User Guide - Basic

This page provides helpful information about how to use the Ocean Observatory.
You can use the sidebar links to navigate to what you want to know.

Browsing Layers

The Layers tab allows you to browse data uploaded to this GeoNode.

Use the filters on the left of the Layers page to customise your search.

Data can be downloaded in a variety of formats, for use in other applications. Some data may be viewable but not downloadable.

Uploading Layers

The Ocean Observatory supports vector (shape files) and raster (GeoTIFF) formats.

For shape files a collection of files is required. At a minimum *.shp, *.shx and *.dbf files must be provided. For GeoTIFFs a *.tif file is the minimum.

In addition to the minimum files the following files may also be provided:

  • a *.xml file containing metadata (formatted to either ISO, FGDC, or Dublin Core standards)
  • a *.sld file for styling the layer
  • a *.prj file for shape files containing the projection information

The file names must be formatted correctly. For example, for a shape file 'cities' the files should be named as follows:

  • cities.shp
  • cities.shx
  • cities.dbf
  • cities.prj
  • cities.sld
  • cities.xml (cities.shp.xml should also be recognised and accepted by the system)

Similarly for a GeoTIFF the files would be named as follows:

  • example.tif
  • example.xml
  • example.sld

To upload a layer go to the Upload Layers page either from the button on the Explore Layers page or from the Data menu at the top of the page.

Select your files using the button or drag and drop files into the window. Change the charset if you need to. If you have included metadata (*.xml) in your collection of files for upload you will also have the option to 'Preserve metadata'. Adjust the permissions for the layer (you can still change these after you have uploaded the layer).

Editing Layers and Metadata

Once you have chosen a layer, you can edit its metadata, styles, thumbnail and even the data itself.

The button on the right side of the screen will open a popup menu which allows you to choose one of several editing functions. The availability of these functions depend on your level of permissions for that layer.

You can also , view the and

Browsing Maps

Maps contain one or more data layers to provide easier access to mutliple resources. From the Maps page, you can search for a map or create a map, which will open the Map Composer.

Creating a Map

To create a new map go to the Maps page and click the Create a New Map button.

This will take you to the Map Composer.

To add data layers from the Ocean Observatory click on the Add Layers button located below the layers tab on the left hand side of the screen and choose Find layers. After you click search, all the layers available on the Ocean Observatory will be listed. You can limit your search by entering some search text.

To add layers to your map select them and choose the Find Layers button.

You can also edit the Layer's properties by selecting the layer and clicking the Layer Properties button.

Layer styles can be edited using by selecting them and clicking the Layer Styles

Reordering and Removing Layers

Change the display order of the layers listed in the data tab by simply dragging and dropping their names. The order in the map will be updated to reflect that. To turn a layer's visibility off simply uncheck it, and to remove it entirely select it and hit the red minus button.

Saving your map

Once a suitable set of layers and zoom level has been found it's time to save it so others can see it. Click the Map Map button and choose Save map. Fill out the title and abstract of the map and then click save. This will also generate a thumbnail for your map.

Publishing a Map

Any map can be embedded for use in another site or blog. To publish a map:

  1. Click View Map for a selected map from the map list or from a map details page.
  2. Click the Map Map button at the top leaf and then choose 'Publish map'.
  3. Save the map if you are prompted to
  4. Choose your desired height and width for the widget in the wizard.
  5. Copy the HTML snippet provided in the wizard to any HTML page or iFrame-supporting blog post.

This will put an interactive widget showing you map in your web page or blog post.

Developer Access

The Developer page is the place for developers to get started building applications against the GeoNode. It includes instructions on using the web services, links to the source code of the GeoNode, and information about the open source projects used to create it.