To accomplish your goal of creating an interactive HTML map, allowing your audience to click on shapes and access presentations for cities, states, customers, streets, land, and other significant locations, SkiaMap provides a comprehensive set of tools comparable to those found in a professional GIS application. Explore the features detailed in the following sections.
Map shapes can be added by importing files from various formats, such as ArcView Shape files, MapInfo MIF/MID or TAB files, KML or KMZ files, Geojson files, and CSV (Comma Separated Values, generated by exporting an MS-Excel file).
Moreover, you can manually draw markers or various shapes such as polygons, polylines, circles, ellipses, and rectangles using the diverse range of options available for shape drawing on the layers.
Main window
SkiaMap GIS main window
The main window of SkiaMap GIS features a top main menu, a list of layers on the left, and the central area dedicated to the map.
On the right, you’ll discover the tools panel housing various buttons designed for executing specific functions on the map.
Databases
Configure the database
SkiaMap, an advanced mapping software, provides users with remarkable flexibility by enabling the storage of layer information in various databases, including the highly regarded SQLite and MS-SQL Server. Going beyond, SkiaMap caters to diverse user preferences by extending support to additional database systems like MySQL, Oracle, and more. This unique flexibility sets SkiaMap apart from other mapping tools in the market. With SkiaMap, you have the confidence to choose the most suitable database for your specific requirements, ensuring the secure storage of your valuable records. Make the smart move today and transition to SkiaMap for an unparalleled experience in freedom, customization, and reliability.
The “Is Tiled” checkbox at the bottom of the form enables you to specify whether you prefer a background map from a remote tile service like OpenStreetMap or a simple background image.
Create a new workspace
A workspace is basically the parameters needed to connect to a database.
SkiaMap can connect to several databases and the layers and other information is stored on that database. By default, SQLite database is used but you can choose also MS-SQL Server, Oracle, MySql, and others.
Import layers
The sources of shapes (geometries like polylines, polygons, markers) or layers are diverse and include software such as MapInfo, ESRI ArcView, KML from Google Earth, and more.
This video tutorial will guide you through the steps to import an ArcView Shape File.
Print the map.
SkiaMap allows for map printing, offering the flexibility to print the current map view or any specific area of interest. You can print to a designated scale in miles or kilometers, and if needed, the map view can span multiple pages for comprehensive printing.
Editing tools
Editing Tools
In addition to common editing tools like Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete, SkiaMap provides specialized editing tools:
- Reshape: Rotate, move, or scale shapes. Modify the placement of individual nodes in a polygon or polyline.
- Delete Vertices and Insert Vertices: Add or remove nodes for polygons and polylines.
Zooming and Panning
Zooming and Panning
Includes scrolling or panning, zoom in a window, zoom in, zoom out, zoom to extension, zoom to selection, zoom to a layer, animated zooms, etc.
Selection Tools
Selection tools
It is possible to select shapes inside a rectangle, circle, polygon, polyline, buffer.
Simple selection is achieved by clicking shapes, and holding the SHIFT key allows you to add more to the selection.
Drawing Tools
Drawing tools
Shapes that can be added to any layer includes : Markers, Polygons (Linear Rings), Polylines (Line Strings), Rectangles, Ellipses or Circles, Texts, Splines, etc.
Images such as PNG, JPG, and others can be added to a layer when there is no tiled background map from sources like Bing Maps or OpenStreetMap. Find this option under Tools => Add Background Image in the menu.
Options of Layers
Options of Layers
You can add as many layers as needed, and additionally, you have the flexibility to add numerous columns or fields to each layer, supporting various data types such as integer, floating-point precision, date-time, string, images, or collections of images.
The image field is suitable for storing a single image, and you can include as many image fields as required. Image collection fields can contain multiple images in one field, and you can have as many collection fields as needed.
SkiaMap allows you to import shapes from diverse sources, including ArcView Shape Files, MapInfo MIF/MID or TAB Files, KML, KMZ, CSV (Comma-Separated Values, e.g., from MS-Excel spreadsheets), E00, GeoJSON, and more.
For added convenience, you can export layers to various formats such as ArcView shape files, MapInfo MIF/MID, MapInfo TAB files, KML, KMZ, GeoJSON, or CSV (limited to exporting markers in CSV format)
Browsing Data
Browse data of layers
Browse a layer to view all its columns of information.
Optionally, you can modify the information using this feature.
AccuDraw & AccuSnap
AccuDraw and AccuSnap tools
The tools enable precise drawing with AccuDraw, allowing you to create line segments of exact length or at a specific angle of rotation.
The AccuSnap drawing tool provides the ability to snap to various points, including endpoints of line segments, the exact middle, center of a circle or rectangle, perpendicular or parallel to another line segment, at the intersection of two line segments, along a segment, and more.
Edit Data & Images
Edit shape data and images
With this dialog, you can edit standard data such as numeric, date-time, or string fields.
Additionally, you can edit simple image fields that store one image per field.
Finally, you can populate a collection of images for fields designed to store multiple images, primarily used in carousel shapes within the Animations Editor.
Enter the Animations Editor
The “Animator” option on the menu provides access to the Animations Editor, which is used to create presentations for a layer.
Additionally, the menu allows you to click on the map to activate the presentation for the clicked shape, offering a preview of the animations that will play when exported to HTML and JavaScript.
Finally, the last menu option enables you to create an HTML page that includes elements and JavaScript files to play the presentation for one layer.
