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..
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.
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 
button is used to change from tilted to top down view and the 
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.
Finding Bus Stops. Press the button and
then click on either map. The first 10 bus stops within 1 km are shown (after a
short delay). The 'Open Data' bus stop locations used may not be up to date or complete. Clicking on a bus stop
marker should display up to date information about the stop.
Placing
Waypoints. Press the button, then click on either map. Click on the Waypoint
marker to give it a name and description (for later export). 
Clearing Waypoints and Bus Stops.
Getting a link to the page as currently displayed (Base Layers, Overlays, Zooms and Centre).
To have a GPX file load automatically use a final URL parameter of gpx=myGpxUrl,
preceeded by wpt=1 if you want the GPX load to show waypoints in addition to any
Tracks or Routes.
Perform the search for the entered
text. If more than one result is found then a selector is presented for you to
choose the wanted result. If there is only one result, or a choice is
made, then the maps are panned to the result and the pointer is set to point at
the result. The pointers are frozen, until the map is clicked or touched.
Panning
the maps to the current location provided by your browser.Place
waypoint at searched for location. Click on the Waypoint
marker to edit its name and description (for later export). If you searched for
a grid ref, the marker will be placed at the centre of the square area that the
grid ref defines.
, is used to
between the start or end of you route and the click point. If you are using a Tablet, use the side buttons to switch between
panning the map and making route Legs. On a Tablet, an offset pointer is used
and points are placed when your finger is lifted. You may susequently insert
vertices into a 'Leg' (not easy on a Tablet) by hovering the mouse over
the Leg and dragging the small white circles around. You can use a right click
on a Leg vertex to remove just that vertex. A right click off a Leg vertex (on a
vertex link) will delete the
whole Leg.
Use this button to switch between appending to and elaborating your route and ineserting new Legs.
When inserting new Legs into a route, the button will change to look
like this 
.
There is not yet a means of merging Legs together.
This is the
'Magic' bit. Press the button to enable or disable 'Magic' path routing. Many local authorities have release
their Public Right Of Way (PROW)
data as 'Open Data'. Barry Cornelius of
rowmaps.com has done a fantastic job of collating these
releases. For WTP, I have processed them so that as you hover over the map, whole path sections are shown and may be
appended to your route with a single click.
If you start a route with a path, click near the end you want to start at. To
add a path to a route click on it. If your route ended with a clicked path, the
new path will be joined to it as the 'Crow Flies'. If your end of route was not a
path, then a best guess at where you want to join the path and which way you
want to go is made.
Use
this button to hide your route. When the button shows like this,
you can press it to restore the previously hidden route. If you start a new route whilst one is hidden, the hidden route will be discarded.
Use this button to reverse you route.
Use this button to cycle through the available colours for drawing you route. Hold down the shift key to change the opacity of the Blue Leg markers. 
Use
this button to undo or remove the last leg of the route.
Use this button to perform a terrain profile lookup of your route. The button
will change to
,
the 'Legs' of your route will be coloured according to gradient (red for up,
blue for down) and total ascent, descent and a hiking time estimate will be shown.
To turn the look up off, press the button again
.
When terrain data is available for all the Legs of your route, press this button
to show a profile display of your route. Press the button again to hide the
display. You can move the display to one side, and leave it on whilst you
construct or adjust your route.
Press this button to bring up the Import / Export dialogue. Routes may be
exported as GPX Tracks or GPX Routes to the on screen text area, to a local
file, or to a Garmin device. Waypoints can be included in the export. Import can
be from the text area, from a URL on the text area, from a local file
or from a Garmin device. WTP will do its best to break up your import into sensible
Legs e.g. by introducing a Leg on a Track or Route near a Waypoint.
Once you have a route on screen, press this button to print a Route Card. The printout will use the same map Base Layer and Zoom as your Left/Top/Only map. The layout is rendered for A4 portrait printing.
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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