Templot Club Archive 2007-2020                             

topic: 3373Background Maps
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posted: 16 Jan 2019 14:24

from:

richard_t
 
Nr. Spalding, South Holland - United Kingdom

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Hi

I'm struggling to import a map from NLS. It's URL is:

http://maps.nls.uk/view/126523646#zoom=6&lat=7983&lon=9155&layers=BT

Entering a name, and selecting screenshot maps: NLS OS 25-inich GB 1841-1952, and then entering the above URL in the real location box. I changed the zoom level to 6 (from the above URL), and then show map drops me somewhere in Magadan? (actually I'm not sure where it is...)

I did manage to grab a copy of the map using the other screenshot map URL, so all's not lost
Last edited on 16 Jan 2019 15:42 by richard_t
posted: 16 Jan 2019 17:51

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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richard_t wrote:
I'm struggling to import a map from NLS. It's URL is:

http://maps.nls.uk/view/126523646#zoom=6&lat=7983&lon=9155&layers=BT

Entering a name, and selecting screenshot maps: NLS OS 25-inich GB 1841-1952, and then entering the above URL in the real location box. I changed the zoom level to 6 (from the above URL), and then show map drops me somewhere in Magadan? (actually I'm not sure where it is...)

I did manage to grab a copy of the map using the other screenshot map URL, so all's not lost
Hi Richard,

That URL is a "Find By Place" map on the NLS web site. i.e. it is an individual map sheet and not part of the continuous  geo-referenced slippy maps (which can be identified by the presence of a background transparency slider).

For the "Find By Place" maps, please enter the URL into this box:

2_161232_190000000.png2_161232_190000000.png

Do not set the zoom level to match, the zoom level numbering differs between these sheets and the geo-referenced maps.


The 3 options above it are for the geo-referenced maps, as can be seen from their having 2 map layers specified, i.e. NLS OS 25" + NLS Aerial

I'm sorry this distinction isn't too clear, I still need to write the full instructions for this maps function.

See also this old reply to you:

topic 3051 - message 22019

p.s. don't forget to set the model scale/gauge beforehand.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 16 Jan 2019 19:20

from:

richard_t
 
Nr. Spalding, South Holland - United Kingdom

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Thanks for that - sorry I should have searched before posting my question.

posted: 17 Jan 2019 10:07

from:

richard_t
 
Nr. Spalding, South Holland - United Kingdom

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A quick follow up on the "slippy" maps - it's possible to rotate them in a "normal" browser (alt+shift+drag), but I can't get this combination to work in the embedded browser within Templot.

Example URL that would be better rotated:

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=53.1971&lon=-2.8910&layers=168&b=4

(And I'm glad to see that the "slippy" maps have reached Chester :-D)

posted: 18 Jan 2019 03:59

from:

Martin Wynne
 
West Of The Severn - United Kingdom

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richard_t wrote:
A quick follow up on the "slippy" maps - it's possible to rotate them in a "normal" browser (alt+shift+drag), but I can't get this combination to work in the embedded browser within Templot.

Example URL that would be better rotated:

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=53.1971&lon=-2.8910&layers=168&b=4

(And I'm glad to see that the "slippy" maps have reached Chester :-D)
Hi Richard,

You could manually make a rotated NLS screenshot in some other browser and put it in a background picture shape. There is a function in the background shapes to help you scale it to the required size -- see the help > calculate size of a map screenshot menu item (on the background shapes dialog).

Don't forget also that you can rotate background maps in Templot using the twist function. And then maybe use the crop/combine function to get several partial maps into a single usable image at the desired angle.

This question should really be addressed to the NLS rather than Templot. It is their web site which is failing to work in the embedded browser -- for example the "script error" messages, and the fact that mouse-dragging doesn't work (in Windows10), it is necessary to use the arrow keys to move around.

Those problems don't arise with other map sites such as OS Maps and OpenStreetMap, which work fine in the embedded browser without errors.

However, criticising NLS is a bit unfair when they are a non-profit providing an amazing mapping resource free of charge.

The real culprit is Microsoft, who still implement the Windows API WebBrowser component using an old version of Internet Explorer -- I believe the rendering engine is IE7. Even in Windows10 they haven't upgraded it to the Edge rendering engine. This is typical of Windows, where fancy new stuff that no-one wants gets added to the desktop, but the underlying works are years old. Look for example at the standard Windows Help system (CHM files) -- unchanged since Windows98 and still full of the original bugs. Admittedly large chunks of Templot are also unchanged since 1998 -- but Microsoft isn't one man in a shed.

(On the other hand this Microsoft make-do-and-don't-mend policy has left us with the original Windows metafile format, which is just great for many functions in Templot, despite seemingly falling out of favour with everyone else.) 

So in effect we are asking NLS to make their web site work in IE7, a lot of work for them -- for a browser which is out-of-date and no-one is still using as a regular browser.

I have tried to find some other web browser component which can be embedded with the same functionality, but such a thing doesn't seem to exist. There are other rendering engines which might possibly be embedded, but none of them report back the current URL (which is needed for the auto-scaling in Templot).

It might be possible to kludge something into Templot where it opens and makes a full-screen screenshot from some other browser, and then asks you to copy and paste from the browser address bar into an edit box. But the scope for users to get some part of the process wrong is just too daunting for me to try to create a user interface for it.

cheers,

Martin.

posted: 21 Jan 2019 16:36

from:

richard_t
 
Nr. Spalding, South Holland - United Kingdom

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Thanks for that information.

I should have added that the reason I want to rotate the map in the browser was due to the railway line being mainly North to South and as my monitors are landscape, I had to use a reduced zoom to get the all the layout I was after.

I had a quick think about it whilst walking the dog, and using my video card's driver, rotated the monitors image to be portrait (without changing the actual monitors themselves). Once I'd worked out how to move the mouse (rotate it anti-clockwise in mycase), I was able to get the map I wanted, at a reasonable zoom level (18).

[I wouldn't like to work for long like that, as it was starting to give me a headache after only a couple of minutes]

posted: 21 Jan 2019 20:20

from:

Rob Manchester
 
Manchester - United Kingdom

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richard_t wrote:
Thanks for that information.

I should have added that the reason I want to rotate the map in the browser was due to the railway line being mainly North to South and as my monitors are landscape, I had to use a reduced zoom to get the all the layout I was after.

I had a quick think about it whilst walking the dog, and using my video card's driver, rotated the monitors image to be portrait (without changing the actual monitors themselves). Once I'd worked out how to move the mouse (rotate it anti-clockwise in mycase), I was able to get the map I wanted, at a reasonable zoom level (18).

[I wouldn't like to work for long like that, as it was starting to give me a headache after only a couple of minutes]
Hi Richard,
There are some monitors available that you can physically rotate 90 degrees on the base so viewing is in portrait format. Very useful if you work with documents in that format although probably not worth buying just for Templot maps :D That is of course why some video cards support monitor rotation.....

Rob


posted: 22 Jan 2019 07:33

from:

richard_t
 
Nr. Spalding, South Holland - United Kingdom

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Hi Rob

Yes my monitors can rotate - there's just too much stuff under them that I'd have to move out of the way!

All the best

Richard



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