Help - Where's The Path

The 2013 version of Where's The Path (version 3) continues with the familiar dual map display of the original version started in 2008. There has to be a new version now, as both Google and the Ordnance Survey have upgraded their mapping software libraries (APIs) and will shortly withdraw support for their older libraries. The new libraries support tablet computers (Android and Apple) which the old libraries did not. The original WTP loaded both an OS and a Google library. The new version of WTP uses just the Google library and has one set of code for both desktop and tablet computers. For now, if you really don't like the new site, the old site is still available here http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath_old.htm . This may limp along in Firefox and Safari, but no longer works in MSIE, Chrome or Opera .

Please be aware that Cookies are used to preserve the state of the map display etc between visits. As the site carries Google Ads, see here for more details on how Google track your browsing. Some special features are used to improve the way the site works on a Tablet.  There are two URLs for the new site  http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm and http://www.wheresthepath.org.uk/wheresthepath.htm .

The display of modern Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 mapping via OS OpenSpace still has a daily limit. So please remember that if you use OS mapping full screen on a big display, you may well cause someone else mapping disappointment later in the day. Now that WTP can show the increasingly good footpath coverage on Open Street Map and out of copyright OS 1:25,000 mapping, it should still be possible to plan routes etc. after the daily quota of modern OS mapping has been used up. I am often asked if it would be possible to make a Pro or Premium version of the site that never runs out of modern OS mapping or includes 1:25,000 mapping. Well it would, but the licensing costs from OS are high and require a significant up front payment (crowd funding might be a way to address that). The proportion of daily OS map quota remaining is shown briefly at the bottom of the browser window whenever you click either Map tab with OS mapping selected..

How to use the site

Navigate the maps in the normal way with mouse drag and scroll-wheel zoom - or pinch zoom on a tablet. Double click and double tap will do a zoom in. As you move the mouse pointer over one map, or tap a Tablet with your finger, its position is shown on the other - as a blue arrow. If the zoom levels of the two maps are different, the coverage of one map is shown on the other as a blue box. To have just one map displayed, select 'Hide' for the Base Layer for the right/bottom map.

The controls on WTP 3 have been grouped together on Tabs to save space, especially when using a Tablet.

Left/Top map controls
The first Tab contains controls for the left, top or only map:
Right/Bottom map controls
The second Tab contains controls for the right or bottom map:

If an Overlay is selected for either map, re-click the Tab to switch left-right mouse/finger drag, between adjusting the blend of the two map layers and panning of the map.

The following map base layers are available:

The Access land layer is intended to be used as an Overlay. England is from a data set dated June 2011, Wales 2010. Please see here and here for details of CROW Open Access Land.

All the base layers apart from those from Google can be used as on Overlay on one of the Base layers. Two additional Google icon based overlays are available - a  Panoramio photo layer and a Weather layer. Details about the modern 1:50,000 mapping may be found here.

WTP3 uses some bespoke, in browser, technology to warp the modern OS mapping to the same projection used by all the other map layers. Only by this means, is it possible to overlay for example Old and Modern OS mapping or OS mapping and Google imagery.

On the right map, a button appears to control viewing of Google's 45 degree imagery where it is available. The Find Bus Stops button is used to change from tilted to top down view and the Find Bus Stops the button to change from top down to tilted.  Use the rotation button that appears in the zoom control to rotate the tilted view. Google Streetview is available on the left or right map.

 

Point and mark controls
The third Tab contains controls for:
Search controls
The fourth Tab contains controls for:
Route controls
The fifth Tab contains controls for building, importing, exporting, profiling and printing routes and waypoints:
Rollup
Use the final tab to roll up or hide the controls. Useful on smaller screens.

The features from the old site that have not made it into the new site are KML import and export and the Grid / Magnetic / True North indicator. Route printing is much improved over the old site with 'bendy legs' being listed as a single table row.

That's it. I hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions please ask by email bill.chadwick2@gmail.com or use this Google Group

© Bill Chadwick 2013,2014  bill.chadwick2@gmail.com

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