User Guide

Explore. Understand. Share.

A quick tour of the Map Explorer, layer controls, legends, time slider, and export tools.

Map Explorer Quick start

Overview

The Map Explorer lets you switch crops and nutrient metrics, scrub through years with the time slider, and export publication-ready images complete with legends and footers.

Layer controls

Choose crop (maize, rice, wheat) and metric (e.g., synthetic-N, residue-N, N balance).

Legend & opacity

Adjust layer opacity and read value ranges from a clean, compact legend.

Export & share

Export high-resolution images with title and footer; share a permalink to your current view.

Get started

Follow these quick steps:

1

Open Map Explorer

Click “Map Explorer” in the navbar or the button above.

2

Choose crop & metric

Use the left sidebar to pick the crop and nutrient layer.

3

Scrub the time slider

Drag to switch the year; the legend updates automatically.

4

Export or share

Use Print to export an image; copy a permalink to share your exact view.

Layers & legends

Legend

Continuous color ramps indicate value ranges. The time label reflects the selected year.

Opacity

Use the opacity control to reveal basemap context beneath your layer.

Print & Export

  1. Open the Print control and choose PNG or JPEG.
  2. Enter an optional map title; footer (logos + copyright) is added automatically.
  3. Click Export. The file is downloaded at screen resolution.

Permalink

Generate a URL that captures crop, layer, time, and map view.

https://yourapp.com/map?crop=maize&metric=synthetic-n&year=2020&z=3&lat=9&lng=40

FAQ

Why can’t I export? (tainted canvas)

Ensure all layer tiles and images are from the same origin or have proper CORS headers. Mixed-content or cross-origin images will block canvas export.

Legend looks different in exports

The export uses a compact legend with title and color ramp only. Time label is included; other controls are excluded for clarity.

How do I share my exact view?

Use the permalink button. It copies a URL representing crop, layer, year, zoom, and center.

Troubleshooting

  • • Clear cache and hard-refresh (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R).
  • • Check the browser console for CORS or mixed-content warnings.
  • • Disable aggressive ad blockers for this site if map tiles fail to load.
  • • Confirm your network allows access to your GeoServer/WMS endpoint.
Still stuck? Contact us
Map Explorer