Environment Roam previous version

This help page explains how to use the previous version of Environment Roam to view and print maps of land cover data.

In this Topic ShowHide

Open Environment Roam previous version

Select the previous version of Environment Roam button from the Digimap Environment collection page.

Overview

Environment Roam enables you to view and print maps of land cover and Ordnance Survey data at predefined scales.

Prints can be created at A4 to A0 sizes in landscape or portrait orientation.

1. Map window - Where the maps are displayed.
2. View Name - Each scale of map has a View Name.
3. Overview Map - Click to view a smaller scale map of the current map view.
4. Map Content - Click to view map legend.
5. Map Information - To view details about the current map view.
6. Open - Open saved maps and annotations.
7. Save - Store maps and annotations to retrieve at a later date.
8. Print - Click to go to print options.
9. Map Tools - Annotations Tools and Measurement Tools.
10. Overlays - Click to access a menu giving options for overlays.
11. Zoom to area - use to click and drag on the map to zoom to a specific area.
12. Zoom to full extent - Click to zoom out to GB view.
13. Previous/next map - Click to go back to previous views.
14. Search - Click to search for places, postcodes, grid references or coordinates.
15. Opacity Slider - Click and drag to change opacity of the Land Cover data.
16. Basemaps - Click to view choice of basemaps available at that scale.
17. Navigation controls - Click to navigate the map.
18. Zoom slider - Use to zoom in/out.

Note: To expand or collapse the left hand panel click the or icons.

Navigating in Environment Roam

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

To pan you can either:

• Click and drag the map. To drag the map, click on the map and hold the left mouse button, then drag to move the map.
• Use your keyboards arrow keys to move around the map.
• Use the navigation control to move north, south, east or west:

Click the relevant arrow to pan the map in that direction.

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

• Double click to zoom in.
• Use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in or out.
• Use the plus (+) and minus (-) keys on your keyboard.
• Use the zoom slider bar to zoom in or out:

• Click the to zoom in and click the to zoom out.
• Click and drag the blue marker to zoom in or out.
• Or click anywhere on the slider bar to zoom to that scale.
• Use the zoom tool to zoom in or out:
• • Click the zoom to area icon a the top right of the map.
  • Click and drag a box on the map.
  • The map will then zoom in to the most appropriate map view.

Searching for a location

You can search for a location in Environment Roam using a place name, postcode, grid reference easting/northing or latitude/longitude. Click Search on the main menu bar to expand the search box.

Understanding map views

Roam has eleven different predefined map scales called views. The views consist of different environment 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. The following table lists the scale and map products used for each view. This will help you decide which view is appropriate for your purpose.

1. View	Environment Map Product	Background Map Product	Scale
   GB	Land Cover Map 2015	Digital Chart of the World (Country Outlines)	1:8 000 000
   National	Land Cover Map 2015	OS Miniscale®	1:600 000
   National	Land Cover Map 2015	OS Miniscale®	1:600 000
   Regional	Land Cover Map 2015	OS Miniscale®	1:800 000
   Regional	Land Cover Map 2015	OS Miniscale®	1:800 000
   Regional	Land Cover Map 2015	OS Miniscale®	1:400 000
   Regional	Land Cover Map 2015	OS 1:250 000 Colour Raster	1:100 000
   Local	Land Cover Map 2015	OS 1:250 000 Colour Raster	1:50 000
   Local	Land Cover Map 2015	OS 1:250 000 Colour Raster	1:50 000
   Local	Land Cover Map 2015	OS 1:50 000 Colour Raster	1:40 000
   Local	Land Cover Map 2015	OS 1:50 000 Colour Raster	1:10 000

Controlling map content

In Environment Roam it is not possible to customise which features are displayed on the map. However the Legend shows what each colour on the land cover map means.

It is possible to customize the strength of the colour of the layers on the map. Use the slider at the top left hand side of the map to increase or decrease the opacity of the data.

Annotation Tools

The annotation tools in Environment 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 too.

How to open the Annotations Toolbar

Click on the Annotations button above the map to open the Annotations Toolbar.

Drawing features on your map

Draw & Create tools

These buttons allow you to select the sort of feature you want and then place or draw it on the map.

Symbol:

1. Use the drop-down menu to pick a symbol by clicking on the small black arrow to the right of the Symbol button . The button will darken to show that it is active.

2. Select the symbol you want to place on the map.

3. Now click the location on the map where you want to place the symbol.

Text:

1. First use the Text Settings to select an appropriate colour, size and whether you want a Bold typeface.
   

2. Click the Text button . It will darken to show it is active. Then click on the map where you want your text to start from.

3. A box will appear into which you can type your text. Click Save once you are finished.

Lines:

1. First use the Stroke Settings to select the colour, width and style of the line you want to draw.
   

2. Click the Line button . It will darken to show it is active.
3. Click the point on the map where you want your line to start. Continue clicking wherever you want the line to change direction. Use a double click to finish the line.

Polygons/areas:

1. First use the drop-down list to select whether you want to draw your polygon by selecting a sequence of points or by drawing a free form line .
2. Use the Stroke Settings to select the colour, thickness and Style of the outline of the polygon as above.
3. Use the Fill Settings to select the colour and opacity of the body of the polygon.
   
4. Click on the map to start drawing your polygon:
   • If you are using a sequence of points, click the location on the map where you want a start the polygon outline. Use a double click to close the polygon back to the first point.
   • If you are using a free form line, click and hold down the left mouse button and draw your outline. Release the mouse button to close the polygon. A line will automatically go back to the first point when you release.

Shapes:

1. First use the drop-down list to select a shape by clicking on the black arrow to the right of the Shapes button.

2. Use the Stroke Settings to select the colour, thickness and Style of the outline of the shape as above.

3. Use the Fill Settings to select the colour and opacity of the body of the shape as above.

4. Click on the map where you want the centre of your shape to be (see note about Ellipses).

5. Keep the left mouse button held down and drag out the shape till it is the right size; you can also change the orientation of the shape by dragging the mouse pointer in different directions.

Note: when drawing ellipses you click to select where you want the outer edge of the ellipse to be. Ellipses can only be drawn with the long axis North/South or East/West, though this can be modified using the Rotate tool in the Modify and editing section.

Visibility

This button allows you switch on and off the annotations you have drawn on the map. If you uncheck this box you will not loose any of the annotations you have drawn, they will be remembered and return when you check it again.

Note: Your annotations will not be deleted unless you leave Digimap Roam or click on the delete all button in the next section.

Delete

There are two options for deleting features you have drawn on the map; deleting all features using the Remove All button , or deleting selected features only using Delete Features tool. You can delete features by clicking on them one by one, or by using the select tool to create a group for deletion.

Select

There are two options for selecting features you have drawn on the map; you can use the Select Features tool to pick individual features, or you can use the Select Features by Area tool to drag a box and select multiple features at once. By holding down the shift key you can make multiple selections with both these tools. Selected features will turn yellow.

Once you have selected a feature you can then use one of the tools to modify it or you can delete it.  Selections of multiple features can only be deleted.

Modify and editing tools

The modify tools allow you to take the features you have added to the map and change certain aspects of them.

Add Label

This tool allows you to label a feature you have drawn on the map.

1. First use the Text Settings to select an appropriate colour, size and whether you want a bold typeface.
2. Click the label button . It will darken to show it is active.
3. Click on a feature you have drawn or placed on the map.
4. A box will open where you can type you text. Click Save once you are finished.

Add Measurement

This tool allows you to add an area value to polygons or shapes, and a length value to lines you have drawn on the map.

1. First use the Text Settings to select an appropriate colour, size and whether you want a Bold typeface.
2. Click on the measurement button . It will darken to show it is active.
3. Click on a line, shape or polygon you have drawn on the map.
4. The measurement in metres or kilometres will be displayed at the point where you clicked.
5. If you modify a feature with a measurement label, the values in the label will not automatically update. You will need to add a new measurement label.

Move Feature

This tool allows you to move all the features you have added to the map.

1. First click on the move feature button . It will darken to show it is active.
2. Move the mouse pointer over a feature you have drawn on the map. The mouse pointer will turn into an arrow pointing four ways similar to the one on the button.
3. Click and hold down the left mouse button on the feature. Drag the feature to its new location.
   • To move text labels, move the mouse pointer over the bottom left corner.
   • To move measurement labels, move the mouse pointer over the centre of the text.

Note: Feature labels move with its associated feature, but measurement labels do not. Features will remain in the same order as they were drawn, for example if you move a feature over another, the one that was drawn first will be placed at the back.

Modify Feature

This tool allows you to change the position of all the points that make up the lines, polygons and shapes you have drawn.

1. First click on the modify feature button . It will darken to show it is active.

2. Click on a feature to select it for modification. It will turn yellow and dark grey circles will appear at each vertex.  Light grey circles will appear a the half way points between vertices.

3. Click and drag the dark grey circles to move the vertices, changing the shape.  You can also click on the light grey circles to add new vertices to the feature which can in turn be moved.

4. Clicking on anything except a grey circle will finish the edits.

Rotate Feature

This tool allows you to rotate a line, polygon or shape you have drawn on the map.

1. First click on the rotate feature button . It will darken to show it is active.

2. Click on a feature to select it for modification. It will turn yellow and a dark grey circle will appear at the bottom right of the feature.

3. Click and drag the dark grey circle round the feature to rotate it.

4. Release the mouse button when you are happy with its new position.

Free-Form Transfer Feature

This tool allows you to change the size of a line, polygon or shape without locking the aspect ratio. This allows you to stretch the feature vertically or horizontally.

1. First click on the transform feature button . It will darken to show it is active.

2. Click on a feature to select it for modification. It will turn yellow and a dark grey circle will appear at the bottom right of the feature.

3. Click and drag the dark grey circle round the feature to stretch or shrink it in that direction.

4. Release the mouse button when you are happy with its new size and shape.

Scale Feature

This tool allows you to change the size of a line, polygon or shape with a locked aspect ratio. This allows you increase or decrease the size of a feature.

1. First click on the transform feature button . It will darken to show it is active.

2. Click on a feature to select it for modification. It will turn yellow and a dark grey circle will appear at the bottom right of the feature.

3. Click and drag the dark grey circle around the feature to stretch or shrink it in that direction.

4. Release the mouse button when you are happy with its new size.

Edit Styling

You can edit the colour and other style properties of features after you have added them to you map.  To do this:

1. First click on the Select Features tool or the Select Features by Area tool .

2. Next, click on the feature(s) that you want to edit to select them. Selected features will become highlighted in yellow.

3. To change the colour of markers, text, line or areas, select the new colour from the relevant colour options.  

4. To change the style or width of lines, select the feature and change the relevant styles.

5. To edit a label or other text select the text and type in the pop up box that appears.  You cannot edit the text of multiple labels all at once.

6. When you have finished editing your feature(s), deselect by clicking on a blank area of the map.

Saving and retrieving annotations

You can save annotations added to your map to retrieve them at a later date.  To save a set of annotations:

1. Click the save annotations button .

2. In the save pop-up, give your annotations set a name.
3. Click Save.

To retrieve saved annotations:

1. Click on the open saved annotations button .
2. From the pop-up, select the annotation set you want to open by clicking once on the name.
3. If you have other annotations present on your map, you will be asked to choose whether you want to clear or keep the existing annotations.

Importing and exporting

Importing:

If you have a dataset of spatial data, you can import it into Roam to view those features as annotations.  This can be a dataset you have created in a GIS or CAD, downloaded from Digimap or another data provider, tracks or points surveyed using a GPS unit or a geocoded table of survey results.  Supported formats are:

• Shapefile
• KML
• GPX
• CSV
• GeoJSON

To import a file to use as annotations:

1. Click the import button .
2. Browse to the file you want to import and select it.
3. Click Import.  Your file will be checked and verified by Roam, this can take a minute or two especially if your dataset is large or complex.
4. If you are importing a CSV dataset, an additional pop-up will appear for you to select the X and Y coordinates from your file, and the relevant projection for the dataset.  Select the relevant fields from the drop down menus.

Important note! -  Shapefiles must be zipped into a .zip archive.  The zip file must include at least the .shp, .dbf, .shx and .prj components of the shapefile.

Supported Coordinate Systems (projections) - All imported datasets must have a defined coordinate system (projection) so Roam knows where exactly on the map the features should be.  GPX and KML files have default projections that are always contained in the files, so they are straight forward.  Shapefiles, GeoJSON and geocoded CSV files can come in a variety of projections that can be used to locate data worldwide.  As Roam only contains maps for Great Britain, only coordinate systems relevant to GB are supported for imported annotation files.  

Supported projections are:

• British National Grid (EPSG:27700)

• WGS84 (EPSG:4326)

• Web Mercator (EPSG:3857)

• ETRS89(EPSG:4258)

If your dataset's projection is not one of those listed above, Roam will not be able to import it.  If necessary, reproject your data into a supported projection using a GIS or relevant software.

NB: Supported projections can be defined in a variety of ways in spatial datasets.  So it may be possible that your dataset will be in (for example) British National Grid but is defined in a particular way that Roam has not been coded to support and therefore will fail to import.  If you have such a dataset, please contact the EDINA Helpdesk (edina@ed.ac.uk) and send a copy of your data.  We can then add the relevant projection to those supported in Roam.

Exporting:

You can export annotations your have created using Roam to suitable formats for use in GIS/CAD.  Formats that you can export annotations to are:

• Shapefile
• KML
• GeoJSON

To export a set of annotations:

1. Click the export button .
2. Select the format you which to export so and give the file a name.
3. Click export.

Any geographic data you generate from a map is called "derived data" and is still copyright to the creators of the original map. If you create annotations by tracing features on a Roam map you will need to credit any maps you go on to make using the annotations with the appropriate copyright statement.

The copyright statement is added automatically when you print a map from Roam. You will need to add in the statement manually if you export annotations and use them in other software such as GIS or CAD. The copyright statement to include can be found in the Terms of Use for the service you are using. Just click the link on the lower right portion of the Roam interface.

Printing

Environment 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 map:

1.  Click the print button on the main menu bar.
2. Enter a map Title.
3. Select the Print Format.
4. Select the Page Size using the drop down menu.
5. Select orientation (landscape or portrait).
6. Check the box if you want to add National Grid Lines.
7. Check the box if you want to include any Annotations you have drawn on the map.
8. Check the box if you want to include Hill Shading.

9. 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.

10. Click Generate Print File, this will produce a PDF file which you can save or print.

Use the tab (shown above) to view a small area of the map content that you will get; use the tab (shown below) to show the extents of the area your map will cover based on the paper size and scale of the map.  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. The information will update as you pan and zoom the map.

1. Click Map Information on the Task Menu tab to open it.
2. The information displays on the top right and bottom left coordinates of the current map view. Note: The bottom left coordinates relate to the corner hidden by the left task panel when it is expanded.
3. The scale the current map will be printed at is displayed.
4. Hover over any point on the map to view the coordinates.

My Maps

My Maps enables you to save maps to retrieve at a later point. Information about the location, zoom level and also which layers were switched on will be saved.

1. Click the My Maps tab in the Task Menu panel to open.
   

2. Click Save Current map to save the map view.
   

3. Click to select any saved map to view in the map window.
   

4. Sort the list of saved maps by clicking the column headings.
   

5. Rename any map by double clicking the map title and entering a new name.
   

6. Click Delete Selected to remove the map from your saved maps.

Measurement Tools

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

1. Click the Measurement Tools button on the tool bar to open.

2. Select to Measure Distance or Measure 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. The total distance or area measurement is displayed in the measurement tools window.

   
   

6. Closing the measurement tools window will clear the line or area from the map.

NB: Measurements less than 1km in length or 1km2 in area are given in metres and metres squared.

Comparing datasets over time

Owing to improvements in satellite mapping technology and data collection methods, comparisons of the 1990, 2000, 2007 and 2015 datasets to detect change over time must be treated with caution. Many changes appear because of the improvements in the methodologies used to create the data and do not necessarily reflect actual change on the ground.