Incoming: new multi-colored map menu

[Boyd]

Not available yet but I hope to put it online tomorrow, along with a series of nine new maps of the entire United States - just in time for the 4th of July (more on this soon).

The maps menu keeps getting longer and I don't like having to read through the whole list just to find the LIDAR map (for example). So, I decided to color-code the different kinds of maps to make it easy to visually jump between them. Here's a sample of what it will look like with a key to the colors. Anyway, just a heads-up to expect something new when you open the maps menu tomorrow!

 

[martink]

Great idea!

 

[bobpbx]

I had thought of that, glad you did it. My thought was to use a highlighter.

PS: maybe remove that banner that first comes up too? Starts with "sorry".....

 

[Boyd]

There are several "sorry" messages, they are all the result of trying to open a link to a map that no longer exists. In the past, a box was displayed with this message and you had to click an OK button to proceed. Thought that was a little too annoying, so I changed it to a timed message that automatically goes away in 3 to 5 seconds, depending on the message. Here are a few, there are more that are mostly for people outside the US.

"Sorry, the map in your link is no longer available: replacing it with a similar one."
"Sorry, as of January 2025, NJGIN maps are no longer available. Substituting this map: "
"Sorry, maps from HERE and MapBox were discontinued in January 2024. Substituting this map:"

When do you see those warnings? From old posts here in the forums? If so, you could just click the Report button on those posts and I can fix the links to use the new map version. But if you're seeing the messages in your own bookmarks or maybe the "home" setting in the app, then you can update those to whatever the new link is (after you see that message, the new link will be displayed in the address).

But I think the messages are needed, so that users know the link they used is no longer correct.

 

[bobpbx]

There are several "sorry" messages, they are all the result of trying to open a link to a map that no longer exists. In the past, a box was displayed with this message and you had to click an OK button to proceed. Thought that was a little too annoying, so I changed it to a timed message that automatically goes away in 3 to 5 seconds, depending on the message. Here are a few, there are more that are mostly for people outside the US.

"Sorry, the map in your link is no longer available: replacing it with a similar one."
"Sorry, as of January 2025, NJGIN maps are no longer available. Substituting this map: "
"Sorry, maps from HERE and MapBox were discontinued in January 2024. Substituting this map:"

When do you see those warnings? From old posts here in the forums? If so, you could just click the Report button on those posts and I can fix the links to use the new map version. But if you're seeing the messages in your own bookmarks or maybe the "home" setting in the app, then you can update those to whatever the new link is (after you see that message, the new link will be displayed in the address).

But I think the messages are needed, so that users know the link they used is no longer correct.

Thanks, I see it when I first open it up. I'm going to refresh, see what happens.

 

[bobpbx]

I reset a couple of times. I still see it. I'm so used to moving where I want to go immediately that the 3 seconds seems like a long time to wait.

 

[Boyd]

Weird, that means you are trying to open a link to an old HERE map. How do you go to the site, do you use a bookmark? If so, find some spot on the map and create a new bookmark, then use that when you go to the site. Also, press the wrench button and set a new "home" location and/or map. That's all I can think of - you should only see that message when trying to open a map that doesn't exist anymore.

 

[Boyd]

Was thinking about this some more... do you just type "boydsmaps" into the address bar in your browser? If so, then I'll bet Edge is filling in an old link from your history, I have seen that happen before. If that is how you go to the site, try typing it into the address bar but before you hit the return/enter key, take a look at the address that Edge is auto-filling, that is likely the problem.

The HERE maps were discontinued a year and a half ago, so it would have to be some old history. But IIRC, long ago the standard opening location for the site was a HERE hybrid map of Chatsworth.

 

[bobpbx]

Okay, you were correct. Edge was filling in the old one. I deleted my bookmark, then went to Boydsmaps.com with no extra coordinates. Now I open with no banner and on Batsto. Thanks for your help again.

 

[Boyd]

FYI: the new menu is now live on the site, along with the new "Landscape of the United States" series of maps.