Map Essentials

Overview

Map Essentials provide the foundation for working with the Horizon map interface — navigation controls, layer management, data display, and measurement tools.

Navigation

• Search Tool: Find locations by address, cadastral reference, coordinates, or spatial features across multiple data sources
• Scale Selector: Choose from 20 predefined cartographic scales (1:500 to 1:2,000,000) with automatic snap behaviour
• View Selector: Switch between predefined map views with preconfigured layers, basemaps, and map extents
• Coordinate Tool: Display real-time cursor coordinates in multiple coordinate systems with copy-to-clipboard support

Display & Interaction

• Layer Panel: Control layer visibility, transparency, and drawing order with drag-and-drop reordering, group management, and layer-specific actions (zoom, filter, table, styling)
• Legend Panel: View dynamic map legends that update automatically based on visible layers and current map extent
• Information Tool: Click features on the map to view attribute details, related records, and feature metadata
• Measure Tool: Measure distances (with bearing calculations), areas (in hectares), and coordinates with support for dual simultaneous distance measurements

Best Practices

• Layer Management: Keep layers organised in logical groups and turn off layers you don't need to improve performance
• Scale Awareness: Use appropriate scale levels for the detail you need; some layers only display at certain scales
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Use ESC to cancel active drawing or measurement operations
• Coordinate Systems: The Coordinate Tool supports multiple projections; choose the one that matches your workflow

---