The "Roam" service interface features includes the OS MiniScale® 1:1million scale map product (above not to scale). ©Crown copyright.
EDINA newsline
September 2009: Volume 14 Issue 3
The "Roam" service interface features includes the OS MiniScale® 1:1million scale map product (above not to scale). ©Crown copyright.
EDINA is pleased to announce a new mapping tool, called Roam (Rapid Online Access to Maps), for Digimap's Ordnance Survey Collection. Currently available as a beta facility, the new Roam interface offers the same range of datasets as the Classic facility (plus a few new ones), improved map locating tools, and a wider variety of printed outputs as well as improved performance. This new version will be offered as a beta version alongside Classic until January 2010, when Classic will be withdrawn.
Since the launch of Classic, the availability of online mapping services, both free and paid-for, has increased dramatically. Consequently, end-users are much more familiar with online mapping, and some clear trends in common usage and standard tasks have emerged. Digimap's new facility employs the now established ways of interacting with online maps but continues to offer additional value with features that are not found in freely available online services (e.g. highly detailed map data, the ability to customise maps, high-quality cartographic printouts).
Navigating around the map and between datasets is more straightforward, using alternative means of interaction. For example, you click and drag the map to a chosen location ("slippy maps") rather than use a click to re-centre the map. You can also use a slider bar to pick any zoom level with a single click.
Search facilities remain easily accessible, with the ability to locate a map using place name, postcode and grid reference searches. In time, EDINA's GeoCrossWalk service will be linked in to provide improved search methods, including the possibility of searching using other criteria such as parish or geographical feature.
Print options have been improved considerably. A new set of print templates means that an increased area of map will appear on the paper and the space taken by the marginalia has been reduced. Printing will also be possible in A4 and A3, both landscape and portrait. Initially all printable output will be PDF files, but other formats will be possible in future.
All mapping products available through the OS Collection will be visible within Roam. These range from the familiar OS MasterMap (at both 1:1250 and 1:2500), 1:10 000, 1:25 000 and 1:50 000 scale raster images, through to Strategi and Meridian. Roam also introduces two views of Ordnance Survey's MiniScale® product, which provides a nominal 1:1million scale map showing larger areas of Great Britain.
Digimap has been re-engineered to use a new GIS platform. For more detail about this development, see the article on page 2 of this issue ("Better software, better Digimap").
Improvements include cached map data to improve the speed of map display, faster map and print file generation to create a noticeably faster service, and a maximised map area in your browser window.
We have also noted the demand for some simple map annotation tools, which will be added to Roam in due course.
Initially available to site representatives only, the beta version will be released to all users in early October 2009. Links to Classic and Roam will both be in the OS Collections area of Digimap after logging in to the service.