Mapping With Second Site 2 Adding Homesteads & Migrations by David Walker Ottawa TMG Users Group 8 February 2009 by David Walker Ottawa TMG Users Group 8 February 2009

~ Homesteads ~ Using Carla’s Graphics as a Theme Use an image editor such as PhotoShop or PhotoShop Elements (or any other product that handles layers). If using Carla's Graphics, edit the file plain.jpg found in the Second Site 2 folder called Themes, and choose the particular Carla's themes you are using. Add the text layer you wish over the button image. Save As a PSD file for future use in PhotoShop as well as a JPG to use in Second Site. If you choose not to use the existing button template, then your links will be plain rectangles with overlaid text. Use an image editor such as PhotoShop or PhotoShop Elements (or any other product that handles layers). If using Carla's Graphics, edit the file plain.jpg found in the Second Site 2 folder called Themes, and choose the particular Carla's themes you are using. Add the text layer you wish over the button image. Save As a PSD file for future use in PhotoShop as well as a JPG to use in Second Site. If you choose not to use the existing button template, then your links will be plain rectangles with overlaid text.

~ Homesteads ~ Pages > User Items

~ Homesteads ~ Add > SubPage

~ Homesteads ~

Enter a title (e.g. Homesteads) In the Button Image window select the name of your newly created button image. Enter a title (e.g. Homesteads) In the Button Image window select the name of your newly created button image.

~ Homesteads ~ Highlight the new item Homesteads Select Add > Other-SubPage Map. In the Edit Map Window you will customize your map(s). Highlight the new item Homesteads Select Add > Other-SubPage Map. In the Edit Map Window you will customize your map(s).

~ Homesteads ~ Follow instructions in the Help file to get your free Google Maps Key. Copy and paste that value into the Google Maps Key window.

~ Homesteads ~ Enter a title and caption

~ Homesteads ~ Select Item List Position (e.g. left)

~ Homesteads ~ Leave the default map size as 640x480

~ Homesteads ~ Select Map Alignment as Right

~ Homesteads ~ Leave the Mapping Service default as Google

~ Homesteads ~ Select your choice of Map Style - Road, Aerial, Hybrid or Terrain

~ Homesteads ~ Enter the Center Point of the Map, either the center of the farmland, or the house. If you don't have the coordinates from a previous trip using a GPS, find the location with a mapping service such as Google Earth.

~ Homesteads ~ Select the zoom level (experiment with this option until you have the desired zoom. This is just the initial zoom level and can be changed up or down by the viewer.

~ Homesteads ~ Select Preview and Edit

~ Homesteads ~ Shortly, you will see a window with your selected location. If you wish to change the starting zoom level, or the centre point, pan and zoom for the desired view. This will then become your default.

~ Homesteads ~ Within the Map Editor you have a number of options to embellish the map, such as markers, lines and polygons.

~ Homesteads ~ Start with a marker to show the location of the ancestral home. Press the marker icon. With hand icon and your mouse, click to drop the marker symbol onto the map. Reposition if necessary.

~ Homesteads ~ Click on the Marker 1 tab, which opens the Edit MapItem window. Enter Title and Text. Click OK.

~ Homesteads ~ Select the Polygon icon. Place the mouse cursor at the starting point, press left button and release. Start drawing each side of the polygon, clicking at each corner. Once you have completed the outline, the area drawn will show with a default red outline and translucent fill.

~ Homesteads ~ Edit the default Polygon (2) window. As with the marker, add a title and text. If you do not want any fill colour, change Fill Opacity to zero. Similarly, you can change the default line width, colour, opacity and fill colour. Select OK. This brings you back to the Map Editor window. Select OK. If you are content with the map, select Ok.

~ Homesteads ~ To add additional homesteads, highlight the item Homesteads Select Add > Other-SubPage Map. In the Edit Map Window you will customize your map(s) Repeat steps for additional maps To add additional homesteads, highlight the item Homesteads Select Add > Other-SubPage Map. In the Edit Map Window you will customize your map(s) Repeat steps for additional maps

~ Migrations ~

Add > SubPage

~ Migrations ~

Enter a title (e.g. Migrations) In the Button Image window select the name of your newly created button image. Enter a title (e.g. Migrations) In the Button Image window select the name of your newly created button image.

~ Migrations ~

Select Line Place mouse cursor at the starting point and click. Draw the first segment, and click mouse. Continue to draw the desired migration route. Once complete click the mouse on the end point. Click on Polyline (1) In the displayed Edit MapItem window enter Title and Text. Click OK. Select Line Place mouse cursor at the starting point and click. Draw the first segment, and click mouse. Continue to draw the desired migration route. Once complete click the mouse on the end point. Click on Polyline (1) In the displayed Edit MapItem window enter Title and Text. Click OK.

~ Migrations ~

Zoom in to fine tune the line

A Couple of Observations and Tips When creating a migration trail you must have the zoom level set so that both start and end points are in view. This will likely result in a crude approximation of these points, but this can be corrected afterwards. Once you have the basic line drawn, then zoom in and reposition the start and end points to reflect more accurate locations. You can also make adjustments along the length of the route.

A Couple of Observations and Tips When placing a marker to show a location, as in the start and end points of a migration, you don't need to be accurate in the initial placement. Place the marker in the approximate location. Then click on the tab for that marker (e.g. Marker(1)). You will then see areas where you enter a title and text. You will also see entries for the latitude and longitude data. At this point you can edit these values, replacing them with actual coordinates, either from GPS data you collected, or from a Google Earth search.

John Cardinal continues to make users of Second Site look good. John Cardinal continues to make users of Second Site look good.

The end result at: The end result at: