Please Share Your Maps
Since the beginning, CalTopo has had the ability to make maps publicly visible, i.e. someone can find the map without knowing its URL. However all this did was add the map to an obscure page that few visited other than Google.
Today that changes with the introduction of the shared maps layer. It’s available as an overlay checkbox, along with a layer for your own maps that’s visible when you sign in:
At wider zooms, each shared map is shown as a simple bounding box and center marker. This can get a little confusing – some additional UI love may be necessary – but mousing over highlights the box and center mark. Clicking brings up an info window with a link to that map:
Zoom in a little further and individual features get displayed:
Mouse over a feature and everything from the source map will get highlighted, giving you an idea of what that map covers. Clicking gives you the feature’s name and comments, if any, and another link back to the source map.
So how do you share your maps with other CalTopo users? When saving a new map, just choose “publicly visible” under the “Share Your Map” section of the save dialog. Go ahead and fill in some details in the “Tell Us About Your Map” section as well.
For maps you already have, start by clicking on your account name at the top of of the left bar.
Then go ahead and and set the sharing dropdown to “Publicly Visible” for each map you want to share.
This might be a good opportunity to visit the “Your Account” tab in the same dialog and change how your account is displayed to other users. I’m also putting a messaging system in place so that other CalTopo users can ask questions about your maps. If you don’t want them to be able to contact you, uncheck that box.
There are only around 500 maps currently shared on CalTopo. As that number grows I may need to change some of the implementation details to improve performance or reduce information density, but I think the basic approach is here to stay. I’m pretty excited about it – I’ve already discovered a few maps that I wish I’d known about sooner.
Awesome! I just shared three of my maps.
Great addition!
When I log in through my google account all of my maps are missing. This problem starting occurring about 3 hours ago.
What is going with caltopo?!? All of my maps are gone too. Where the list of my maps are supposed to be just says "loading data" and no maps show up.
Same problem for me… also, when I try to upload a new map, it won't allow me to save it.
Likewise. I can't get to my maps either. Actually, I can't even get logged in.
The entire website is down at this moment… which makes me believe that they are working on the problem.
Sure hope so because this is an awesome resource.
Totally agree with you.
This new feature really helped enhance the maps on my hiking blog. Love it!
Are you able to access the maps from your blog as we speak?… Rick, Craig and I aren't able to access our maps at this time.
I sure hope they are working on it. This is the best free mapping site I have ever found. I am going to the BWCA in a month and all of the maps I built for it are in my account!!!! Along with several others. Roger, I am not able to even open the site right now. When I was able to open the site, I was not able to access my maps, save or print any new ones, and I even noticed some of the icons used for markers were obscured or non existent.
Yep… the website is still totally down.
It would appear that things are up and running again. That is a relief. Thanks Matt…
Everything is working on my end. Thanks Matt. Also, I think you should consider removing all of these threads concerning this issue because it really doesn't serve any purpose now that things are back up and running.