Google Maps Compass User Guide

Getting Started with the Google Maps Compass

1. Open the application and select either Draw Single Leg or Draw Multi-Legged route:

2. Select a starting point using the Google Search Box and enter a city, town, place, or a latitude/longitude directly.

3. Clear the Google advertising that appears by clicking the Clear Results link.

4. Click on the

button in the upper-right corner and select from the range of map styles and overlays available:

Click again to close the Map Style menu. The map style can be changed at any time whilst using the application.

How to move the Google Map - panning and zooming Panning To move the map click and hold the left mouse button and drag the map to a new place. You can also move the map North, South, East or West using the pan arrows. These can be found on the top left hand corner of the map. The central pan button resets or re-centres the map, returning to the last result.
Tip The map cannot be moved if the compass is showing. In this case, click the 'Hide Compass' button, move the map to the required position, then click 'Show Compass' which will return the compass to its last position.
Zooming in and out - changing the scale Google Maps has 17 different zoom levels. Each zoom level is made of a different style map shown at different scales, each one showing more or less detail. Some maps will be of the same style, but at a smaller or larger scale. To see a map with more detail you need to zoom in. You can do this using the zoom bar on the left hand side of the map. Click the + sign on the top of the zoom bar. To centre and zoom in on a location, double click the location. To see a map with less detail you need to zoom out. To do this, click the - sign on the bottom of the zoom bar. As the scale changes the map will also change to show a different Google map, one which is more appropriate for the scale.
The key to the Google Maps pan and zoom tools is shown below:

Centreing the map Double click on a location to centre and zoom in.
Tip Once the compass is opened the map scale cannot be adjusted without restarting the application. To restart, select the 'New Routes' option from the left side menu.

Selecting and moving the compass Click on the 'Show Compass' button that appears in the lower-left corner and the compass will appear on the map near your specified point. Drag the compass so that its centre sits on top of your starting point. Click on the compass to let you rotate it to the desired direction; click again to freeze it.
Fine tuning the compass bearing A digital readout of the compass bearing appears in red in the top right hand corner of the map.The compass can be adjusted and fine tuned by entering the number of degrees in the box and then pressing the 'Enter' key on your keyboard.
Once the compass is opened the map scale cannot be adjusted without restarting the application. To restart, select the 'New Routes' option from the left side menu.

Fine tuning the compass

A digital readout of the compass bearing appears in red in the top right hand corner of the map. The compass can be adjusted and fine tuned by entering the number of degrees in the box. Press the Enter key on your keyboard to effect the change.

The example below shows the map bearing of 96º highlighted in the top right corner in preparation for changing. Enter a new bearing then press the keyboard Enter key.

Fine tuning the compass

Compass Menu When the compass is opened, a Menu Button appears on the left of the map that lets you: • Undo/redo steps • Clear everything • Change the length of the red direction of travel arrow by slider or bymanual dragging • Preview and print the map(s) • Preview and print the route information • Load/Save/Import a Route • Have a unique URL/ID emailed to you so that you can access/import it later • Maintain a free online 'My Routes' account.
To open the menu, click on the menu button:
Click again to close the menu.
The Menu button disappears when the 'Hide Compass' button is selected. Click the 'Show Compass' button to restore.

Direction of Travel Arrow Manual Resize

Drag the compass so that its centre sits on top of your starting point. Select 'Resize Arrow Manually' from the menu and a green circle appears at the end of the red Direction of Travel arrow on the compass. Adjust the length of the arrow by dragging the green circle. When it is at your desired destination, click the 'End Resizing' button. Click the 'Draw Route' button that then appears at the top right of the map.

Manual resizing of the direction of travel arrow

Direction of Travel Arrow Slider Resize

Drag the compass so that its centre sits on top of your starting point. Select 'Resize Arrow by Slider' from the menu and the slider appears at the top right of the map. Adjust the length of the compass red direction of travel arrow using the slider so that its end is at your desired destination. Then click the 'Draw Route' button at the top right of the map.

Resizing of the direction of travel arrow using the slider

Hide the slider by selecting the 'Hide Slider' option on the menu.

Draw Single Leg Route

When the Compass is opened, the 'Map Style' button disappears from the upper right corner, to be replaced by a 'Draw Route' button, together with the unadjusted compass or true bearing display.

The 'Draw Route' button replaces the 'Map Style' button:

The 'Map Style' button reappears when the 'Hide Compass' button is selected:

The 'Menu' button disappears when the 'Hide Compass' button is selected. Click the 'Show Compass' button to restore.

Clicking on the 'Draw Route' button at the upper right of the map will display a wide range of route information:

Google Compass route information

Clicking 'OK' on the display will adjust the red compass direction of travel arrow to compensate for magnetic declination.

The compass bearing display adjusted for magnetic declination (98.78º in the example below) will appear in the lower right corner. This is the bearing you set on your compass to navigate from Marker 1 (green) to Marker 2 (yellow).

The map or true bearing display appears in the upper right corner (96º in this example).

Clicking 'Cancel' on the route information display will leave the red direction of travel arrow unadjusted, and no compass bearing display will appear in the lower right corner.

Once you have finished, you can hide the compass, save and print your route.

Google Compass single leg route

Tip

The map cannot be moved if the compass is showing. In this case, click the 'Hide Compass' button, move the map to the required position, then click 'Show Compass' which will return the compass to its last position.

Draw Multi Legged Route

Clicking on the 'Draw Route' button will plot and draw a route to a marker at your selected point of destination. This is Yellow Marker 2 in the example below.

Click the 'Move Next' button to move the compass to the next point, Yellow Marker 2 in this example.

Image 1: click the 'Move Next' button to move the compass to the next point

At Yellow Marker 2, plan a new leg then click 'Draw Route' to set a new marker - Green Marker 3 in the example below.

Image 2: Plotting the third leg of a three-legged route

Click the 'Move Next' button to move the compass to the next point, Green Marker 3, and the three-legged route appears as shown below:

Image 3: The completed three-legged route

The route may now be saved and printed, or more legs added as required.

After saving the route and closing the Compass Tool, new legs may be added later by importing the route using the 'Import Route' menu button. The imported route will appear as Image 3 above.

You may hide the compass by clicking the 'Hide Compass' button as shown below. With the compass hidden, the Menu and Draw Route buttons will disappear.

Image 4: The three-legged route with the compass hidden.

The 'Show Compass' button will return the compass to its last position and the Menu and Draw Route buttons will reappear as shown in Image 3 above

The map cannot be moved if the compass is showing. In this case, click the 'Hide Compass' button, move the map to the required position, then click 'Show Compass' which will return the compass to its last position.

Google Maps Compass Route Information

Clicking on the 'Draw Route' button at the upper right of the map will display a wide range of route information including coordinates, map and compass bearings, magnetic variation or declination and distance:

Google Compass route information

Clicking on the Route Markers will display route leg information:

Route Marker information

The latitude and longitude are provided for the last route marker:

Coordinates for the last route marker

The View/Print Route(s) Information function in the menu provides a route summary:

View/Print Route(s) Information summary

Tip

Click the 'Hide Compass' button before clicking on the route markers.

Print Google Map Routes Function

This function prints large route maps by automatically centreing the map on the plotted route(s) and cropping the map into horizontal 'slices' which are then further cropped into printable 'tiles'. This overcomes the common failure of printers to handle large images, particularly map areas that lie outside of the immediate screenshot. To retain detail, the printable map is not reduced in size or resolution.

How is the size of each slice defined?

The maximum slice width is 960PX and the maximum height is 600PX. The Print Map function will try to create the slice with this width and height and if there is not enough space in the image, it will crop up to the end of the image width and height.

Changing Print Resolution

The Print resolution is controllable from the user end (Printing settings). The Google Compass Print Map function gives the user printable slices in the same Google Maps resolution without shrinking the image width/height. We recommend a printer setting quality of 300 dpi or higher for best print results.

Changing Printer Layout to Landscape Orientation

Landscape page orientation is where the page is turned sideways, so the horizontal dimensions are longer than the vertical. Printers are programmed to print in 'Portrait Orientation' by default, with text printed lengthways down a page orientated with its vertical dimensions longer than the horizontal. Since the printable map tile horizontal widths are greater than their heights (960PX * 600 PX), we recommend that users select 'Landscape Orientation' from their Printer Preferences options.

Example

An online Google Maps Compass plotted routes example shows four routes 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8, which have been automatically cropped into six printable slices or tiles. To print, these routes should first be imported as ID 141: Google Maps Compass Print Preview Example. Option boxes appear next to each map segment, allowing printing to be deselected if not required.

Google Compass Print Preview Example

If the map size is 1500PX * 800PX, the slices and tiles will be cropped as follows:

	Width (PX)	Height (PX)
Slice #1	1500	600
Slice #1 Tile#1	960	600
Slice #1 Tile#2	540	600

Slice #2	1500	200
Slice #2 Tile#1	960	200
Slice #2 Tile#2	540	200

Tip

If the Print Preview window does not appear, you will need to disable your browser popup blockers for this site.

Save and Store Google Compass Map Routes

To save a Google Compass Map route, the 'Save Route' option should be selected from the upper left menu. The menu becomes hidden if the 'Hide Compass' button is activated.

The menu becomes hidden if the 'Hide Compass' button is activated

To view the menu, reopen the compass by clicking the 'Show Compass' button. This activates the menu and returns the compass to its last location.

Multi-Legged route with the menu visible

Select the 'Save Route' option on the menu. A dialogue box opens with optional route title, route description and email fields.

The 'Save Route' dialogue window

The saved route is stored using a unique ID reference/URL. An email containing the URL is sent to the email address provided. The route ID/URL allows a user to access/import it later. The email address can be used to login to the 'My Routes' menu option and access a list of stored routes.

The saved route is stored using a unique ID reference/URL

Import Google Compass Map Routes

New legs can be added at any time to a Google Map route through the Import Route option selected from the upper left menu. The ID number provided when the route was saved should be entered in the Import Route dialogue window.

The import map route dialogue window

The route is opened in the same map style used at the time of saving - in the example below as a Terrain Map.

Route 181 opened as a Terrain Map

To switch to another map style, click the 'Hide Compass' button and then select from the map menu which will appear in the upper right.

Select from the map menu in the upper right

The aerial map option can be selected and clicking the 'Show Compass' button will return the compass to its last position. New route legs can then be added.

The Show Compass button will return the compass to its last position
The 'Show Compass' button will return the compass to its last position

If the imported route was originally saved in full screen mode, then it must be opened in the same mode. An attempt to open it in small screen mode will display an error message: Route ID #*** was saved in full screen mode, please close this form then click 'Maximize This Map' button and import the route from there.

Import Route small screen mode error message

My Google Compass Map Routes

The email address used when saving a route can be used to login on the 'My Routes' dialogue window to retrieve a list of stored Google Maps Compass routes.

My Google Maps Compass Routes dialogue window

The retrieved Google Maps Compass Routes list includes the route ID, title, description, URL and the date created.

Google Maps Compass Routes list

Ordnance Survey Maps Compass

Ordnance Survey Maps have been integrated within this Google Map Compass tool. Ordnance Survey Compass overlays a compass on an Ordnance Survey Map that matches the UK Google Map location.

Ordnance Survey Maps Compass

The Ordnance Survey Compass integrated link can be found in the map style menu:

The Ordnance Survey Compass integrated link

If the Google Map location lies outside the UK, the Ordnance Survey Compass will load its default location centred on Lyndhurst, Hampshire.

Helpful tips

1. Use the 'Maximize This Map' option to generate a large map window to work with - it makes things a lot easier.

2. The current view of the map can be panned to a new position by pressing the left mouse button and dragging the map.

3.After saving a route and closing the Compass Tool, new legs may be added later by importing the route using the 'Import Route' menu button.

4. Bearings are given in both absolute map numbers, and compass-corrected for the local magnetic declination value, which is also listed. If your compass lets you adjust the magnetic declination, you have the option to do that and use the uncorrected map bearings.

Single Page

Google Compass Credits

Map Service

The Google Compass Web Application has been built on and is powered by the Google™ map service and the Google™ data feed.

Application Developer and Software Architect

Wessam Raafat
http://www.newvitalsoft.com

Getting Started

Panning and Zooming

Moving the Compass

Compass Fine Tuning

Compass Menu

Arrow Manual Resize

Arrow Slider Resize

Draw Single Leg Route

Draw Multi Leg Route

Route Information

Print Route

Save Route

Import Route

My Routes

Ordnance Survey

Helpful Tips

Single Page

Credits

Home | Feedback | My Routes | Help | About Us

Google Maps Compass User Guide

Getting Started with the Google Maps Compass

How to move the Google Map - panning and zooming

Selecting and moving the compass

Fine tuning the compass

Compass Menu

Direction of Travel Arrow Manual Resize

Direction of Travel Arrow Slider Resize

Draw Single Leg Route

Draw Multi Legged Route

Google Maps Compass Route Information

Print Google Map Routes Function

Save and Store Google Compass Map Routes

Import Google Compass Map Routes

My Google Compass Map Routes

Ordnance Survey Maps Compass

Helpful tips

Google Compass Credits