Integrating External Map Applications

This tutorial describes how you can call up external or internal map applications (e.g. Google Maps, OSM or PlexMap Views) from a PlexMap View using the "external links" tool. The aim is to enable users to jump to another map system at the transferred geo-coordinate in a simple manner.

Note: You need access to the PlexMap Backend and the corresponding View to be able to carry out these instructions.

In order for the "External links" tool to be visible to end users, the tool must be activated in the settings of your View.

To do this, open the View Settings and navigate to the sub-chapter "Appearance" in the "Tools" tab. Look for the item "Show 'External Links' tool" in the tool list and tick the box.

After the general activation of the tool, as described in chapter 1, any number of map applications can now be added. In this chapter, you will learn how to call up PlexMap Views via "external links". The following chapter 3 shows how you can call up external map applications.

To start the configuration, click on the "+" button. A new menu entry "Identifier" (ID) appears. Now click on the small arrow to the left of "Identifier". A menu will now open that you can fill with the following entries.

The parameters at a glance

Identifier: Your own designation for the map application. The ID is not displayed in the viewer.

Title: The title of the map application entered here is displayed to users in the tool.

URL: The destination address of a PlexMap View. The entry supports placeholders such as {centerX} or {scale}. You can use these to transfer your current map position to another PlexMap View. To specify the PlexMap View, the short name or the ID of the view to be integrated can be used. Below are two examples for specifying a PlexMap URL:

Example: 
https://demo.geoplex.de/v/Mesh/?x={centerX}&y={centerY}&zoom={zoom}

Example: 
https://demo.geoplex.de/v/91354ad2-ddbe-4baa-9491-415767442b74/?x={centerX}&y={centerY}&zoom={zoom}

SRID: Generally, you can leave this entry blank. If an entry is required, please use the syntax; for example: EPSG:4326.

Mode Switcher: If you leave this field blank, the PlexMap View will be displayed and called up in the "external links" tool (standard case). Further information on this setting can be found below in Chapter 4.

Short name: This text appears on the button in the Modi-Switcher.

Tooltip: Here you can specify a text that appears in the Modi-Switcher and in the toolbox when hovering over the external link with the mouse (mouseover).

The necessary details for external map applications (e.g. Google Maps, OSM, geoportals) are essentially identical to the entries described in chapter 2. Differences only arise when specifying the URL to be called up. Below are two examples for the integration of Google Maps and OSM.
 

Example: 
https://www.google.de/maps/@{centerLat},{centerLon},{zoom}z

Example: 
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map={zoom}/{centerLat}/{centerLon}

In the standard case, map applications integrated via "External links" are only displayed on the Viewer side within the "External links" tool. Alternatively, external map applications can also be displayed much more prominently as a button in the area of the Mode Switcher. To do this, first ensure that the Mode Switcher is active in your View. You can activate the Mode Switcher in the settings of your View under "Appearance." To do this, check the box next to "Activate Mode Switcher."

Now navigate back to the settings of the "External links" tool. If you select either "First row" or "Second row" via the dropdown under "Mode Switcher," your external map application will appear very prominently as a button in the area of the Mode Switcher. 

First row: The button is displayed directly next to the view modes (e.g., 2D and 3D) (cf. "GM" in the figure). 

Second row: This option creates an ellipsoid-shaped button below the view modes (cf. "OSM" and "M+" in the figure).