Understanding Map Types in Sonar
What types of Maps exist in Sonar?
Two Map Types exist in Sonar: Static and Geospatial.
Static Map – A Map that is not associated with a real-world location. Objects are located using Coordinate values associated with the Map image.
Note: Unless upgraded by an Admin, all Maps created prior to the 6.0.0 release will be Static.
Geospatial Map – A Map that is associated with a real-world location on a World Map. Objects are located on Geospatial Maps using Addresses or Coordinate values.
Both Map Types can be accessed via the same pathways in Sonar, and the UI is consistent across each. However, Geospatial Maps unlock additional functionality.
To fully unpack this, let’s take a closer look at each Map Type:
Static Map Page:
As we can see, this Static Map image exists in a blank white space.
The User can load and view all Map Objects as normal, but their locations will only have real-world context relative to their position within the Map.
If the User zooms out on the Map Image, they will simply see a smaller Map Image in a larger white space.
Crucially, Static Maps receive the benefits of upgraded Maps UI, such as clustering similarly placed Map Objects as the User zooms in and out.
Geospatial Map page:
Unlike Static Maps, Geospatial Map images appear on a World Map.
For example, the Map Image for Map, “BrownStGeo4” has been placed by the User in its real-world location.
Geospatial Maps provide all functionality of Static Maps, but unlock additional features.
For example, Users can apply Satellite view by clicking the Satellite Icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the Map Image.
As the User in or out, they can see real-world conditions around their Map image.
On the right, you can reference the Map Image for BrownStGeo4, zoomed out with Satellite Mode turned on.
In future releases, this will enable you to view collections of Maps from a dynamic World Map view.
How can I identify each Map Type?
The icons next to the name of each Map on the Maps List page indicate the Map Type.
Geospatial Maps are associated with the Globe Icon.
Static Maps have no associated icons.
You can can hover over the Globe to see help text explaining this.
For example, the Map “BrownStGeo4” is a Geospatial Map and has a Globe icon. The Map “Thinaer HQ” is a Static Map and does not have a Globe icon.
