M

Map Content window

A window that allows you to turn on and off map features on the map. Each feature in the list represents either a layer or a group of layers. Each layer has a right-click menu for additional options.

map extent

The defined area of a map being viewed. A map extent is defined in terms of the map coordinates that outlines the corners of the bounding box, usually the lower and upper x and y coordinates. Whenever zoom functions are performed, the current map extent changes to represent the current area being viewed.

map legend

An explanatory table or list of the symbols that appear on the map.

map navigation buttons

Buttons in the lower-left area of the map viewer that you can use to pan, zoom in or zoom out.

map projection

A map projection is a coordinate conversion calculation that converts geodetic coordinates—latitude and longitude—to plane (map) coordinates. Plane coordinates are used to portray the world’s surface, an irregularly shaped spheroid, on a flat surface, such as a computer screen or a piece of paper.

Map projections are created to preserve the accuracy of one or more of four main characteristics: distance, area, shape or direction. Depending on the size of the coverage area on a map, and its location on the Earth, the map projection best suited to portray that area most accurately will change.

map provider

GIS software that can be used to distribute map data as a map document or map file, or publish map data as a web-based map service.

map scale

A map extent that represents the ratio of a distance on the map to the actual distance on the ground. Map scales are represented as fractions so a map of a smaller area with more detail is considered having a larger scale than a larger area with less detail because the fraction is larger. For example, a neighborhood map may have a scale fraction of 1/10,000. This is much larger than a scale fraction 1/100,000,000 used for a world map. See also map extent.

map series

A group of maps that cover the same geographical area and have the same scale. Each map in the series tends to cover one aspect of an overall theme. A map series is created using CartoPrint.

map slider

Map tool above the map navigation buttons that allows you to zoom in or zoom out by dragging the slider bar up or down.

map tab

Tab containing a map in the OnPoint web-GIS application and displaying at least one map service. A map tab stores the initial extent of a map service. OnPoint administrators can specify map elements to be displayed on the map and or build a cascaded map in which maps are overlaid on top of each other.

map tips

A small window that can be configured to show noteworthy information about a feature when the mouse either hovers over that area or you click that area on the map.

Map Tools toolbar

The toolbar that sits above the displayed map that contains icons for performing different actions on the map, such as zooming in, zooming out, printing or viewing map tips.

map view

Predefined areas that can be selected to quickly display a predefined map extent.

map viewer

The application and container where the map is displayed.

Measure tool

A map tool to measure distances on a map.

metadata

Reference information about the map that has been made available, including creation date, quality estimates, the projection and coordinate systems used, copyright and other details.

More Information dialog box

The dialog box that appears when you use the Identify tool to view the information associated with a point on the map where you click.