Step 1 – Login to Save your Work
Make sure you sign-in prior to starting your map, otherwise, your progress will not be saved. Use the button with the three lines (A) to open the sign-in menu. If you are new to EQUATOR, use the “Sign Up” button (B) to create an account. If you are already a user, use the “Sign In” button (C) to login.
Step 2 – Search for a Location
Search for your location using the search bar in the upper left corner. Once you have typed in a location, hit enter to bring up a list of search results. Select the location you are interested in viewing from the list. Once you do so, your view will zoom into that place.
Note: If the view zooms in too far and passes below the surface of the earth, hold down the right mouse key and move your mouse to rotate until you can see the surface from the bottom. Then, scroll and rotate to navigate until your view returns to above ground.
Step 3 – Move around the Map
Zoom into your location of interest using the mouse buttons and scroll wheel. You can zoom in and out using the scroll wheel. If you want to zoom in and out more quickly, hold down the scroll wheel and move the mouse up or down. To rotate the map and view 3D topography, hold down the right mouse button and move the mouse.
Step 4 – Create a Markup
Select the Layers button (A) and then click Add Markup (B). Then, use your cursor to trace the route you want to highlight by clicking on key points. To end the markup, click the right mouse button.
Step 5 – Edit the Markup
Once you have created your markup, it will appear in the Layers Menu, in the layers list (as “Unnamed”). Click on the layer name to open a menu with formatting options. Once in this menu, you can rename the layer by double clicking on its name (A). Here, you can also change the color, line thickness, transparency, etc. In this example, we have changed the color of the line to yellow (#FFC760).
Step 6 – Create a Map
Select the Projects button (A) and choose Add Report (B). This will bring you to a template selection menu. Double click on your desired template (this tutorial will be using the template called “Blank”).
Step 7 – Create a View
Select Map View (A). Drag from the top left of the report page to the bottom right to create a view of the map. After the view is created, double click inside the Map View, and then click, drag, and rotate the map to adjust the angle and magnification to your liking.
Note: Double clicking within the borders of the view will make the map load faster.
Step 8 – Add a Dark Filter the the Map
Double click in the grey area (A) to ensure you are working in the paper space (refer to step 12 here for more information about paper versus map space). Select the Rectangle option in the menu on the right and click and drag to create a rectangle over the whole map. Then, change the background to black (B) and adjust the translucency to 0.3. When you are done, select Send To Back (C) to move the rectangle behind the scale bar and north arrow.
Step 9 – Adjust Scale and North Arrow
Click once in the grey area to make sure that nothing is selected and to bring up the main menu. Select the Text option and draw a text box in the location you want your title to be. Type in your title text and adjust the font, size, and color using the menus on the right (A), (B).
Step 10 – Adjust Scale and North Arrow
Select the scale bar (A) or the north arrow (B). Adjust the type, size, and color of each using the menu on the right (C). Reposition these elements as desired.
Step 11 – Change Map Name and Export
To rename your map, double click on the text in the upper left corner of the screen (A) and type in your desired text. Once you are happy with how the map looks, you can export as a PDF, PNG, or SVG (B).
