How to use Aerial Roam

This help page explains how to use aerial Roam to view and print maps of aerial imagery data.

 

Start Aerial Roam

aerial digimap home page

 

Overview

image of Aerial Roam service


Navigating in Aerial Roam

You can navigate in Aerial Roam by panning (moving the map in any direction) and by zooming in and out of the map.

To pan you can:


To zoom in/out of the map, you can:

zoom slider bar

Searching for a location

You can search for a location in Aerial Roam using a place name, postcode, grid reference, easting/northing or latitude/longitude.

Notes:

 

To search using the Coordinate / Grid Ref. Search options:


Understanding map views


Aerial Roam has a number of different pre-defined map scales, called views.

The views consist of aerial imagery data and background Ordnance Survey map products which are appropriate for each view's scale.

Once you have found your location of interest, you can zoom in and out to find the appropriate view for your map.


Customise map transparency


It is possible to customise the strength of the colour of the aerial information on the map.

Use the slider at the top of the map to increase or decrease the opacity of the data, making either the background mapping or the aerial imagery more clear.

transparency slider


Get feature information

  1. To find out more information about the date and footprints of aerial images use the information button on the top menu barinformation icon.
  2. Now select any point on a map to open up an information box describing the aerial image for that area.
    get feature info box

 


Drawing tools

The drawing tools in Aerial Roam allow you to draw symbols, lines, polygons and text on your maps. You can add labels to these features and have the ability to select colours and styles for them.

Below is a summary of the main tools.  

  1. Click the Drawing Tools in the left panel.

image of Drawing Tools options

  1. Add features using the Create set of tools on the tab bar. Select from the point, text, line or area tools, and click on the map to start drawing.
  2. Text colour and font size can be set using the Text Settings options.
  3. Area style settings can be set using the Fill and Stroke settings, to select the colour and opacity of the fill and the colour, style and width of the outline.
  4. Line style settings can be set using the Stroke settings.
  5. Use the modify tools to add labels, reposition, resize and reshape features drawn.

  6. To edit the colour and styling of text, line or areas drawn, click on the Select tool (or the drag to select tool) and then click on the feature you want to edit to select it, it will be highlighted.  Next, change the colour and style settings you want to change.  Then deselect the feature(s) by clicking away from the feature in an area where you have no drawings.

  7. You can import a dataset you have and want to add as features to the map using the Import tab.   

Supported formats are:

      • Shapefile (in zip)
      • KML
      • GPX
      • CSV
      • GeoJSON

 

  1. To export a set of drawings you have created to a file suitable for use in a GIS, click on the Export tab, choose a file format, give your file a name and click Export.

Saving your drawings

my maps save option

 

  1. To save a set of drawings, select My Maps then Save

  2. Give your map a name and click Save to save the map and drawings.  

  3. To open a saved map with drawings, select My Maps then Open. Select the map you want to view.


Printing

Aerial Roam allows you to create printable maps in A4 to A0 size and in portrait or landscape layout in a variety of formats and at user defined scales.

To create a printable map:

  1. Click the print button print button on the main menu bar.
  2. Enter a map title.
  3. Enter your required scale.
  4. Select the print format.
  5. Select the page size using the drop down menu.
  6. Select orientation (landscape or portrait)
  7. Check the box if you want to add National Grid Lines.
  8. Check the box if you want to include any Annotations you have drawn on the map.
  9. Check the box if you want to include Hill Shading.
  10. Check the box if you want to Add Legend. Note the legend will be created as a separate PDF file and placed in a zip file with your map.
  11. Click Generate Print File, this will produce a PDF file which you can save or print.

 

Preview your map

  1. Use the content preview tab content preview tab tab to view a small area of the map content that you will get.
  2. Use the layout preview layout preview tab tab to show the extents of the area your map will cover based on the paper size and scale of the map.  
  3. Drag the map in either preview window to change the location of your map.

 


Map Information

The Map Information tab displays spatial reference information about the current map view.

  1. Click Map Information on the left panel.

  2. The panel displays the top right and bottom left coordinates of the current map view.

  3. You can see the default print scale (this can be changed in the print menu).

  4. Hover over any point on the map to view the coordinates.

  5. The information will update as you pan and zoom the map.

map info panel


  

My Maps

My Maps enables you to save maps and open maps you have previously saved.

Save My Maps

  1. To save a map and any drawings, select My Maps, then Save
  2. Give your map a name and click Save and the map along with any drawings will be saved.  

save maps option

 

Open My Maps

  1. To open a saved map, select My Maps then Open.
  2. Select the map you want to view.
  3. Find a saved map by filtering the list.
  4. Click the rubbish bin icon rubbish bin iconto remove the map from your saved maps.

open maps area

 

Merge drawings message


If you already have drawings present on your map and you try and open another map with drawings, you will be asked to either replace or merge annotations.


merge annotations message



Measurement Tools

Aerial Roam's Measurement Tools enable you to measure distances and areas on your map.

  1. Select Measurement Tools on the left panel.

  2. Select to measure a distance or an area.

  3. Click once on the map to start measuring.  

  4. Move the mouse pointer along to the next point.  Clicking once on the map will add a point.

  5. Double click to finish measuring.  

  6. The total distance or area measurement is displayed in the measurement tools panel.

  7. Measurements can be deleted using the Delete measurements button.

 

measurement tool panel

Compare 2 maps

You can view 2 maps side by side, allowing you to compare maps where one displays Ordnance Survey data more clearly.

  1. Zoom to your location.
  2. Close the left panel by selecting Collapse Sidebar at the bottom left.
  3. Select the 2up button imaeg of 2up buttonon the top menu bar.
  4. Customise the opacity on both maps.

2up view in aerial roam