User Guide

What Mapergy Does

The Mapergy system is essentially a web-based interface that takes information from an online database and superimposes that information upon maps.

Specific categorised information from the database can be selected by the website visitor to obtain an accurate visual geographical representation of the presence of clusters of businesses and organisations within the region covered by the maps. The specific data groups can be switched on and off to make instant visual comparisons.

Switchable category display, four separate levels of magnification and intuitive compass-based map navigation allows the website visitor to compare and customise the information displayed to suit almost any general or specific requirement.

The cluster information icons are hyperlinks and can be clicked to obtain further information about the businesses or organisations they represent.

What Mapergy Does Not Do

Mapergy is not intended to be a street directory and does not offer route directions. There are already many excellent Internet resources that offer these services.

Map Navigation

Navigation is designed to be simple and intuitive.

To zoom in on any part of any map:
Just click the map. The position you click will be the centre of the magnified map you move to.

To move around the maps:
Use the compass at the top right of the screen. The various modes of movement should be obvious - you can move left, right, up and down.
NB Please note there is no compass on the default "region overview" map since there is obviously nowhere else within the region to move to!

To zoom out:
Click the icon at the centre of the compass

General Information

The Mapergy system was developed for EEEGR by TMS Media of Great Yarmouth. Since the original launch in January 2004, a number of enhancements have been added based upon feedback from users.

All maps are ©Crown Copyright and licensed via Collins Bartholomew.

Technology is UNIX webserver running mySQL database and php4.

Technical Issues

We are aware of a problem with the Firefox browser, not all of the coloured identifiers on the map can be clicked on. This is partly due to the way that Firefox treats stacked layers. At this time we are not aware of any workarounds.

Licensing

If you have researched the costs of mapping your data on the Internet you will know that in many cases there is no economical solution that does not include ghastly 3rd-party advertising banners and unrelated "extras" that would seriously de-value the integrity of your website.

The Mapergy system can be used on a "hosted delivery" basis with a variety of existing database formats. One of the key development criteria was straightforward integration of the system with data that may presently exist in different formats to our own.

Obviously there are some basic data requirements that need to be met in order to acheive the desired functionality, but Mapergy is enormously flexible and the data-gathering module is fully customisable by our development partners.

In many cases you would not have to do anything to your existing data - provided you have recognisable category and postcode fields - since Mapergy can read your data from any remote location on the Internet.

The resulting maps would be delivered from our server and can be easily displayed within your existing website using iframes - any moderately competent webmaster can add the few lines of code to acheive that.

If you want to discuss how Mapergy could add a new dimension to your website,
send an email now to Jonathan Reynolds at EEEGR