Step by Step Guide to editing the Peoples Map

This is a basic step by step guide to editing the Peoples Map. This guide is specifically targeted at our new Peoples Map editors, but can off course be used by our existing editors to refresh their knowledge. I hope that you will find this Step by Step Guide helpful when famirialising yourselves with the tools. Please let us know if we can add anything else to this guide and send your suggestions to info@peoplesmap.com.

1. Notes before you start editing the map
People’s Map allows the registered user to create and edit map features such as:
- Roads – All type of roads, cycling and walking paths
- Points of Interests – Towns, Hospitals, Car parks, Sport Fields, Churches, etc
- Areas – Parks, Lakes, Buildings, Airports, Rivers, etc

There are two map windows in the People’s Map website that both contain four map layers. You can identify in which mode you are by looking at what tab is highlighted as illustrated in the image 1 & 2 below.

1.1) Image 1:“View” mode

The “view” window is a browser window where road, town and post code searches are performed.

1.2) Image 2: “Edit” mode

The “edit” browser is where the actually edits of data is performed. Also note that the editable vector data layers will only appear in the “Edit” view.

Each of the “View” and “Edit” windows contain four map layers:
- The Aerial Photography – Used as the base to create/edit data on
- The Peoples Map - The verified People’s Map
- Historic Data - This map can be used as guidance when digitizing new roads
- Unverified Peoples Map – This layer shows both the verified and unverified data

2. Login or register.
Having found an area, you can click on the "edit" tab of the People's Map. This will bring you to a page prompting you to sign into your account. If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to create an login account.

3. Become familiar with the account user page.
Having logged in you will notice that your account options are displayed along the right hand side of the webpage and a grey toolbar appears in the top left-hand corner. This editing toolbar holds the tools that are used to create and edit map objects.

4. Locate the area you are interested in.
First find an area known to you where you want to add or edit an existing feature. You can locate areas in the UK by typing in a post code, place name or road name in the search box. If searched by place name, the map will show the whole town, but when searched by postcode, the map will zoom into the specific post code area. Once you have located a general area, you can switch between the aerial photography and the People's Map to recognize features of the area you are familiar with.

5. Create or edit a road.
5.1 Identify a road you wish to change or add.
You should first identify a road in the aerial image that you are familiar with and would like to add or edit (you can check this by flipping between the aerial images and the map).

Please note - only change or add roads that you personally know. Using other map sources is not allowed.

5.2 Use the editing tools to add or change a road.



Click on the "Add road feature" button in the expandable dialogue, find the beginning of the road and click once on it with your left mouse cursor. This will add a point to the map. Follow the length of the road, clicking as often as necessary to represent the curves. Continue along the road in this manner, adding enough points so that the line you are creating fits nicely along the road in the aerial image. When you come to the end of the road, double click the left mouse button to finish the road.

5.3 Provide the name and details of the road

Once you double-click the mouse button to indicate that you have finished digitizing a road, a dialog box will pop up, prompting you to add road details, such as what type of a road it is, and the name of the road. Please fill this in to the best of your knowledge and click "OK". Your road has now been added to a layer of data that is marked as "unverified". This will be rendered and placed in the map layer that shows both verified and unverified data together. Once the new data has been verified, it will be placed in the People's Map layer.


6. Create or edit a Point of Interest (POI).
6.1 Identify a POI you wish to change or add.
You should first search for and then identify an object that you would like to map as a “Point of Interest”.

6.2 Use the editing tools to add or edit the properties of a “Point of Interest” (POI).



Click on the "Add point" mode button in the editor toolbar, find the feature you want to map and click once on it with your left mouse cursor. This will add a point to the map and a dialog box will appear. Choose what type of POI this will represent, add as much detail as possible into the dialog box and click the “OK” button. Your POI will be created.

6.3 Edit the position, name and details of the Point of Interest.

When you want to change the type and details of this point, double click on the newly created point and the dialog box will reappear. Click on the “OK” button when changes have been made. The POI can also be moved by selecting the point and dragging this to the required position.





7. Create or edit an Area/Polygon.
7.1 Identify an area you wish to change or add.
You should first identify an area in the aerial image that you are familiar with and would like to add or edit.

7.2 Use the editing tools to add an area to the map.



Click on the "Add Polygon” mode button in the editor tool bar, find the beginning of the area and click once on it with your left mouse cursor. This will add a point to the map. Follow the boundary of the area you want to map, clicking as often as necessary to represent the curves. Continue along the boundary in this manner, adding enough points so that the line you are creating fits nicely along the area in the aerial image. When you come back round to the starting point and want to create the last node, double click on this location and the polygon will complete automatically.

7.3 Provide the name and details of the area.
Once you double-click the mouse button to indicate that you have finished digitizing an area/polygon, a dialog box will pop up, prompting you to add the area details, such as what type of an area this polygon represents and the name of the area. Please fill this in to the best of your ability and click "OK". The area is now created in the People’s Map.

7.4 Change the position or shape of the area/polygon.
The shape of the area can be altered by selecting or moving the red nodes, or by clicking on and dragging the segment lines in between the nodes to a new location. The entire polygon can also be moved by selecting the polygon, pressing shift and drag the polygon to its desired location.

The polygon can be deleted by deleted the nodes one by one. The polygon can also be deleted in its entirety, left click to select the polygon and then right click for a “delete object” option to appear. Select this option and the polygon will be deleted.