternatively you can force the report button to appear for for an individual Bridleway or Other Path by prefixing the path name with $ for bridleway and % for other path. (The characters are not displayed). This is useful if you have different types of path in a single layer

The reports are sent to email specified in your profile.



Marker Symbols

A defined set of Marker Symbols are available on both Memory Map and the Web Maps.