iMapBC 2 Quick Reference Guide - Basic
Access through: http://www.data.gov.bc.ca/dbc/geographic
Navigation Tools Tab
iMapBC Interface
Getting Help
To access the help tools in iMapBC,
click the Help tool
(top right of
application window) and the Help will
open in a new browser window.
Reporting iMapBC Issues
Full Extent - zooms to the extent of the province
of B.C.
Toolbar
Tabs
Zoom In - click to zoom in on the map. Click and
drag a box to zoom in around a specific area.
Toolbar
Issues with iMapBC can be reported
to the Natural Resource Sector
Business Service Helpdesk:
Zoom Out - click on the map to zoom the map
out.
Basemapping
Options
I want to...
Menu
Pan - click and drag the map in the direction you
want to move the map.
Map
Window
Hours of Operation:
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (PST) Monday-Friday
Previous Extent - zooms the map to the
previous extent.
Information
Panel
Phone (within Victoria): 250-952-6801
Toll Free (within BC): 1-866-952-6801
Next Extent - zooms the map to the next extent.
Index Map
E-Mail:
NRSApplications@gov.bc.ca
(to open a ticket)
NRSEnquiries@gov.bc.ca
(to ask a question)
Add DataBC Layers - add spatial data from the
British Columbia Geographical Warehouse
(BCGW).
Albers Coordinate - click to enter an Albers
coordinate and to zoom to that location.
Lat/Long - click to enter a Lat/Long (in DMS)
coordinate and to zoom to that location.
Map Layers
Click the Show Layers
Point Identify - identify layers at one point.
tool on the ‘Maps & Data Sources’ tab to open the layer list in the information panel.
Layer Off - Click box to
turn layer on.
Layer On - Click box to
turn layer off.
Unavailable Layers Unavailable layers are
shown as grey text. If an
unavailable layer checkbox
is checked, once you zoom
to the visible extent, the
layer will turn on.
Copy Layer - Click to create
a copy of the layer (another
identical layer) before or
Metadata URL - Open the
after the layer.
DataBC Metadata record
for the layer.
Remove Layer - Click to
remove the layer from the
layer list.
Adding DataBC Layers
Zoom to Visible
Scale - Click on this
icon to zoom the map
to a visible scale for
this layer.
Zoom to Extent Zoom to the extent of
the layer.
Symbolize Layer Click on this icon to
change the symbology
of the layer or to
symbolize the layer by
an attribute.
Advanced Filter Click to create a filter
for the layer.
Click the X to Remove a Search Filter
Click Add Data BC Layers tool
on the ‘Maps &
Data Sources’ tab to open the Layer Catalog to add
data to your map.
Drawing Tools - click any of the draw
shape options to draw the markup on the
map. Symbology for markups can be
customized. Double click to end
multipoint markups.
Edit Drawing - click a markup to move
or edit the geometry of a markup. When
done editing, click item again to save
edits.
Erase Drawing - click to remove a
markup from the map.
Clear All Drawings - deletes all markups
in the map.
Grid - click to add a grid to your current
map. The grid added does not follow any
particular lines of latitude or longitude.
Map Scale - enter a scale or
select a pre-set scale option.
Jump to Bookmark - click to
save a particular geographic area that can be
returned to later in the same iMapBC session.
Enter Coords - click to enter coordinates in a
variety of formats. You can add the coordinates
to the map or pan to the location.
Plot Coords - click a location on the map and a
coordinate label will appear at that location.
Maps & Data Sources Tab
Analysis Tools Tab
Simple Query - locate features by using a simple query statement.
Advanced Query - locate features by building and combining SQL
statements.
Advanced Filter - build SQL statements to remove features from a specific
layer.
Line Identify - identify layers based on a line.
Redo - re-applies your changes made to
markups step-by-step.
Layer - click to zoom to the geographic extent of
a layer that has been added to the map.
Coordinates System - click to
change the coordinate system for the
project. This will change any
coordinate labels added in the map.
Freehand Identify - identify layers based on a freehand sketch.
Undo - backs you up step-by-step for
changes done to your markups.
Location - click to open a list of categories that
you can select to zoom to. This list includes
Mapsheet Grids and Administrative Boundaries,
but will not add the data to the map.
Clicked Coordinates - shows the
coordinates for the last location
clicked in the map window.
Point Identify - identify layers at one point.
Text - click to add text to the map. The
ellipses can be clicked to add a feature
label to the map.
Scale - click to enter a scale to zoom to that
scale.
Clear Coords - click to clear all coordinate labels
added to the map.
Filter - Add text and hit the Enter key. A list of
layers that contains the text you entered will be
returned in the search dialogue.
Browse - Click plus and minus signs to open and
close layer groups to browse layers available in
iMapBC.
Checkbox - Click the checkbox to add the layer to
the map. Uncheck this option to remove the layer
from the layer list.
Markup Tools Tab
UTM - click to enter a UTM coordinate and to
zoom to that location.
Polygon Identify - identify layers based on a polygon.
Rectangle Identify - identify layers based on a rectangle.
Display for... - allows you to select which layers can be
identified.
Buffered Identify - adds a buffer to any identify process.
Buffers can be added to the map.
Measure Distance - calculates the distance of a user-defined line.
Measure Area - calculates the area of a user-defined polygon.
External Map Layer - click to access Web
Mapping Services (WMS).
Layer Drawing Order - click to change the
drawing order of the layers.
Add Shapefile - click to add a shapefile to the
map. Select all three files required at one time.
Add CSV file - click to add CSV points to the map.
Show Layers - click to view the layers added to
your project in the information panel.
Enable Map Tips - turns on map tips
which display attribute information for a feature
when the mouse cursor is on it.
Display For - sets the list of layers for
which Map Tips will be enabled.
Reports and Printing Tools Tab
Add as Drawing - adds the measurements to the map as a drawing.
Print Map - click to create a PDF map of your
project.
Erase Drawing - erases selected measurements that have been added to the
map as a drawing.
Export Map - click to export the map as an
image.
Clear All - erases all measurements that have been added to the map as a
drawing.
SOE Report- click to create a Spatial Overlay
Engine report for a defined location.
Measurement Info - displays the
measurement information.
Units - click to change the measurement
units.
Quick Reference for iMapBC - Province of British Columbia - 2013
View Results - view previous results from a
search or identify.
View Selected - view previous selections made
in the current project.
iMapBC 2 Quick Reference Guide - Basic
Access through: http://www.data.gov.bc.ca/dbc/geographic
Printing Maps
Saving and Opening Projects
Save Project - iMapBC projects are saved as .gvsp files.
These .gvsp files can then be sent to other iMapBC users to
view the same map with the same layers.
1. Click the Save Project tool.
2. Navigate to an appropriate location on your computer
where you wish to save your project and click Save.
3. In the Save Project window, the Project Name field is
required. The Created By and Description fields are
optional. Click OK.
Open Project - opens a previously saved project file (.gvsp).
1. Click the Open Project tool.
2. Navigate to your saved project and click OK.
3. The saved project will load in your iMapBC session.
Print Map
1. Click on the Print
Map tool to open the
Create a Printable
Map dialogue in the
information panel.
2. Select the Layout
from the drop-down
menu.
3. Set any other print
options and click
Create File.
4. Click Open File to
view your map.
Exporting Maps
I want to... Menu
Right-Click Menu
The I want to… Menu is found at
the top left of the iMapBC Map
Window. This menu provides
shortcuts to several of the most
commonly used iMapBC tools.
The Right-Click Menu can be
accessed by right-clicking
anywhere in the iMapBC Map
Window. This menu provides
shortcuts to several mapping
tools used in iMapBC.
Menu options include:
- Full Extent
- Zoom to Previous Extent
- Zoom to Next Extent
- Center Map Here
- What’s Here? (Identify)
- Add Map Layers from BCGW
- Draw a Point
- Add Some Text
- Export a Map Image
I want to... Menu options include:
- Add DataBC Layers
- Find Location
- Create a printable map
- Draw on the map
- Add a Grid to the Map
- Measure distance
- Turn map data on/off
- Show/hide advanced toolbar
- View Results
Export Map - creates an image of the Map
Window in various formats. An option is
available to export the image to include
georeferenced data that can be used to
import the image into a GIS program.
1. Click the Export Map tool in the 'Reports
and Printing' tab.
2. Select the Image
Format.
3. Optionally, check
the box if you would
like the file to include
georeferencing information.
4. Click Create Image.
5. Click View Image (or Download if you
included georeferencing information).
Identifying Features
On the ‘Analysis’ tab, the Point, Freehand, Line, Polygon, and Rectangle Identify tools are used to search the
layers on the map to determine a list of features and provide additional information on specific features. Instead of
using the Search box to generate results, an identify area is defined on the map by drawing a shape.
The Display for... option allows users to select which layers are returned in the Results List.
The Buffered Identify option adds a spatial buffer to your shape drawn with the Identify tools.
The identify results will be displayed in the Results List window in the Information Panel.
Results List
Once you have a set of results in the Results List, there are many options you can use to work with these results. You can view additional information about each feature in the
Results List or use the feature(s) to find out more information about other features that are in close proximity.
Click the Globe Icon to zoom to
the feature.
Click the Star Icon to select a
feature.
Selected features will have a
bright yellow Star Icon.
Click the Blue text to view the
Feature Details window which
shows additional attribute
information and options for the
feature.
In the Feature
Details window, you
can Zoom or Pan to
the feature, Copy to
Drawing, or Add to
selected.
Right-clicking a feature in the
Results List will return
additional options:
Refine Results - refines
results by adding or removing
layers that have been
identified.
Hide Results From This
Layer - removes all results
from the clicked layer.
Removed results can be
redisplayed later using the
Refine Results option.
Show Feature Details opens the Feature Details
window.
Add to Selected - adds the feature to the Selected Features list.
Buffer Feature - allows you to use the feature to identify other features within the
buffered distance. The results will open in a new Results List.
Other Result List options include:
Wide View - moves the Results List to the bottom of the window.
View History - view previous identify results.
View Selected - view selected features.
Table View - View the results in the table view, where you have the option to export
results to a .CSV table.
Run SOE Report - Use the features in the Results List to generate an SOE Report.
Quick Reference for iMapBC - Province of British Columbia - 2013