Updates to the Interactive Map
Updates to the Interactive Map
If you do not see the changes listed below, ensure that you are viewing the most recent version of the Interactive Map by pressing CTRL and F5 together (Internet Explorer) or CTRL and R (Netscape) when the map begins to open. You should only need to do this once.
See What's New for a list of updated map layers.
22 November 2005
The scope of MAGIC has been extended to include Scottish, Welsh and marine datasets and new tools to interact with these datasets.
Two new topics have been added, a Coastal and Marine Resource Atlas topic and a Great Britain topic.
Design my Own Topic has been extended by adding a 'GB and marine' tab to the data selection window.
A new tool has been added to switch projections between GB National Grid and ED50 Mercator. This is only available from the Coastal and Marine Resource Atlas topic.
MAGIC now supports Latitude and Longitude co-ordinates.
For full instructions on using these tools, please refer to the online help.
13 July 2005
A more detailed version of the backdrop of Great Britain dataset has been added and will be drawn at scales of 1:25,000 and below.
12 January 2005
The postcode search facility has been changed. The search is now carried out on a dataset which contains a point representing every postcode unit in England (e.g. LS16 5QT). A postcode unit contains an average of 15 addresses. The search was previously carried out on a postcode sector (e.g. LS16 5), so the new dataset provides a more precise method of locating via postcodes.
To use the postcode search within the Interactive Map, click on the "Search Options" tab above the Interactive Map and click on "Postcode".
24 August 2004
The scale thresholds have been changed on the Soilscape dataset and this layer can now be viewed between the scales 1:200,000 and 1:500,000 within the Interactive Map.
The upper scale limit (1:500,000) has been imposed for performance reasons. The Soilscape layer takes a considerable amount of time to draw at small scales.
However, regional or national overview maps of the Soilscape data can be viewed in the Static Maps facility.
The lower scale limit (1:200,000) has been imposed because the map was not created for viewing at large scales and it is inappropriate to display the layer over a more detailed backdrop.
28 May 2004
Supporting information has been added to the Registered Battlefields layer. There is descriptive information for each of the 43 battlefields which can be accessed by using the identify tool to click on a battlefield, then clicking on the highlighted number in the "Reference" field.
20 April 2004
A new Ordnance Survey base map has been added to the Interactive Map. The 1:25,000 scale mapping is now available and is displayed between 1:10,000 and 1:25,000 map scales. See Ordnance Survey Maps used in MAGIC for more information.
16 March 2004
The order of the Less Favoured Areas and Moorland Line layers has been changed within the Statutory Rural Designations map topic so that the Moorland Line is no longer obscured by the Less Favoured Areas.
18 December 2003
The hotlink from Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) has been updated.
Use the identify tool 
to query a SSSI and display attribute information which includes the hotlink to SSSI information.
Click on the link to view the information page for the SSSI on the English Nature website. Along with a link to the citation, this page also contains information on management of the site and a link to Nature on the Map (www.natureonthemap.org.uk).
The hotlink previously displayed only the citation for a SSSI.
17 September 2003
The county search function has been changed and is now based on a new map layer named "Counties and Unitary Authorities". The layer is comprised of the highest administrative level for an area - either county, metropolitan county or unitary authority. The Counties and Unitary Authorities layer is also automatically added to all map topics.
Click here for more information on this layer.
The search was previously based on the NUTS3 (Counties and Groups of Unitary Authorities) layer, which can now be found in the Administrative Areas map topic.
13 May 2003
A new button has been added to the Interactive Map. The Bookmark Map button 
generates a link that will open the Interactive Map at your current map extent, showing the layers that you have currently loaded in the map. This allows you to return to a map you have created at a later date and you can also copy and paste the link into an e-mail if you want someone else to view the same map.
13 March 2003
The identify function has been improved so that it is no longer necessary to wait for the map to redraw before clicking on the feature of interest.
The "Reload Map" function will now reload the map without reverting to a map of England. The map will reload at the current extent.
Provisional Agricultural Land Classification has been renamed Agricultural Land Classification (Provisional).
17 January 2003
Changes have been made to the initial page. There are no longer any default options and users must now choose a topic from the list (Step 1) and select the area of interest to view (Step 2).
For new users who just wish to view the functionality on offer, there is an option to view a "Demonstration Map", which opens a map showing National Parks, Historic Parks and Gardens, Grassland Inventory and Woodland Grant Schemes.
In addition, when selecting by postcode or placename, if more than one match is found a list of matches is displayed before the map begins to open.
22 July 2002
Changes have been made to the way that tracing is carried out on the map. This has considerably improved the speed of using the following map tools:
Tracing lines or polygons on the map is now carried out without sending a call to the server each time a new point is clicked on the map. Instead, as lines and polygons are being traced on the map, you will be shown the first point you clicked on and the point that you last clicked. When the line or polygon is finished, the whole of the line or polygon will then be shown. This is illustrated below:
| Tracing in a clockwise direction, only the first point and the last point that was clicked are shown as the line is traced | When measuring is complete, the polygon is displayed | |
|
|
For full instructions on using these tools, please refer to the online help.
