Welcome to Medway Map Service Help
Index
1. Medway Map Service
2. Starting Medway Map Service
3. The Medway Map Service user interface
4. View and manipulating the maps
4.1 Selecting a map to view
4.2 Moving about the map
4.2.1 Navigating and zooming
4.2.2 Searching for locations - using the address gazetteer
4.2.2.1 Search
4.2.2.2 Other Searches
4.3 Selecting the layers on a map
5. Querying the map-based information
5.1 Using the Identify tool
5.2 Using the Radius Tool
6. Printing maps
7. Incorporating maps into Word Documents
1. Medway Map Service
Medway Map Service provides access to an extensive variety of map information ranging from Ordnance Survey topographic base maps to aerial photographs and map layers created by Medway Council.
Medway Map Service contains a number of maps that show the location of facilities (such as schools and libraries etc.), electoral boundaries (such as wards and polling districts), routes (cycle routes, roads and footpaths) and many other features. Each map is made up of a number of ‘map layers’ which display a particular feature such as schools or libraries.
The map-based information can be displayed at varying scales and for different locations. You can zoom in and out, pan (navigate) around the map or find a specific location by using the address search. Within a map, map layers can be turned on and off and map features can be queried. You can copy the map image into a Word document or print it directly from your local printer.
2. Starting Medway Map Service
There are two ways to enter Medway Map Service depending on the map area you initially want to view.
You can choose to open the Medway Map Window to display:
a. The full Medway area map (see below)
b. A specific location (dealt with under Section 4.2.2 - Searching for locations)
Note: For each new session using Medway Map Service, a disclaimer is displayed. Please read this disclaimer before proceeding to use the service, and then click Click here to proceed with search if you wish to continue.
Opening full Medway area map
On the Medway Map Service front page:
Click on Click here for Maps or
Click on the map showing London and Kent
The following page will be displayed showing the topographic Base Maps.
3. The Medway Map Service user interface
To get help on how to use each of the functions click on the help tips button IMAGE. To view the entire help document click on Help to the left of the Search drop down box.
4. Viewing and manipulating the maps
4.1. Selecting a map to view
To select one of the maps in Medway Map Service
Click on the drop down button under Maps and the range of map options will be displayed
Click on the appropriate map
The Build a Map tool will open. This might take quite a while - check progress in the progress bar in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
Each map is composed of a group of ‘map layers’. Use the Build a Map tool to select the map layers that you want displayed in the map:
Click in the tick box to the left of the map layer that you want to display. Ensure that a tick is displayed in the box
Repeat for all the map layers you want to display
Click on the Draw Map button.
4.2. Moving about the map
Note: You can find the grid location of features currently displayed in the map window by placing the cursor over them and noting the grid coordinates displayed in the lower left hand corner of the screen.
4.2.1 Navigating and Zooming
You can move in, out (zoom) and around (navigate) the map.
Navigating
There are two tools for navigating around the map:
Click on the green N, E, S and W buttons to move the map North, East, South and West.
Click in the Re-centre option button and click on the map to re-centre the map on the location where the cursor was clicked.
Note: You can only use the Re-centre option when ‘Layers’ or ‘Legend’ are selected in the Tools drop down list.
Zooming
You can zoom into and out of the map using a number of tools. Note that some of the layers in the maps are scale dependent - they only display when the map is at a certain scale. Therefore, as you zoom into or out from a point, different maps will be displayed depending on the selected scale. More detailed maps are shown the closer you zoom in.
Notes on scale:
A map displayed at a small scale (e.g. 1:200000) shows less detail and smaller map features but covers a larger area.
A map displayed at a large scale (e.g. 1:1250) shows more detail and larger map features but covers a smaller area.
To zoom further into a location to see a smaller area in greater detail:
Click on the Zoom In option button in the navigation box
Click on the map to zoom in and re-centre the map on the location where the cursor was clicked.
To zoom further out from a location to see a larger area in less detail:
Click on the Zoom Out option button in the navigation box
Click on the map to re-centre the map on a new location and to zoom out from the location.
Alternatively, you can select any of the map display scales from the drop down box.
Click on the drop down button to the left of the Enter Scale text box
Click on a scale value and wait for the map to be redisplayed
If you want to zoom to a scale not listed in the drop down box you can enter it into the Enter Scale text box:
Click in the text box and delete the ‘Enter Scale’ text
Type in your chosen scale (e.g. if the scale you want is 1:2000, type 2000 in the text box)
Click on the Refresh button.
Note: You can only use the Zoom In and Zoom Out options and the drop down scale list when ‘Layers’ or ‘Legend’ are selected in the Tools drop down list.
4.2.2 Searching for locations - using the address gazetteer
A specific location can be selected and displayed using the Medway Map Service search facility to search Medway’s address gazetteer.
Use the Search text box (see Section 4.2.2.1) to search for a location by:
a. postcode
b. street
c. address (house name/number + street)
d. locality (e.g. Rainham, Chattenden etc)
Use the Other Searches drop down list (see Section 4.2.2.2) to search for a:
a. key location in Medway (Take Me To option)
b. specific address (Advanced Search option)
c. grid reference location (Grid Ref option)
Note: When running Take Me To and Grid Ref searches Medway Map Service always reverts to displaying the original Base Maps so, in general, it is best to run the search before selecting maps and map layers to display.
4.2.2.1 Search
Type the name of the item you are looking for in the Search text box using the following guidelines:
to search for a postcode, type the full code e.g. ME4 4YH
to search for a street, just type the street name e.g. Yellow Brick Road
to search for an address i.e. a property number on a street, the number must be typed, followed by a comma and then the name of the street, e.g. 14, Yellow Brick Road.
Press the return key on your keyboard or
Click on the ‘Go’ button.
If the location is found the result of the search will be displayed. First:
Use the Maps drop down list (above the list of returned locations) to select a map to display the selected location. Make sure that you wait sufficient time for the map to be selected (check the status bar for progress) otherwise Base Maps will be selected by default.
You can then either:
Click To Map to go to the postcode, street, locality or single returned address location directly.
The property, street, postcode or locality is shown on the map as a red circle.
or
Click on Properties to show all addresses where more than one were returned by the search for the postcode, street or locality
Select the address from the properties drop down list and then click on To Map
The property is shown on the map as a red circle.
To remove the red circle:
Click on the drop down button under Tools and click on ‘Layers’
Scroll to the bottom of the layer list displayed in the Layer Info box, below the tools drop down list
Click on the Remove Overlays button at the bottom of the layer list.
4.2.2.2 Other searches
The Other Searches drop down list contains three options:
Take Me To - to search for a common/key location in Medway such as a town centre, the main council offices, etc.
Advanced Search - to search for a specific address
Grid Ref - to search for a specific location using grid references.
Click on the Other Searches drop down button
Select the type of search you want to make from the drop-down list
Click on the ‘Go’ button.
Depending on the search option selected, do one of the following things:
Take Me To
Select a common/key location from the General Locations drop down list
Click on the ‘Go’ button and the location will be displayed on the map with a red circle.
To remove the red circle see Section 4.2.2.1.
Advanced Search
Fill in the address, using the instructions given
Click on the ‘Find Address’ button to search for the address
For further instructions see Section 4.2.2.1.
Grid Ref
Type in a six digit grid coordinate in the east coordinate text box (for example: 573922) and
Type in a six digit grid coordinate in the north coordinate text box (for example: 168933)
Click on the ‘Find Grid Reference’ button.
4.3 Other searches
You can select, and change, which map layers you want displayed in a map. You can do this in two ways:
Using the Build a Map tool & Using the Layer tool
Both tools can be selected from the Tools drop down list.
Click on the drop down button under Tools and click on the appropriate tool from the list.
Section 4.1 describes how to use the Build a Map tool.
The Layer tool displays a list of all the map’s map layers in the Layer Info box, below the tools dropdown list. A tick box is displayed to the left of each layer. A tick in the box indicates that the layer is visible. To change the ‘visibility’ of a map layer:
Click in the tick box
Click on the ‘Refresh’ button if you have ticked a new map layer
Notes:
Some of the layers, such as aerial photographs, are only visible at certain scales
If a map is below another in the list of layers it will be displayed on top and might cover the other maps up. For example if the aerial photo layer is turned on it will cover the underlying Ordnance Survey maps.
Once you have selected your map layers, use the Legend tool (selected from the Tools dropdown list - see above) to display the legend key in the Legend Info box. The legend key shows you what colour the different map layers are displayed in. Scroll down the list to see the lower layers. Note that the base maps do not display a legend colour.
5. Querying the map-based information
5.1 Using the Identify tool
The Identify tool allows you to find out more information about items displayed on the maps such as the name, and the category. For example, if you select a school you can find out the name of the school and if it is a primary or a secondary school, etc.
To query an item on the map:
Zoom into the item(s) on the map
Click on the drop down button under Tools
Click on ‘Identify’ and a list will appear showing which map layers can be queried in the current map.
Click on the item on the map you wish to query and the results will be displayed on the left hand side in the Results box, under the Tools drop down list.
Note:
You can’t use the zoom or navigation tools when the Identify tool is selected.
5.2 Using the Radius tool
The radius tool allows you to select and identify a range of map items within a certain radius of an object. To use the Radius tool:
Make sure that the map layers containing items for identification are set to visible (see Section 4.3).
Click on the drop down button under Tools and click on ‘Radius’ from the list. The Radius Info box is displayed below the Tools drop down list.
Select a radius from the Buffer Radius drop down list.
Select a map layer or All Overlays from the ‘overlay to intersect’ drop down list
Click on the location on the map which will form the centre of the circle.
The results will be shown in the Radius Info box under Quick Results.
To see more information about the items found within the radius:
Click on the Detailed Results button at the bottom of the Radius Info box (you may have to scroll to the bottom of the box to see the button)
To remove the red circle:
Click on the drop down button under Tools and click on ‘Layers’
Scroll to the bottom of the layer list displayed in the Layer Info box, below the tools drop down list
lick on the Remove Overlays button at the bottom of the layer list.
Note: Not all map layers contain identifiable items.
6 Printing maps
The printing tool allows you to print a map using the default printer linked to your computer.
When you are satisfied with the map displayed in the map window and want to print it:
Click on the drop down button under Tools and click on ‘Print’ from the list.
Follow the instructions in the Print Info box that appears below the Tools drop down list:
Enter a title for the map
Click on the Print Layout drop down button and click on a suitable layout from list.
Standard - A4 Square map
A4L - A4 Landscape map
A4P - A4 Portrait map
A4HQL - A4 High Quality Landscape map
A4HQP - A4 High Quality Portrait map
Click on the Print Preview button. This will automatically create a print template for you containing the map and title, copyright statement, logo and scale.
Select Page Setup from the File Menu and set the Paper Size and Orientation to match the print layout that you set earlier.
Select Print from the File Menu and the map will be printed.
Click on Return to Mapping at the bottom of the print template or the Back button to return to the main Medway Map Service page.
7 Incorporating maps into Word documents
To copy a map into a Word document:
Click on the map in the map window (not the map in the print template) with the right hand mouse button.
Select Copy from the menu to copy the map into your clipboard.
Start Word.
Open a new document or the document where the map is to be pasted and click on it at the location for pasting the map.
Select Paste Special from the Edit menu and choose the format for pasting – devise independent bitmap, picture, or jpeg.
The map will then be pasted, as a picture, from the clipboard into the file along with the OS copyright statement and the map scale.
Note: Unfortunately the map scale will not be preserved when the map is pasted into the Word document and should therefore be ignored.
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